Help buying my first film camera

honey bo bo · 04-09-2016, 01:24 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

a self-portrait, which was well-nigh impossible for K1000 shooters

Just sold my shutter Air release on a reel (15'=20' I beleave) K1000 Tamron 70-210 2 x teleconverter for $65 on Ebay. Could have taken selfies for the whole school. Had to squeeze hard on the ball but it worked.

Eyewanders · 04-09-2016, 01:41 PM

There are plenty of old mechanical self-timers floating around on ebay for not much $$ ... but then that's just another thing to tote around. (Though I've been wanting to pick one up for my folders... several have self-timers but I don't trust them.)

Off-topic a bit, but one my fav self-ports I did of myself, albeit on a K-7, was with a Pentax-M 35/2.0 a number of years back. First try!

**ChrisPlatt** · 04-09-2016, 02:35 PM - **1 Like**

I have taken a grand total of one self-portrait in forty years of photography.
A few times I have used the self-timer in lieu of a cable release to minimize vibration.
On older cameras especially those never serviced activating the self-timer is just asking for trouble.
One thing I like about my Pentax SP1000 is its lack of a self-timer.

Chris

honey bo bo · 04-09-2016, 03:01 PM

Originally posted by chickentender

First try!

Are sure that wasn't done in a studio by a Pro!(Looks like a Karsh)

Last edited by honey bo bo; 04-09-2016 at 03:07 PM.

Eyewanders · 04-09-2016, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by honey bo bo

Are sure that wasn't done in a studio by a Pro!(Looks like a Karsh)

Hah! No. Was snapped under a streetlight while standing outside a Puerto Rican restaurant here in town having a smoke. (I've since quit which makes this one a bit weird now) Yousuf wasn't around.

**monochrome** · 04-09-2016, 06:11 PM

Remember, in the specific case, the cameras were made available to students who had paid $3,500 for the course but had brought a camera that required batteries. The Instructors were sympathetic to the expense, but they weren't inclined to provide complete gear bags and weren't going to jury a student who had a gear advantage. They only had M50/2 and M28/2.8 and a YG and O2 filter available to rent. There was a Boot Camp aspect to it.

The workaround was to convince someone to go out to your selected location and trip your shutter after you 'counted down'. Since your time was fully scheduled with lectures on everything from chemistry and physics to composition and light; then field work; then lab work making large prints that would be juried; asking someone to spend time helping was often met with a straight out No.

My daughter did 'timer' for a friend, who then carried a view camera into the field for her to use during free time, when most other students were drinking. .

Xmas · 04-10-2016, 03:19 AM

Originally posted by AldaCZ

I'm no expert

I would go KX or MX

I'm happy with MX for 5 or six tools a year.

It's possible to take a selfie with MX and M50 with one hand D
https://flic.kr/p/tRpDxh

And mirror https://flic.kr/p/tca6n6

You only need to be vain?
Or a primate with longer arms in proportion for better perspective?

But I've known cameras hang up when the self timer fails - my SPs have been ok so far, and my K1000 are immune, each feature is a failure mode waiting to happen.

The market says K1000 are better cameras there are more of them about and they cost more, supply and demand?

**monochrome** · 04-10-2016, 05:55 AM

Originally posted by Xmas

The market says K1000 are better cameras there are more of them about and they cost more, supply and demand?

The market merely says the 'clearing price' for second-hand K1000's is higher than that for KX's or KM's.

Nothing more, nothing less.

**ChrisPlatt** · 04-10-2016, 09:10 AM - **2 Likes**

Let's keep the fact that KX and KM cameras are better than the K1000 yet cheaper our little secret, okay?

Eyewanders · 04-10-2016, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by ChrisPlatt

Let's keep the fact that KX and KM cameras are better than the K1000 yet cheaper our little secret, okay?

I'm for this. I'll shut up now.

Xmas · 04-10-2016, 11:18 AM - **1 Like**

Ok K1000s are made out of recycled beetle dung!

Johnny Rod · 04-10-2016, 12:12 PM

You can still buy old self-timers that screw into the shutter release FWIW, Autoknips etc.. if it jams, bin it or at least it's more user-serviceable than an SLR camera (probably by drowning it in lighter fluid and/or WD40).

LesDMess · 04-10-2016, 12:23 PM

Eyewanders · 04-10-2016, 01:27 PM

I just bought one of those two days ago! 14 bucks.

Xmas · 04-11-2016, 01:26 AM

Originally posted by chickentender

I just bought one of those two days ago! 14 bucks.

Your Kx one was unreliable?

04-09-2016, 06:11 PM	#51
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Remember, in the specific case, the cameras were made available to students who had paid $3,500 for the course but had brought a camera that required batteries. The Instructors were sympathetic to the expense, but they weren't inclined to provide complete gear bags and weren't going to jury a student who had a gear advantage. They only had M50/2 and M28/2.8 and a YG and O2 filter available to rent. There was a Boot Camp aspect to it. The workaround was to convince someone to go out to your selected location and trip your shutter after you 'counted down'. Since your time was fully scheduled with lectures on everything from chemistry and physics to composition and light; then field work; then lab work making large prints that would be juried; asking someone to spend time helping was often met with a straight out No. My daughter did 'timer' for a friend, who then carried a view camera into the field for her to use during free time, when most other students were drinking. . Last edited by monochrome; 04-09-2016 at 06:17 PM.

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04-09-2016, 01:24 PM	#46
honey bo bo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 768	Originally posted by monochrome a self-portrait, which was well-nigh impossible for K1000 shooters Just sold my shutter Air release on a reel (15'=20' I beleave) K1000 Tamron 70-210 2 x teleconverter for $65 on Ebay. Could have taken selfies for the whole school. Had to squeeze hard on the ball but it worked.

04-09-2016, 01:41 PM	#47
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	There are plenty of old mechanical self-timers floating around on ebay for not much $$ ... but then that's just another thing to tote around. (Though I've been wanting to pick one up for my folders... several have self-timers but I don't trust them.) Off-topic a bit, but one my fav self-ports I did of myself, albeit on a K-7, was with a Pentax-M 35/2.0 a number of years back. First try!

04-09-2016, 02:35 PM - 1 Like	#48
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,696	I have taken a grand total of one self-portrait in forty years of photography. A few times I have used the self-timer in lieu of a cable release to minimize vibration. On older cameras especially those never serviced activating the self-timer is just asking for trouble. One thing I like about my Pentax SP1000 is its lack of a self-timer. Chris

04-09-2016, 03:01 PM	#49
honey bo bo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 768	Originally posted by chickentender First try! Are sure that wasn't done in a studio by a Pro!(Looks like a Karsh) Last edited by honey bo bo; 04-09-2016 at 03:07 PM.

04-09-2016, 03:44 PM	#50
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	Originally posted by honey bo bo Are sure that wasn't done in a studio by a Pro!(Looks like a Karsh) Hah! No. Was snapped under a streetlight while standing outside a Puerto Rican restaurant here in town having a smoke. (I've since quit which makes this one a bit weird now) Yousuf wasn't around.

04-10-2016, 03:19 AM	#52
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Originally posted by AldaCZ I'm no expert I would go KX or MX I'm happy with MX for 5 or six tools a year. It's possible to take a selfie with MX and M50 with one hand D https://flic.kr/p/tRpDxh And mirror https://flic.kr/p/tca6n6 You only need to be vain? Or a primate with longer arms in proportion for better perspective? But I've known cameras hang up when the self timer fails - my SPs have been ok so far, and my K1000 are immune, each feature is a failure mode waiting to happen. The market says K1000 are better cameras there are more of them about and they cost more, supply and demand?

04-10-2016, 05:55 AM	#53
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Xmas The market says K1000 are better cameras there are more of them about and they cost more, supply and demand? The market merely says the 'clearing price' for second-hand K1000's is higher than that for KX's or KM's. Nothing more, nothing less.

04-10-2016, 09:10 AM - 2 Likes	#54
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,696	Let's keep the fact that KX and KM cameras are better than the K1000 yet cheaper our little secret, okay?

04-10-2016, 10:44 AM	#55
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	Originally posted by ChrisPlatt Let's keep the fact that KX and KM cameras are better than the K1000 yet cheaper our little secret, okay? I'm for this. I'll shut up now.

04-10-2016, 11:18 AM - 1 Like	#56
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Ok K1000s are made out of recycled beetle dung!

04-10-2016, 12:23 PM	#58
LesDMess Pentaxian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,235

04-10-2016, 12:12 PM	#57
Johnny Rod Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 122	You can still buy old self-timers that screw into the shutter release FWIW, Autoknips etc.. if it jams, bin it or at least it's more user-serviceable than an SLR camera (probably by drowning it in lighter fluid and/or WD40).

04-10-2016, 01:27 PM	#59
Eyewanders Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Land of the Salish Sea Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,343	I just bought one of those two days ago! 14 bucks.

04-11-2016, 01:26 AM	#60
Xmas Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 617	Originally posted by chickentender I just bought one of those two days ago! 14 bucks. Your Kx one was unreliable?