[ctrout]

I am considering the purchase of a Pentax K. I have found one online and there is one area of concern that the seller has not addressed with me yet. Can anyone who has this model post up a nice, detailed, in-focus picture of the side of the camera where the film door latch is? I don't need to see the door opened with the lock mechanism showing, just a nice shot of the exterior of the latch with the door closed.

TIA,
Chris

[stevebrot]

Having a copy of the camera manual is incredibly helpful for this sort of thing and today is your lucky day:

Pentax Manuals

There is a clear photo in the manual of the latch side of the camera.


Steve

[ctrout]

I never would have thought of that. I even googled the Pentax K looking for pictures and never found what I was looking for. THANKS!

I just went to the link though and it's password protected

But then I actually READ the page and foundd the password. DUH!

[kev.pride]

Pentax K was not introduced until well after 1958. That might be a problem.

[Gray]

Pentax K was not introduced until well after 1958. That might be a problem.

I think 1958 is the correct date. You may be thinking of Pentax's K bayonet mount, which indeed was introduced in 1975, well after 1958. But the Asahi Pentax K camera was manufactured from 1958 to 1959.

[ctrout]

Thanks for the confirmation Gray. I included the date specifically to avoid someone getting confused and thinking that I was talking about the Pentax "K mount." Indeed I was talking about the 35mm SLR camera body that you posted in your picture above.

[WPRESTO]

My first Pentax (also my first 35mm camera) was the model "S" produced the same time as the "K" but differing in 1) no spring-lever auto diaphragm closure, only preset or manual diaphragms; and 2) top speed of 1/500 rather than 1/1000 on the "K." The film door catch, easily seen in the photo posted by Gray, was a fingernail operated lift-up that went back down my spring action. It was covered by a vertical strip that had the same black, textured cover as the majority of the body.

[Canada_Rockies]

My first 35mm camera was a Yashica with a fixed lens. My second 35mm camera, and my first SLR, was the model without a letter that preceded the S version. I bought it used in a pawn shop in Vancouver BC in 1961 complete with a Takumar preset 55mm f/2.2. It was built like a tank. I used it to take children's soccer games for a newspaper in 1976 and 1977. The old shutters were getting not quite as light tight as they should have been, so I went to my local camera store in Langley and traded it in on a used KX. I still used the 135/3.5 preset for sports with that camera for about a year while I saved up enough money to get the M 135/3.5 when it came out. Later addition was the M 28/3.5. I see images from both those lenses on K-3 samples quite frequently.

[WPRESTO]

My first 35mm camera was a Yashica with a fixed lens. My second 35mm camera, and my first SLR, was the model without a letter that preceded the S version. I bought it used in a pawn shop in Vancouver BC in 1961 complete with a Takumar preset 55mm f/2.2. It was built like a tank. I used it to take children's soccer games for a newspaper in 1976 and 1977. The old shutters were getting not quite as light tight as they should have been, so I went to my local camera store in Langley and traded it in on a used KX. I still used the 135/3.5 preset for sports with that camera for about a year while I saved up enough money to get the M 135/3.5 when it came out. Later addition was the M 28/3.5. I see images from both those lenses on K-3 samples quite frequently.

Never had a KX, but did have the 135mm preset, the 135mm and 28mm M. Went for Asahi S to Honeywell H1a to Spotmatic (original version without a hot shoe, and it's still here although the meter is long dead). My first K-mount was an ME Super.

[monochrome]

I think 1958 is the correct date. You may be thinking of Pentax's K bayonet mount, which indeed was introduced in 1975, well after 1958. But the Asahi Pentax K camera was manufactured from 1958 to 1959.

Thanks for the confirmation Gray. I included the date specifically to avoid someone getting confused and thinking that I was talking about the Pentax "K mount." Indeed I was talking about the 35mm SLR camera body that you posted in your picture above.

Here's another authoritative source confirming the K / Tower 29 was introduced May, 1958.

[ctrout]

My first Pentax (also my first 35mm camera) was the model "S" produced the same time as the "K" but differing in 1) no spring-lever auto diaphragm closure, only preset or manual diaphragms; and 2) top speed of 1/500 rather than 1/1000 on the "K." The film door catch, easily seen in the photo posted by Gray, was a fingernail operated lift-up that went back down my spring action. It was covered by a vertical strip that had the same black, textured cover as the majority of the body.

Thanks for the detailed description. Short of seeing a really good photo of this area, your info is the best I've found so far. I can pretty much visualize what it is that the seller is not showing me.

The reason I want to see a photo is because their is a ding visible on the latch that I'm wondering if it's just cosmetic or if it will affect the functioning of the door closure. In either case, I would also like to see if it looks to be an easily repairable condition.

---------- Post added 10-06-16 at 05:37 PM ----------

Well, it doesn't matter any more. It sold for $51 shipped. If it was someone here that bought it, please let me know how stupid I was to be apprehensive to buy based on the lack of communication from the seller. I asked twice with no response for more info. So please tell me that this camera is pristine with the exception of the tiny dent that has no effect on the film door operation. Please tell me also that the very vague inoperability issue was nothing more than a $100 CLA and that the camera now works better than new. Thanks.