K1000 - The New Street Machine (1976)

lithos · 07-31-2009, 05:38 AM

Originally posted by 8540tomg

At the risk of offending the K1000 Club this is a camera I just don’t get and never did.

When I bought my first film camera, an MX in 1982, I took a look at the K1000 and found it to be pretty Spartan even in that era. The shutter sounded really clunky as I recall and you couldn’t buy all the extra gadgets, drives, screens etc you could get for the MX. That sealed the deal for me and I haven’t regretted it. I later got a K2, which is the penultimate version of the K series line up. It had all that cool stuff: AE, faster x sync, +/- exposure comp. dial, mirror lock up etc that made it a far more appealing and expensive camera. The K2 is just a much better camera in every way and yet the K1000 commands a similar price on today’s used market. What is it you guys see in the K1000? It’s a mystery to me.

Tom G

Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring.

They're good cameras, but I much rather something of the M-series ilk. I love the faster meter and shutter speed display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately the manual buttons were designed by the same bloke/unholy demon that did the K2's ISO ring.

But for what it is...the K1000 deserves rightly to be a legend. Not many people care for its place in history, or are willing to admit it. I suppose that's because of where that place is - firmly at the bottom rung, happy down in the mud with all the other short poppies, having fun. It wasn't the camera that won Pulitzers, or got its photos on the cover of National Geographic or TIME, but it was the one who probably taught half of those photogs what the difference is between f8 at 1/500 and f16 at 1/125. It's not glamourous. Therein lies its charm.

**gofour3** · 07-31-2009, 06:31 AM

The K1000 is like the original VW Beetle, millions were sold but would you want one now?
No thanks.

The KX & K2 are the ones worth using from the K series bodies. The KM, so so..

séamuis · 07-31-2009, 06:43 AM

Originally posted by gofour3

The K1000 is like the original VW Beatle, millions were sold but would you want one now?
No thanks.

The KX & K2 are the ones worth using from the K series bodies. The KM, so so..

disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result.

lithos · 07-31-2009, 06:45 AM

I always thought of it as the AK-47 of cameras...

Nesster · 07-31-2009, 08:10 AM

For me this is funny: While I don't especially get excited about the K1000, I do want (and owned) a SP1000.

jgredline · 07-31-2009, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by lithos

Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring.

They're good cameras, but I much rather something of the M-series ilk. I love the faster meter and shutter speed display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately the manual buttons were designed by the same bloke/unholy demon that did the K2's ISO ring.

But for what it is...the K1000 deserves rightly to be a legend. Not many people care for its place in history, or are willing to admit it. I suppose that's because of where that place is - firmly at the bottom rung, happy down in the mud with all the other short poppies, having fun. It wasn't the camera that won Pulitzers, or got its photos on the cover of National Geographic or TIME, but it was the one who probably taught half of those photogs what the difference is between f8 at 1/500 and f16 at 1/125. It's not glamourous. Therein lies its charm.

This is one of the best and funniest post I have read in a very long time...I loved it..Thanks

graphicgr8s · 07-31-2009, 01:35 PM

I still use and love my K1000. You just can't kill em

lithos · 08-01-2009, 01:05 AM

You do get the obvious modern cameras mentioned in those "Important Cameras" type pages and books - the Nikon F, the Barnack Leica and M3, the Minolta Maxxum (funny how you don't see the ME-F, even though it paved the way for the other half of the modern SLR AF system,) the Canon EOS, the Oly OM and Pen, because those were all, in some way, revolutionary and technically interesting.

Precisely the opposite with the K1000. It was, from a technically standpoint, terrible. Mass-produced, "cheap" in price, unwieldy...yet it outlasted all those other cameras. Twenty-one years. It could buy booze and vote in the US. It could also be used to chock the wheels of a truck, drive star posts, and still take pictures after all that.

It lived through several generations of camera evolution. The miniaturisation the OMs brought about, the appearance of the Av mode, the move from clockwork to circuitry, the AF revolution and the auto-everything of the nineties. And it is, technically, crap. (You don't, however, hear the Leicaphiles who beseech you to get a Leica because "it's just you and the camera, with nothing in between!" mention the K1000 or similar, for some reason.)

It's far from special. Then again, there's a reason sharks haven't changed much in the past hundred million years or so.

**ChrisPlatt** · 08-02-2009, 01:15 PM

The appeal of the K1000 is its simplicity. It has everything you need for photography and nothing you don't.
My wife has used a K1000 for more than 25 years. My barebones SLR is the similar Pentax KM.

Chris

stevebrot · 08-02-2009, 02:43 PM

Originally posted by lithos

Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring...

That and that they lacked a full-information viewfinder (except for the DMD (motor drive capable) model that 8540tomg has). That is one reason why I went for the KX instead. I really do like to see the aperture, especially if I am using Av mode. Still, though I would rather have the K2 than the ME Super

Steve

(Feel the heat rising from the ME Super fans!)

stevebrot · 08-02-2009, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by séamuis

disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result.

I have driven a beetle...will pass, thank you. I prefer brakes and a heater that work.

The K1000, on the other hand...

Steve

(This is really fun...not often that I have a chance to bash the beetle...)

stevebrot · 08-02-2009, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by lithos

I always thought of it as the AK-47 of cameras...

Now, that is an apt comparison, except that the AK-47 has a higher "fps"

and the K1000 has more accurate aim...

Steve

8540tomg · 08-02-2009, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

That and that they lacked a full-information viewfinder (except for the DMD (motor drive capable) model that 8540tomg has). That is one reason why I went for the KX instead. I really do like to see the aperture, especially if I am using Av mode. Still, though I would rather have the K2 than the ME Super

Steve

(Feel the heat rising from the ME Super fans!)

I wish I had the K2DMD. Alas, I just have the basic K2 but that is not a bad thing.

The viewfinder window is a really useful feature and one I wish my K2 had. I really wish there was a DSLR which let me see the f stop in the viewfinder with my K and M series lenses. I suspect there is not much chance of that happening any time soon.

Am I the only guy who has no trouble setting the ASA on a K2?

I actually find it easier than setting ASA on my MX. I’m pretty sure if you are having trouble setting ASA on a K2 that the lubrication has dried out and you need to have the camera serviced. Mine was very stiff when I picked it up used in 1995 or so. Since being serviced no problems at all.

Tom G

vinzer · 08-02-2009, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by séamuis

disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result.

+1. I also would love to get a good condition Beetle and restore it.

stevebrot · 08-02-2009, 09:27 PM

Originally posted by 8540tomg

I wish I had the K2DMD. Alas, I just have the basic K2 but that is not a bad thing.

The viewfinder window is a really useful feature and one I wish my K2 had. I really wish there was a DSLR which let me see the f stop in the viewfinder with my K and M series lenses. I suspect there is not much chance of that happening any time soon.

Sorry, for some reason I thought your had the K2DMD.

Steve

07-31-2009, 06:31 AM	#17
gofour3 Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,092	The K1000 is like the original VW Beetle, millions were sold but would you want one now? No thanks. The KX & K2 are the ones worth using from the K series bodies. The KM, so so.. Last edited by gofour3; 07-31-2009 at 07:41 AM.

08-02-2009, 02:43 PM	#25
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by lithos Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring... That and that they lacked a full-information viewfinder (except for the DMD (motor drive capable) model that 8540tomg has). That is one reason why I went for the KX instead. I really do like to see the aperture, especially if I am using Av mode. Still, though I would rather have the K2 than the ME Super Steve (Feel the heat rising from the ME Super fans!) Last edited by stevebrot; 08-02-2009 at 02:52 PM.

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07-31-2009, 05:38 AM	#16
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	Originally posted by 8540tomg At the risk of offending the K1000 Club this is a camera I just don’t get and never did. When I bought my first film camera, an MX in 1982, I took a look at the K1000 and found it to be pretty Spartan even in that era. The shutter sounded really clunky as I recall and you couldn’t buy all the extra gadgets, drives, screens etc you could get for the MX. That sealed the deal for me and I haven’t regretted it. I later got a K2, which is the penultimate version of the K series line up. It had all that cool stuff: AE, faster x sync, +/- exposure comp. dial, mirror lock up etc that made it a far more appealing and expensive camera. The K2 is just a much better camera in every way and yet the K1000 commands a similar price on today’s used market. What is it you guys see in the K1000? It’s a mystery to me. Tom G Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring. They're good cameras, but I much rather something of the M-series ilk. I love the faster meter and shutter speed display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately the manual buttons were designed by the same bloke/unholy demon that did the K2's ISO ring. But for what it is...the K1000 deserves rightly to be a legend. Not many people care for its place in history, or are willing to admit it. I suppose that's because of where that place is - firmly at the bottom rung, happy down in the mud with all the other short poppies, having fun. It wasn't the camera that won Pulitzers, or got its photos on the cover of National Geographic or TIME, but it was the one who probably taught half of those photogs what the difference is between f8 at 1/500 and f16 at 1/125. It's not glamourous. Therein lies its charm.

07-31-2009, 06:43 AM	#18
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	Originally posted by gofour3 The K1000 is like the original VW Beatle, millions were sold but would you want one now? No thanks. The KX & K2 are the ones worth using from the K series bodies. The KM, so so.. disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result.

07-31-2009, 06:45 AM	#19
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	I always thought of it as the AK-47 of cameras...

07-31-2009, 08:10 AM	#20
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072 Original Poster	For me this is funny: While I don't especially get excited about the K1000, I do want (and owned) a SP1000.

07-31-2009, 09:40 AM	#21
jgredline Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: LosAngeles, Ca. Photos: Albums Posts: 10,628	Originally posted by lithos Only downside with the K2 is that satan himself designed that ISO ring. They're good cameras, but I much rather something of the M-series ilk. I love the faster meter and shutter speed display in the viewfinder. Unfortunately the manual buttons were designed by the same bloke/unholy demon that did the K2's ISO ring. But for what it is...the K1000 deserves rightly to be a legend. Not many people care for its place in history, or are willing to admit it. I suppose that's because of where that place is - firmly at the bottom rung, happy down in the mud with all the other short poppies, having fun. It wasn't the camera that won Pulitzers, or got its photos on the cover of National Geographic or TIME, but it was the one who probably taught half of those photogs what the difference is between f8 at 1/500 and f16 at 1/125. It's not glamourous. Therein lies its charm. This is one of the best and funniest post I have read in a very long time...I loved it..Thanks

07-31-2009, 01:35 PM	#22
graphicgr8s Guest	I still use and love my K1000. You just can't kill em

08-01-2009, 01:05 AM	#23
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	You do get the obvious modern cameras mentioned in those "Important Cameras" type pages and books - the Nikon F, the Barnack Leica and M3, the Minolta Maxxum (funny how you don't see the ME-F, even though it paved the way for the other half of the modern SLR AF system,) the Canon EOS, the Oly OM and Pen, because those were all, in some way, revolutionary and technically interesting. Precisely the opposite with the K1000. It was, from a technically standpoint, terrible. Mass-produced, "cheap" in price, unwieldy...yet it outlasted all those other cameras. Twenty-one years. It could buy booze and vote in the US. It could also be used to chock the wheels of a truck, drive star posts, and still take pictures after all that. It lived through several generations of camera evolution. The miniaturisation the OMs brought about, the appearance of the Av mode, the move from clockwork to circuitry, the AF revolution and the auto-everything of the nineties. And it is, technically, crap. (You don't, however, hear the Leicaphiles who beseech you to get a Leica because "it's just you and the camera, with nothing in between!" mention the K1000 or similar, for some reason.) It's far from special. Then again, there's a reason sharks haven't changed much in the past hundred million years or so.

08-02-2009, 01:15 PM	#24
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,696	The appeal of the K1000 is its simplicity. It has everything you need for photography and nothing you don't. My wife has used a K1000 for more than 25 years. My barebones SLR is the similar Pentax KM. Chris

08-02-2009, 02:46 PM	#26
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by séamuis disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result. I have driven a beetle...will pass, thank you. I prefer brakes and a heater that work. The K1000, on the other hand... Steve (This is really fun...not often that I have a chance to bash the beetle...)

08-02-2009, 02:48 PM	#27
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by lithos I always thought of it as the AK-47 of cameras... Now, that is an apt comparison, except that the AK-47 has a higher "fps" and the K1000 has more accurate aim... Steve

08-02-2009, 03:06 PM	#28
8540tomg Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Waterloo, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,461	Originally posted by stevebrot That and that they lacked a full-information viewfinder (except for the DMD (motor drive capable) model that 8540tomg has). That is one reason why I went for the KX instead. I really do like to see the aperture, especially if I am using Av mode. Still, though I would rather have the K2 than the ME Super Steve (Feel the heat rising from the ME Super fans!) I wish I had the K2DMD. Alas, I just have the basic K2 but that is not a bad thing. The viewfinder window is a really useful feature and one I wish my K2 had. I really wish there was a DSLR which let me see the f stop in the viewfinder with my K and M series lenses. I suspect there is not much chance of that happening any time soon. Am I the only guy who has no trouble setting the ASA on a K2? I actually find it easier than setting ASA on my MX. I’m pretty sure if you are having trouble setting ASA on a K2 that the lubrication has dried out and you need to have the camera serviced. Mine was very stiff when I picked it up used in 1995 or so. Since being serviced no problems at all. Tom G

08-02-2009, 07:30 PM	#29
vinzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Philippines Posts: 1,399	Originally posted by séamuis disagree. I do want one. Ive even contimplated selling my VW Westfalia for one. I never understood comparing cameras to cars. very different indeed. a K1000? do not want. a beetle? oh yes. and I still dont like the K1000. but I agree that the K1000 and the beetle are very much the same in concept, execution and end result. +1. I also would love to get a good condition Beetle and restore it.

08-02-2009, 09:27 PM	#30
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by 8540tomg I wish I had the K2DMD. Alas, I just have the basic K2 but that is not a bad thing. The viewfinder window is a really useful feature and one I wish my K2 had. I really wish there was a DSLR which let me see the f stop in the viewfinder with my K and M series lenses. I suspect there is not much chance of that happening any time soon. Sorry, for some reason I thought your had the K2DMD. Steve