While at lunch today, I went by one of the local camera shops to see if they had picked any older Petax Lenses and/or had them for sale.

Nope, not my lucky day for lenses.

What I did see, however, was an old Honeywell/Pentax Camera in the hands of one of the customers. The guy must have been around 80 years old and I cant help but believe that the old Camera had to be at least 45 - 50 years old.

I didn't get a real close look at it but it sure looked a lot like an old K1000.

Golly, I wonder how many of those are still around?

[baldeagle21b]

While at lunch today, I went by one of the local camera shops to see if they had picked any older Petax Lenses and/or had them for sale.

Nope, not my lucky day for lenses.

What I did see, however, was an old Honeywell/Pentax Camera in the hands of one of the customers. The guy must have been around 80 years old and I cant help but believe that the old Camera had to be at least 45 - 50 years old.

I didn't get a real close look at it but it sure looked a lot like an old K1000.

Golly, I wonder how many of those are still around?

If it really was that old, it probably was one of the H1/H3 models, the predecessor to the Spotmatic. Both of those types were M42 screw-mount lens bodies - K1000 was basically a Spotmatic with the K bayonet lens mount grafted on. SLR Cameras of that era are quite robust physically, and there are still plenty of them in use still today. I have a Spotmatic I bought in 1970, CLA'd several years ago, and it works like new. It uses something called "film" to record the image, and I get up to 36 sensors per roll.

[igowerf]

If you do a search for Spotmatic or Pentax Honeywell on eBay, you'll actually find quite a few listed. Those older types of cameras are mechanical and built like tanks so they tend to last and be easy to fix for the experienced repair person.

[mysterick]

I bought a Honeywell Spotmatic F back in 1965 at the PX in Japan while onshore. Great camera! The K1000 comparison is apt. I still have one of those. The Spotmatic and the KX got out of my hands, but eveything else is in my kit.:ugh:

[Jake21209]

I'm one of those old guys and, I still have my Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic. In fact, it is the only camera I own and I use it on a semi-regular basis. These cameras are built like tanks, and while they may appear small, they are about the size of a Canon 20D which supprised me. I bought mine back in 1967 or 68 for around $350 I think, and that included the 50mm f 1.4 lens. Seemed like a lot of money at the time, but a Nikon F cost a couple of hundred dollars more I believe.

My only complaint is that the current batteries do not last very long. It seems that if you put in a fresh battery and don't use the camera for a couple of months, the battery dies. Not sure why, but the old batteries seemed to last for several years before they died.

I have used the camera it all kinds of weather during the year except for very heavy rain and have never had a problem. Worked well in the winter in the snow and the summer in high temps. And, if the battery died, the only thing not working was the meter. You could still go on shooting with a best guess estimate as to exposure.

[baldeagle21b]

My only complaint is that the current batteries do not last very long. It seems that if you put in a fresh battery and don't use the camera for a couple of months, the battery dies. Not sure why, but the old batteries seemed to last for several years before they died.

Depends on the type of battery you are using. The Wein zinc-air cells will start to degrade due to drying out of the electrolyte once the seal over the air hole is broken. Silver-oxide cells will last longer without use but not as long as the old mercury cells. Also if you have a model F Spotmatic the switch connecting the battery to the metering circuit closes when you have a lens fully mounted on the camera. When I put away my Spot F I loosen the lens just enough to open the switch to prevent drain on the battery when the camera is not in use.

[lesmore49]

I have a Pentax S1a, known in the states as a H (Honeywell)1a. I bought it , new in '68. It had a top shutter speed of 1/500th of a second and it has no lightmeter. I use a hand held Sekonic light meter. Both units still work.

I had to buy it as a 35 mm slr was a requirement of the publishing company I worked for at the time.

Good rugged camera...taken pictures all over the place, Europe, Canada States.

BTW, my first post.

[Ole]

My first real camera was the Spotmatic, but I just purchased an even older model, the Asahi Pentax K, which was released in 1958.

It was only the second model from Pentax with a pentaprism, the first model was released in 1957. You still had to cock the diaphragm before each shot; however, the later Super Takumar lenses work just fine on the "K" with their fully automatic diaphragm. Already back then did Pentax care about forwards and backwards compatibility!

[Canada_Rockies]

My first real camera was the Spotmatic, but I just purchased an even older model, the Asahi Pentax K, which was released in 1958.

It was only the second model from Pentax with a pentaprism, the first model was released in 1957. You still had to cock the diaphragm before each shot; however, the later Super Takumar lenses work just fine on the "K" with their fully automatic diaphragm. Already back then did Pentax care about forwards and backwards compatibility!

The first Pentax model was a bit earlier than that. In North America, the 1957 model was the first available, I think. My first Pentax was reported as produced in 1954 by the collector who bought it. It had no way of operating the lens diaphragm - it used preset or manual lenses. The shutter speed sequence was also the older 1/25 sequence. I see your front dial goes 1/15, 1/30. Mine was 1/10, 1/25 sequence. This was apparently only used for the first six months production after they put the prism on the Asahiflex and switched to the M42-1 screw mount.

Of course you have to be as old as I am to have actually purchased Pentax instruction books printed in beautiful black and white. Especially those published by Dr. somebody or other who wrote a zillion books about photography.

[J.Scott]

I recently purchased this book to help bring a better grasp of the history of Pentax. It is chocked full of pictures and data and well worth the $20 bucks it cost. I would highly recommend it if you are interested in Pentax history. The only negative point is that it does not contain an index.

According to the book Pentax branded units sold in the USA first went under the name "Tower" (sold through Sears), then "Heiland" then "Honeywell". The Honeywell name stayed with cameras up to the ESII model in the late 1970's.

[Ole]

The first Pentax model was a bit earlier than that. In North America, the 1957 model was the first available, I think. ....

The first 35mm had no pentaprsim, but a folding viewfinder. It was called Asahifelx and came out around 1953. The 1957 model was the first with a pentaprism, then, in 1958, came the "K" model. Here is an excellent site with historical information:

Cameras meiner Sammlung: ASAHIFLEX

Jeff, thanks for the book reference, I went ahead and ordered it right away!

[dantuyhoa]

I have this K model . Bought by mistake . Pure "selective hearing " problem ! I thought it was KM , KX , K2 something . Drove 2 hours , the old man thought I am too young to do film . But I figure it was fate so I bought it anyway . Pure Sunny 16 camera . It was sold as Tower 29 by Sears . Used by Life and National Geographic staffs ! If you set the shutter speed at 1000 mark , it won't flush down all the way . Interestingly the ASA only go to 100 for color and slide but 800 for B/W . Lenses was available from 35 to 1000 . Bellow and ext tube was also can be had ! Fun shiny heavy metal piece of personal defense if needed . People won't leave you alone b/c they thought you might actually know a thing or two about photography

[noblepa]

The first Pentax model was a bit earlier than that. In North America, the 1957 model was the first available, I think. My first Pentax was reported as produced in 1954 by the collector who bought it. It had no way of operating the lens diaphragm - it used preset or manual lenses. The shutter speed sequence was also the older 1/25 sequence. I see your front dial goes 1/15, 1/30. Mine was 1/10, 1/25 sequence. This was apparently only used for the first six months production after they put the prism on the Asahiflex and switched to the M42-1 screw mount.

Of course you have to be as old as I am to have actually purchased Pentax instruction books printed in beautiful black and white. Especially those published by Dr. somebody or other who wrote a zillion books about photography.

I believe that the 1957 version was the first Asahi camera to use the name Pentax. Prior to that, the cameras were known as Asahiflex and used a 39mm screw mount. The 1957 Pentax was also the first to use the now familiar M42 screw mount.

This is further illustrated by the fact that, a few months ago, Pentax showed a one-off modified K10D digital SLR, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the brand name Pentax. This camera was a bone-stock K10D, but the top of the body had been replaced with a silver plastic piece, rather than the standard black. Furthermore, the prism housing did NOT sport the built-in flash. Rather, it was styled after the prisms of the traditional Pentax cameras, such as the 1957 Pentax, the Spotmatic, etc. Proudly displayed on the front of the prism housing was the name "PENTAX". I would really love to have one. I have a K10D and it is great, but I have always loved the styling of my Spotmatic.


Paul Noble

[Nesster]

From the 1961 US Camera Annual

[lesmore49]

I recently purchased this book to help bring a better grasp of the history of Pentax. It is chocked full of pictures and data and well worth the $20 bucks it cost. I would highly recommend it if you are interested in Pentax history. The only negative point is that it does not contain an index.

According to the book Pentax branded units sold in the USA first went under the name "Tower" (sold through Sears), then "Heiland" then "Honeywell". The Honeywell name stayed with cameras up to the ESII model in the late 1970's.

Don't hear about the ES11 much. I bought one, new in '74 or so. Black body. Great camera but boy does it take batteries (4).