found a "gem" film camera story

[robitussin217]

I work at a camp and live in a house dedicated to ministry training. We were storing bunk beds in the attic and my friend came across an Asahi Pentax K1000!

I have a Nikon D40 and had been looking for a deal on a Nikon FE to try film. So, I was very excited to find this camera (even though not a Nikon) and took it to procamera in Charlottesville, VA to see if it was operational and to make sure that in my attempts to make it go I wasn't going to ruin it.

I got a battery for the light meter- it works! I got a cheap roll of B&W film to check the light sealing and have to get it processed.

I was so excited I thought I'd upload a picture for cheap entertainment factor.

I don't know how these photos will turn out. And, I don't know where I am on the digital vs. film spectrum. But, it was SO much fun to shoot film. It makes me really focus.

And, NO MENUS! No press and spin or press hold and spin or accidentally pressing too many times! Yay for dedicated rings and nobs.

I just thought I'd share that with you all.

 

[bhop]

Congrats. K1000 is a classic.

 

[robitussin217]

Thank you, I really like it...trade you for the leica, tho

 

[SoonerBJJ]

My primary camera is a K1000 that first belonged to my dad. I have other more expensive, fancier film cameras but I love to use the K1000.

Buy a bunch of film and keep shooting it. With $50 in supplies you can start developing your own film at home. Then you can scan the negatives or start printing your own with another $150 investment.

Have fun with it.

 

[compur]

I don't know how these photos will turn out.

We never do.

 

[bhop]

Thank you, I really like it...trade you for the leica, tho

Oh..you know I would but I've got a k1000 already

 

[stephen]

A friend gave me an old Pentax K1000 about a year back. Recently I got it out and tried out the macro feature on the lens that came with it. Link to the image below. I love using the camera with it's old needle meter system and everything else is manual. Sort of reminds me of the srT201 that I recently picked up and am starting to work with.

http://home.comcast.net/~disposable12/macrolimb.jpg

 

[robitussin217]

Thank you, I really like it...trade you for the leica, tho

Oh..you know I would but I've got a k1000 already

Oh! so close...

My primary camera is a K1000 that first belonged to my dad. I have other more expensive, fancier film cameras but I love to use the K1000.

Buy a bunch of film and keep shooting it. With $50 in supplies you can start developing your own film at home. Then you can scan the negatives or start printing your own with another $150 investment.

I would really enjoy doing that at some point. Good food for introversion that's not video games. Any suggestions on what the $50 would get me or a link to a site *goes to search forums*

A friend gave me an old Pentax K1000 about a year back

I feel like these amazing machines are everywhere. After using the k1000 the D40 feels like a plastic toy. These things are immortal. So cool...

We never do.

makes me feel better...

 

[usayit]

Congrats on your find. Mine is a brown leathered K1000 SE I purchased several years ago to replace one that I sold. I had sellers remorse.

The K1000 was manufactured a very long time which resulted in a variety of variations. Might be interesting to do some searching to find out. People usually start by finding the origin of manufacturer usually stamped on the bottom plate.

 

[compur]

The original k-1000s were made in Japan. In the late 1970s production was
moved to Hong Kong and in the 1990s to China.

The first Japanese-made cameras are the best made in my opinion. They
are of rugged all-metal construction and are the heaviest. The Chinese
cameras substituted plastic parts such as the top cover, the film wind shaft
and some other parts. The first time I tried working on a Chinese K-1000 I
shattered the film wind shaft by putting very little torque on it. I was amazed
at how fragile it was.

From examples that I've seen the Hong-Kong cameras had a tiny sticker
strip on the bottom that said "Made in Hong Kong" which was easily
removed. They also seem lighter than the Japanese-made cameras. I don't
think the Chinese cameras had any designation of country, from what I've
seen anyway.

The K-1000 is a great camera and there are other K-series models
too that equaled or surpassed it like the KX, KM and K2 models.
These K-series cameras are why we call the Pentax lens bayonet
mount the "K-Mount," a term which is still used today for current
Pentax SLRs.

 

[robitussin217]

Thanks so much compur. That is very interesting. You're right about the sticker on the Hong Kong version. It's a small strip that says, "BODY ASSEMBLED IN HONG KONG."

And, I didn't know they got heavier than this. It's very hefty.

Congrats on your find. Mine is a brown leathered K1000 SE I purchased several years ago to replace one that I sold. I had sellers remorse.

The K1000 was manufactured a very long time which resulted in a variety of variations. Might be interesting to do some searching to find out. People usually start by finding the origin of manufacturer usually stamped on the bottom plate.

Thanks for sharing, it's fun to hear K1000 stories. I've been reading a little bit about its history and the brown SE's are the earlier version (of the SE), switching back to black later. They also have the split screen viewfinder focusing system vs. the pentaprism "little dots" system.

 

[Vautrin]

Thank you, I really like it...trade you for the leica, tho

Oh..you know I would but I've got a k1000 already

Oh! so close...



I would really enjoy doing that at some point. Good food for introversion that's not video games. Any suggestions on what the $50 would get me or a link to a site *goes to search forums*

All you really need is a tank:

COMPACT RKR TANK Adorama Ultra Universal Plastic Daylight Film Developing Tank for Film Sizes, 35mm, 120 and 220

And the chemicals which you should be able to find at a local photo store.

You can even get "kits" which hold all the chemicals if you're too lazy to put together your own:

Rollei 'The One' Film Development Kit 120 - Black & White Film - 120 Film - Films - Lomography Shop

Personally I dont' have room for an enlarger (that's to make prints from your negatives) so I bought a Canoscan 8800F. It's a pretty nice scanner I picked up for a 180...

My basic trade off was that an enlarger would also cost $$$, take up much more space, and require a darkroom with chemicals to do the prints. Which I would love to do except my apartment is the size of a closet...

 

[Goontz]

Congrats. Sounds like you'll have some fun with it and really appreciate it.

I recently acquired what is essentially an earlier model that led way to the K1000. http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/collectors-corner/196478-my-new-pentax.html

 

[LBPhotog]

I <3 the K1000! I learned on it, I loved it and it's a long love for me. I have a F-5 and an F-100 film cameras and let me tell you something, I would love to add a functioning K1000 to my "collection" ... great find! Have fun! :thumbup:

 

[magkelly]

I'm not much of a film person really. Not so far. I like the instant gratification of digital photography, grin, but if ever there was a camera that might get me shooting more in the way of traditional film I think the Pentax SLR might just do it. I've held and shot with an SP2 and I've checked out a K1000. I've also played briefly with the K series DSLR. They all very sweet cameras and I definitely wouldn't turn up my nose at any of them digital or not if I had the opportunity and the money to grab me one!

The K1000's they're not that cheap actually compared to some old SLR's. I've looked. I've thought about it pretty hard actually. A Pentax in nice shape and good working order can go for a pretty penny on auction from what I've seen.

You can apparently pick up a lot of them in not so great condition for a song, but getting one repaired can actually be expensive. I actually thought about it, a K1000 because I might just need a film SLR when I go back to school, and that's the one they often suggest, but getting one in good working shape, that doesn't need major cleaning and repair for less than $200-300 around here is really tough.

The 2 local colleges here that still have non-digital labs I'm told actually buy up a lot of them to fix and resell to students. I asked and they're charging a small fortune for them. I'm talking $350 for a basic kit.

I checked on CL too recently and still they want a lot for them when you see them depending upon which Pentax it is. The K1000's are usually more expensive than the SP1/SP2's. It looks to me like they have all gone from being good working/hobby cameras to much more of a collector's thing.

On CL I see some people actually asking almost as much for a Pentax SLR kit from the 70's in good condition as they do for a good used DSLR. They seem quite a bit more expensive than a lot of other old SLR's in the market, almost in the range of some of the nicer old Nikkor/Nikon SLR cameras I've seen. The Nikons I have seen are listed for more, but the Pentax stuff is almost as dear.

So far, I've looked, a lot, but the prices have admittedly kept me from going there. I'm working on saving up for my pro DSLR and spending 1/2 to 3/4 of what I'd like to spend for my DSLR body just doesn't make much sense to me unless I am absolutely required to. At this point, living here, the digital is really more practical for general use. Film and batteries, I'd likely have to order them or pay campus bookstore prices. There is no really good camera shop here that I know of.

Ultimately I guess it will depend upon what the school wants when I go back. But if I do have to get a film SLR it probably will be a Pentax. I just really liked them and if I am going to spend money on a non-digital camera I'd like to keep it in the same family. Most people would go Nikkon, but I'm far more likely to go Pentax.

I'm told you can even use some of the old lenses with a Pentax DSLR with an adapter. The good Pentax SLR's not so cheap, but I've seen a lot of old Pentax lenses going for practically nothing and if they are usable that's a sensible thing to do, get Pentax stuff for both. A K1000 seems almost obligatory for photography school, but I liked the SP2 also and I think either would do me.

That roll I shot on the one nice quality shots though. I can't say I don't still like my digital better, but I was intrigued by working with that one, enough that I just might go there someday, if not for school than for fun. I'm not too sure about the darkroom bit though. The chemicals may be a real problem there. Fumes can really can mess with me and I can get blisters from something as benign as dish washing liquid! I can't just see me using developer and such.

When you take pics show off please? I'd like to see what yours can do.

Have fun!