Pentax K1000 tips

[perylousdemon]

I recently received a Pentax K1000 film SLR from my boyfriend's father, along with a Vivitar 70-210mm macro zoom lens. The only film SLR I have any experience with is the Pentax ZXM I used in my photography class a year or so ago, so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with either the aforementioned camera or the lens and could point me in the right direction. Thanks!

Dana

 

[Don Simon]

Hello there, welcome to the forum! The ZX-M is basically just an updating of the K1000. Obviously there are some significant differences, but in general operation the K1000 is very similar to the ZX-M in Manual mode. For metering, just center the viewfinder on something of fairly neutral neutral tone (I find the palm of the hand pretty good) or if possible use a handheld light meter, as the meter in the camera may no longer be accurate. As for the Vivitar lens, I suspect it's one of the ones made by Kiron; they tend to be better than some of the other cheaper zooms of the era. As with any zoom though it will perform better with the aperture stopped down a bit.

For a general guide to use, here is the K1000 manual.

 

[nealjpage]

It's a great camera--it's what I use exclusively. Glass for it seems pretty cheap. I'd look into getting a 50mm Pentax prime for it. I've had good luck with mine. There's a glut of them on eBay, too.

 

[TBaraki]

I also suggest getting a 50mm prime for that camera. The 50mm 1.7s are stupidly cheap nowadays; they are very very sharp lenses.

 

[kestrel0222]

I purchased my K1000 back in 1979!!! I still use it today. It is a real good manual camera, in my opinion.

 

[shoedumas]

I have the KX, which is pretty much the same as the K1000, with a couple added features. I very much like this camera, and I'd suggest that you treat it very nicely. It never fights, and will always turn out some amazing photos. Enjoy it!