Pentax K1000 - The Greatest Camera of all time?!
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The Pentax K1000 camera had a 21 year run. How did this camera survive for so long and why is it loved by photographers all over the world?
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - History
01:33 - Drawbacks
03:28 - Benefits
07:05 - Magic Shutter
08:24 - Why it's important
12:04 - My Website
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I love my K1000. The reason I bought the silver X-T5 is because the size and looks are so close. The Fuji isn't as sturdy (I once split my head open when I was taking the strap from around my head and the Pentax bumped my forehead) and it doesn't have the satisfying shutter, but it got me excited about photography again!
That shutter is the best. :)
I have a K1000 that belonged to my grandfather, I use it to this day and I love it. Strong, efficient, minimalist.
I recently joined a camera club and was given the gift of the Pentax K1000. I also had one in high school (many many years ago). What a true joy and yes it still works - awesome camera.
Great video, the K1000 was my first camera back in 1980. I still have it, great camera!
I have still got my pentax spotmatic new from 1969 plus my pentax K1000 new from 1976 and I use them both love them
The K-1000 was my first (bought, not given) camera waaaay back in 1978. This was the camera that I used for my junior high school paper gig and the Yearbook. I used in my underclassman years in High School, though a few years later Canon’s siren call was beckoning and I succumbed. I regrettably sold it some 10 years ago, so many fond memories…
As a teen, I also worked in a camera store. I remember that we sold the K1000 for £99, back in 1980, at a time when the Canon A1 cost £299. Personally, I tended to push customers towards the Olympus OM1 (£140), but we certainly sold plenty of K1000s.
Amazing, this was my third camera and I used it from1980 to 1990 and I also relied 100% on first setting the shutter speed and then turning the aperture ring to centre the needle. I still periodically just use the sunny 16 rule on my digital camera to "hone my skills
The K1000 was the first camera I owned. Bought it in 1977 after saving the money from my holiday job cleaning in the hospital across the road from where we lived.
Such a pleasing shutter sound!
Another awesome video. I have never owned a Pentax so I have no axe to grind but the one thing you didn’t mention about the K1000 is that it just looks so right. It has that classic look, along with the Nikon F, that says this is a tool for real photographers. I think it was David Bailey back in the ‘70s who described most cameras as ‘jewellery for men’, the K1000 just looks the part, jewellery it ain’t, it’s the real deal. And what a lovely gift.
Basically, the K1000 is a stripped Spotmatic, so the concept is much older than 1976. The K1000 was my first SLR in 1985, I recieved it as a present for my 12th birthday. I turned 50 in July and I still have and use it, but the flock has become considerably bigger with the years. I added KM, KX, K2, MX, LX and 2 MEs and I use all of them regularly. Love them to bits...
Indeed. The lineage is that when Pentax went to bayonet in 1975 they introduced two very good new design cameras, the K2 and KX. But they also wanted a K-series budget camera which was the KM, a salad of old Spotmatic parts (designed in the late 1960s) plus the bayonet mount. A year later they wanted to undercut certain rivals' budget prices so they stripped features off the KM (eg the self-timer) and re-launched it as the K1000. The name revived an old Spotmatic name (the SP1000) because In those days a 1/1000 shutter speed was still something to brag about.
At that time (mid 1970s) there were quite a few similar manual-only SLRs around, so there was nothing special about the K1000, despite what many people think today. But because the K1000 got recommended by art schools to students (because cheap and manual only) it remained in production for 21 years, AFAIR.
@@lexlayabout5757 Yep, but the last ones made in China were utter rubbish. But there are not many of them around, I hear...
I have never shot a film camera like this in my life but just this week got a Nikon FM2. That shutter is pretty satisfying alright. Now I just need to afford some film!!
Have a Spotmatic since 1975. The ad at the time stated “Just pure camera” and that about sums it up. Still use it today. Of my dozen cameras, film and digital, this is still my favorite. Nothing beats the heft and feel and the wonderful viewfinder.
I find it funny how tightly I hold onto the old cameras! The K-1000, the Pentax MV, even the Argus C-3. I like shooting old cameras!
Bought my K1000 in 1981, still have it but don't use i really should start again miss it so much really learned photography on it
I have my father's k1000 that took a lot of my childhood photos in the 80s and 90s. It is well-built the light seals on miner still good. The exposure meter doesn't meeter right anymore but that's okay. I just use the sunny 16 rule or a light meter app on my phone.
I still have my Pentax K1000 from 1968. I'm 74 and never got a digital camera until around 2010. The K1000 is a very tough and dependable SLR. Archeologists in the field loved them because they could handle the abuse.
For me it was a Nikkormat FTN. Built like a brick, and just a needle. Love it still.
I had several over the years ,and the Spotmatic before them ,and loved them dearly.
They didn't so much take features out , viewfinder aperture , shutter speed , etc. When this camera came out , those features did not did not exist or were only available on high end models.
I bought mine in High School 1984 at a Service Merchandise in Huntsville, AL...that next week I took it to a Amy Grant concert and got the needle in the middle and got some great images...no clue what I was doing just like you said get that needle in the middle.
In 1984 I was a disc jockey on my college radio station and I worked this Sunday morning gospel show playing Amy Grant albums. 🙂📷
OMG!!! K1000 was my first SLR back in middle school…92ish…shot countless portraits weddings etc for years before “upgrading “. Still have it and it still works beautifully.
Just now learned about the red dot!!!
I didn't know about it either. :)
I learned on my dad's Pentax Spotmatic that he bought in the late 1960s. Same basic idea, 100% manual, 50 mm lens. It was a great way to learn photography because you had to learn about exposure and depth of field experientially. I eventually bought a Pentax P3N when I was in college; it later got stolen, but I bought another Spotmatic a few years back because the camera was just so satisfying to shoot. I shoot the X100F and X-T3 now (mostly just the F, honestly), but sometimes go full manual, especially at night or in low-light conditions.
There are a lot of people putting photography content out there who never shot film and never shot manual, and I kind of wish they would. Basic things like the "exposure triangle" are just second nature if you do so. It also makes you slow down and pay a lot more attention to what you're doing. Modern cameras put so many options at your fingertips that people forget the limitations that film cameras posed and the highly positive creative challenges that came out of those limitations.
The Pentax K1000, THE CAMERA of cameras. I got mine in Nov. 1977, still have it, still works like the day I bought it. Shooting in manual? I have my Pentax K50, K5 andK3 all set to manual.
My K1000 doesn’t leave the bag that often because if I’m buying film it’s usually instax film but boy do I love that camera. The shutter is indeed, epic
Bought my in 1980. It was the only film camera I owned, loved it.
Back in the day I got a Minolta SRT 100b instead and it suited me very well.
Original owner here and still have it. I even have the camera strap that came with it. Took lots of pics of my babies when they were growing up. This was a fun vid to watch!
Thanks!
Hell yeah. mine is the Chinese-made one without the Asahi logo and the plastic prism housing part on top but the rest is a tank.
Thank you for your video on the K1000. I still have mine, though, I haven't taken a shot with it in over 35 years. It was a birthday present from a significant other at the time---around 1979. I was so thrilled with the gift, I immediately took it outside and began taking pictures in my backyard. I must have ran through 3 or 4 rolls of 36, taking pictures of the significant other, the dog, flowers, trees, and bees. That was a Saturday. On Sunday morning, the significant other was out back with the dog, and she comes in and says to me, "Have you done anything stupid lately?" With a dumb look on my face, I said, "I don't think so, why?" I had left the K1000 on the patio table all night, and it had rained that night. How and why I left it there is another story, but, yes, now I felt stupid---and that's a gross understatement. Monday morning, I took off work, found a local camera repair shop, took it in, and the guy tells me, "I'll have it in better shape than when you took it out of the box." For about the price of the camera, I had the camera back a week later. The repairman had totally stripped the camera down, cleaned, oiled, and put it back together; and, it gave me many, many years of service taking personal, wedding, and sports team pictures. And now that I've seen your video and remembered the wonderful pictures the K1000 took, I'm going to have to break the camera out, find some film, and take some pictures. Hopefully, I won't do anything "stupid!"
OMG, I can't imagine what that felt like... :)
I’ve had this camera since 1989 and it the shutter sound is iconic! I feel the same about by Canon 30D, the solid build and shutter sound make it one of my favorites!!! Thanks for all your videos and for making me want to buys some film and shoot some rolls!!!
You're welcome! Thanks for commenting. :)
This was great! Thanks!
Just picked one up for myself a couple days ago. Gunna test it out (plus the 150mm F3.5 & 28mm F2.8) at the Santa Monica Pier today! Great video 🤙🏽
Let me know how it goes! :)
I really need to shoot a roll through mine! Thanks for the reminder. Such a reliable camera!
An unsung hero of old school SLRs are the Cosina CT-1. They made more of these than the K1000. They sold the chasis body to many companies. Canon and Nikon even bought and rebranded this camera. Simple camera, last ones were made in 2017. Vivitar bought the last batch and rebranded them as the V3600n. Again you'll find more rebranded Cosinas than any other SLR.
Thanks for this. I just read the Wikipedia page. That's great. :)
3:59
If you switch the shutter to bulb, that effectively turns off the meter.
Great video as always. My first camera in the late 70's was a Yashica (I don't recall the exact model) that took screw mount lenses. I had heard about Pentax, but chose to go to the Nikon FE in '79, for the bayonet mount, which I have to this day. I knew Pentax was popular, but wasn't familiar with any specific model, so your video was informative and quite nostalgic. And, you taught us you're quite humble too (genius??) ;0)
I never knew anything about the camera and it was really cool hearing about the history of it. So cool that the camera still works!!
Best. Gift. Ever. Thank you 📷🙂
You’re welcome :) Thanks for the all the great content you put out there!!
I have had two for a number of years. One of them has a spring problem and that little tiny spring has it side lined. Luckily, the other one is doing fine. I love the manual steps of making pictures with this ( any) camera. I have four lenses... but I mostly use the 35 -70. I admit, I do on occasion put that 50mm on and keep on having fun!!
When you said you used it in high school described the main use of this camera - for students of photography. Practically it was really a Spotmatic with full aperture metering and bayonet mount (a good thing). I recall the k-1000 had an ASA setting, not ISO.
That's true. You can see it in the pictures :)
Spotmatics had full aperture metering. The only real difference between a later Spotmaic and the K1000 was the mount. In fact the KM was the first to be derived from the Spotmatic range, and then the K1000 was derived from the KM by stripping off features like the self timer, deliberately making it the cheapest big name SLR you could buy.
My first SLR was the Minolta XG1, I still have it. I shot the same way! Adjust the aperture until the expose was where I wanted it. Funny
Monkey Wards, lol. We bought our K1000s at Kmart if memory serves me.. We still have ours. Had to learn to pre focus on an area for action shots. I suppose we need to get some film and use them. Have you? Thanks Booray for bringing back special memories for me!
I haven't done it because I don't think the lens is that great. But I'm toying with the idea of getting a lens for it. 🙂📷
Schools and colleges bought it because of the general reliability
They were not having to deal with a backlog of broken cameras at half term
Loved this camera - used it for over 15 years and travelled the world with it and it was Defo a tank, my one went through the ringer. My ex through it out with my lenses and I’ve wanted another one for a while. Got a Nikon F3 at the moment but would swap it out for another K1000 tomorrow.
I've never met a person who owned one who doesn't have very fond memories of it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the story behind this camera, and how you got yours!
Also, thank you for sharing the reason why you drink a lot of water.
I am surely grateful that you are here with us sharing valuable knowledge and putting time in creating videos!
BTW, today I FINALLY received my very first Fuji camera: a brand new X-T5! Looking forward to your next picture review if you open it beyond the X100V. 😄
You are going to love that camera 📷❤️
In college in the late 70's early 80's, Nikon then Canon were the top brands. I had a Nikkormat FT2. Other brands might have been though as lesser brands, but the Pentax K1000 had respect because it was honest, reliable, and you couldn't argue with the results.
You can't argue with Takumar lenses..
Well, Rokkors can..
The MX is a much better camera... Mechanical, small and with a small set of lenses helped Me learn photography... I still have 20mm A lens from thos day... Wish I had kept 35mm F2 and 85mm F2 but heh My 20mm still works well on My K1. Thanks Pentax
No comparison. The MX was a professional grade camera with optional motor drive, full viewfinder info, etc, yet it did not cost much more than the K1000 in the 1980s.
Only the made in Japan models. Made in Cheena, not so good. My Spotmatics, Minolta SRTs, Canon FTBs, Nikkormats, etc vintage cameras were all good. My school back in the 60s had a Yashica TLR.
Fun review. Thanks.
My mom got me this for Christmas when I was in middle school. I would take pictures, develop them in shop class, then take them home. Teacher told me I had to stop using the dark room because I wasting time.... When I showed him all my pictures he told me I had to stop because I had taken too many pictures. 😂
Hey Booray, Wow it's unheard of for a Camera Manufacturer to have the same model for 21 years that's got to be a record. Pentax have always made sturdy cameras, even the K-70 is weather sealed and in-body stabilization. Love the sound of the Shutter very crisp. The good thing about Pentax is that they will continue to make DSLR'S, great for people who don't like shooting with a Mirrorless Camera. I learned a few new things today, thanks for showing us this video. 😃
Thanks for watching my friend 🙂📷
@@BoorayPerry Your very welcome Booray 👍📸
The last chinese K1000s were quite crappy with their plastic bodies. Nowhere near as solid as they once were...
The Pentax LX and Nikon F3 were also made for 21 years.
@@lexlayabout5757 👍
Great Video! I bought my Pentax K1000 in 1983 when I was a freshman in college, for my photography class. I still own it, although I haven’t used it in over 30 yrs. What lens did you have on your camera? I’m hoping to start using mine again soon.
We are the same age 😀
In high school or was a kit lens, 35mm. We had no other lens. You shot football games with a 35mm 🤣
Great vid thank you, I’m a novice but would love to start with a beautiful classic old 35mm film camera, so many to choose from is this the one to get? Or would you suggest another?
This is as bare bones as you will see (unless you get one without a light meter). You'll certainly be forced to understand photography with this one.
No way the greatest - but difficult to criticise. Awesome camera in every repsect. Personally I prefer the MX but adore my 1000. "You" (the shooter) always knows what the ASA is so there exists 'no need' to display this information in the viewfinder . Most of us are always thinking about the aperture before we compose. Awesome camera - yeah you can stuff up the composition, the exposure but fthe 1000 won't fuck-up your images
Simplicity is a beautiful thing - miss it today with all the modern crap
I owned a K1000 back in the early '80s. I sold it to a colleague, which I later regretted. My K1000 came with a 50mm f/1.7 lens instead of the f/2, for the same price. Bargain!
and the Fuji X100v looks like it, I had a Pentax K1000 back in the day you forgot to mention the lens was very sharp as well. i miss the simplicity of those days.
The X100 not so much
I am just wondering what lens have you got on the K1000
Takumar 28-80mm
No, the Pentax ES2 was even better. Especially if you have a bunch of M-42 Takumars..
Thumbs up, clear review, but hardly the greatest camera ever. It was OK for an early 1970's design (new in 1976 but basically a Spotmatic) but was only typical of the time (eg Minolta SRT101, Nikormat FTN). What made it more popular was that Pentax deliberately undercut other's prices, which in turn made it recommended by art schools etc. Then it survived 21 years because those schools never updated their recommendation on course handouts. Today it runs on nostalgia and cultishness, and is greatly over-priced in the used market.
The greatest? Really? shit - many just as good. Personally I "much" prefer the MX. Yeah OK I have a K1000 and unless you're an idiot ya' can't take a bad shot with the 1000. The glass is good and its all one needs - and thats it appeal. No bells, No whistles, just whats neccessary and nothing more.
Only a Mamiya 6 is better...
The MX was better...