I was fortunate enough to have been given one of these cameras just recently and I cannot wait to get started -- just bought my first roll of film -- and given I have never owned a film camera, I am more than a little excited to start using it. I thank you sincerely for these very informative videos - as I didn't even know how to open the camera to load the film. Wish me luck - one roll or colour and one roll of black and white film - I may never go back to digital :)
Thank you and there sure is. The two PC ports are for FP and X flash syncs. FP is for flash bulbs -- the old type of flash. The X sync is for electronic flashes -- the modern Speedlights, for instance. So make sure your Speedlight has a cable port and plug it into the X sync.
Thanks for the great video. Do you know where to find a battery for the sp1000? I realized the original is no longer produced, is it possible to find a replacement?
Good luck! You will be very happy with the Spotmatic. It's a pretty great camera. You'll probably find that color print film isn't as good as digital. In fact, I don't shoot color print film at all any more. For color film, I like Fuji Velvia 50 and the Kodak 100 slide film. Slide film is a bit harder to shoot than standard color film, though. For B&W, TMax is a good and reliable film. I also recommend Ilford HP5 and their 125 ISO film. Film is great because each film has a different look.
Your SP500 is a good camera, too. I'll make an SP500 video when I can get my hands on an SP500 (so far I haven't been able to get one for a price I'm happy with.) But I can say that there is a shutter speed faster than 1/500th on your camera. It's an uncalibrated 1/1,000th. That means it might be 1/1,000th, but it may only be 1/750th. It's worth experimenting with.
Assuming you've tried a new battery and cleaning the contacts, that's likely a dead meter or electrical issue. It's not a repair that very many people can do. Do a Google search for Pentax repair. Pentaxs is the best place to have a Pentax camera repaired. They've restored two of my Spotmatics' light meters to working order.
Great video, so when you take a multiple exposure do you need to hold down that button on the bottom the whole time? Or just while you're pressing the shutter release for each shot?
I've found that 70-90 mm equals normal vision, magnification-wise. To verify my this, use a zoom lens with the other eye open and zoom to where the magification of the subject looking through the viefinder equals that of the what the other eye sees, looking out past the camera. This can vary between 70 - 90 mm depending on the type of lens (24-70 or 70 -200). That is why Leica has made the 75mm . If you start using 50-55mm as a wide-angle you're in for a revelation in seeing. Of course you'll need to be farther away from the subject. I've also found that you get very pleasing images at 63 mm for some reason. Sinar, maker of view-finder cameras has discovered this too, as they offer the 210mm for their 4x5 format cameras.
I do love a 210mm on 4X5. That's the focal length I use most often without a close second. I also like 50mm as a normal lens because it is a bit wider than my standard field of focus. Good points and thank you!
Nice Job on the vid David, I was wondering if there is a method of using a modern speed light with one of these. I noticed there are two connectors on the front of the camera do you use one of those? If so what type of cord do you need to make this happen? Thanks in advance
Great video, man! I just got my Pentax Spotmatic. Will be starting my film journey from now on! Haha. Anyway, do you have any recommendation for a shutter release for this camera?
Thank you! Any shutter release cable works, but my preference is over on the 6-8 inch length. Shorter and they don't effectively eliminate shutter shake. Longer and they can introduce shake when you let go of them.
The Spotmatic's light meter is really fast to learn -- probably about three minutes. The interface is really simple and intuitive -- just get the moving needle horizontal. As for 2X exposures, The method you describe is a good alternate. As with mos things in life, there are many ways to skin a cat.
I know this is an old video but have you talked about that lens? i THINK my Pentax SP1000 has the same lens? (SMC Takumar 1:2/55) I noticed two things... 1. That red arrow thing on my lens isnt perpendicular to the Pentax logo when i screw it on. Im pretty sure its been screwed on correctly, but mine seems more off than how you showed yours in the video. How will I know if its on correctly? 2. On the lens I have as well as the one shown in this video, i noticed that there is a switch labeled "manual/auto". I cant find a good source of info online that i can comprehend. I dont understand what it does exactly and i dont know which setting I should leave it on (i do fully manual photography) I bought this camera in excellent- id say almost mint condition,.Lens came with it and it seems to be taken care of just as well as the camera body Anyones reply to this would be greatly appreciated!!
I can help. We'll tackle the easy item first, the M/A switch. Take your lens off your camera and set it to automatic and the aperture to 16. There's a small pin on the back of the lens. When you push that in, the aperture will close down. Set the lens to manual and the aperture will close down itself without the pin having to be pressed. The M/A switch tells the lens whether it needs to close the aperture as the aperture ring is adjusted or wait until the pin on the back is pressed in. With the SP1000, the meter-on switch will close the aperture for metering and then the camera will close the aperture for exposure, so you can leave the lens in "A" with this camera. Inside the lens mount is a little flappy paddle on the bottom. If you set the shutter to "B" and then hold the shutter button down, you can see that flappy paddle pop forward during exposure. That paddle connects with the pin on the back of the lens to close the aperture. When you turn the light meter on (with the switch on the side of the lens mount on the camera body) that paddle will also pop forward. That's how the aperture linkage and M/A switch works. On to the hard point about lens mounting alignment. That's not going to be easy to diagnose without a photo, but I'll try. It would be that either the lens is not threading on the whole way or that either the lens thread or the mount thread are misaligned. If you have a second M42 lens, you can test that by putting it on and seeing how it aligns. If it aligns properly, the misalignment with your lens is something with the lens. If that second lens is also misaligned when mounted, the issue is something to do with your camera. As long as the flappy paddle inside the mount connects with the aperture pin, then everything will work as it should. If the pin is not aligned with the flappy paddle, the camera will not deliver proper exposures with the lens set to automatic and you will then HAVE to use the aperture on manual and perform manual exposure calculations to obtain a proper exposure.
Thank you David, If the meter switch doesn't work, do you have any setting recommendations (for outdoor/sunlight/indoor etc..) for shooting in order to have good pictures?
I can give you some ideas for proper exposure, but it's up to you to make them good. 😃 For full sun with the sun to your back, f/16 and the shutter speed number closest your film speed. In light shade, f/8; heavy shade, f/5.6; both of those with the shutter speed nearest your film speed. Indoors with very good light, f/2.8. indoors in typical room lighting, divide your shutter speed by 5 and use f/5.6. in that last case, of you have 400 iso, 1/60 and f/5.6, for instance. You can also use a free light meter app for more accurate readings, too.
Hey I am having a little trouble. I currently have the same body and lens as you do here, although the camera is having an issue with the mirror hitting the back of the lens and sticking.. Same happends with the 35 and 135mm lenses attached. The mirror seems to hit the back of the lens and wont complete its movement. I have looked all over the internet but still havent found a solution... I read some lenses are not compatable but surily this wouldnt apply to the 35 and 135mm as well....?
That's curious. It should definitely not be an issue with any 135mm. The mirror completes travel with no lens mounted? And when you have a lens mounted, if you set it to f/16 and push the metering switch, does the aperture inside of the lens stop-down?
@@DavidHancock Thanks so much for the reply. Yes the mirror functions fine with no lens, also with the 28mm I have, no problems. Though It happens with the 35, 50 and 135. It jams. When the lens is twisted slightly as to remove the lens, so that the apature pin comes off the small spring plate at the bottom of the mount, then the mirror completes its cycle, when full on, it sticks. In some rare instences it fires fine, which is even more confusing. But like this its unusable .... I have to use my SP500 for now, though its lighmeter has died. Would love to use the SP again if its solvable....
hi david, i recently bought one of these & your videos have been extremely helpful! i want to buy a flash and, as someone who has very little experience with film, am having a hard time getting my head around what kind to buy. is there any specific flash you recommend/what should i be looking for? thanks :)
Thank you, Mia! I would go with any flash that has manual power controls and an articulating and rotating flash head. These can be had used on eBay for pretty fair prices. An AmazonBasics flash would also work, but my experience with those has been poor as all of the ones I had died (at least one within the flash's return period, the others shortly after the return period elapsed, I think.)
For some fun.....keep that FUJI ( only ) white plastic film container. Now go to McDONALDS, and empty just 1 of their vinegar packages. inside that container.....Now place just a we bit of BAKIN SODA onto a SINGLE STRAND ( thin ) of TOILET PAPER, bunch that into a small ball. Now drop BAKING SODA and paper....VERY QUICKLY into the film container....LOCK THE TOP....VERY FAST, AND place it UPSIDE DOWN......Stand back and watch the action..POP.
That sounds like a small-scale bomb. Back in the day working at an office supply store, when my buddies and I would get bored we'd use compressed air cans and spray them upside-down (so the fluid would come out) into pencil eraser tubes and hold the caps on until the liquid evaporated, building pressure inside the tubes. Then we'd launch them at each other. In time we decided to see who could launch them the furthest. Quite proudly, I got over four of the really high overstock aisles by figuring out the optimal mix of air blaster fluid and erasers left in the tube to increase pressure and temperature to optimize distance. Trajectory also played a big role.
Any 35mm film will work. Try UltraFine to start with if you're in the US, Kentmere or Foma if you're in the UK or EU. Those are all reliable and inexpensive films that are good to learn with.
Hey David, I just picked up a SP 1000 at a thrift shop, what would shooting with this camera be like if my Exposure meter switch seems to be knocked off?
Ooh. That's rough. Your best bet is to send it in for a repair. Getting the meter to work without the meter switch will either be hard or you'll have to leave it on all the time and tear through batteries like my dogs tear though dropped food. I use www.pentaxs.com for Pentax repairs.
You can take photos since the camera's photo action is 100% mechanical and the battery only powers the light meter. You'll just have to use a hand-held light meter.
I seen a SP500 for sale with two lenses *28mm 2.8, 200mm 4* with a 2x teleconverter and a lowpro bag going for 90$, do you think I should get it? He said he was the first owner too!
Hard to say without seeing them. If the camera is in great shape and both lenses are also great, then that's $30 per piece and is a fair-enough price. Personally, I wouldn't want to go much beyond $60, but I'm cheap to a point of impracticality on these things. In all reality, $90 is a very good price for that kit. Also, if he's the first owner, great and bully and all that, but has he used it recently? Has it been cared for? Anticipate that you'll likely need to have it CLA'd, and that's around $65-80 for the body. If the lenses have issues, then about $50 per lens. I tend to assume when negotiating a price that lenses are fine and bodies will NEED a CLA, even though many don't. So if you have a chance to check it out again, here's what you do to start: 1- Check the battery compartment. If you can't get it off or if it has green around it or if there's corrosion inside it, then PASS on this camera. This can be repaired, but it'll probably run about $35-40 2- Check all the shutter speeds. They're mechanical and don't need a battery so if they don't work then the camera has problems. Start at one second and go aster. Each speed should feel faster than the previous (and you should count off one second in your head when you do that speed.) If the shutter fails to close, is longer than it should be on the slow speeds, or if the mirror does not flip back into place, then the camera will need service to the tune of around $75. 3- Look through the viewfinder without a lens on. Is there lots of crud? If so, check the spongey bumper in the mirror box. If it's sticky or looks like it's breaking, then the camera will need a CLA. The material used in these, when it breaks down, turns into super-stick goo and it's great at getting into camera bodies. 4- Check the light seal material for the same conditions noted for the mirror bumper. 5- Look through the lenses. Bring your cell phone and use the flash light app to shine light through them. If you see dots with 'hair' or tendrils coming into the lens from the outside or things that look like webs, PASS on this kit because that's fungus and it's really bad. It can spread and it damages lens glass. That will have to be cleaned and it's about $50 per lens. 6- Also look to see if there is haze (lots of dust) reflecting in the glass. If so, that might affect image quality. A couple large pieces of dirt or some small dust won't affect quality at all -- many lenses ship new in that condition. But if the glass looks like a frosted light bulb, the haze is going to make images soft. 7- Close the aperture blades. If they are shiny (you may need your camera's LED light again) then there may be oil on them. That will have to be cleaned for them to operate well. Typically, these old guys are a-okay unless they've been in a garage or basement. Pentax made the Spotmatics and Takumar lenses very well. If most of the things look fine, I'd probably pick it up myself. If there are a couple issues, haggle the price. I managed to lower the price of a Canon F-1 with 50mm 1:1.4 today from $175 to $125 because the lens was FILTHY. It cleaned up fine and looks almost new now. Do plan on having it CLA'd in the next year, though, and I can recommend two great sources. The CLA will keep it running like new for about 20 or more years.
David Hancock Sounds good, I'l keep the list in mind. Do you think this is a good camera for a beginner on film? I'm well versed in Digital SLR stuff. I always figured 35mm would be the easiest.
This is an excellent beginner camera. The only limitation is the 1/500th shutter speed as the fastest calibrated speed (there's one notch beyond that isn't marked and is somewhere between 1/750h and 1/1,000th on most of these bodies.) Pick up three rolls of Ilford PanF 50 and shoot it at 25 ISO and two rolls of 100 ISO (TMax, Ilford Delta, or Foma) and shoot them at 50 ISO. You'll be fine in terms of shutter speed. If you send them off to be developed, make sure to indicate (and use a lab that can) pull process the film one stop. Using slow- and medium-slow-speed films will help make sure that the 1/500th shutter speed limit isn't an issue for daylight shooting.
![HIWWHEE | OHM [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OJJLtTLqLag/mqdefault.jpg)
I was fortunate enough to have been given one of these cameras just recently and I cannot wait to get started -- just bought my first roll of film -- and given I have never owned a film camera, I am more than a little excited to start using it. I thank you sincerely for these very informative videos - as I didn't even know how to open the camera to load the film. Wish me luck - one roll or colour and one roll of black and white film - I may never go back to digital :)
Subscribed! Fantastic video! Gone from getting the camera this afternoon knowing nothing about it to now knowing how to use it!
Thank you!
Thank you and there sure is. The two PC ports are for FP and X flash syncs. FP is for flash bulbs -- the old type of flash. The X sync is for electronic flashes -- the modern Speedlights, for instance. So make sure your Speedlight has a cable port and plug it into the X sync.
Thanks for the great video. Do you know where to find a battery for the sp1000? I realized the original is no longer produced, is it possible to find a replacement?
Alejandro Fernandez, you can find one at a jewelery. Se find somes on watches...
Good luck! You will be very happy with the Spotmatic. It's a pretty great camera. You'll probably find that color print film isn't as good as digital. In fact, I don't shoot color print film at all any more. For color film, I like Fuji Velvia 50 and the Kodak 100 slide film. Slide film is a bit harder to shoot than standard color film, though.
For B&W, TMax is a good and reliable film. I also recommend Ilford HP5 and their 125 ISO film. Film is great because each film has a different look.
You're welcome. The SP is a really fantastic camera. It is, to use a very tired and old cliche, easy to learn and hard to master.
Thank you! To take a double exposure, hold the film release button only when you advance the film advance lever.
Your SP500 is a good camera, too. I'll make an SP500 video when I can get my hands on an SP500 (so far I haven't been able to get one for a price I'm happy with.) But I can say that there is a shutter speed faster than 1/500th on your camera. It's an uncalibrated 1/1,000th. That means it might be 1/1,000th, but it may only be 1/750th. It's worth experimenting with.
Another awesome video thanks so much David absolutely fizzing to use my model 📷📷📷
Thank you, Paul!
Great video David!
Not a dumb question. Yes, the camera's shutter and mechanical functions will work fine without a battery. The battery only operates the light meter.
Assuming you've tried a new battery and cleaning the contacts, that's likely a dead meter or electrical issue. It's not a repair that very many people can do. Do a Google search for Pentax repair. Pentaxs is the best place to have a Pentax camera repaired. They've restored two of my Spotmatics' light meters to working order.
Great video, so when you take a multiple exposure do you need to hold down that button on the bottom the whole time? Or just while you're pressing the shutter release for each shot?
I've found that 70-90 mm equals normal vision, magnification-wise.
To verify my this, use a zoom lens with the other eye open and
zoom to where the magification of the subject looking through the viefinder equals
that of the what the other eye sees, looking out past the camera.
This can vary between 70 - 90 mm depending on the type of lens (24-70 or 70 -200).
That is why Leica has made the 75mm .
If you start using 50-55mm as a wide-angle you're in for a revelation in seeing.
Of course you'll need to be farther away from the subject.
I've also found that you get very pleasing images at 63 mm for some reason.
Sinar, maker of view-finder cameras has discovered this too, as they offer the 210mm for their
4x5 format cameras.
I do love a 210mm on 4X5. That's the focal length I use most often without a close second. I also like 50mm as a normal lens because it is a bit wider than my standard field of focus. Good points and thank you!
my light meter switch doesnt appear to move at all :( no matter how much i try to push it up,
do you know how i could easily fix it
Nice Job on the vid David, I was wondering if there is a method of using a modern speed light with one of these. I noticed there are two connectors on the front of the camera do you use one of those? If so what type of cord do you need to make this happen? Thanks in advance
Great video, man! I just got my Pentax Spotmatic. Will be starting my film journey from now on! Haha.
Anyway, do you have any recommendation for a shutter release for this camera?
Thank you! Any shutter release cable works, but my preference is over on the 6-8 inch length. Shorter and they don't effectively eliminate shutter shake. Longer and they can introduce shake when you let go of them.
The Spotmatic's light meter is really fast to learn -- probably about three minutes. The interface is really simple and intuitive -- just get the moving needle horizontal.
As for 2X exposures, The method you describe is a good alternate. As with mos things in life, there are many ways to skin a cat.
I know this is an old video but have you talked about that lens? i THINK my Pentax SP1000 has the same lens? (SMC Takumar 1:2/55)
I noticed two things...
1. That red arrow thing on my lens isnt perpendicular to the Pentax logo when i screw it on. Im pretty sure its been screwed on correctly, but mine seems more off than how you showed yours in the video. How will I know if its on correctly?
2. On the lens I have as well as the one shown in this video, i noticed that there is a switch labeled "manual/auto". I cant find a good source of info online that i can comprehend. I dont understand what it does exactly and i dont know which setting I should leave it on (i do fully manual photography)
I bought this camera in excellent- id say almost mint condition,.Lens came with it and it seems to be taken care of just as well as the camera body
Anyones reply to this would be greatly appreciated!!
I can help. We'll tackle the easy item first, the M/A switch. Take your lens off your camera and set it to automatic and the aperture to 16. There's a small pin on the back of the lens. When you push that in, the aperture will close down. Set the lens to manual and the aperture will close down itself without the pin having to be pressed. The M/A switch tells the lens whether it needs to close the aperture as the aperture ring is adjusted or wait until the pin on the back is pressed in. With the SP1000, the meter-on switch will close the aperture for metering and then the camera will close the aperture for exposure, so you can leave the lens in "A" with this camera. Inside the lens mount is a little flappy paddle on the bottom. If you set the shutter to "B" and then hold the shutter button down, you can see that flappy paddle pop forward during exposure. That paddle connects with the pin on the back of the lens to close the aperture. When you turn the light meter on (with the switch on the side of the lens mount on the camera body) that paddle will also pop forward. That's how the aperture linkage and M/A switch works.
On to the hard point about lens mounting alignment. That's not going to be easy to diagnose without a photo, but I'll try. It would be that either the lens is not threading on the whole way or that either the lens thread or the mount thread are misaligned. If you have a second M42 lens, you can test that by putting it on and seeing how it aligns. If it aligns properly, the misalignment with your lens is something with the lens. If that second lens is also misaligned when mounted, the issue is something to do with your camera. As long as the flappy paddle inside the mount connects with the aperture pin, then everything will work as it should. If the pin is not aligned with the flappy paddle, the camera will not deliver proper exposures with the lens set to automatic and you will then HAVE to use the aperture on manual and perform manual exposure calculations to obtain a proper exposure.
Thank you David,
If the meter switch doesn't work, do you have any setting recommendations (for outdoor/sunlight/indoor etc..) for shooting in order to have good pictures?
I can give you some ideas for proper exposure, but it's up to you to make them good. 😃 For full sun with the sun to your back, f/16 and the shutter speed number closest your film speed. In light shade, f/8; heavy shade, f/5.6; both of those with the shutter speed nearest your film speed. Indoors with very good light, f/2.8. indoors in typical room lighting, divide your shutter speed by 5 and use f/5.6. in that last case, of you have 400 iso, 1/60 and f/5.6, for instance. You can also use a free light meter app for more accurate readings, too.
@@DavidHancock wow thank you for the amazing tips :)
Thank you so much :-)
Thank you!
Hey I am having a little trouble. I currently have the same body and lens as you do here, although the camera is having an issue with the mirror hitting the back of the lens and sticking.. Same happends with the 35 and 135mm lenses attached. The mirror seems to hit the back of the lens and wont complete its movement. I have looked all over the internet but still havent found a solution... I read some lenses are not compatable but surily this wouldnt apply to the 35 and 135mm as well....?
That's curious. It should definitely not be an issue with any 135mm. The mirror completes travel with no lens mounted? And when you have a lens mounted, if you set it to f/16 and push the metering switch, does the aperture inside of the lens stop-down?
@@DavidHancock Thanks so much for the reply. Yes the mirror functions fine with no lens, also with the 28mm I have, no problems. Though It happens with the 35, 50 and 135. It jams. When the lens is twisted slightly as to remove the lens, so that the apature pin comes off the small spring plate at the bottom of the mount, then the mirror completes its cycle, when full on, it sticks. In some rare instences it fires fine, which is even more confusing. But like this its unusable .... I have to use my SP500 for now, though its lighmeter has died. Would love to use the SP again if its solvable....
''if you set it to f/16 and push the metering switch, does the aperture inside of the lens stop-down?'' I will test this when I am home later....
Yes it does stop down….
hi david, i recently bought one of these & your videos have been extremely helpful! i want to buy a flash and, as someone who has very little experience with film, am having a hard time getting my head around what kind to buy. is there any specific flash you recommend/what should i be looking for? thanks :)
Thank you, Mia! I would go with any flash that has manual power controls and an articulating and rotating flash head. These can be had used on eBay for pretty fair prices. An AmazonBasics flash would also work, but my experience with those has been poor as all of the ones I had died (at least one within the flash's return period, the others shortly after the return period elapsed, I think.)
@@DavidHancock thank you so much!
For some fun.....keep that FUJI ( only ) white plastic film container. Now go to McDONALDS, and empty just 1 of their vinegar packages. inside that container.....Now place just a we bit of BAKIN SODA onto a SINGLE STRAND ( thin ) of TOILET PAPER, bunch that into a small ball. Now drop BAKING SODA and paper....VERY QUICKLY into the film container....LOCK THE TOP....VERY FAST, AND place it UPSIDE DOWN......Stand back and watch the action..POP.
That sounds like a small-scale bomb. Back in the day working at an office supply store, when my buddies and I would get bored we'd use compressed air cans and spray them upside-down (so the fluid would come out) into pencil eraser tubes and hold the caps on until the liquid evaporated, building pressure inside the tubes. Then we'd launch them at each other. In time we decided to see who could launch them the furthest. Quite proudly, I got over four of the really high overstock aisles by figuring out the optimal mix of air blaster fluid and erasers left in the tube to increase pressure and temperature to optimize distance. Trajectory also played a big role.
Will it fit Helios 44-2 ?
Yup
What film does it take? I’m new to this so I have no idea.
Any 35mm film will work. Try UltraFine to start with if you're in the US, Kentmere or Foma if you're in the UK or EU. Those are all reliable and inexpensive films that are good to learn with.
Hey David, I just picked up a SP 1000 at a thrift shop, what would shooting with this camera be like if my Exposure meter switch seems to be knocked off?
Ooh. That's rough. Your best bet is to send it in for a repair. Getting the meter to work without the meter switch will either be hard or you'll have to leave it on all the time and tear through batteries like my dogs tear though dropped food. I use www.pentaxs.com for Pentax repairs.
David, will I be unable to shoot with this knocked off/not functional? New to photography overall. Thank you for your help!
You can take photos since the camera's photo action is 100% mechanical and the battery only powers the light meter. You'll just have to use a hand-held light meter.
what kind of modern battery can i use on this pentax spotmatic sp2
I think I use type 394 or 396. There are a few different ones that fit. You may need a plastic adapter ring to hold it in place.
I seen a SP500 for sale with two lenses *28mm 2.8, 200mm 4* with a 2x teleconverter and a lowpro bag going for 90$, do you think I should get it? He said he was the first owner too!
Hard to say without seeing them. If the camera is in great shape and both lenses are also great, then that's $30 per piece and is a fair-enough price. Personally, I wouldn't want to go much beyond $60, but I'm cheap to a point of impracticality on these things. In all reality, $90 is a very good price for that kit.
Also, if he's the first owner, great and bully and all that, but has he used it recently? Has it been cared for? Anticipate that you'll likely need to have it CLA'd, and that's around $65-80 for the body. If the lenses have issues, then about $50 per lens. I tend to assume when negotiating a price that lenses are fine and bodies will NEED a CLA, even though many don't.
So if you have a chance to check it out again, here's what you do to start:
1- Check the battery compartment. If you can't get it off or if it has green around it or if there's corrosion inside it, then PASS on this camera. This can be repaired, but it'll probably run about $35-40
2- Check all the shutter speeds. They're mechanical and don't need a battery so if they don't work then the camera has problems. Start at one second and go aster. Each speed should feel faster than the previous (and you should count off one second in your head when you do that speed.) If the shutter fails to close, is longer than it should be on the slow speeds, or if the mirror does not flip back into place, then the camera will need service to the tune of around $75.
3- Look through the viewfinder without a lens on. Is there lots of crud? If so, check the spongey bumper in the mirror box. If it's sticky or looks like it's breaking, then the camera will need a CLA. The material used in these, when it breaks down, turns into super-stick goo and it's great at getting into camera bodies.
4- Check the light seal material for the same conditions noted for the mirror bumper.
5- Look through the lenses. Bring your cell phone and use the flash light app to shine light through them. If you see dots with 'hair' or tendrils coming into the lens from the outside or things that look like webs, PASS on this kit because that's fungus and it's really bad. It can spread and it damages lens glass. That will have to be cleaned and it's about $50 per lens.
6- Also look to see if there is haze (lots of dust) reflecting in the glass. If so, that might affect image quality. A couple large pieces of dirt or some small dust won't affect quality at all -- many lenses ship new in that condition. But if the glass looks like a frosted light bulb, the haze is going to make images soft.
7- Close the aperture blades. If they are shiny (you may need your camera's LED light again) then there may be oil on them. That will have to be cleaned for them to operate well.
Typically, these old guys are a-okay unless they've been in a garage or basement. Pentax made the Spotmatics and Takumar lenses very well. If most of the things look fine, I'd probably pick it up myself. If there are a couple issues, haggle the price. I managed to lower the price of a Canon F-1 with 50mm 1:1.4 today from $175 to $125 because the lens was FILTHY. It cleaned up fine and looks almost new now. Do plan on having it CLA'd in the next year, though, and I can recommend two great sources. The CLA will keep it running like new for about 20 or more years.
David Hancock Sounds good, I'l keep the list in mind. Do you think this is a good camera for a beginner on film? I'm well versed in Digital SLR stuff. I always figured 35mm would be the easiest.
This is an excellent beginner camera. The only limitation is the 1/500th shutter speed as the fastest calibrated speed (there's one notch beyond that isn't marked and is somewhere between 1/750h and 1/1,000th on most of these bodies.) Pick up three rolls of Ilford PanF 50 and shoot it at 25 ISO and two rolls of 100 ISO (TMax, Ilford Delta, or Foma) and shoot them at 50 ISO. You'll be fine in terms of shutter speed. If you send them off to be developed, make sure to indicate (and use a lab that can) pull process the film one stop. Using slow- and medium-slow-speed films will help make sure that the 1/500th shutter speed limit isn't an issue for daylight shooting.
David Hancock I was actually thinking about developing myself, there was a darkroom setup for sale here too. I agree about the film choices;
Excellent! Self-developing is hugely rewarding. I have almost stopped using any film except ones I can develop at home.