The Pentax K1000 was my first film camera back in 1994 and the Canon AE1 was the last film camera I purchased (at Tempe Camera in 2020) I love and miss them both!
I'm not a fan of the vignetting on the AE1, but the colour seemed richer. I lean towards the K1000 - but that may be due to ownership bias. It's quite a workhorse of a camera.
I think the Canon lens might be yellowing (with age?) giving it a cast. Despite both being introduced in 1976, these two belong to different generations, the K1000 being basically an old fully manual screw-mount design (Pentax Spotmatic) given a bayonet mount, while the AE-1 is an Auto/Manual and the first of a then new Canon series. The Pentax ME Super was the equivalent of the AE-1.
For everyone confused about which camera he’s talking about while holding one of them, here’s a guide: the one with the strap on is the Canon AE-1 while the other one is the Pentax K1000.
I’ve not finished watching the whole video yet, but from what I’ve seen so far - at 6:40 in, is that, in my opinion, the Cannon might be under exposing by just a hair.. like maybe a half or even only a 1/4 stop. That could also just be a difference between the lenses, or very slight differences in shutter speeed/aperture. Both companies made some crazy good glass! I’m just seeing ever so slightly darker/higher contrast from the Canon. I own at least a dozen working models of each of these two classics and with the right Takumar lens on the Pentax, and the right FD lens on the AE-1, they’re both masters at what they were designed to be.. almost “idiot proof” photographic tools. I love mine and there’s a reason the K-1000 - for decades - was the gear of choice for photography classes in most schools. (during the late 60s through the early 80s). Personally, I’d go with the much more mechanical K-1000 in case of battery issues. LR44 batteries for the Pentax are much more available than the 28L for the Canon. I have repaired old film gear for several decades now, and I’ve had to fix more AE-1 cameras than K-1000s.. just sayin’ 😉. Nicely done comparison video. Thanks!
He is actually _over-exposing_ (says so @3:00), and @6:40 I would say the Canon looks better. I'm not sure what you mean by the"right Takumar lens" because those were pre-1975 screw mounts (and some later inferior budget bayonet ones). The K1000 was first paired with with the short-lived K-series bayonet lenses and later the M and A series lenses. The K1000 was released in 1976, so in the late 60s people were using Pentax Spotmatics, although the K1000 was in fact a Spotmatic with a bayonet mount makeover.
Nice video and shots...I miss Arizona like nothing else! I was able to snag an all black Canon AE1 from Tempe Camera a few years back. The K1000 was my first "REAL" camera when I purchased it at the base PX when I was in NAVY "A" school over at San Diego (1994)
I managed a camera store for 16 years and my experience was that the made in Japan K1000s are very good cameras, but the made in China ones had iffy quality and were prone to fail for a number of reasons. The zing on the Canons is a worn shutter brake and not a major problem.
The K1000 was a simplified KM, losing the self-timer for example. The KM was not made for long (the line was turned over to make K1000s) so is less well known, and the silly thing is they sell for less. A KM also guarantees you get the earlier quality manufacturing.
"this" means nothing when unable to discern to which camera you are referencing. Shots are great. The comparison side by side would've taken this next level. I use both cameras, often in tandem...BW ISO 400 in AE1 Program and ISO 100 in K1000.
Nice vid, two points though. A better comparison would be with the Pentax me, the only thing they have in common is being 35mm slr's. And how could you not want to photograph that stove properly?( 11:20) That was the coolest thing you came across in the whole video.
A Pentax ME Super would have been better still, because the ME was Auto only while the ME Super had Auto and Manual modes, like the AE-1. The ME-Super and the AE-1 were aimed at exactly the same market (mid-range amateur) while the K1000 OTOH was for ultimate budget and art/photography schools. The K1000 was basically an ancient (late 1960s) design - the old Spotmatic, plus a bayonet mount.
I much prefer the Pentax K-1000. I prefer manual and mechanical cameras (used to own a K-1000). I currently use a Nikomat FTn for a SLR, and my Canon's a L1 Leica Screw Mount rangefinder, (my favorite camera)
AE1 light meter telling you what aperture to go to, as opposed to just saying "too much light" or "not enough light" is a real problem. Especially for beginners.
Just got a k1000 at around $50 Cosmetically a bit worn up if we look at the base plate but the front back and too are clean critical components like shutter, iso and Lightmeter works Seals & shutter curtains are intact The viewfinder is clean but there’s a small line I think i t was a nice deal
Seems like the bokeh on the lens for the AE-1 is nicer. I have a RICOH XR-2s but I have not shot it yet still waiting on my light seals to come in the mail.
I don't think the comparison is 1:1. At 7:27 and 8:11, the depth of field, color balance, and black point are noticeably different despite using the same focal length and film stock suggesting these were shot at different settings.
I prefer the Pentax images by quite a large margin. They are much more neutral an much clearer. The Canon images appear almost muddy an the lens shows some vignetting. But tbh the Pentax 1.7/50 is legendary for its image quality...
It's a no brainer. The FD mount is dead. The Pentax K mount is still alive. All the lenses you have are compatible with the newest digital bodies. All new lenses given that they have an aperture ring can be used with the K1000.
Picture quality comes down to lens and film, irrespective of the camera body, but the AE-1 body was in a higher league than the K1000. The AE-1 was the first of Canon's new generation of Auto/Manual cameras, while the K1000 was the last of a generation, an old manual-only Pentax Spotmatic (late 1960s design) given a bayonet mount makeover. The Pentax ME Super was the AE-1's equivalent. Nevertheless, the K1000 pictures are better there, with the AE-1 having a colour-cast (lens yellowing?) and vignetting. I would say most shots were over-exposed by a stop, but deliberately!? (3:00) but that's a matter of taste. The AE-1 has more comprehensive viewfinder info so you can adjust manual exposure without taking it down from your eye, but you can't really do that with the basic needle and marker of the K1000 - although Arizona light is so bright I guess you never need to worry about shutter speed wrt camera shake.
@@simolb7 the MX is smaller and lighter. Lenses are fabulous. Canon is dependent upon a battery and the body is tougher. toss a coin - both cameras are excellent. The Canon is more feature rich but the lack of those features is one aspect of why I adore the MX. toss a coin 🙂
yep pentax wins again because the k1000 is the best camera ever produced and the k series lenses are the best glass ever made so no surprises once again the champ does what the fuck he wants
The Pentax K1000 was my first film camera back in 1994 and the Canon AE1 was the last film camera I purchased (at Tempe Camera in 2020) I love and miss them both!
Exactly the comparison I was looking for, thank you! Also the photos turned out beautiful
I'm not a fan of the vignetting on the AE1, but the colour seemed richer. I lean towards the K1000 - but that may be due to ownership bias. It's quite a workhorse of a camera.
I think the Canon lens might be yellowing (with age?) giving it a cast. Despite both being introduced in 1976, these two belong to different generations, the K1000 being basically an old fully manual screw-mount design (Pentax Spotmatic) given a bayonet mount, while the AE-1 is an Auto/Manual and the first of a then new Canon series. The Pentax ME Super was the equivalent of the AE-1.
For everyone confused about which camera he’s talking about while holding one of them, here’s a guide: the one with the strap on is the Canon AE-1 while the other one is the Pentax K1000.
I’ve not finished watching the whole video yet, but from what I’ve seen so far - at 6:40 in, is that, in my opinion, the Cannon might be under exposing by just a hair.. like maybe a half or even only a 1/4 stop. That could also just be a difference between the lenses, or very slight differences in shutter speeed/aperture. Both companies made some crazy good glass! I’m just seeing ever so slightly darker/higher contrast from the Canon. I own at least a dozen working models of each of these two classics and with the right Takumar lens on the Pentax, and the right FD lens on the AE-1, they’re both masters at what they were designed to be.. almost “idiot proof” photographic tools. I love mine and there’s a reason the K-1000 - for decades - was the gear of choice for photography classes in most schools. (during the late 60s through the early 80s).
Personally, I’d go with the much more mechanical K-1000 in case of battery issues. LR44 batteries for the Pentax are much more available than the 28L for the Canon.
I have repaired old film gear for several decades now, and I’ve had to fix more AE-1 cameras than K-1000s.. just sayin’ 😉. Nicely done comparison video. Thanks!
He is actually _over-exposing_ (says so @3:00), and @6:40 I would say the Canon looks better.
I'm not sure what you mean by the"right Takumar lens" because those were pre-1975 screw mounts (and some later inferior budget bayonet ones). The K1000 was first paired with with the short-lived K-series bayonet lenses and later the M and A series lenses. The K1000 was released in 1976, so in the late 60s people were using Pentax Spotmatics, although the K1000 was in fact a Spotmatic with a bayonet mount makeover.
@@lexlayabout5757 , yes.. my bad on using the “Takumar” name in the wrong context. I used the term to refer to the Pentax lenses in general. Thanks.
Nice video and shots...I miss Arizona like nothing else! I was able to snag an all black Canon AE1 from Tempe Camera a few years back. The K1000 was my first "REAL" camera when I purchased it at the base PX when I was in NAVY "A" school over at San Diego (1994)
Just picked up a K1000 and a Minolta SR-T 202. So pumped to do my own side-by-side!
I have an K1000, but I’m liking the color saturation of the Canon,it was more fun
I managed a camera store for 16 years and my experience was that the made in Japan K1000s are very good cameras, but the made in China ones had iffy quality and were prone to fail for a number of reasons. The zing on the Canons is a worn shutter brake and not a major problem.
The K1000 was a simplified KM, losing the self-timer for example. The KM was not made for long (the line was turned over to make K1000s) so is less well known, and the silly thing is they sell for less. A KM also guarantees you get the earlier quality manufacturing.
how to identify which made in japan which is made in china?
@@zhongyao-sc1lj Depending on the model, it should be printed on the bottom plate or on the back.
"this" means nothing when unable to discern to which camera you are referencing. Shots are great. The comparison side by side would've taken this next level. I use both cameras, often in tandem...BW ISO 400 in AE1 Program and ISO 100 in K1000.
Nice vid, two points though. A better comparison would be with the Pentax me, the only thing they have in common is being 35mm slr's.
And how could you not want to photograph that stove properly?( 11:20) That was the coolest thing you came across in the whole video.
A Pentax ME Super would have been better still, because the ME was Auto only while the ME Super had Auto and Manual modes, like the AE-1. The ME-Super and the AE-1 were aimed at exactly the same market (mid-range amateur) while the K1000 OTOH was for ultimate budget and art/photography schools. The K1000 was basically an ancient (late 1960s) design - the old Spotmatic, plus a bayonet mount.
Thanks for the comparison!
I much prefer the Pentax K-1000. I prefer manual and mechanical cameras (used to own a K-1000). I currently use a Nikomat FTn for a SLR, and my Canon's a L1 Leica Screw Mount rangefinder, (my favorite camera)
Its the darker colors and contrast that does it for me in the AE-1
AE1 light meter telling you what aperture to go to, as opposed to just saying "too much light" or "not enough light" is a real problem. Especially for beginners.
Just got a k1000 at around $50
Cosmetically a bit worn up if we look at the base plate but the front back and too are clean critical components like shutter, iso and Lightmeter works
Seals & shutter curtains are intact
The viewfinder is clean but there’s a small line
I think i t was a nice deal
I have watched this video 10 times now lol
I first shot on my high school's K1000, the Canon AE-1 was my first camera.
Seems like the bokeh on the lens for the AE-1 is nicer. I have a RICOH XR-2s but I have not shot it yet still waiting on my light seals to come in the mail.
I don't think the comparison is 1:1. At 7:27 and 8:11, the depth of field, color balance, and black point are noticeably different despite using the same focal length and film stock suggesting these were shot at different settings.
I prefer the Pentax images by quite a large margin. They are much more neutral an much clearer. The Canon images appear almost muddy an the lens shows some vignetting. But tbh the Pentax 1.7/50 is legendary for its image quality...
what's your favorite ? which one would you pick between the two ?
As this is a film test, aren’t the results, except exposure, more down to the lens?
It's a no brainer. The FD mount is dead. The Pentax K mount is still alive. All the lenses you have are compatible with the newest digital bodies. All new lenses given that they have an aperture ring can be used with the K1000.
Picture quality comes down to lens and film, irrespective of the camera body, but the AE-1 body was in a higher league than the K1000. The AE-1 was the first of Canon's new generation of Auto/Manual cameras, while the K1000 was the last of a generation, an old manual-only Pentax Spotmatic (late 1960s design) given a bayonet mount makeover. The Pentax ME Super was the AE-1's equivalent. Nevertheless, the K1000 pictures are better there, with the AE-1 having a colour-cast (lens yellowing?) and vignetting. I would say most shots were over-exposed by a stop, but deliberately!? (3:00) but that's a matter of taste.
The AE-1 has more comprehensive viewfinder info so you can adjust manual exposure without taking it down from your eye, but you can't really do that with the basic needle and marker of the K1000 - although Arizona light is so bright I guess you never need to worry about shutter speed wrt camera shake.
Pentax K1000 is mechanicaly Pentax Spotmatic II with adoption for use lens with a bayonet K instead a screw M42 lens mount
What film did you use for the canon ae-1
He said he used the same film in both, but I am struggling to explain the difference in colour balance between the two if that is the case.
Canon had always great lens even in digital cameras
I have the 1000 and AE1+P - both fab, I shoot the Canon and prefer the MX to the K1000
hi i am thinking to buy my first camera, what do you think is the best between the mx and the ae-1 (p or not p)?
@@simolb7 the MX is smaller and lighter. Lenses are fabulous. Canon is dependent upon a battery and the body is tougher. toss a coin - both cameras are excellent. The Canon is more feature rich but the lack of those features is one aspect of why I adore the MX. toss a coin 🙂
I think canon was underexpourse a little bit than panatax.
3, 2, 1, 😬😳😱
Winner Pentax K1000, Canon saturates the color a lot, they are not real colors.
He is using the same film, and lenses can't saturate, only filter. In this case I think the Canon lens might be yellowing with age, giving it a cast.
yep pentax wins again because the k1000 is the best camera ever produced and the k series lenses are the best glass ever made so no surprises once again the champ does what the fuck he wants
I had the K1000 when it first came out - loved it but the shitter jammed ... 🦘