Pentax K1000 Overview
The Pentax K1000 was introduced in 1976 and remained in production until 1997. Approximately three million (plus) units were sold. Production moved from Japan to Hong Kong in 1978 and then to China in 1990. To keep labor costs down, Chinese cameras were made with a number of cheaper components. Chinese K1000s can be recognized by the absence of the “Asahi” name and logo on the pentaprism cover. It is best to avoid non-Asahi cameras.
What you get with a K1000 is a fully manual camera with a microprism spot focus aid. Exposure control is determined via an integral battery powered light meter employing an open aperture needle center system. Shutter speeds range from 1 to 1/1000th of a second, along with Bulb and an X-sync flash at 1/60th of a second.
The K1000 accepts all manual focus lenses with the Pentax K bayonet mount (introduced 1975) and KA mount (introduced 1983), and any later K lens with a separate aperture ring is essential. In addition, there are a large number of independently manufactured Pentax-compatible lenses available.
The following is a list of handheld 35mm SLR cameras from other manufacturers with equivalent specifications, which are commonly available and generally less expensive. In other words, these cameras are completely manual, with wide-open aperture metering and a shutter speed range of 1 to 1/000 of a second. In many cases, alternative cameras have additional features and a higher specification. This list is not exhaustive.
Canyon
The FTb has almost identical characteristics but for partial metering (an area corresponding to 12% of the center of the viewfinder). Also, it has a self-timer and mirror lockup. The FTb-N camera added a shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder. The lens mount is a Canon FD bayonet fitting.
fujica
The ST705 and ST705w exceeded the specifications of the K1000 and benefit from a faster and more sensitive silicon photocell metering system, a brighter viewfinder with the addition of a slit imaging rangefinder, a top speed of 1/1500 of second, self-timer and depth-of-field preview. It is also smaller and lighter.
The ST801 looks similar to the ST705/w, but it also has a top speed of 1/2000 second and the viewfinder matches the LED-type light metering information, instead of a needle pointer.
The lens mount is Fujica’s variant on the M42 screw fit and requires automatic Fujinon lenses for open aperture metering.
Minolta
The SR-T101 (and its SR successors) is specified similarly to the K1000, but has the added benefit of matrix metering, which is briefly a system that uses two separate metering cells, located on different parts of the pentaprism, and which measures light. falling on different parts of the viewfinder screen to provide a reading that takes into account the contrast in a scene. It also features a viewfinder that displays shutter speed, mirror lockup, depth-of-field preview, and self-timer. The lens mount is a Minolta “MC” (meter coupled) bayonet.
pentax
The KM is the same as the K1000 in every way, except that it benefits from the added features of a self-timer and depth-of-field preview.
The Spotmatic F was the predecessor to the KM and is similar in all respects, except that the lens mount is an M42 screw fit, which requires SMC Takumar lenses or equivalents from other manufacturers.
Practice
Praktica produced a staggering number of cameras with slightly different specs, but I think the closest counterpart to the K1000 was the LLC. The lenses use the M42 screw mount.
yashica
The FX-2, FX-3/FX-7 and FX-3/FX-7 super models conform to the K1000 profile, with the latest models employing LED viewfinder displays instead of a match needle. Like Fujicas, the measurement is done through a faster and more sensitive silicone photocell. These cameras have a reputation for reliability. Their durable metal chassis with a plastic outer cover makes them lighter and smaller than the K1000. The lens mount is a Contax/Yashica bayonet.
Other Yashica alternatives include the cloned Contax FR and FX-1, with its electronically controlled shutters and viewfinder aperture and shutter speed displays; but these models are not very common.
recommendations
The critical appeal of the K1000 lies not so much in the camera body, but in its lens mounting system, and consequently the easy availability of the lens. That’s not to say that the cost/availability of other lens systems is an issue; sometimes they can take a little more effort to find.
The open aperture metering employed by the K1000 isn’t an essential feature: it’s just nice to use. Stop-down metering cameras (meaning the lens aperture must be closed while taking a light reading) are equally suitable for students or any other user. In fact, most of the alternative cameras listed above are capable of a stop measurement as well.
When stop-down measurement camera bodies are also considered as alternatives to the K1000, the list of suitable candidates becomes even larger. More than that, many stop-down metering cameras date from an earlier time, when the use of the common M42 screw-mount lens adjustment was widespread.
In terms of lens design, older lenses tend to be heavier and less compact. The other side of the coin is that newer lenses can be much less robust, due to their reliance on plastic components.
In conclusion, I’m not a huge fan of the K1000 because it’s very basic, and if I were looking for a camera that would meet the requirements of a course of study, the K1000 would be pretty low on my list of possibilities. When relative costs are factored in, I find it ridiculous that the K1000 can sell for twice the prices of its top stablemate, the KM.
