Pentax K1000 Review: The GREATEST-EVER Beginner 35mm Film Camera!
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- čas přidán 17. 08. 2019
- The Pentax K1000 is the "GREATEST OF ALL TIME", The "G.O.A.T." of beginner's film cameras! It is a super-popular albeit basic camera, well-suited for learning photography. Here's my review.
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I’ve used K1000 cameras for thirty years.
This is a great explanation of the camera.
I learned a few things - thank you!
Good to hear you found it useful. Thanks!
I got the Asahi K1000 SE version, which means split focus screen.
In the 1970's I worked briefly with a young American Lad, who grew up in Germany. He was already a Published and "Award Winning" Photographer.
He owned many cameras. But his favorite, and "Bring Home the Bacon" was a couple of K1000's.
He had hauled these two all over half the World! And had a collection of the most memorable Photos I have ever seen! Yes! Even to this day!
So, if your a creative genius like this Lad was, you can work wonders with that K1000.
That’s so true. The simplicity and durability are this cameras best assets! Oh and great lenses too.
Thank you for such a great and thorough video. Your video filled the Gap where other videos left out. I just ordered the k1000 on eBay. And wanted to learn more about it. You gave me information that made me be grateful to have come upon your video. Thanks!
You are very welcome! I’m glad you found it useful.
i'm really enjoying your video . i've been binge watching quite a few them while i'm at home with all this madness going at the moment . so thank for your very informative videos .
I’m so glad you enjoy them. I’m working on some more content now since I’m home-bound as well.
I really like your reviews, very on point. The only bad thing i have to say about your channel, is that i now feel the need to buy more cameras :)
I obviously have the same issue.
when i see this i would recommend a Chinon CE-4 or here in germany/europe Revue Flex AC2. same mount (pentax k), dirt cheap, solid built (similar or better than a minolta x-500), nice big viewfinder, dof preview, exposure lock, very good accurate metering with auto or manual + metered shutter time, very light and compact, film memory clipholder, seiko metal shutter. got one with a fantastic, lovely bokeh 50mm 1.4 revuenon lens (equal or better than rockor or zuiko!!) for 50 €
thx a lot for your helpful content! :-)
Wow, sounds like a great camera with all of the features missing from the K1000!
Porst cameras! Like the Compact Reflex series, M42 and Pentax K (rebranded Cosinas), Fujica X (rFujica AZ series)... I bought one after the other on ebay, dirt cheap and full of features. However, they are not as reliable and well built as the Pentaxes, more plastic, many of them have failing electronics etc., so it's best to keep a backup copy. :)
Your M lens is bigger than usually sold with later K1000s, an F1.4, so not looking so out of place. The later kit lens would have been smaller : F2, or F1.7 if you were lucky. I've heard that the F1.7 is sharper than the F1.4.
@14:22 No mention of the earlier SMC lenses (as opposed to the SMC-M) which were the original ones for the K-Series cameras! Like this: www.guidafotousato.it/4-SchedeA%20immag/Pentax_km_01.jpg
The K1000 was derived from the KM (in that pic) by, sadly, simply removing the self-timer etc for cheapness. The KM itself was a Spotmatic with a K mount, the Spotmatic being a late 1960's design.
Yup, my first "real" camera too, got it for my 18th birthday (which was long ago) and it's still in perfect shape and lovely. During my school days, there was really just one feature I missed, as you already said of course it's the self timer. Never ran into the issue of overexposure, but remember cursing the meter many times because it stopped working in dim environments. There *might* be a difference between the Japanese and the Singapore-made versions though, the latter having a reputation of being slightly less reliable.
Also agreed on the lenses, the 50mm ones which came with them are all among the best lenses I own. Don't shy away from the f2.0 or my favourite bang-for-the-buck f1.7 just because they don't have that magic 1.4 on it, the difference isn't worth the extra money you probably have to spend.
The only issue I have with it as "perfect beginners camera" is that the price has gone up so much on ebay during the last years, I'd now recommend some cheaper options like a M42 Praktica or the like. But grab this one if you find it cheap!
I noticed that the prices have gone up! I paid around $90 if I remember and now they’re around $120-170! There’s something about the K1000 that I just LIKE. Maybe the pure mechanical nature of it. Anyway thanks for commenting!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Yes, I think even $90 isn't exactly cheap... I've been through a long GAS period between '14 and '18 and collected way too many old cameras, including some Pentax (love the small ones!), but never paid more than €30 for a body, so I think there are many great beginner options for half of the price out there. But the K1000 has some magic, even if it's so barebones, I think it's now a body you deliberately buy because you fell in love with it. Which can happen. :)
If you can find one the KX is even better. Basically the same body buy offers a self timer, MLU, and DOF preview.
I've seen them and I agree 100%. Pentax film cameras are a great value and have some of the best glass in the industry.
Great video as usual! VIDEO IDEA: It would be interesting to see the whole developing + scanning process. I am getting more and more involved with film cameras (started with my father's k1000 and now using my own Nikon F3). It would be nice to see how you operate and what equipment you use. Thanks in any case!
Great minds think alike! I made a C41 and E-6 developing video already but I've been working (thinking) about a video that that shows my scanning process. I'm stuck on what the scope would be since scanning has so many different aspects that could be discussed. I have a dedicated 35mm film scanner and now own an Epson V850 after using an Epson V700 for 12 years. I also use Silverfast Studio Ai for both scanners.
- I'd like to review both scanners individually and maybe do a comparison video also.
- I was thinking maybe a Silverfast video to highlight the HUGE improvement using SF vs the OEM scanner software. - I'd like to discuss "Real Raw" which is a process that saves every detail of the film frame during the scan to include dust, scratches, etc to an infrared channel thus allowing you to throw out the film (if you want) since the software has captured a perfect and complete copy of the original.
- I'd like to make a video covering the basics of the scanning process.
Inevitably, I will end up making a series of videos, maybe more than one for each topic. Thanks for bringing it up though because it really is something that I'd like to get done. I tend to suffer from "Paralysis by Analysis" which causes me to overthink everything, but I'll get it done sooner than later.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thanks for replying. Seconds after commenting I saw your C41 video. As far as scanning is concerned, all ideas are appealing to me. Of course, it might not be the same for everyone (people probably find camera reviews more "sexy") but if you put it under the perspective of saving some money and being able to recover some shots thanks to scanning and post processing a wider audience could get interested. Anyhow, I am sure some folks out there are in the same situation as mine and will find the videos useful. Thanks for the content and have a great day!
This is a fair review, but now (Feb 2020) the prices are silly due to over-hyping. It was popular because it was cheap (once) which is why (as well as being manual) students were recommended it. It was old-fashioned from Day 1. There are equivalent alternatives, much cheaper (Chinon CE-4?). Funny you chose to cite the Nikon F3 for long production; Pentax's own LX was produced 1980-2001, exact same as the Nikon.
I’ve read that the Nikon F3 was in production for 28 years and others say 21 years. You make an excellent point that the K1000 becomes less relevant if the price goes too high. The camera does have a great feel while in use and really great optics available in the Kmount.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel : Wikipedia gives 1980-2001 for the F3, and Camerapedia gives 1980-2000 camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Nikon_F3. The K1000 could even be dated from the Spotmatic-II SPII (1971). That, the SP F (1973), KM (1975) and K1000 (1976) were all basically the same camera with/without self-timers and of course the K's had the K mount instead of M42. Ironically, the earlier three were not great sellers because even at launch they were _already_ regarded as behind the competition technically - yet the K1000 sold for a further 21 years! It was the K2 (1975) which brought Pentax up to date with its metal shutter, silicon photo-diode light meter, auto option and a pro variant (K2 DMD).
Even the SPII was not much different from the original Spotmatic of 1965. Incidentally the K1000 inherited its name style from the SP1000, which although made until 1975 was more like an early Spotmatic (no hot shoe and therefore a different, taller, prism). There was also a SP500 which was exactly like a SP1000 but with a stop on the shutter dial to limit it to 1/500 sec :-(
As you say, the K series lenses were good, as were the M and A series which were much the same.
Hi Eric, this is a completely unrelated question to this video (LOL). Are tripod ball heads interchangeable? I have an Oben tripod AC-1321 with a quick release ball head BA-106, I want to replace it with an Arca type ball head because I got an “L” bracket for the camera so that I can quickly go from horizontal to vertical. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hah, a little off topic but no problem. Yes, you should be able to unscrew the ball head and replace it with an arca-swiss mount. I did the same thing on my Manfrotto but vice versa. You might need a hex key to remove it. Just look under the head and you should see a hex-type screw. If you don't see the screw then you might have one that's permanently attached.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thanks for the prompt reply Eric. I see the screw that would come off with an allen (hex) key but I tried and it will not turn, it’s probably cemented in there. My question is not just replacing the plate, I want to replace the entire ball head (not retrofit it), when I take the head off, the tripod has a 3/8” bolt (screw), is that one standard?
I actually don't know the size, but every time I did this (only twice), I was always able to use the same screw.
I have a Pentax k1000 handed down from my father. Once in awhile I actually like to playing with double exposures with manual cameras.
On an older Kodak Pony I got one happy accident double exposure because I forgot to advance the film after recaulking a shutter. With the two separate images I had originally intended I don't know if I would have even thought of the overlap them in Photoshop.
Happy mistake!
At one time ALL cameras were "all mechanical" cameras! And initially, when cameras were offered that required batteries to power more then just the light meter, they would barely sell! No one wanted a camera that was likely to become just a "Paper Weight", while you were out on a job, far from home, with no way to obtain new, fresh batteries!
To this day, the old timers carry gobs of spare batteries when they have to DEPEND ON one of those "electronic wonders"!
You’re so right and it’s funny how those “electronic wonders” turned out to be the cameras that in some cases offer YEARS of battery life vs the new ones that need recharging daily or even after a few hours.
Trick: You want mirror lockup. Wind the crank, then tap the shutter. Mirror will flip up without tripping the shutter. All mechanical Pentax cameras will do this.
The crank? Film advance?
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Yes, film advance. Sorry, I call it the crank. :)
I just don't get the appeal with these. The KM is virtually identical but has a depth of field preview and self timer, and is CHEAPER. Or get a Spotmatic SP1000, which are almost given away and are compatible with hundreds of very cheap M42 lenses.
I agree 100%. It’s probably just name recognition on the part of the K1000 that makes it more expensive and popular.