During the 1980's when I was involved in technical operations for the CIA we issued K1000's because they were small, relatively light, simple to learn and they worked even when the battery died. Lots of SLR cameras of the time wouldn't fire if the battery was dead. Important in a pinch.
There were plenty of other mechanical cameras around 1980 that could work with no battery. Even some of the more electronic ones (eg Pentax ME Super) had a single back up mechanical shutter speed..
@@dukenukem5768 Indeed. We issued them to both case officers and occasionally to assets. The Pentax K1000 was easy to teach and use, C/O’s had some camera training at the Farm so could theoretically handle an SLR but it made our job easier to focus on just one model for a while. Later we issued a lot of Canon AE 1’s, I still have one. For assets, they had to have a good reason to own one if asked by some Gestapo type, be able to financially own one, not always easy in 3rd world countries. We would even make up fake receipts to go with their story.
I had a Pentax K1000 I got from a pawn shop in Vallejo. I used it for prime focus astrophotography with my Celestron C8. It was perfect since it was fully manual.
I was researching to buy my first film SLR camera. I've always been a Nikon DSLR camera guy, so I was considering the Nikon f3. But after seeing how many features they have I did not want it, I wanted something simple and straightforward. So I saw the reviews on the Pentax k1000 and it fits perfectly. So I bought one and received it from eBay this week. I paid a little over $100 but have some of it refunded because it was missing the counter cover, and they've had not been disclosed in the description. The seller was kind enough to refund me the cost to buy a used part on eBay. It's a wonderful camera so far I love it!
I bought my K1000 in 1984 and I still use it today, a great investment. I paid $110 for the body and $50 for a 50mm lens. As long as I can find film I will always use this camera.
Pentax makes cameras built like Sherman tanks. A great camera here, although if memory serves, then the one and only negative I can think of is that I believe this camera has a cloth shutter, whereas metal shutters typically last a bit longer. Also just a 1/60 sec flash sync? I think? And a Pentax lens sure isn't a slouch.
It was only typical of its time. It was basically a 1960s design (it's a Spotmatic with a newer lens mount), when most cameras were mechanical and lacked any automation. We only hear so much about the K1000 because so many were made and are still around.
@@dukenukem5768 So many were made because there was a market for them. Countless people, including me, learned the principles of photography with this camera. I use a Fuji XT-4 nowadays but I still have my old K1000. It's a classic, even historically significant I would say.
Mmmm, that's weird... I have a Pentax K1000 not the SE version (already owned one in the past) and my camera has a split prism .. Cool video I strongly recommand the K1000 to anybody who wants to start shooting film :)
Gaetan Cormier oh cool!!! Maybe I didn’t realize that the focusing screens could be swapped? It’s been a couple years since I actually owned a K1000 and I don’t fully recall now.
@@themikepadua Maybe it depends when the camera was made ? Mine has the Asahi over the Pentax.. Maybe with the serial number we can get an idea when it was made? My serial is 6565074
Thanks for watching! Honestly a lot of it is luck, plus geography. I'm just in a really good spot, but also the market changes really quickly! Deals aren't as frequent today as they were in years past, but they're still out there!
It is funny you should post this today, I was watching your Hexar video yesterday thinking "mike hasn't uploaded for a while, I like his videos" then boom, this.
Picked one of these up at a thrift store for about $50! I've used my mom's old Spotmatic SPII all throughout my childhood, sounds like this one is the same except it has a different lens mount, and you can't turn off the light meter?
vince94 that’s a GREAT find! Yes, the Spotmatic and k1000 are very similar; and you are right, there’s no way to switch off the k1000’s meter other than a lens cap/total darkness
Thanks for the vid :) I have the K1000 and also wasn't aware of the "plastic top" models. I'm more happy to notice the ASAHI on my example. Also has the ASAHI right of the eye piece. I'd like to know if the year of manufacture can be traced back via the serial number? Mine is in the 777**** range. Prices sure are going up and as of Aug 2020 here in Australia good bodies are around AU$380 - AU$400. Sometimes up to AU$450 with a few accessories or extra lenses. Have a super day!
Than's for watching! Wow--those prices are DEFINITELY skyrocketing. If you google "K1000 serial number database" the top link is a guide on Pentaxforums on how you can date your model. How accurate it is, I don't know. If you figure yours out, let me know, I'm curious!
I'm picking one up tmmr for free. Someone local is giving away old camera gear, this camera included. figured I'd check it out. Showed the ad pics to a buddy of mine and he told me this was a great starting camera. I'm thinking it's one of the later HK runs cause it doesn't have the words above the name. bundle also has a Canon EOS Elan II.
Said a lot about the ergonomic shape, but most 35mm SLRs were that shape at that time - the Spotmatics, the other K-Series, and other brands (eg Minolta SRT). What made it so popular is simple - it was cheap (back then, not now) and also it was recommended by art schools (because cheap). Pentax deliberately made it the cheapest big-name SLR you could buy, by taking a KM and stripping off some features.
Thank you for the video! I have one of these but I need to get film to test it. Does any 35mm film work, or do I need to look for film for vintage cameras specifically? Thank you!
Absolutely any 35mm film will work! If you're near a CVS or Rite-Aid, most of them still carry Fujifilm 200 or 400. You'll also need to grab an LR44 battery to test the light meter, though the camera will take photos with or without it. Thanks for watching!
It is to set the self-timer and (pushed the opposite way) give a depth of field pre-view. Well spotted the K1000 lacks these features. The story is : in 1975 Pentax introduced the KM which was a Spotmatic with a K bayonet mount, and had that lever. They then decided to remove some features to cut costs so the KM morphed into the K1000 in 1976. The KM is a better camera, if you find one.
If they're the same price, the K1000 for sure. The X300's shutter is electronically controlled, whereas the K1000 is fully mechanical. The Pentax is far more repairable if it ever breaks in the future.
I just picked up a SP 500 at an antique store with a whole mess of stuff included. Check your local thrift stores, second hand shops, antique stores etc. They are your best bet and usually not extremely overpriced like ebay. The sad thing is they've become overpriced just because they are so popular. If you find any other Pentax from the k-series or even later spotmatics like mine, they are all basically the same camera, great design and generally the even the more "high-end" cameras are cheaper simply because they don't have k1000 on the body.
If you enjoyed this video, please check out all the new helpful videos I'm making and consider supporting me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/mikepadua
They’re now going for $250 + online- YIKES!
During the 1980's when I was involved in technical operations for the CIA we issued K1000's because they were small, relatively light, simple to learn and they worked even when the battery died. Lots of SLR cameras of the time wouldn't fire if the battery was dead. Important in a pinch.
There were plenty of other mechanical cameras around 1980 that could work with no battery. Even some of the more electronic ones (eg Pentax ME Super) had a single back up mechanical shutter speed..
@@dukenukem5768 Indeed. We issued them to both case officers and occasionally to assets. The Pentax K1000 was easy to teach and use, C/O’s had some camera training at the Farm so could theoretically handle an SLR but it made our job easier to focus on just one model for a while. Later we issued a lot of Canon AE 1’s, I still have one. For assets, they had to have a good reason to own one if asked by some Gestapo type, be able to financially own one, not always easy in 3rd world countries. We would even make up fake receipts to go with their story.
I had a Pentax K1000 I got from a pawn shop in Vallejo. I used it for prime focus astrophotography with my Celestron C8. It was perfect since it was fully manual.
I thought you weren't gonna make a video again sine it's been 10 months, but glad to see you're back.
Thanks! Life/work got in the way, unfortunately. I actually have a fairly huge backlog of videos that I've shot that need to be edited.
I was researching to buy my first film SLR camera. I've always been a Nikon DSLR camera guy, so I was considering the Nikon f3. But after seeing how many features they have I did not want it, I wanted something simple and straightforward. So I saw the reviews on the Pentax k1000 and it fits perfectly. So I bought one and received it from eBay this week. I paid a little over $100 but have some of it refunded because it was missing the counter cover, and they've had not been disclosed in the description. The seller was kind enough to refund me the cost to buy a used part on eBay. It's a wonderful camera so far I love it!
I bought my K1000 in 1984 and I still use it today, a great investment. I paid $110 for the body and $50 for a 50mm lens. As long as I can find film I will always use this camera.
spectacular investment! Glad to hear you're still shooting with it!
Best camera ever!! I learned to shoot on this camera. Love it!!
Great look at a classic camera!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing with us your tips!
Thanks for watching!
Pentax makes cameras built like Sherman tanks.
A great camera here, although if memory serves, then the one and only negative I can think of is that I believe this camera has a cloth shutter, whereas metal shutters typically last a bit longer. Also just a 1/60 sec flash sync? I think?
And a Pentax lens sure isn't a slouch.
Excellent narrative, straight forward and informative . Thank You!
Thanks so much for the kind words!
Nice video. The K1000 is legendary. Now more than ever, its manual simplicity is a nice diversion from all of the automated bells and whistles.
Definitely! Easily my favorite thing about it: simplicity!
It was only typical of its time. It was basically a 1960s design (it's a Spotmatic with a newer lens mount), when most cameras were mechanical and lacked any automation. We only hear so much about the K1000 because so many were made and are still around.
@@dukenukem5768 So many were made because there was a market for them. Countless people, including me, learned the principles of photography with this camera. I use a Fuji XT-4 nowadays but I still have my old K1000. It's a classic, even historically significant I would say.
Mmmm, that's weird... I have a Pentax K1000 not the SE version (already owned one in the past) and my camera has a split prism ..
Cool video I strongly recommand the K1000 to anybody who wants to start shooting film :)
Gaetan Cormier oh cool!!! Maybe I didn’t realize that the focusing screens could be swapped? It’s been a couple years since I actually owned a K1000 and I don’t fully recall now.
@@themikepadua Maybe it depends when the camera was made ? Mine has the Asahi over the Pentax.. Maybe with the serial number we can get an idea when it was made? My serial is 6565074
Might be a different lens. When I tried the 210mm lens from my Ricoh KR-30sp I saw split prism.
Great video. You obviously shop at better thrift stores than I do. I paid up for mine plus a tune-up, but I love it!
Thanks for watching! Honestly a lot of it is luck, plus geography. I'm just in a really good spot, but also the market changes really quickly! Deals aren't as frequent today as they were in years past, but they're still out there!
Great to see you posting again, awesome review of this camera.
Thanks John! This video is 2 years old, to give you an idea of my backlog haha.
I have a few backlogged myself.
It is funny you should post this today, I was watching your Hexar video yesterday thinking "mike hasn't uploaded for a while, I like his videos" then boom, this.
Hogarth Ferguson thanks for watching! Life/business got in the way. I have a bit backlog of videos to edit!
Thank you so much for the educational & origin walk through of the passion for photography. Your perspective is amazing!
thanks for watching!
Picked one of these up at a thrift store for about $50! I've used my mom's old Spotmatic SPII all throughout my childhood, sounds like this one is the same except it has a different lens mount, and you can't turn off the light meter?
vince94 that’s a GREAT find! Yes, the Spotmatic and k1000 are very similar; and you are right,
there’s no way to switch off the k1000’s meter other than a lens cap/total darkness
I had one of the plastic topped ones a couple of years ago, sold it on eBay but now wished I had kept it.
I've actually never seen a plastic-topped model in person. How did it feel?
@@themikepadua The camera was solid, but the top was definitely plastic feeling. My copy was practically brand new.
Thanks for the vid :) I have the K1000 and also wasn't aware of the "plastic top" models. I'm more happy to notice the ASAHI on my example. Also has the ASAHI right of the eye piece. I'd like to know if the year of manufacture can be traced back via the serial number? Mine is in the 777**** range. Prices sure are going up and as of Aug 2020 here in Australia good bodies are around AU$380 - AU$400. Sometimes up to AU$450 with a few accessories or extra lenses. Have a super day!
Than's for watching! Wow--those prices are DEFINITELY skyrocketing. If you google "K1000 serial number database" the top link is a guide on Pentaxforums on how you can date your model. How accurate it is, I don't know. If you figure yours out, let me know, I'm curious!
Love you Mike! i totally forgot about that K1000 haha!
Tilian is going to inherit this one!
I'm picking one up tmmr for free. Someone local is giving away old camera gear, this camera included. figured I'd check it out. Showed the ad pics to a buddy of mine and he told me this was a great starting camera. I'm thinking it's one of the later HK runs cause it doesn't have the words above the name.
bundle also has a Canon EOS Elan II.
Said a lot about the ergonomic shape, but most 35mm SLRs were that shape at that time - the Spotmatics, the other K-Series, and other brands (eg Minolta SRT). What made it so popular is simple - it was cheap (back then, not now) and also it was recommended by art schools (because cheap). Pentax deliberately made it the cheapest big-name SLR you could buy, by taking a KM and stripping off some features.
Thank you for the video! I have one of these but I need to get film to test it. Does any 35mm film work, or do I need to look for film for vintage cameras specifically? Thank you!
Absolutely any 35mm film will work! If you're near a CVS or Rite-Aid, most of them still carry Fujifilm 200 or 400. You'll also need to grab an LR44 battery to test the light meter, though the camera will take photos with or without it. Thanks for watching!
@@themikepadua thank you so much! I tried Walgreens but they were out. I'll try those other places. Does it matter if I get 200 or 400?
@@davidheath3960 Doesn't matter, you can use either one as long as you expose for it properly.
good video, thank you
Whats the leaver on the left side of the pentax sp 500. ?
It is to set the self-timer and (pushed the opposite way) give a depth of field pre-view. Well spotted the K1000 lacks these features. The story is : in 1975 Pentax introduced the KM which was a Spotmatic with a K bayonet mount, and had that lever. They then decided to remove some features to cut costs so the KM morphed into the K1000 in 1976. The KM is a better camera, if you find one.
Im in a dilemma, i've found pentax K1000 and minolta X300 almost same price and i don't know which should i buy, any suggestion?
If they're the same price, the K1000 for sure. The X300's shutter is electronically controlled, whereas the K1000 is fully mechanical. The Pentax is far more repairable if it ever breaks in the future.
@@themikepadua thanks a lot ✌
Minoltas of that X300 era were not very reliable. The older Minolta SRTs were better and more equivalen to the K1000.
Where to buy?
I just picked up a SP 500 at an antique store with a whole mess of stuff included. Check your local thrift stores, second hand shops, antique stores etc. They are your best bet and usually not extremely overpriced like ebay. The sad thing is they've become overpriced just because they are so popular. If you find any other Pentax from the k-series or even later spotmatics like mine, they are all basically the same camera, great design and generally the even the more "high-end" cameras are cheaper simply because they don't have k1000 on the body.