I was at my grandson's school today and I spotted ...

[Billy Axeman]

I didn't realize Pentax published production numbers. Do you have any info about the Spotmatic series?

I got those numbers from:
http://knippsen.blogspot.nl/2014/06/japanese-slr-production-numbers-part-3.html

The Spotmatic numers are there too.

 

[ronnies]

Think of a Spotmatic F with a bayonet mount.

No that was the KM. The K1000 was more basic than both of them.

Ronnie

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I got those numbers from:
http://knippsen.blogspot.nl/2014/06/japanese-slr-production-numbers-part-3.html
...

Interesting site regarding Japanese SLR production numbers - thank you.

 

[pathdoc]

The S1a/H1a is ever so slightly smaller in the body than the Spotmatic and K series, and when I am content to go meterless with M42 glass I prefer it for that reason.

 

[Chan Tran]

I never like the K1000 but it was cheap. Now I hate it because it's no longer cheap.

 

[cooltouch]

I learned photography with a Canon FTb, which is a better camera than the K1000 and sells for just as cheap, if not cheaper on fleabay. Use 675 hearing aid batteries (very cheap) to replace the now-extinct 1.35v mercury cells.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I learned photography with a Canon FTb, which is a better camera than the K1000 and sells for just as cheap, if not cheaper on fleabay. Use 675 hearing aid batteries (very cheap) to replace the now-extinct 1.35v mercury cells.

I have an Ftb body, the cell compartment cover is badly mangled but otherwise it's very nice, except for being stiff due to degraded lubricants. The meter is accurate with the zinc-air cell; I block all but one of the airholes and usualy get about two years with occasional use in handheld meters and a Nikon FTN.
I'm going to get a basic wide-normal-tele lens set for the Ftb, I really like that body.

 

[cooltouch]

Yeah, it's a great camera. For a basic wide-normal-tele zoom, I can highly recommend the Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5. One of my favorites. But if going with primes, then 24mm/50mm/85m/135mm is my favorite way to go. Add a nFD 200mm f/4 (internal focus and very light, but also very sharp) to the set if you need a longer tele.