Pentax K1000

[Les Sarile]

I agree about DOF preview.

Now why Pentax refused to include exposure memory lock in their AE cameras for so long is a huge mystery. Even my LX lacks it, an absolutely glaring omission in an otherwise superb camera. The metering is probably the very best in camera meter of the pre-matrix days but it still needs it IMHO leading me to shoot on manual more often than I otherwise would and, worse, to sometimes forget to change back to AE and overlook the too-easily-overlooked manual flag in the finder, ruining some subsequent shots.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk and 100% recycled electrons - because I care.

Pentax included AE lock in the K2 DMD but I don't believe they incorporated AE lock again until the AF cameras.

Technically speaking, I don't believe AE lock adds any value unless you have a tight spot meter. The K2 DMD has center weighted metering and except for the Olympus OM3&4, I believe all the other manual focus cameras only have the fat spot metering. For AE lock to be useful on anything other than a tight spot meter, you would have to zoom at the area of the scene to lock onto, and then zoom back out to focus/recompose. If you know enough to do that then you can achieve same results using compensation or manual exposure as you pointed out.

The Minolta XK - along with exposure lock, has a very clever auto exposure override lever that is much easier to adjust than the typical exposure compensation control. The XK doesn't have a spot meter either but has what they call the CLC (Contrast Light Compensator). An early form of "matrix" metering.

 

[Roger Cole]

I don't know what "technically speaking" means in this case, but I think it adds hugely in a center weighted metering system. IOW I completely disagree with your post. Take the very, very common case of a fairly large expanse of sky - tilt down, lock, recompose. Or a light source at the side of the frame - move it out of the frame, lock, recompose.

Zooming doesn't help with zooms that change effective aperture with zoom setting.

It's just trivially easy to use even an averaging meter to favor the areas where you want detail, then to recompose.

I used it on more shots than not on my Ricoh XR-2 before the foam seals failed. Need to get those fixed. That little camera may be consumer grade but it's very pleasant to use - more so than the LX in some ways, like the AE lock.

 

[LarryP]

AgX, thanks for the answer,now I get how it's useful. I'd probably use it if my cameras had larger brighter screens. It's probably a personal quirk that I find it easier to use the lens guide marks and visualize the effect that way.I'll just blame it on wearing glasses and being left-handed.

 

[Pioneer]

My K1000 has exposure lock, as does my LX. I point toward the ground, lock in my settings, point toward my subject and take my photograph. Works amazingly well and requires no extra buttons or training.

As for DOF, it is one of those features that I use occasionally when the camera has it, but never worry too much about it when I don't have it. If I do feel it is critical to my shot on the K1000 I unlock the lens and rotate it a little.

There is only one feature I really, really miss on the K1000 when I need it and that is the self timer. But again, though I do miss it, I have never found it that critical that I have gone out and bought a timer to fit the shutter button.

For 99% of my camera work the K1000 is all I ever need. The additional bells and whistles brought to the party by other cameras are certainly nice to have but hardly necessary for my work. For others there can be a need depending on their work. However, in our consumer driven world, most cameras are bought because we want, or are told that we want, not because we really need.

 

[frank]

My K1000 has exposure lock, as does my LX. I point toward the ground, lock in my settings, point toward my subject and take my photograph. Works amazingly well and requires no extra buttons or training.

As for DOF, it is one of those features that I use occasionally when the camera has it, but never worry too much about it when I don't have it. If I do feel it is critical to my shot on the K1000 I unlock the lens and rotate it a little.

There is only one feature I really, really miss on the K1000 when I need it and that is the self timer. But again, though I do miss it, I have never found it that critical that I have gone out and bought a timer to fit the shutter button.

For 99% of my camera work the K1000 is all I ever need. The additional bells and whistles brought to the party by other cameras are certainly nice to have but hardly necessary for my work. For others there can be a need depending on their work. However, in our consumer driven world, most cameras are bought because we want, or are told that we want, not because we really need.

Bingo!

 

[Xmas]

I find that view-of-DOF feature very informative for composing, unless one is obsolutely shure on the effect, by much experience with different lenses and situations.

I consider it a obligatory feature at a learner-camera.


Nonwithstanding the above, I own und use SLR's that lack that feature (as T-70).

On my stop down SLRs it just gets dark, cause I use slow lenses it is dark to start with anyway, don't see how you can judge DoF in the dark other than there is more...

It is useful for stop down metering.

 

[Les Sarile]

Amazing that a basic but respectable consumer-grade SLR got this kind of action in a thread. If they had put a DOF preview on it, it would have been iconic. But I guess if they had, it would have eaten into the sales of their more expensive cameras.

It is hard to quantify whether or not a sale of a K1000 takes away from another model. A sale of a K1000 likely leads to more Pentax lens sales and/or more Pentax body sales.

In a poll taken, the K1000 was only fourth behind the MX, LX & ME Super -> PDML Camera Count Survey. Seems it may not be the worst mechanical Pentax.

 

[Les Sarile]

I don't know what "technically speaking" means in this case, but I think it adds hugely in a center weighted metering system. IOW I completely disagree with your post. Take the very, very common case of a fairly large expanse of sky - tilt down, lock, recompose. Or a light source at the side of the frame - move it out of the frame, lock, recompose.

Zooming doesn't help with zooms that change effective aperture with zoom setting.

It's just trivially easy to use even an averaging meter to favor the areas where you want detail, then to recompose.

I used it on more shots than not on my Ricoh XR-2 before the foam seals failed. Need to get those fixed. That little camera may be consumer grade but it's very pleasant to use - more so than the LX in some ways, like the AE lock.

Roger, You do need to fix and use your XR-2 more often as it does not have AE lock in the way that we describe that it would lock the exposure setting (shutter speed) when in aperture priority mode. However, there is a lock on the shutter dial when you put it on AUTO (aperture mode) and you have to press it to unlock it from that mode to go to manual mode.

 

[frank]

Nikkormats suck.


Ha, ha, just joking. I have a bunch.

 

[Roger Cole]

Roger, You do need to fix and use your XR-2 more often as it does not have AE lock in the way that we describe that it would lock the exposure setting (shutter speed) when in aperture priority mode. However, there is a lock on the shutter dial when you put it on AUTO (aperture mode) and you have to press it to unlock it from that mode to go to manual mode.

My mistake - its an XR-7 and certainly has memory lock. You're right, I need to fix it. I really like shooting with that little camera. But I'm a bit too clutzy and preoccupied to replace the seals and having it done seems pricey for what's involved.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

replace the seals and having it done seems pricey for what's involved.

All you need is a cheap mouse pad, Xacto, ruler, double-sided tape and scissors.

 

[cuthbert]

As for DOF, it is one of those features that I use occasionally when the camera has it, but never worry too much about it when I don't have it. If I do feel it is critical to my shot on the K1000 I unlock the lens and rotate it a little.

There is only one feature I really, really miss on the K1000 when I need it and that is the self timer. But again, though I do miss it, I have never found it that critical that I have gone out and bought a timer to fit the shutter button.

Amazing that a basic but respectable consumer-grade SLR got this kind of action in a thread. If they had put a DOF preview on it, it would have been iconic. But I guess if they had, it would have eaten into the sales of their more expensive cameras.

Guys, it seems that you also forgot the existence of this camera:

It's a good camera, trust me.

 

[pbromaghin]

K1000 Pricey? Somebody on APUG is right now selling 2 with 50mm f/2 lenses for $80, US shipping included. Screaming deal.

 

[mehguy]

K1000 Pricey? Somebody on APUG is right now selling 2 with 50mm f/2 lenses for $80, US shipping included. Screaming deal.

How much are they normally priced at?

 

[Chan Tran]

K1000 Pricey? Somebody on APUG is right now selling 2 with 50mm f/2 lenses for $80, US shipping included. Screaming deal.

I paid $10 for mine. Wouldn't pay that much for the K1000.

 

[frank]

You've got to be really lucky to find them for $10! That's not going to happen every day. $40 each is a great deal, imo.

 

[Pioneer]

Guys, it seems that you also forgot the existence of this camera:

It's a good camera, trust me.

Thanks cuthbert. They are very nice cameras. I know it sounds odd but I usually prefer my K1000. I guess I never really bonded with the KM.

 

[Roger Cole]

All you need is a cheap mouse pad, Xacto, ruler, double-sided tape and scissors.

Maybe, for some people anyway, especially if you've done it before.

I bought a seal kit, forget which one but it doesn't matter. It supposedly had instructions but they were so vague and poorly written I couldn't make heads or tails of it. I couldn't even tell where all the needed foam actually went in the camera. I'm afraid it's either beyond me or, more likely, I'd have to see someone else do it once or twice. I could probably hit YouTube but that's a project for later. I suppose that while I want it done I have other cameras and I'm kind of unmotivated. Same with my K1000 now - after being fine until recently the foam mirror bumper started falling apart and obviously some foam elsewhere because it's visible in the prism, enough it's basically unusable.

Now if such a thing happened to my MX or LX they'd be on their way for a full CLA and foam while I was at it.

The Ricoh is an under-rated or at least under-appreciated little camera though. Plenty of plastic and such but it's features and function are very well thought it. It's nice to use.

 

[Xmas]

In re-foaming a Japanese 35 SLR from the era, it is common to commandeer a foam-containing item and skillfully cut it to needs and attach it. Seems to be almost a common practice by owners in this day. And I'll agree that any well done owner-grade foam job is far better than the decomposed mess that it was. Still, it should be put out in this domain that the original foam was actually engineered carefully for the purpose. In short, the common mirror damper strip was originally much less dense than any foam than is common now.
Notice how the late foam has no compression when the mirror hits it. The mirror slaps it as if it were a strip of soft wood, like soft balsa. There's no "give" there; not like the original. I remember the foam in the cameras when they were new. It was much more compressible. A very airy and light foam.
And the reason was to dampen mirror-slap, which it did very well. Indeed, there should be a whole thread devoted to sharing sources of a foam of this extremely light density. I myself, know of none. But truth be known, we're not putting good foam in these bodies. We're putting any foam, which is far better than nothing, but NOT serving the actual engineered purpose.

Jon's foam kits and instructions are real good

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/sealreplacement.html

But my mouse mat has suffered...

 

[Roger Cole]

I looked at Jon's illustrations. They're good, and show me that I'd never be able to do this.

 

[Xmas]

I looked at Jon's illustrations. They're good, and show me that I'd never be able to do this.

It is not good if sticky foam gets into shutter mechanism.

 

[Roger Cole]

C'mon Roger. I refuse to believe anybody is incapable of this lowly level of mechanical expertise. You've got to be pulling our leg. I'll admit to being guilty of being an autistic mechanical "mensa", but even my Dad can do this if he puts golf out of his mind for 30 minutes. If he can do that, you can certainly do the other.

Actually I'm not - and I'm not actually mechanically inept. I can build electronic gear, solder fairly well (just don't ask me to drill holes in the case) etc. But that looks very small and "fidgety" work.

Let's put it this way, I'd pay someone, say, thirty bucks, maybe fifty, to do it before I'd even attempt it, because the attempt would end with foam and tools and possibly camera flying across the room to the tune of very loud curses.

EDIT: Which brings up an obvious question - is anybody offering to re-foam cameras without the rest of a CLA? And does a normal CLA include new foam?

The thing is, my best two 35mms that would be worth having CLAed if needed, my LX and MX, don't seem to need it and don't currently need foam. The ones that DO need foam are the K1000 and the XR-7 both of which could probably be replaced cheaper than CLAed, even though the replacement would probably need foam too...

 

[AgX]

And does a normal CLA include new foam?

Good question.
I think it even deserves a thread on its own.

 

[Alan Gales]

Actually I'm not - and I'm not actually mechanically inept. I can build electronic gear, solder fairly well (just don't ask me to drill holes in the case) etc. But that looks very small and "fidgety" work.

Let's put it this way, I'd pay someone, say, thirty bucks, maybe fifty, to do it before I'd even attempt it, because the attempt would end with foam and tools and possibly camera flying across the room to the tune of very loud curses.

EDIT: Which brings up an obvious question - is anybody offering to re-foam cameras without the rest of a CLA? And does a normal CLA include new foam?

The thing is, my best two 35mms that would be worth having CLAed if needed, my LX and MX, don't seem to need it and don't currently need foam. The ones that DO need foam are the K1000 and the XR-7 both of which could probably be replaced cheaper than CLAed, even though the replacement would probably need foam too...

I'm extremely mechanically inclined. I used to be a Union Sheet Metal Worker. Two of my brother-in-laws were talking about working with their hands. One of their son-in-laws said to me that he was better of using his brain. He's a bank president and made more money than myself or my brother-in-laws.

We all have different skills.

 

[Alan Gales]

Good question.
I think it even deserves a thread on its own.

I agree!