Pentax K1000

Xmas · Aug 26, 2015

You need to replace foam at first sign of dust or sticky.

Some of the cameras with mirror box foam have it for light sealing

You need a CLA if the speeds are off or the wind on release interlock jams

The foam is time intensive if done properly, ie >>$.

You need to specify you want both - if you do.

Sover Wong is open about what he does on his site.

Roger Cole · Aug 26, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
Which is why at the ripe age of 58, I've almost sold my house empty of all mechanical and electronic devices except a Nikkormat and a Beseler 67, and divorced myself from working with my hands, burying my knowledge, and claiming ignorance of it, and studying real estate. People who work with their hands, other than surgeons, die as paupers.
You folks are getting the last of my posts on the subject of camera repair. Because once the house is finally empty I call a listing agent, sell the house, and throwing the computer on the dump pile and that will be the end of me fixing things.

Um, wow. I can't tell if that's hostile, sarcastic, or serious.

It is not, in my experience, really true either that people who work with their hands die paupers. Many do quite well.

I have a job title of "engineer" but it's network stuff - I drive a keyboard so in the sense of typing router configurations with my fingers I work with my hands. But I know pretty talented mechanics, carpenters etc. that do pretty well.

BradS · Aug 26, 2015

Roger Cole said:
And does a normal CLA include new foam?...

In my experience, yes. Always. Light tights, mirror bumper, the works.

There are also usually at least two levels of service...there's a lighter, less expensive "maintenance service" and a complete overhaul. Service is usually $65~$80 and a complete overhaul can run upto $125 or so. This is all for 35mm SLR.

Truzi · Aug 26, 2015

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

Roger, the back should be easy for you - easier than a Western Union splice (I've not attempted the mirror-box yet, so cannot speak to that). I have my late Grandfather's Sears KS-2, which is a re-branded XR-7. After a pro-shop chain, which advertised film camera repairs, could not fix it right after three tries, I decided to learn how to do it myself.

To reseal the back I put yarn in the channels and felt at the hinge of the back. I used rubber cement because it will come off easily when I get around to foam seals. The camera is now light-tight, and has not had a stuck-shutter from degraded foam since I have done this (c. 2010). I intend to get a foam kit, but will first learn to disassemble and fix other issues on a parts-camera I have.

Just tape a piece of paper or index card over the film gate to protect the shutter, and carefully scrape out the old foam with soft utensils (wood, plastic, toothpicks, etc.). Solvent on a Q-tip or small scrap of cloth can remove any adhesive residue. Then lay in the foam per the instructions. If you don't activate the adhesive you can move things around until you are confident of where the pieces go.
It may be tedious, but is not difficult.

MattKing · Aug 26, 2015

My camera technician will replace the foam for me. He has two different prices: a moderately high price if he does the whole job, and a very low price if I clean out the old foam first.

That should tell those who haven't done this where most of the time and effort goes in the process.

pbromaghin · Aug 26, 2015

mehguy said:
How much are they normally priced at?

$80-125 each is about the going rate on Craigslist, at used camera shops in the Denver area, like Denver Camera Trader and Englewood Camera, and at the semi-annual Denver Photo Society swap meet. Englewood Camera usually stocks up on good student-level 35mm slrs going into the fall before school starts. I look at K1000s a lot because I first learned on one 40 years ago in high school. It would be fun to pick one up again. The simplicity and lack of features is a plus for me. Maybe I could get my son-in-law (Laostyle17) to lend me his some time.

$10 is a fantastic deal, bordering on rape of an ignorant seller, and an opportunity not to be passed up.

frank · Aug 26, 2015

MattKing said:
My camera technician will replace the foam for me. He has two different prices: a moderately high price if he does the whole job, and a very low price if I clean out the old foam first.

That should tell those who haven't done this where most of the time and effort goes in the process.

It's like (house) painting: most of the work is in the preparation.

Alan Gales · Aug 26, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
No Roger--it's not hostile. I can't have any hostility toward anybody on this site. In fact, nothing but regard.

I wish you well in your real estate endeavor!

Les Sarile · Aug 26, 2015

Roger Cole said:
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.

It is easy to mix the features of cameras particularly if you have 2 or more . . .

I have the XR-7 and I prefer the traditional controls instead of the shutter control buttons on the ME Super. The XR-7's shutter is completely electronic and doesn't have the sync speed and bulb mode available when batteries die like the ME Super.

Roger Cole · Aug 26, 2015

True, it's dain bramaged without batteries. But my MX isn't, my K1000 isn't, and my LX isn't completely. Plus I carry spare batteries. They are cheap and weigh practically nothing.

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

Xmas · Aug 26, 2015

APUGuser19 said:
No Roger--it's not hostile. I can't have any hostility toward anybody on this site. In fact, nothing but regard.

Good luck on sale.

Ricardo Miranda · Aug 26, 2015

Roger Cole said:
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.

Roger,

I hadn't done a single re-foam until January this year.
If a dyslexic, clumsy idiot like me can do it, so can any one.

I've done all my Nikon EM (6+) and OM-1 and -2 (5) and Nikkormat FTn and EL2.
Granted the first 2 or 3 were the worst. Then it becomes easier.
These days I don't even bother putting double-sidded tape on the channels. The pressure of the foam against the walls keeps it in place. It is also easier to re-foam later, or to re-do if you do a mistake or are not happy with them.

Les Sarile · Aug 27, 2015

Chan Tran said:
I think the K1000 is the worst mechanical Pentax SLR and I can be wrong but if someone think I am wrong then which one of the Pentaxes is worse than the K1000.

It looks like the K1000 is not the worst Pentax and that there is no such thing as a worst Pentax either . . .

Roger Cole · Aug 27, 2015

Les Sarile said:
It is easy to mix the features of cameras particularly if you have 2 or more . . .

I have the XR-7 and I prefer the traditional controls instead of the shutter control buttons on the ME Super. The XR-7's shutter is completely electronic and doesn't have the sync speed and bulb mode available when batteries die like the ME Super.

DOF preview, AE lock, full manual and aperture priority AE, good viewfinder (not quite as nice as my MX but pretty nice) manual shutter speeds to 16 full seconds, inovative viewfinder display that uses an LCD representation of a needle to give the sense of scale of a needle with the low battery drain and no moving parts of an LCD (granted it can be tough to see in low light though.) True that it is battery reliant and definitely consumer grade build quality but especially for what they can be bought for now it's a really nice little camera.

Chan Tran · Aug 27, 2015

Les Sarile said:
It looks like the K1000 is not the worst Pentax and that there is no such thing as a worst Pentax either . . . [/QUOTE

If you have a number of cameras one of them must be the worst not matter how good it is.

Xmas · Aug 27, 2015

Illogical Captain Kirk I've got two K1000s
Spock

flavio81 · Aug 27, 2015

markaudacity said:
And that's why it's the perfect first camera.

Oh, i jumped too late into this thread!!

I think the K1000 is currently the most overpriced and overrated manual focus camera on the market. BUT, it is a perfectly good camera. The problem is that some people, for some strange reason, think that it's the "perfect" beginner's film camera. The truth is that there are MANY cameras out there that are "perfect beginner's cameras", and many of them even lower priced than the K1000 and/or better finished than the K1000. To put just one example, the Canon FTb.

And such view have driven up the K1000 prices to ridiculous levels.

I also agree that there is no such thing such as a "bad Pentax". Save perhaps for the original Pentax 6x7? (film advance mechanism being delicate)

LarryP · Aug 27, 2015

'least desirable' might be a more accurate phrase.

BradS · Aug 27, 2015

or maybe, the simplest 35mm Pentax SLR....
or...the 35mm Pentax SLR with the fewest features...
having less to go wrong in a camera can certainly be desirable.

Xmas · Aug 27, 2015

flavio81 said:
Oh, i jumped too late into this thread!!

I think the K1000 is currently the most overpriced and overrated manual focus camera on the market. BUT, it is a perfectly good camera. The problem is that some people, for some strange reason, think that it's the "perfect" beginner's film camera. The truth is that there are MANY cameras out there that are "perfect beginner's cameras", and many of them even lower priced than the K1000 and/or better finished than the K1000. To put just one example, the Canon FTb.

And such view have driven up the K1000 prices to ridiculous levels.

I also agree that there is no such thing such as a "bad Pentax". Save perhaps for the original Pentax 6x7? (film advance mechanism being delicate)

Don't understand the 'driven up' both mine were cheap, two just went for 80USD ie 40 USD each on the forum.
Some of the other K series SLR are even cheaper - cause no one wants one.

LarryP · Aug 27, 2015

Personal preferences and biases. I myself can not adjust to the smaller height of the lx or mx , both of which have better features than my km's. This does not make them worse than a km just not a good fit for me. If you don't like a body just don't use it.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 27, 2015

Chan Tran said:
If you have a number of cameras one of them must be the worst not matter how good it is.

No, that's not correct English usage. One of the cameras is good; the other is better.

You can say something is the worst only when comparing bad items.

Vitoret · Aug 28, 2015

I own one and just love it.. so simple, feels really solid and i like to shoot with it from time to time

Xmas · Aug 28, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
No, that's not correct English usage. One of the cameras is good; the other is better.

You can say something is the worst only when comparing bad items.

But if you don't like it then it is bad by definition.

My two feel a lot different from a FM but were a whole lot cheaper. The negatives are no different.

So I don't understand the talk up the price syndrome, the other K series are really cheap or expensive.

I had the FM for a year or so before I noticed the shutter speed and aperture in the finder.

cuthbert · Aug 28, 2015

Xmas said:
I had the FM for a year or so before I noticed the shutter speed and aperture in the finder.

Ahahah, true! The FM was my first "complex" camera and it took me months before noticing the extra info....however a more suitable comparison would be FM vs KX or MX, that Nikon was never meant to be an "entry model".

Pentax K1000

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