Up for sale is a wonderful CLAed (Cleaned/Lubed/Adjusted) example of the classic Asahi Pentax K1000 35mm manual focus SLR camera.
The K1000 is the top selling mechanical SLR camera of all time, reknowned for its robust, ultra-reliable construction and its no-frills all-manual operation, and wide availability of affordable, world-class lenses in the K mount system. This has also made it THE #1 student's camera, recommended by teachers world-wide for both beginning students in film photography and more advanced shooters who prefer an all-manual experience.
This particular example is one of the earlier all-metal variants made in Hong Kong with Japanese dies.
Nice vintage condition with light handling wear (some brassing) to black paint, clean viewfinder, good meter, and fully working mechanics.
This camera has been disassembled CLAed with relube of the film transport and advance mechanisms for an ultra smooth shooting experience. Further, the bumpers and door seals have all been replaced, with cinema-style wool yarn seals for permanent lightfastness for the entire life of the camera!
Also included is the much-beloved SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/2 standard prime lens, with wonderfully smooth mechanics and optics clear of scratches/haze/fungus, as well as vintage Vivitar strap and Pentax AF200 shoe mounted flash!
Based on the construction and engravings, this example appears to be from the later period where Asahi was manufacturing these bodies in Hong Kong with the original Japanese dies with the top and bottom plates having been replaced with chromed plastic.
This camera has had its viewfinder prism replaced with one from an earlier unit, so it does NOT suffer from the prism desilvering problem ubiquitous in this generation of bodies. As result, it has the benefit of its lighter weight WITHOUT the annoying black marks in the viewfinder that nearly ALL bodies of this generation typically have,
K1000 Specs per Camerapedia:
BODY
- Lens release: lever on the right lower side of the lens mount,
slide downward and turn the lens counter clockwise, when mounting the
lens the red marks of the lens and the camera must be aligned
- Focusing: manual front focusing, via Fresnel matte screen, ring and scale window on the lens
- Shutter: horizontally traveling, rubberized silk focal plane, speeds: 1/1000–1 s +B; setting: speed dial knob on the top plate
- Shutter release: on the top plate, with cable release socket
- Cocking lever: also winds the film, short stroke, retractable, on the right of the top plate
- Frame counter: additive type, auto-reset, window on the cocking lever
- Viewfinder: eye level SLR pentaprism, needle index of exposure meter visible in it
- Exposure meter: full frame averaging TTL metering with built-in
coupled match-needle meter ASA range: 20–3200, setting: ring and window
on the speed dial, lift and turn
- Exposure setting: manual, turn the speed dial or aperture ring until
the needle aligned to the center of the index, in the finder
- Rewind: folding crank on the top plate, turns when winding
- Rewind release: a button on the bottom plate
- Flash PC socket: left lower front side of the camera, w/ removable lid, X-Sync. 1/60, red X mark on the speed dial
- Hot-shoe
- Self-timer: none
- Back cover: hinged, opens by lifting the re-wind lever
- Tripod socket: 1/4 in
- Strap lugs
- Battery: 1.5 V LR44 alkaline or SR44 silver oxide (only for exposure meter)
- Battery chamber: on the bottom plate
- Attention: leave the lens cap on when you are not using the camera,
there is no on-off switch for the exposure meter, so it works
continuously
b320