Pentax K1000 Manual Focus 35mm Film Camera with 50mm Lens

The Pentax K1000 is an almost-all metal, mechanically (springs, gears, levers) controlled, manual-focus SLR with manual-exposure control. This film camera is completely operable without batteries, as they are only required (one A76 or S76, or LR44 or SR44) for the light metering information system. This system consists of a center-the-needle exposure control, using a galvanometer needle pointer that moves between vertically arranged +/- over/underexposure markers at the right side of the viewfinder. The markers indicate the readings of the built-in full-scene averaging, cadmium sulfide (CdS) battery light meter versus the actual camera settings. The meter does not have a true on/off switch, and the lens cap must be attached to prevent draining the K1000's battery when not in use.

The K1000 employs a horizontal travel, rubberized silk cloth focal plane shutter with a speed range of 1/1000 second to 1 second, along with Bulb and a flash X-sync of 1/60 second. Measuring 91.4 millimetres tall, 143 mm wide, and 48 mm deep, the camera weighs 620 grams. The body is finished in black leather with chrome trim, although early production Pentax K1000 SE bodies had brown leather with chrome trim.

In 1983, a Pentax K1000 with an SMC Pentax-M 50 mm f/2 lens was listed for $220. The Pentax K1000 35mm SLR is widely regarded as one of photography's greatest, most popular, and longest-lived cameras.

Unlike other SLR and DSLR cameras, the K1000 is simple and has little to no learning curve, with only three shooting controls: aperture, shutter speed, and focus. This extraordinary, simple camera forces the user to focus on the picture, rather than the camera, making it a recommended choice for photography classes and workshops.

The Pentax K1000 is so brilliantly designed that the meter and camera are always on, ready for instant picture-taking, without the need to turn them on or off.

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