Review 5 of 119
Price Paid:
$100.00
from eBay Summary:
If you who have read this far you have probably already decided to buy a Pentax K1000. The K1000 has a well-earned reputation for being a reliable, no-nonsense body capable of producing images on par with any professional system camera. But Pentax also produced a couple of other models based on the same chassis, and you do yourself an injustice if you don't look at these too. I refer of course to the models KM and KX.
The Pentax KM is the camera the K1000 is based on ie the K1000 is a stripped-down KM. The KM is basically a K1000 with self-timer and depth-of-field preview. The latter allows you to look through lens at shooting aperture, thereby allowing you to judge what part of the foreground and background will also be in focus. Many of us consider this an indispensible feature; indeed, I would not buy a camera without it.
The Pentax KX adds self-timer, DOF preview, mirror lockup, a more sophisticated silicon metering system, and a full-information viewfinder. This model is a joy to use, and my personal favorite.
Both KM and KX cameras feel and handle much the same as the K1000.
Unlike the K1000, all KM and KX bodies were made in Japan.
Despite having more useful features, the KM and KX often sell for far less than the K1000. This is because most have never heard of these models. Consider yourself enlightened... Strengths:
Though features vary by model, all of the K series bodies are sturdy, reliable picture-takers. Weaknesses:
-Dim focus screen - K1000, KM & KX
-KM and K1000 averaging pattern of meter is easily "fooled". More sophisticated KX has center-weighted silicon meter. Similar Products Used:
Pentax K1000, KM, KX, K2DMD, MX, Ricoh XR-1s, XR-2s Customer Service:
I found a wonderful Pentax-trained repairman; email if you want contact information.
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