Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $50.00 from photoshop

Summary:
For me, this is about the best camera I have ever owned and still use it a lot.
i bought my first second-hand when I was a kid; my second camera ever, with tele and standard lenses. Later there came more and more parts and also another body of the same kind.
After years of use and also a lot of bumps on bikes, outdoors, in windmills and holidays, the bodies have merged to one still working and the other for parts.

Strengths:
Strong, light, a lot of lenses possible with K-fitting, manual and half-auto and so much more (see http://people.zeelandnet.nl/elvin/foto )

Weaknesses:
Well, not so much. maybe missing autofocus like in newer camera's

Similar Products Used:
MG, MZ-5, P-30, A-3

Customer Service:
used only for a lightning-meter some years ago for the second body

almo

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $10.00 from Nowhere

Summary:
Wow! What a peice of work this camera is. Virtualy indestructable. Built like a miny panzer tank. I received mine as a gift from my father 3 years ago. He bought it in the early 90's at a garage sale for $10.00 complete with bag and 50mm smc lens. This camera has never failed me. I have used plenty of cameras since getting into photography 4 years ago but none stand up to the out right quality of this one. It's what I like to call "Unpacked with features". It has everything you need to create a good photographic image, and nothing you don't. Simply just one of the best ever.

Strengths:
tough as nails reliable good size lasts forever great lens line up

Weaknesses:
bearings in the lens mount have gone bad on mine, but it still works. has for years.

Similar Products Used:
pentax sf7

Customer Service:
none needed, but nonexistant for cameras this old.

A.Spanswick

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $80.00 from Local store

Summary:
Just fantastic! Got this camera when I stared a college course several years ago, imagining I would upgrade when I knew a bit more about photography. There is no way I would change it now. It is so easy to use and appears totally indesructable. It has been everywhere with me and has always given fantastic results. If anything were ever to go wrong, I would go straight out and buy the same again!

Strengths:
Easy to use and get used to. Easy and cheap to replace should it break (unlikely!). Does everything I need it to. Metal body so you can use infra red film in it too.

Weaknesses:
If you are shooting a dark scene, it can be hard to see the lights telling you whether the picture is over or under exposed (although you can always just put in on manual and let the camera sort it out for itself).

Similar Products Used:
None

Customer Service:
Never needed to use it

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
3 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Goodwill Industries

Summary:
Well, I'm thrilled to see here what I've just picked up for 49 cents! Downloaded an owner's manual and a service manual for it; cleaned the sand and dirt out of it; unjammed somebody's last roll of film, and poked and clicked for a while. I don't see anything wrong with it. Maybe a very slightly sprung back door (there's always duct tape). I'll pop in a roll of film, study the manual and see what've got here, but it looks like I've got a beauty. Have otherwise used my old Minolta all these years which I bought secondhand in NYC in the 70s. I don't like anything auto. What a find. Might even shell out to get it repaired if I find it needs it. Very nice size for me. kjc grand rapids minnesota

Strengths:
dunno yet, we'll see - it's certainly beautifully made, solid metal. Now let's see the pix!

Weaknesses:
dunno

Similar Products Used:
old Minolta

Customer Service:
n.a.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $125.00 from ebay

Summary:
A warrior since I bought it. I used it in the rain, I used it in the snow. I used it riding in the take down van on a drug bust. It is unstoppable. Aperture priority makes it easy to use in poor shooting conditions for sports and low-light photography. Fair range of shutter speeds that switch automatically in the AE mode when you set the aperture, but must be changed manually in the full-manual mode with a pair of buttons that can be difficult for large handed people like myself to use. Works without the battery at the 1/125 sec shutter speed, and will fire a single pin flash in that mode. If you buy one and you have big hands, buy the winder also. Aside from the convenience of having auto advance, the winder gives you a stable handhold. Be warned, the camera is very heavy with winder, zoom lens, and flash, and the winder is loud, but I would take my ME super and SMC (pentax factory original) lenses against any Nikon-shooting, auto-focus-having photojournalist who wants to try it with my little 20-year-old gunslinger.

Strengths:
Virtually indestructable, cheap, easy to find parts and replacements. Wide variety of Pentax and aftermarket lenses (just search Ebay for "Pentax K"). So easy to use that my child could shoot with it. A beginners dream, a professional's best friend.

Weaknesses:
Not a fan of the button switch shutter speed selector, but I seldom use the full manual mode anyway. Can be a pain to use the last shot on a roll, I just stop at 24 shots (or however many the roll is supposed to have). Very hard to find inexpensive large aperture lenses (2.8 or faster at 200mm). No support from Pentax if you do manage to break the thing.

Similar Products Used:
Pentax ZX-5, K1000, and Chinon CP-9

Customer Service:
who knows, I never needed any. Pentax, however, will no longer repair this camera or provide any parts for it.