My New Toy

[Speed]

It's here! My newest toy. A K1000 with an 50mm f2.0 lens.

My father-in-law gave me an old camera that didn't work. It was a Pentax, and it had a 50mm f2 lens, an 80-200mm f4 lens, and a Vivitar SMS 30D flash. The camera was battery dependant for the shutter, so it wasn't what I wanted. Translation, it still doesn't work. But the rest of the gear was in pretty good shape.

I've wanted a fully manual, mechanical camera for long astro-photography shots and night landscape shots. So I found one on ebay, and the lovely wife bought it for me. I am so loved! :-)

The camera had one previous owner, and is in very good shape. Now if the weather will only clear up, I can get out and take some shots with it!

[mtbbrian]

Great camera!
I never owned one, but have used one on a few occassions.
I know it will serve your needs well!
Afterall, it is totally mechanical!
Brian

[natatbeach]

hey looks just like mine Love it and it will love you back...HAVE FUN!

[Speed]

Great camera!
I never owned one, but have used one on a few occassions.
I know it will serve your needs well!
Afterall, it is totally mechanical!
Brian

Seems everyone knows about the K1000. I'm having fun getting to know it. I've already taken a few flash shots, and if it'll stop raining, I'm going to try some sunny f16 shots as well! And of course, the stars await...

Hey, you are ahead of me in that you had used one before! Yesterday was my first time using one! Thanks for the comments.

[Speed]

hey looks just like mine Love it and it will love you back...HAVE FUN!

Imagine that! ;-)

I already love it! I'm looking forward to using it regularly!

Just think of the night shots and star shots I can take with this...

:-)

[Charles Hess]

You've got yourself a classic. And like the FM2n, it will last forever and is capable of images just as good as the latest-greatest cameras out there. Enjoy.

[Speed]

You've got yourself a classic. And like the FM2n, it will last forever and is capable of images just as good as the latest-greatest cameras out there. Enjoy.

How appropriate. My wife thinks she's got a classic too. :-O

"is capable of images just as good as the latest-greatest cameras out there." Somehow it all comes down to the photographer! Technology will only take you so far. :-)

I would have loved to have gotten a FM2n. Since I am a Nikon man, and already have Nikon lenses... But price wise, the K1000 was the way to go.

I noticed while looking at some of your photo's, that you use your FM2n for glamour shots. That surprised me a little. I wasn't expecting you to use a manual camera for those. Guess it's a part of you, and what you are comfortable with. We all know it's the guy (or gal) behind the camera that matters!

Thanks for the comments!

[another view]

First Seb's getting a Canon, then you get a Pentax - what's going on?

Great camera, I used to have one. I actually had the K1000SE with the goofy brown naugahide instead of black, had a different focusing screen if I remember right. I know what you mean about the grey skies, I don't think I've seen the sun in... hmm... I'll have to dig out some old pictures I guess.

[Speed]

First Seb's getting a Canon, then you get a Pentax - what's going on?

Great camera, I used to have one. I actually had the K1000SE with the goofy brown naugahide instead of black, had a different focusing screen if I remember right. I know what you mean about the grey skies, I don't think I've seen the sun in... hmm... I'll have to dig out some old pictures I guess.

Don't get me wrong. I am a NIKON man! I've handled most of the brands out there, and Nikon is it for me! The ergonomics are incredible. I love my Nikon N80, and I want a F5 so bad I can taste it! Want to see my Nikon lens want list? Wait, there's a character limit here, so I'd have to email it to you. :-O

I would have loved to have gotten a FM2n or an FM3. But even used, they run $300 and up. The K1000 cost me $125 plus shipping. And the zoom lens and flash were given to me - I would NOT have gone out and bought them.

Glad to know I'm not the only one missing the sun, moon and stars! Yeah, come to think of it, I've got a photo of the sun. I guess I could post it so everyone will remember what it looks like!

[I_Fly]

are the pics?

Troy

It's here! My newest toy. A K1000 with an 50mm f2.0 lens.

My father-in-law gave me an old camera that didn't work. It was a Pentax, and it had a 50mm f2 lens, an 80-200mm f4 lens, and a Vivitar SMS 30D flash. The camera was battery dependant for the shutter, so it wasn't what I wanted. Translation, it still doesn't work. But the rest of the gear was in pretty good shape.

I've wanted a fully manual, mechanical camera for long astro-photography shots and night landscape shots. So I found one on ebay, and the lovely wife bought it for me. I am so loved! :-)

The camera had one previous owner, and is in very good shape. Now if the weather will only clear up, I can get out and take some shots with it!

[walterick]

looks a lot different than the sun up here in Virginia!

(you bass-akwards southerners always did get things wrong though ;)

I love my manual cameras, always have. It's feel you can't get from auto-everything. from the skinny body to the feel of the wind-knob, it can't be replaced!

Not even by an F5!

Though the F5 is pretty too ;)

Enjoy it my friend.

Rick

[Lava Lamp]

Good for you, Speed. I have a two page mini manual on the K1000 in Adobe PDF I can email you if you need one. If you want it, just send me your email as a private message.

[Speed]

looks a lot different than the sun up here in Virginia!

(you bass-akwards southerners always did get things wrong though ;)

I love my manual cameras, always have. It's feel you can't get from auto-everything. from the skinny body to the feel of the wind-knob, it can't be replaced!

Not even by an F5!

Though the F5 is pretty too ;)

Enjoy it my friend.

Rick

You've just got to cut the intensity to 1/100th of it's strength so it doesn't burn out your retina!

As for the "you bass-akwards southerners", I'll let Hank do the talking for me.
"We say grace, and we say Ma'am,
If you ain't from the south, we don't give a damn!"

Thanks Hank, enough said. We don't want to re-kindle the "War of Northern Aggression". :-)

You are so right about the feel of a fully manual camera. Even in this day of F5's, and 1D's, and IS and AFS lenses, there is something about a fully manual camera. It reminds you that you are the photographer. You've got to think about what you're going to do - not let a circuit board make the decisions for you. It's fun.

But I still want a F5! :-)
For "other" things. Action photography immediately comes to mind.

Thanks for the comments my friend! Hope your weather is better up there in VA than what we've got here!

[Speed]

are the pics?

Troy

In the camera! I've taken a few. But I'm really waiting for the weather to clear so I can get some star shots and some night landscape shots.

I'm also looking forward to getting out to the mountains again. I want to take some night landscape shots and some night waterfall shots! I'll have to plan that trip around a full (or near full) moon. :-)

Photo's will be forthcoming my friend.

"Patience man. You gotta have patience."
Deputy Dog

[Speed]

Good for you, Speed. I have a two page mini manual on the K1000 in Adobe PDF I can email you if you need one. If you want it, just send me your email as a private message.

I'd love to have it! Thanks LL. I'll send you my email address!

[Sebastian]

Welcome to the club.

I love my K1000, even if it never gets used...

[Speed]

Welcome to the club.

I love my K1000, even if it never gets used...

"even if it never gets used... "

But you've got one, and that's what is important!

Seems like everyone has had one or used one somewhere in their photographic career.

:-)

[mattvargus]

that's how i got ahold of mine too. and i love it.

as for the manual, if that mini-manual doesn't do the trick, just go to the pentax website and download the whole dang thing in pdf format.

enjoy!

-matt

[Speed]

that's how i got ahold of mine too. and i love it.

as for the manual, if that mini-manual doesn't do the trick, just go to the pentax website and download the whole dang thing in pdf format.

enjoy!

-matt

Thanks Matt! I've already been to the Pentax site, and I've already downloaded the entire manual. Read it through a couple of times already too. :-)

I figure the mini-manual will be something of a quick reference guide. Much more convenient to carry in my camera bag. I'm also looking on ebay for an original manual as well.

Thanks for the comments and the words of encouragement!

[Sebastian]

Manual???

THE THING HAS TWO DIALS!!!! WHAT do you need a manual for???

[kafin8ed]

I don't have a K1000, but I do have an MX and I have to say it's one of my favorite cameras to hold...oh ya and I like to shoot with it also...

[I_Fly]

Patience, schmatience! I want results!!! Hehe. Ok, I guess I'll try to be little more patient.......
.....
.....
Are they developed yet?

I'm looking forward to the night waterfall shots!! Those should be cool!

[walterick]

Virginia is not THAT far north of North Carolina! We're still technically a southern state. Although sometimes I wonder... Anyways, the capital of the South was here, ya know! I put the south down out of love for it. If that makes any sense to ya.

After all, any self-respecting hill billy HAS to have a sense of humor! LOL

F5 good for sports, I agree. It also builds great biceps, I bet I've nothing against automatic cameras, we both own autofocus Nikons so I know we both appreciate the benefits. But we've also got the old "bug" for the oldies but goodies...

It's funny. I buy manual cameras for the same reason you do, it sounds like! 1) If they don't have batteries, I can lock the shutter open and take pictures of stars all night without worrying about using up Energizers. 2) They more often come with a mirror lock-up function than auto-focus cameras do.

After buying my FM2N off of Mig I remembered another great reason to own one: they are light! It's much easier to carry around my FM2N than my 8008s. And that I appreciate.

"Song, song of the south.
Sweetpotato Pie and it shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
Ain't no use comin back again"

Live on...

Rick

[Speed]

Virginia is not THAT far north of North Carolina! We're still technically a southern state. Although sometimes I wonder... Anyways, the capital of the South was here, ya know! I put the south down out of love for it. If that makes any sense to ya.

After all, any self-respecting hill billy HAS to have a sense of humor! LOL

F5 good for sports, I agree. It also builds great biceps, I bet I've nothing against automatic cameras, we both own autofocus Nikons so I know we both appreciate the benefits. But we've also got the old "bug" for the oldies but goodies...

It's funny. I buy manual cameras for the same reason you do, it sounds like! 1) If they don't have batteries, I can lock the shutter open and take pictures of stars all night without worrying about using up Energizers. 2) They more often come with a mirror lock-up function than auto-focus cameras do.

After buying my FM2N off of Mig I remembered another great reason to own one: they are light! It's much easier to carry around my FM2N than my 8008s. And that I appreciate.

"Song, song of the south.
Sweetpotato Pie and it shut my mouth
Gone, gone with the wind
Ain't no use comin back again"

Live on...

Rick

Always glad to give it back buddy. I know what you mean about loving the south. I was born and bred in this here briar patch!

Yes, Virginia is part of the south. But with DC, Maryland, NJ, and PA all right there, the influx of, er, ah, northerners (that's Yankees to us southerners), you have to wonder how much "southern" is left in that great old southern state.

Funny thing is, when you mention "The South" folks think of Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina never crosses their minds. I guess Sherman didn't make a big enough impression on us!

Moving on, I'm now jealous of you, for having a FM2n!!! I'd love to have a manual Nikon to go with my Nikon lenses. But I'm not complaining. The K1000 is a very capable camera and will meet my needs. If I can pick up a manual Nikon down the road, then I will.
I also noted that you have a N8008. I have a buddy who has one. It's a great camera!

"F5 good for sports, I agree. It also builds great biceps, I bet "
It's a handful, to be sure, but it's a handful I'd love to have. And will one day! You can bet I'll let you know when that day arrives. :-)

BTW, the K1000 weighs 18.5 ounces without a battery, and the N80 weighs 18.2 ounces without batteries, so they essentially weigh the same! :-O
I guess after I get my F5, then I can talk about how much lighter my manual camera is!

"From Carolina, down to Georgia,
Smell the jasmine and magnolia...."

[Speed]

Manual???

THE THING HAS TWO DIALS!!!! WHAT do you need a manual for???

Do I really NEED an manual? No. But I WANT one just to make sure I'm not missing some little detail somewhere that might be nice to know.

Example: I take my flash shots with the K1000 at 1/60 second. Turns out, the manual says that 1/60 second is the fastest sync speed for the K1000. Did I need the manual for that? No. But it was gratifying to know I had chosen the right shutter speed. :-)

I'm a careful man. I try my best to be informed. I used to be a Boy Scout and I believe in being prepared. Call the manual insurance if you will.

BTW, I downloaded the manual from the Pentax website. It is 36 pages long and the illustrations are practically useless from the bad scan. I want to have a real manual to put in my camera bag.

There now. Feel better?