Joe was foolish enough to sell his KX to me. Big mistake. _HUGE_........ mwahahahaaaaa. BTW, Joe, it's KX body number two for me. I have one I like a tad better. Had the shutter and meter checked: the one you sold me is accurate enough to shoot slide film. Meter dead on, about 1/3 stop variation, at worst, in shutter speeds.
-Lon
Joe Wilensky wrote:
My first experience with Pentax was on the battered K1000s in a high school photography class, 1983, (taught by the graphics/industrial arts teacher, an interesting perspective on photographic art). Two years later, when I became a photographer on the yearbook staff, I bought my own K1000. I wish I had known more about Pentax's lineup at the time -- having only Service Merchandise and similar catalogs and outlets, I only knew about the K1000, since that was the only Pentax offering that ever showed up in those places (with 50mm f/2 lens, and if you wanted, a poor Gemini 80-200 f/4.5-something zoom kit with lens cleaner pack).
I wish I had known enough to poke around actual camera shops! But the K1000 served me well.
I began collecting cameras in the late 1980s, but it was nearly a decade later, after playing with Arguses (Argi?), Retinas, Contaflexes, Voigtlanders (the old kind), and others, that I finally looked at Pentax again, which got me into the screwmounts. Having gone backwards in Pentax chronology, I finally moved forward as well, "upgrading" my K1000 by trying out a KX, MXes, an ME and an ME Super, and a Super Program.
I have finally reached what seems like a workable three-level system, I hope -- a decent screwmount lineup, with SV/Spotmatic/ES II and lenses, two MXes and a nice M prime lens collection, and the SFX/PZ-1 and a few F and FA lenses. I use the screwmounts and MXes for that unparalleled manual focus and mechanical precision feel, for black-and-white and unobtrusive available light photography, and I use the autofocus for the kids, some family trips, and to always have ready for any situation.
Happy Pentax to me, too -- the PZ-1p should arrive today!
This subject line keeps making me think of the "Frances" series of books my older daughter likes -- with the Chompo bar and her whispered "Happy Chompo to me" song!
Joe
Are we playing a game? I haven't really been watching this thread. First
cameras and first Pentax? Sadly, I only came into the Pentax fold fairly
recently...
First camera: Kodak Brownie Starflash, probably around 1964. Still at Mom's
place.
First 35mm: can't remember, Japanese match-needle metered rangefinder, 40mm
2.8 lens, circa 1969 or 70.
First 35mm slr: Praktica LTL (I think) - I wanted a Spottie, but couldn't
afford one, so I specifically got an m42, so I could make the switch some day,
circa 1971.
First Pentax: SP500, about 1997
regards, frank
Kenneth Waller wrote:
Zeiss Ikon Contiina - 1956, 1959 a folding 35mm Voightlander rangefinder - forgot the model, 1969 Asahi Pentax Spotmatic - $89 from Nam. Kenneth Waller
-- "What a senseless waste of human life" -The Customer in Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch
