this walk-through was SO good. everything about the camera was discussed, and done so in a clear and easily understandable way. this encouraged me to get the Pentax I was thinking of buying from a local shop, so woohoo! excited to use this bad boy!
I've had this camera in my dad's old closet for over fifteen years and this video was so helpful in teaching me that it is NOT broken or too old to use! Thank you so much! :)
My dad owned a camera store in Boston. He had all the top cameras in his private collection. The K1000 was one of them. He always praised it as one of the best made cameras.
I found one of these cameras in a thrift store today and bought it up because I just had a feeling it was a good one. So glad I found this excellent walkthrough, I'm stoked to learn how to shoot on this camera!
My dad just gave me his Pentax K1000 tonite as he thought I would enjoy it since I bought a Minolta X-370 two months ago. Funny thing is that last night my mom gave me her Pentax IQZoom AF Macro too XD
This video was a great find. Thank you for doing it. The Pentax K1000 was my first SLR, which I purchased in 1982. I bought it for a post-graduation backpacking trip through Europe in 1983 and took over 1200 photos with it. I have absolutely no nostalgia for film, but really enjoyed this clear reminder of how to use the camera.
I just have to comment to say thank you. I inherited this same camera from my Grandpa and have been procrastinating learning how to use it. Decided to sit down today to figure it out and discovered this video. Thank you so much for putting this amazing resource up. Looks like I have the perfect camera to learn with as well!
I cant even believe to tell you how long I thought the ISO was somehow automatic, but turns I've only used 400iso film, I may be 5 years late to this video, but thanks for keeping this up so I can learn more about this camera
Thank you for sharing this information! My uncle just gifted me this camera as I am getting into photography as a hobby and I had no clue where to begin!
This is such a beautifully clear explanation!! I just bought my first film camera(this type obvs) and was feeling a little overwhelmed about having to learn what everything on it meant. This was SO straightforward and plainly said, thank you.
The k1000 taught me everything about photography. At first I struggled with depth of field when I relied on the view finder and things kept coming out blurred. So depending on what type of photo I was taking I learnt to set the focus using the depth of field gauge so, if I was doing a landscape with a person in the forground, I set it from 12 ft to infinity and not worry about what I saw through the lens.
very helpful video! i had no clue that putting on the lens cap turned off the light meter, i used to take my battery out every time i wasn't using my camera hahaha.
I just bought one from a local shop today and the guy at the store wanted to show me to work it but i was crunched for time. I’m so glad i found this video though!
I think you forgot to mention for the flash setting, that the 1/60th of a second is stating the fastest speed that you can use for flash, but you can also use any speed slower than 1/60th to take flash pictures as well, like when you want to drag the shutter in low light situations, so that you can let some of the background ambient light to brighten up the picture behind your subject. That way you can see some of the background, and it will not be like a cave behind a properly exposed subject in most indoor photos, or to take a flash picture of a person, with the shutter speed slowed down to catch a beautiful sunset, for example. Still have my k-1000, still love it, because it got me started in real photography. :)
Very informative introduction. Bought a Pentax k1000, which has recently arrived. So many stories can be told in a photo and there was just something special about the Pentax. Thanks to this video, I'm a step nearer to getting the most from the camera. Thanks to this video, I know if I take the next step to a Pentax automatic, all the lenses that came with the purchase can be transferred.
An SLR like the Pentax K is a brilliant thing to use and use again The camera is so constantly reliable. What's more than lenses are not overly expensive____un like some of the Nikon or Canon_____ and are good quality you can usually find Pentax K lenses for not too over the top prices Or just look around for
Fantastic class on the camera. I received my K1000 today and was amazed at how solid this thing feels. I love the body design. I need to scroll through the comments and see where that shutter release cable can be purchased.
That's awesome! Here is an affiliate link to some cable releases: amzn.to/3VmzIrt They are all largely the same product from china just under different brand names. I'd check ebay or thrift stores for nicer original cable releases from the 80's or 90's.
thank you so much for this! I'm buying my first film camera this week and I was kinda stressed about it because it seems so confusing, but it's actually SO simple! Again, thank you!
Somehow weird when somebody talk about a Pentax K1000 as it is some stuff from the Medieval Age. Well, I was just past the teenages when I saw it first time, and really dreamed to have one. Could never afford to buy one, thought. I started with a Praktica TL. Today I have a Pentax K5 (digital). A fantastic camera, but very underrated. Nobody talks about Pentax cameras no more. You may just wonder why.
One interesting note I don't think you mentioned: (and I remember reading this in the manual oh-so-many years ago) You can use the release on the bottom in conjunction with the advance winder to take intentional double exposures! If you press the button, and advance the film, it will not move the film, but will reset the shutter, and you can take a second photo over the first. I seem to recall this, but it has been decades since I really went through the manual for my K-1000
Yes! You are correct! I have shot that way before with this camera. I made a video on how to do that! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aAnVdO3db80.html
I've read that but I've never tried it with a Pentax k1000. If I'm going to do double exposures I usually use the camera what does shutter mechanism that separate from the advanced mechanism.
Thaaaaank you so much for this video. I was given this camera several years ago, and even if I have film photography notions, I have always had questions about this model. Thanks !
That seems statistically unlikely. Once your case study is published in a respected peer review scientific journal I may lend more credence to your claims. Although I do admit I admire your positive attitude...
Thanks for this, I have two of these cameras, one that belonged to my Grandpa and one that belonged to my uncle, both of whom have passed. I have never really known how to use them and I hate to see them just sitting on my display shelf.
Great video! Thank you! Super excited to shoot with this camera. Just loaded my film in :) I found one in my family's storage that belonged to my grandfather.
thank you so much for your instructional video on how to use this Pentax k1000 I got this from my dad's estate he passed away a few years ago.I'm not sure when he got this camera I just know he had naval service during Vietnam war and he traveled quite a bit with the Navy and then coming home to Idaho. but I really don't remember him using his cameras a whole bunch he had a bunch of cameras actually he's got another one that's really really old and I have no idea how to use it but I will figure it out but thank you much for your video
I used the K1000 as a backup camera because it only used the battery for the light meter. I have had other cameras die on me because of the batteries. Some cameras require a battery to operate.
I bought my K-1000 and the Pentax LX back in '83 when I lived in Western Alaska. I picked up the K-1000 body to backup my LX. I eventually loaded the K-1000 with B & W 400 and shot color prints with the LX. I'm presently using the Pentax K10 so as to make use of all my old lenses. It seems film photography has come back into fashion. My K-1000 is in mint condition and has had about ten hours of use in its very early days. I still have all the original packaging and receipts. In fifteen years I'll probably take it to Antiques Roadshow and see what gives.
Me alegra haber encontrado tu video, me ayuda mucho a saber como usar mi Pentax. La cámara fue un regalo de mi abuelo quien lo compró de joven y nunca la uso así que esta nueva. Ahora ya se como usarla sin malograrla 😅. Gracias por el video 😁!!
Thank you for this tutorial! I just inherited my late Great Grandfather's Pentax and I had no idea where to start! I'm excited to start shooting with film for the first time, and see if it can convert me from my Canon digital ways 😁
I love this camera, it was my Dad's,.. i used to sneak into his room and just look at it when i was a kid,.. he never let me touch it or shoot with it, so i ended up collecting 250 cameras! I have had them all and I agree, this is the ultimate bomb proof beast to learn to shoot with! However.... "Has everything you need, and nothing you dont" I disagree... an in-viewfinder depth of field preview would make it the most ultimate camera of all time... Yeah, you can do the lens half off trick to get an in-viewfinder DOF preview,..but very dodgy. Look forward to your thoughts. Great review!
+Tim Strickland I've personally found the DOF preview to not be very useful. It usually make the viewfinder much darker and I always have a hard time actually seeing the DOF when using it. I also think that forcing yourself to pre-visualize the DOF in your head is of more worth when learning photography as it helps you get to know your equipment better and helps you compose photos in your head long before you take them.
That is a very specific and.....well, you're right! A nickle is thicker than a quarter and lessens that chance of damage to the battery cover! and that's kick ass that you got all that for $10! Make sure to get the shutter tested at a camera repair shop to make sure the shutter speeds it says its doing, are the actual shutter speeds!
Prime Studios Yeah, the battery cover notch has definitely been pretty scuffed up from quarters and whatnot. I'll try not to make it worse. Thanks! Yeah, I'll try to get it tested as soon as I can. For the time being, I'm taking pictures at a slower shutter speed, which will hopefully mitigate some of the inaccuracy.
Great video! I bought a used Pentax K1000 about a year ago after buying my first DSLR and falling in love with photography. Ilford 400 was also the 1st film I used! I decided on this camera after a lot of research and it seemed the most basic which is what i wanted. I hbought it off of Amazon and supposedly it was in beautiful condition with all working parts. Not true. It was filthy with what looked like sand caked all over it and the light meter did not work. The lens was in horrible shape and the center circle was just about gone ....so.....focusing was get it as clear as you can and guess the exposure. I must have been a natural or this camera works THAT good because most of my photos were in focud and properly exposed. A few were unuseable but it really did work great! I bought a new lens and i use my DSLR to see the exposure and go from there. I will het it repaired but thete is something I lovr about the challenge of guessing my exposure. It works! Thanks for the vids! What a beautiful camera you have.
+millie williams - I'm a high school photography teacher and I love these cameras. FYI - there are 2 people I've found who are great for repairing K1000 - Erik Hendrickson in Kentucky and Walters Cameras in Los Angeles. Many people say that the light meters on K1000s cannot be repaired but it turns out they can and Erik H. fixed several of mine. Walter's was great too but I haven't had him work on meters so I can't vouch for him with that... good luck with your camera!
***** Thanks for the info! I have actually gotten so used to the light meter not working, I usually am fine with just guessing the exposure. It really is a fantastic camera! It's great that you are teaching students film photography! That makes me have hope for the future! Lol!!!
I feel like the Canon AE-1 is a more user friendly camera to learn on with its film memo on the film door to help you remember what film you're shooting, speed, and how many exposures are on that roll. Along with lack of a shutter button lock and the lens cap acting as the on/off switch, it seems like this camera has some quirks that could make learning photography a little harder
I like the simplicity of the light meter in the K-1000, but that's just my preference. i even have another video all about how to use the Canon AE-1: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oKc928PYkeo.html
I have my dad's Pentax k1000. I still try to get into the habit of not advancing the film when when I put it away but I have the leather case which gives me a little more protection from wasting a frame accidentally.
So if I set the shutter speed to what I want, but the needle isn’t in the middle I can just adjust the aperture until the needle is in the middle and then it will be correctly exposed? Thank you so much for the video this is a HUGE help 😊
I bought one of these cameras a few weeks ago but the battery screw is stripped and I can’t open it at all! Idk what to do I’m going to use a light meter app on my phone which I hope my photos come out good!
Hello, I am having trouble with my light meter. It seems to not be very responsive when I move either the shutter speed or aperture. However, it does sort of automatically adjust depending on the lighting. But I am not sure how to make it move to the middle all the time.
I would try using a fresh battery. The K-1000 uses a PX76 battery, and remember that the way that light meter is turned on or off is by taking the lens cap on or off. If the light meter is exposed to light, it's on, if the cap is on and their is now light, it's off. You can run down you battery on this camera simply by leaving the lens cap off for a day or two.
I just got my first roll developed on my k1000. I am very confused about what I did wrong. Out of 24 pictures, only about 13 came out. Out of those 13, only like 3 were semi-OK. The rest were super dark and grainy. I went with the usual rules, when shooting inside. I set it to 60 speed and 5.6. Those didn't come out at all. Things to note. This roll might have been an expired roll. I don't know if it was expired or not since it was included in a bundle when I bought the camera. So I had the ISO set to 200 (what was on the roll). Pictures shot outside, were at 22 and 16 and speed of 125. Any help, advice , or recommendations welcomed.
Firstly, know that we have all lost our share of photos for any number of reasons. I suppose you could say it's just a part of the learning curve. A few tips to help you get better exposures: (1) Use the light meter in the camera when taking photos instead of the Sunny 16 rule, (2) make sure you have a fresh battery in the camera to run the light meter, (3) use fresh unexpired film that has not been exposed to any kind of high temperatures, (4) use a reputable developing lab or develop the film yourself to ensure no mistakes are made, (5) run a test roll through the camera of bracketed exposures. What are bracketed exposures (bracketing)? This is when you take a photo using settings that put the light meter in the middle (correct exposure), and then take the same shot with the light meter below the middle (under-exposed/dark), and a third shot with the light meter above the middle (over-exposed/bright). Record all of the settings you use for each shot for later reference. Get this roll developed and examine the photos and the settings you used to make sure your camera is working properly. This is a basic exercise done by all first time film students and can also help you to get a better feel for your camera. If none of this works I would suggest you take the camera to a repair shop (assuming you can find one) where they can test the light meter and the shutter to make sure they are working correctly. I hope this helps!
How do you know what's the best mix between shutter speed and appature, I normally just mix the to randomly until the needles in the middle but should you have certain numbers??
You should emphasize one setting over another based on the secondary effects it creates. For example, if you want to make sure any movement is frozen, crisp, and clear, you will need to use a fast shutter speed. A fast shutter speed will limit the amount of light coming in, therefore you have to compensate by opening up the aperture more or raising the ISO, or both. Another example is taking a landscape photo. For a landscape you probably want everything to the horizon in focus. This means you must use a smaller aperture for a wide depth of field. A small aperture lets in less light, therefore you must compensate with a longer shutter speed or higher ISO. Consider how you want to the photo to look first, then that will tell you which setting to start with and emphasize.
Im currently 24 years old and i just bought one of these from my first grade teacher. It came with extra lenses and Accessories. I got it for $40, is that a good price? Can you or someone on here let me know please?
