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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 4, 2015 18:20:49 GMT -5
![]() Why is this a popular school camera? The reason I got it was to see what the big fuss was about. For being a Minolta guy I was surprised how well I like the Pentax. It is easy to use but I like the feel of the Minolta a little more.
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Post by lesdmess on Mar 4, 2015 18:48:13 GMT -5
The K1000 is simple and has all the functions needed to make a proper exposure with no frills - very dependable design and easy to maintain. It was cheap and was in production for the longest time - 1976 through 1998. BTW, the multi-thousand dollar Leica MP has basically the same specs as the K1000 . . .  |
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Post by lesdmess on Mar 4, 2015 18:56:08 GMT -5
![]() Why is this a popular school camera? The reason I got it was to see what the big fuss was about. For being a Minolta guy I was surprised how well I like the Pentax. It is easy to use but I like the feel of the Minolta a little more.
BTW, are you a Minolta fan because you have more Minoltas than Pentax or you are a Minolta fan and that's why you got a lot of Minoltas? What made you a Minolta fan? Can you still be persuaded to be a Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and/or Yashica fan later? |
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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 4, 2015 19:00:01 GMT -5
I am a Minolta fan but giving other brands a try. My father had a Minolta XG-1n in the early 80s. That is what made me a fan. His XG-1 was stolen out of his Jeep.
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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 4, 2015 19:07:45 GMT -5
lesdmess: Nikon seems to be the best SLR cameras ever built. I have never owned one but read great things about them.
Personally I would not care for other brands but would like some Nikons and Leica's
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Post by julio1fer on Mar 4, 2015 19:36:17 GMT -5
Price was the deciding factor for me and 35 years later I still use my K-1000 that has followed me in a lot of travel.
Never looked back until the collecting bug bit me about 10 years ago. I turned it once for a CLA out of concern, not because of any failure. Must have shot more than 20,000 frames on it.
At the time I bought my K-1000, Canon had just got the AE-1, which was the only other famous-name camera in the price range. Of course the Nikons were superb, Olympus OM and Minolta undoubtly excellent - but more expensive. I spent the balance in Kodachrome 25!
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Post by lesdmess on Mar 5, 2015 9:38:24 GMT -5
lesdmess: Nikon seems to be the best SLR cameras ever built. I have never owned one but read great things about them. Personally I would not care for other brands but would like some Nikons and Leica's You would be hard pressed to find a lemon in the Nikon lineup of manual focus cameras. I prefer an SLR configuration over RF's so I can' say much about Leica's. However, they must be doing something right as who else can continue to sell a 35mm film camera today for >$4K with basically the same specs as a Pentax K1000 . . . BTW, Leica collaborated with Minolta and they even made a couple of RF bodies -> Minolta CLE and Minolta CL |
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Post by lesdmess on Mar 5, 2015 11:09:43 GMT -5
![]() Why is this a popular school camera? The reason I got it was to see what the big fuss was about. For being a Minolta guy I was surprised how well I like the Pentax. It is easy to use but I like the feel of the Minolta a little more.
Since you are a Minolta guy because you like the feel, have you had a chance to try out an XE-7?  In my collection, there is not a smoother film advance. It may make you wonder if any of your other cameras need service . . . |
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Post by philbirch on Mar 5, 2015 15:01:18 GMT -5
The Pentax K1000 holds its value today. It is a robust camera made in the old fashioned way with no finicky electronics. My Minolta SRT's are much the same. These days I feel a little nervous about using a completely battery dependent camera that is almost 40 years old. Schools like the K1000 because you must do everything manually. I teach kids myself occasionally and use an old Praktica for the same reason.
I have recently acquired a 60 year old Leica and some lenses after using Russian rangefinders for a few years. The difference is outstanding. Everything is smoother, more precise and solidly built. It looks and operates like new. This is why people like Leicas. The early M3's are great too more modern and easier to use.
My only beef about my Leica IIIf is parrallax. OK the leica accessory viewfinders have a distance setting. But I find that too fussy. I only use it on 'close' when I shooting indoors.
ref lesdmess's comment about the Minolta XE7, I have one (the XE1 - UK version) and it has a beautiful feel as you can get. The only nearest is the Canon EF. My Nikkormat FTn had a great feel and you felt like it could go on and on.
I used Nikon FE, FM, FM2 EM and FA cameras back in the 80's and 90's. And although they did the job well, they didnt particularly inspire me handling wise. I considered them as tools and had no particular attachment to them. In my opinion Nikon came too late into the 'amateur' market. Nikkormats were horribly expensive and not everyone sold them. This is why Canon, Pentax, Minolta and, much later, Olympus got a good foothold (in the UK market)
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Post by philbirch on Mar 5, 2015 15:27:48 GMT -5
Another reason to use the Leica. Size.  |
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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 5, 2015 19:48:24 GMT -5
lesdmess: It seems that the XE Minoltas and XD Minoltas hold their value like a Pentax K1000. I agree with(philbirch) that I would trust a 40 mechanical camera more than a electronic one. The XE has a few more electronics than a SRT and has 2 cds cells I think. The XD was a big step forward with more electronics and a silicon meter. Both have that metal shutter. I would like to get an XE and XD. The XE's are my favorite mainly on the looks and reminds me of an advanced SRT.
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Post by lesdmess on Mar 5, 2015 19:55:34 GMT -5
I brought up the XE-7 because you said you are a Minolta fan and like the feel of it. Although technology has eclipsed the aperture priority CDS metered XE-7, nothing compares to the feel of it . . .   |
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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 5, 2015 20:41:06 GMT -5
lesdmess: You have said great things about the XE and have sold me on it even more. I do like the feel of the SRT's. That is what I am used to. The XE reminds me so much of an SRT. This might sound dumb to you. The SRT and the XE are like a beautiful woman. Both not to fancy but attractive. The ones that came later with more technology, they want too much from you(-:
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Post by philbirch on Mar 6, 2015 16:16:49 GMT -5
The XE is an advanced SRT. I think you would get the feel for it immediately.
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Post by dennis0311 on Mar 6, 2015 19:33:37 GMT -5
Thank you (philbirch), you and other people on here have helped me a lot.
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