Pentax KX
Ask pretty much any film photographer to name a Pentax 35mm camera and the first name to come up will be the Pentax K1000. And with good reason. The K1000 is nearly the dictionary definition of a 35mm camera. If you were Pentax and had produced nothing besides the K1000, that would have been enough to cement your place in the camera history books. But just one year prior to releasing the K1000 in 1976, Pentax introduced the Pentax KX, which has all of the great qualities of the K1000, plus a few extra features.
Just like the K1000, the Pentax KX has an all-mechanical shutter, while requiring two 1.5v silver oxide batteries for its light meter. And just like the K1000, the KX is built like a proverbial tank and is sturdy enough to withstand any photographer’s workload. Unlike the K1000, the KX offers the user more information in the viewfinder. It has a small window above the viewfinder that displays the selected aperture and a needle matching metering system that shows the selected shutter speed. Combined, these two additions give the photographer easier control over the aperture and shutter speed combinations.
In addition to the extra information in the viewfinder, the Pentax KX has a self-timer, a mirror lock-up switch, and light meter sensitivity from ISO 8-6400, so pushing or pulling your favorite film is a snap. And as if those improvements weren’t enough, the KX features a memo holder on the back door to remind you what film is loaded, just in case you put your camera down for a long period and have forgotten what you're shooting.
If you find yourself looking for a good camera for using your Pentax K-mount lenses, keep the Pentax KX in mind. While they aren’t quite as ubiquitous as the K1000, they are every bit as robust and enjoyable to shoot. Plus, you won’t have every former student photographer telling you about when they had that camera.
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