Best buck for your money K-mount camera

[NickTrop]

I'd try to find a new Vivitar 3800 series camera. 100% manual. Lights for over/under exposure. Made by Cosina. Took over where the Pentax K1000 left off. In fact, I was all set to get a used K1000, when I saw this next to it for the same price. It was shiny and new the Pentax was used and a bit banged up. It also gave you a full stop faster shutter speed. This was my first "real" camera purchased circa 1990. Gave it to my daughter. Still works.

I recommend this as it was one of the last production film SLRs and you can find a new one for $150. It has minimal electronics to break and (as I said) can be found new.

https://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-SLR-...CV8JX007BHG&psc=1&refRID=G6FM3TT5ECV8JX007BHG

 

[NickTrop]

Handsome devil, the Vivitar 3800. Comes with a decent nifty fifty 50/1.7 too. Concerned about such things as the Vivitar label? A strip of black tape 'ill do ya.

 

[Huss]

Huss, not anywhere as easy as focusing a Spotmatic or OM1. The MZ-5's VF is significantly smaller, and not as bright. I like it for its light weight and size, and the AF. At $5 is was a no-brainer as it came with a couple of AF zooms, but I mostly use it with a Pentax-M 28/3.5

Thanks Lynn! Crazy good deal.

 

[Huss]

Also had a P30T but eventually it started exposing all films as 100ASA.

Did u try cleaning the DX contacts? Pentax mentions this in the owner’s manual.

I just picked up an indistinguishable from new P30T w the 28-80 lens. The lens supposedly is not good but I want to find out for myself as many things are just hearsay..
Really like this camera

 

[robertofollia]

Well, new cameras with K-mount are still being manufactured in China by phenix corp (also with MD mount and nikon Ai). SOme of them are clones of the Yashica FX.3 with different covers, Others I think are based on the minolta X-series. Shutters go from the Copal mechanical to 1/2000, Copal electronic and Seiko electronic
Here is the website. I emailed them some time ago but go no answer
http://binocular.com.hk/index.php?route=product/category&path=83
Some of the "1060" models (Fx-3 yashica based) were sold in Japan and Europe rebadged as Kenko

Best regards