My Full Circle Journey with Pentax Cameras

I am a long time user of Pentax digital and film camera gear, starting with a Spotmatic IIa in 1973  and my first digital slr the Pentax *ist DS in 2004. Those two cameras helped to jump start me in two separate eras of photography. I have owned many different Pentax cameras between the Spotmatic and *ist DS as well a many after the *ist DS, leading me up to my current line up of Pentax cameras. 

Having worked in a camera store for most of my photographic career, I have owned or used many cameras along the way. Various camera models from Nikon, Rollei, Leica, Contax, Bronica, and Mamiya to name a few, but Pentax is by far the brand that I have owned and used more different models of than any other camera, and still do to this day. I have mostly the Pentax 6x7 to thank for that. After owning and using one from the mid 80's till the early 90's it has been pretty much Pentax the rest of the way from there.

My 1st dslr - the*ist DS w/ da 18-55 and da 50-200

My trusty Pentax K5IIs with the HD DA 16-85 f/3.5-5.6 wr zoom lens

Digital technology had totally changed the face of photography by 2004. I had pretty much abandoned film and was fully in with the new way of capturing and editing images and Pentax was my choice to embark on with this new chapter in photography. My current digital camera lineup still includes Pentax even though it currently dose not include the latest up to date models.

I still have my trusty K5IIs that I purchased new in 2012 which I used along with a back up K5II that I purchase a couple of years later. I used these two models not only for my personal work but countless real estate photo shoots from 2014 - 2024. The K5IIs was Pentax's top of the line dslr in 2012 and is still an absolute amazing handling, wonderfully designed workhorse, and for those simple reasons, even though it dosen't have the resolution of todays newer models, I still can't part with it and still continue to use it today. I own or have owned many different lenses over the years which I continue to buy, trade and sell depending what type of photography I am doing at a particular time. Some of my most often used lenses these days are the Pentax DA 16-85, HD 55-300, FA 50mm f/1.7 and a FA 35mm f/2 and a Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 auto exposure manual focus lens.

Keeping my K5IIs company the MX-1 adds a bit of versatility to my digital shooting experience.

In addition to the K5IIs, I also own the MX-1 which still gets some use on an occasional excursion here and there as well as some ebay and blog cover photos. The Pentax MX-1 is a 12 megapixel medium sized compact camera having a very nice f/1.8 - f/2.4 - 4x zoom lens which was categorized in 2013 as a high end compact digital camera with a stylish look for which I have to agree. Even with its small sensor - and as long as I don't venture to an ISO rating higher than 800 this camera produces excellent quality photos. 

Going full circle it's back to shooting film and the K1000se

Well going back to the blog title - Going full circle with Pentax - It's 2020 and enter the pandemic. - Having a bit of spare time, I somehow decided to scan some of my old negatives from the 1970's. I then said to myself - WOW!!! - film was really magic - and the window of inspiration opened up before me. So I went and purchased several older Pentax K mount film cameras and lenses and joined the resurging community of photographers who wanted a break from the onslaught of digital technology. Doing so has surprisingly altered and renewed the way I see and capture images.

From the late 50's thru the 90's, Asahi Optical made so many wonderful Pentax film cameras and lenses that over the past few years I was still able to find several models online in nice looking and working condition. My main priorities are models being strictly fully manual and mechanical with a built in light meter and a split image focusing screen. Wanting to truly go full circle my 1st choice was to purchase a Pentax Spotmatic again, but sadly Spotmatics were not offered with a split image focusing screen. Enter the K1000se - which is basically an upgraded Spotmatic (SP1000 ) with a split image focusing screen, a newly designed K mount lens system and open aperture metering, making this a perfect alternative to the original Spotmatic. With the same body style, top control layout and similar handling as the Spotmatic - the K1000se along with its updated feature set allowed me to have my cake and eat it too :-) 

The MX - a companion to my K1000se

The K1000 is a strictly an all mechanical, manual, dependable, pure and simple workhorse that has been recognized as one of the best 35mm cameras for someone wanting to learn photography as well as the seasoned photographer who wants to create photos based on their ability vs. that of the cameras. Also wanting something a bit smaller I added the MX to go along with my K1000se - another all mechanical similar experience, in a more compact form with upgraded center weight metering, a self timer and depth of field preview. For myself, a photographer wanting to have complete control and create a photo based on my ability, using these two Pentax film cameras is a gratifying experience.

Going full circle indeed, from my early days with Pentax cameras like the Spotmatic, then the incredible period I experienced with the Pentax 6x7 in the 80's and early 90's to the initial thrill of the digital revolution and the joy of using cameras like the K5IIs and now going back to shooting black and white film again, it has really been and still is, an incredible experience. Not to down play the wonderful advancements of digital photography because the results are nothing less than astounding, especially if you are aiming for the ultimate in resolution and image detail, it is truly an amazing thing, but I feel a lot of the magic has kind of disappeared in place of more megapixels and automatic features. Again that's just my take. I enjoy coming back full circle with Pentax and taking photos once again with two wonderful film cameras like the K1000se and the MX and getting back in touch with the magic and excitement I first experienced when I began my journey into the world of photography. I know it's a bit of a cliche, but for someone who started with film using those classic film cameras, it truly is like coming home again.

Thanks for viewing my blog :-)