The Pentax K2 - King of the K-Series?
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- Опубликовано: 22 ноя 2023
- #pentax #pentaxk2 #filmphotography #filmcamera #film #review #camerareview #35mm #35mmphotography #kentmere100 #kodak #georgia
This week we take a look at the Pentax K2 - the short-lived flagship of the Pentax K-Series. Despite of a couple of head-scratching design elements, this camera should be remembered as one of Pentax's greatest. Why does it get no love??
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Have several Pentax film cameras in my collection that I use; including the K2 and LX.
Certainly, enjoy the K2. It faltered last year then had it fully serviced and it is back in full working condition ... like new. Enjoy shooting B&W with yellow filter.
Your presentation and pics are well done. Totally agree about the (difficult to adjust and fiddly) ASA dial.
Greetings from the land Downunder.
Greetings! Thanks for stopping by!
very enjoyable series so far , a photographers photographer lots of information and lots of photographs . thanks for the insights
Thanks so much for the kind words! And thanks for watching!
What a great video, on many levels. Your videos always seem to awaken long lost photographic memories for me. Until this video, the K-1000 was the only K series camera I had heard of. Pentax is another camera brand I've always admired, but never owned. Thanks for the education on the K2. I remember way back when Pentax placed a full page ad in Modern Photography or Popular Photography, introducing the very first lenses with "multi-coating" - the Super Multi-coated Takumars. That was a definite game changer in the industry!!
All your posted images looked great - crisp & contrasty. The Kentmere 100 looks good online, and those SMC Takumars you used can certainly hold their own. The K2's built-in metering system also seems to provide good exposures.
FWIW - I subscribe to over 60 different You Tube photography channels. Vintage Camera Digest is one of my favorites!
Many thanks for the kind words! I really do appreciate them! As for those first “K” cameras, they were very quickly overshadowed by the much smaller “M” series just a year or two later - the MX, ME and eventually the MV. There’s a lot of love for those, especially the MX. Having owned and used an MX, though, I thought it was a bit underwhelming. A good camera, no doubt. It just didn’t wow me. Those SMC Takumars are great lenses, for sure. I think the 50 1.4 is one of the best. The Kentmere 100 isn’t too bad. It’s a bit grainy, but has a decent tonal range. Not sure how large an actual print I’d want to make from it.
Steve, it's a superb video about K2. I liked and subscribed.
Much appreciated! Thanks so much for watching!
Agree, and same here. I have a K2
Hi Stephen, I'm a former sales rep for Pentax at the moment the K series came out and I'd consider the Pentax LX as the "king" model of the Pentax K *MOUNT* series . . . however, I'd absolutely agree with you that the K2 was the top (the prince?!) of the K *models*. A bit of trivia for you (or a reminder, if you already know): the Pentax KM was the first out, on the market, /before/ the K1000. ... Thanks for your excellent review. (addition: BRAVO for your nice hand-held shot at 1/30th sec!!)
Thanks so much for tuning in! I think I may have been a bit mis-leading on the video title. I only meant “king” of the cameras that actually began with “K” - so a fairly small group, I’ll admit. But I like the “prince” moniker, for sure. Although, the MX would be a strong contender for that spot, as well. I wasn’t sure which hit the market first, I just knew that the K2 was in the first three and that the venerable K1000 came just a bit later. I always enjoy hearing from industry folks - y’all bring a bit of cred to the channel! Thanks so much!
Great video, love your style and content.
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
Lovely video. The K2 was the flagship of the K-series but I would argue that the KX is the best model in the K-series lineup. It has everything the K2 has except the automatic function as it is fully mechanical. When the electronics of the K2 die out, the KX will still be working.
I think that’s a fair argument. Plus, with the KX you get the aperture info in the finder as well.
I agree.I love the KX.
I've always wanted the following 3 Pentax cameras: the LX, the K2, and the MX.
The LX is still on my bucket list!
Such a lovely Channel, I love the rythm you put in all your videos, they are really enjoyable to watch!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoy them!
Great video thank you very much!
I'm very much considering the K2 over the k1000 the KM or the KX since they're all relatively the same price the only model that is twice to 3 times as much is the LX which I do not think I can afford.
I'm looking at getting back into film camera shooting but I just outfitted myself with a few more nice Pentax lenses for my Pentax K3 digital which I manage to get great shots from still to this day and probably long into the future, most of the lenses I have will work on the k-series body,
I like shooting K lenses on my K3, it seems logical to get a camera body that will also like the K mount lenses using film!
The camera I learned to shoot on was the K 1000 the knowledge gain from doing so should allow me to do well with the K2.
I love Pentax and I find no reason to leave😊
once again great video nice pictures and thank you👍
For me it might be a toss up between the K2 and the KX. Both have their strong points. I do like the fact that the KX has aperture info in the viewfinder. Plus it’s a manual shutter like the K1000. The K2 is great, but the electronically-controlled shutter might turn some people off. As the KX would be much more likely to be repaired if needed. And yes, those K-mount Takumars are great AND have the ability to be used on modern bodies. That’s a very nice scenario!
The cloudy day favored your test. Very nice framing, contrast and detail. You gave Kentmere a little kick as many photographers argue about its abilities.
Thanks! I’ve been playing around with the 120 sizes of Kentmere lately, so I bought a 100’ roll of the 35mm 100 speed. I like it ok but find it a bit grainy. I think the tonal range is not too bad, though.
Beautiful camera and beautiful images.
Thanks so much! And thanks for watching!
Just one word: subscribed 😊
Thank you so much!
I enjoy your running commentary and it is really helpful to see the photos just after the shot.
Glad you like the format! I think it just feels natural to do it that way. And even when I’m not filming myself, I still do the running commentary, lol.
Nice camera. I think the Canon EF also had a mechanical shutter for the shorter shutter speeds.
I think you may be right. I’ve never used one of those, but hope to get the opportunity some day.
I loved my K2! Everyone was buying the M series, and I picked up a Silver model for a low price. Eventually the meter and shutter failed but weren't fixable. I bought a "Super Program" which my high school students till use to this day.
I did own an MX for a while. Shot with it for most of a year. In the end it just didn’t wow me - and it was worth more to somebody else, so I sold it. I did recently pick up a Super Program but haven’t had the chance to shoot it yet. I’m looking forward to it! And it’s great to hear that you’re giving your students such a cool photography experience. Thanks for tuning in!
I used to have a bunch of the Pentax K mount lenses a few years ago, paired up with an MX. I sold them which I regret sometimes. I've still got my Spotmatics with a few of the SMC Takumars though. I was always tempted to pick up a KX or K2. Great video as always! - Hayden
Thanks so much, Hayden! I think I’d like to try a KX at some point, too. I’m a big fan of a full info viewfinder. Why they didn’t do that on the K2 is beyond me. But aren’t the Spotmatics fine little cameras? I should get around to doing an episode on one of those soon. Or maybe the H2/S2…
I had one shot at the Mona Lisa back in 1973. One. It was as wide open as I could get it and the it as at 1/30th. There was quite a crowd there. I would have tried some more shots, but, believe it or not, money was an issue. The shot came out by the way; I wish I knew where it was.
Shot it on a Argus/Cosina STL 1000, I think the lens was 1.8 it was screw mount. Nice little camera, eventually the meter switch broke, and I think maybe the aperture on the lens failed as well? Maybe not. Thank you K-mart for having it available at a price I could "afford".
I digress:
People today have no idea how it was then. As for that oil shortage, ugly damn thing, "we are running out it's the end of the world" - That went on all the way through Jimmy Carter and his fireside talks while he wore a sweater in the white house. And let's not forget the coming ice-age that made the cover of Time, the population bomb and chaos that would ensue when the earth hit a Billion people. Oh my.
If you are as old as me you learn that sadly, very few things they tell you are anywhere near accurate. It has not improved, it is merely more outlandish these days, and they have bigger megaphones. Ever wonder how it is that tapes from the January 6th thing could get lost or destroyed or were not preserved fully and totally for all the public to see all the evidence? Makes I guy wonder,
But, while it can be hard to find the truth, it is getting harder to hide it as well.
Peace and best wishes. Thanks for the video, nice work.
I had a Pentax me super - very nice small thing, great meter on it, accurate, sold it. (I rebought another 2 not long ago, may need seals - got one with autofocus lens, unreal. Weirdest thing the lens has like super slow focus, and takes 2 tripple A's, I think, maybe 3 I would have to look. Odd setup.)
One of those ME-Supers might have been the ME-F? The one with Autofocus? If so, that’s the first real SLR (other than the Polaroid) that employed AF. Would be a nice museum piece - just like that shot of the Mona Lisa! Funny that you mention K-Mart. First camera I ever owned as “my own” was from there. I was probably 10 or 11. But it was empowering to be able to choose what I wanted for a photo. Good times. Thanks for tuning in!
Well, you made me go upstairs to look and it is an ME F. It has a 35-70 zoom. Picked it up used from a local camera shop who had sold it to the original owner years before. The gentleman died and his kids didn't want it. Story goes, he was a famous nuclear physicist, they told the name which I forgot. Anyway, to me the sad part was the family didn't want the camera. I mean why not keep it as a remembrance? Well, it's mine now and when I am gone, who knows where it (and lots of stuff) will go.@@vintagecameradigest
Well, it’s in good hands for now. But yeah you’d think something like that would be nice to hold on to. Of course this opinion is coming from a bonafide pack rat.
I would love to watch examples of portrait photography
Thanks for the suggestion. I”m working toward integrating some of that in future episodes. Cheers!
Thanks for the great video, I got the camera with a SMC 50 1.2 for a very good price. The camera was just an addition to the lens so to speak. But I think its a great camera on its own, thanks for explaining, I didn't get the iso dial setting in the first place. Also wonderful images that you took!
Thank you! Sounds like you got a nice deal with both the lens AND the camera. I’ve not had the opportunity to use one of the 1.2 SMCs. But if the 1.4 version is any indicator, it should be awesome.
These are lovely!
Thanks so much! And thanks for tuning in!
Another great informative video, Mr. V. And the venue is super also. I've driven by it years ago, but never stopped for photos. The K2 looks like a fun camera to use, although I have never seen one. In my day the K1000 was the cheaper camera to own. I've just acquired one and am anxious to see if it is as good as I anticipated. I bought my first 'real' SLR back in the early 1980's, a Pentax ME Super, and really loved that camera. I have many lenses for it and have always been a Pentax fan.
Thank you! Since the K1000 is totally manual, it has aged better than the K2. Heck, it even had a cult following when I was in college in the late 80s. So, I’m sure it’ll be good as anticipated. An those lenses seldom disappoint!
Loving the channel. The images this episode were great. PS. Do you process your film? If so, this is even more impressive.
Thanks so much, Joe! I do process my own b&w film. Tried color a few times, but the results weren’t as consistent as I’d like. I’ll leave that to the pros!
I have both k2 and kx and both are tank but the k2 has more refined mechanics. From the seiko shutter to the smooth film advance lever and no strange noise using it. The only weak point is the iso selector that over time the spring inside tend to fail.
K2dmd added the viewfinder window but it is still possible to count the clicks of the aperture ring. The only complaint that I have with the camera is loud shutter for the rest is an enjoyable smooth camera with great lenses.
By the way nice channel!
Thank you! I haven’t tried the KX but will one day, hopefully. And I did not realize that the K2dmd had the aperture window. So thanks for pointing that out. As for the loud shutter, I guess I just don’t pay too much attention. Either that or I’m just de-sensitized to it. Some of my medium format cameras sound like someone slamming a car door, lol.
I enjoyed my Spotmatics for many years, even after the K series was introduced.Didn't change until the auto focus SF1 line was introduced. Recently gave my sons, one each my Leica M3 and Nikon S2D. I very much appreciate your descriptions and explanations of a wide variety of cameras. One question, do use yellow or orange filters when shooting with b/w? By the way, i found you on RUclips because I dusted off my Mamiya 645 1000s w both prism finder S and WL finders.
If the sky is especially nice with clouds I may opt for an orange or red filter. But I’m without filters 99% of the time. Thanks for watching and finding me on YT!
I own a couple of Pentax cameras.. Love Pentax gear. My favorite is my old Spotmatic 500. I think its funny that you can get a little more speed if you set the blank next shutter speed stop on the dial past 500 lol. Of my many 35mm cameras I own if I had to chose just one it would be a toss up between the Spotmatic or my Exakta as both of them take fantastic photos with the lenses I have. Now for my other Pentax lol.. I can not say I enjoy using it .. The ME and Supper models had the two buttons you had to press to adjust shutter speeds. Hated it.. I think I shot one or two rolls tops with that camera and its a shame too because its like new and I even have the matching power winder on it.. It was just too hard to see the NON illuminated LCD screens that are inside the view finder .. There is a semi clear plastic plate around the view finder area that lets in light so you can see the LCD. Problem is soon as you start shooting in darker areas you can no longer see your speeds lol. They should have added like a second area for a second battery that back lit the LCD for a short time when you half pressed the shutter.. Anyway you seem to have had a great time shooting with the K2. Thanks for the great videos
Many thanks! You know, I don’t know why camera makers didn’t solve the problem of being able to see viewfinder info after dark any sooner than they did. It’s like it took them to the mid-80s to figure out how to make that happen. I have an ME Super and Super Program that I’ve not shot with yet. But I *think* the Super Program has a back-lit LCD. I’ll have to check. But it has the same button controls that the ME does.
As for those “bonus” shutter speeds - it’s been said that leaving 1/1000 speed unmarked was just a marketing ploy to justify the higher prices of the upper model cameras. My Bronica C2 does this exact same thing. Must’ve been fairly common back then.
Your photographs have wonderful contrast. I didn't see yellow or orange filters on your lenses so are you adjusting the contrast in post production?
Thanks! I am indeed adjusting for contrast in editing. But usually not much more than a slight curves adjustment. Tri-X certainly doesn’t require much adjustment. And the Kentmere isn’t too different - although I usually have to bring the mid-tones down a bit.
Hi Stephen, thank you for another great episode. I was wondering: have you had any experience shooting with stereo cameras? I am waiting for my "new" David White Stereo Realist to arrive in the mail and I figured if anybody had one in their collection - it would be you. Your camera collection and film expertise never fails to impress. Although you might not be able to display your 3D images on the channel, I think it would still be fun to hear your take on stereo cameras or stereo photography in general. Love your channel. Thank you for your time and thank you for sharing with us!
Thanks so much for the kind words! Believe it or not, I’ve never even held a stereo camera. I do recall being intrigued by the old Nimslo ads in Pop Photo back in the day, though. Might be interesting to add to the list. Be sure to let me know what you think of yours when it comes in. Sounds like a lot of fun!
@@vintagecameradigest I'm shocked! Haha Well I will try to remember to let you know how it goes, it will be my first encounter with a stereo camera as well. Going to be quite the curve to learn the ins and outs of not only the camera but also to mount the slides for the viewer. I honestly can't wait!
I bet! Mounting the slides seems to add another level of complexity. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
Nice review. I love my older Pentaxes. Btw, the Nikon FM3A has electronic speeds from 8 seconds to 1/4000, sync speed of 1/250, and without batteries can manually shoot from 1 second to 1/4000. I don't know of any camera that comes close.
Yes, I would imagine the FM3A would have a good range of manual shutter speeds since it’s sort of part of the FM family. I didn’t realize, however, that it also uses the hybrid mode to extend those times down to 8-secs. But it’s certainly one of the best cameras ever produced of any manufacturer. Rock solid and reliable.
I have a Pentax ESII with a few Takumar lenses and absolute adore this camera. Now I will buy my first K Mount camera mostly because of the MLU feature that I need to shoot long exposure (The ESII without MLU is not good at all for this task). In the future I will buy the LX camera (huge fan, feels like a small version of the Pentax 67 that I love) but now I really don't know If I should take a KX or a K2. Videos like this really helps. Thank you!
Glad it could help! The K2 an KX are very different cameras even though they are part of the same “series”. I think the MLU control on the K2 is a bit better than on the KX. Plus the K2 speeds go all the way down to 8 secs if you need them really slow. The KX on the other hand has a manual shutter, so it’s not as dependent on batteries. Like you, I’d love to get my hands on an LX someday, too. That camera is actual King of the K-mounts, no doubt.
I had two K2 DMD's, with their motor drives. Quality control plagued my units, and some of my lenses developed stuff falling onto the inner elements. I switched to Canon at this point and had far fewer quality issues.
Have you tried the new Wolfen films?
I’ve never used one of the DMD models, though I guess it was a good concept. Any camera that didn’t offer some kind of motor drive would never be considered by working pros, I think. Sorry to hear about your troubles with them, though. Of the issues you had, were they motor drive issues or just general camera issues?
I’ve not tried any of the Wolfen film yet, but I was eyeing it up on Freestyle’s website yesterday. I’ll definitely be trying it out.
So you use a 70-200 f4 zoom lens? I thought those were the best thing since the paper clip back in the '70s, good for every shot except wide angle. Then I bought the ultimate: a 28-300. Eventually noticed those weren't as sharp as my primes and don't use the zooms much now.
The one I have came in a bundle of other lenses. I don’t tend to use it much, but this one isn’t bad at all. I was surprised, actually.
Hi, I would like to know your opinion about Nikon FA "if possible" which was not preferable by most photographers in the 80s, I know why but time proved them wrong!
I think the FA is a fantastic camera. Super high-tech for the time it was released - which turned a lot of shooters off. But it out-spec’d the F3 in almost every way but build quality - even though it was no slouch. I have an FA, and it is on the episode list for sure!
I always enjoy your videos, but this one is especially important to me as I am very much a lover of Pentax cameras, film and digital. The Spotmatic is a camera that I absolutely adore and after experimenting with several M body cameras, I have come to realise that they are not for me. I'm OK with the ME Super, but I prefer the Super A. I have been looking back at the K body models due to their Spotmatic origins - I have the K1000 and it is indeed lovely, but it is rather basic and as such, I am honing down to the KX and K2. I think you may have just pushed me towards the K2!
Incidentally I have also been looking at the newer bodies and hoping to take the Z-1 and the P30T out for a good run as well. The latter is interesting me a lot as it feels and handles a lot nicer than I expected it to.
K2 is a bit higher-spec’d than the KX. But they are so different they don’t seem like they’re part of the same series. IMO, the K2 shines with a higher flash sync and much slower available shutter speeds. But the KX has the full info viewfinder. If that higher flash sync and slower speeds aren’t important to you, it might be a toss-up between the two cameras. Or buy BOTH! :-)
@@vintagecameradigest careful now, the latter option is extremely likely when it comes to me.
:-) nothing wrong with that!
Thanks for a great video. Lovely tonal richness & diversity in those black & white shots. I have the ME Super & an OM-1 plus it's predecessor, the M-1. I do prefer the full shutter speed dial over the +/_ buttons of the ME Super. I've never owned a K-series Pentax but the K2 looks far superior to the old workhorse, the K 1000. I personally think the K 1000 & the AE-1 Canon are over rated, but still good cameras. Keep up the good work, I live in Adelaide, South Australia and am always looking for new creative ideas of subject material. By the way, do you develop your own?
Thanks so much, Dom! The K2 is absolutely higher spec’d than the K1000. However, I think it and the AE-1 are probably the first models that come to mind when one thinks of film cameras. There’s always been a lot of talk surrounding them, and it does seem that they’re commanding prices that are out of character. If you were to compare the AE-1 to the A-1, the A-1 would be the better choice. But, no one seems to know much about it, so the prices are lower. But that can be a good way to get a really nice camera at a bargain. So let’s just agree to keep that amongst ourselves 😁. And I do develop my own b&w. It’s fun to get back into that process. The smell of fixer takes me right back to my old college darkroom. Good times.
I saw that this camera has two circles in the viewfinder. I'm guessing the central one is microprisms for focusing. What's the outer one used for?
The outer one is just a larger clear field. Also to note: the black body version of the K2 comes with a split-image screen.
@@vintagecameradigest Oh! That's nice to know, i was drawn by the K2 over the MX specifically because it doesn't have that confusing split image! Thank you!
Something to consider for both the MX and the K2 is that they have other screens available in addition to the stock ones. Here’s a link to an article I did a couple of years back that gives the details:
vintagecameradigest.com/2022/01/20/pentax-screens/
@@vintagecameradigest Thank you! I'm a 26-year old passionate about (film) photography, your channel, like some others, are gold mines! Keep it up!
Thank you! I do appreciate that!
last week i found on flee market perfect black pentax k2 dmd in mint condition. from pictures i would never buy it. in real life its looks much better
Nice! I hope it’ll be great. You’ll have to let me know how you like it.
@@vintagecameradigest quoting other youtuber. cool camera makes you better photographer. if you like it to hold it it encourage you to take pictures :) and i love it
Solid advice!
Which developer did you use to process these rolls?
Thanks for the question! I used Ilfosol 3 at a 1:9 dilution for these.
I have two Pentax SLRs. A Spotamatic and a P30. The Spotamatic metering defines "intuitive" and I'm never in any big hurry to change lenses. I love the light weight of the Plastic 30.
I do love my Spotmatic, too. And one thing I do like about the M42 lenses is that they’re relatively compact. I don’t know if the speed (or lack thereof) of changing lenses was a crucial selling point, but I guess it could’ve been for some. I’ve never held a P30, but I do hear from others such as yourself that they do like light weight. Thanks for watching!
Have the K2's electronics proven to be reliable over time like, for example, the Nikon FE? Or are they a failure-prone nightmare to repair?
Great question and one I don’t readily know the answer to. Generally, though, my thoughts regarding electronics in old cameras is this: if your electronics-dependent camera breaks, you’ll likely find it un-repairable due to the lack of replacement parts. And I imagine you’d find a Nikon FE to be in that same category unless a repair shop somehow has a bunch of NOS FE parts lying around. Now to your point - perhaps the FE is less likely than a K2 to need a repair? I don’t know.
I can't speak for the K2 but I still have an ME super alive and kicking ;-)