Magnificent KX.

A few weeks ago, I bought two KX bodies on an auction site.

The KX is a truly great camera. It has become my new favourite.
Do you remember the famous Pentax advertising slogan... 'Just hold a Pentax'?. It was written for the Spotmatic, but it applies just as well, if not more, to the KX. It just feels perfect in the hands. - Well, my hands, anyway. It is incredibly well made. Heavy, tough, solid feeling. The only other camera I know of that feels as robust as this one, is my old Nikkormat. That too is built like a tank, but fiddly. (what a stupid place to put a shutter speed dial!). Nowhere near as usable as the KX.
It is a joy to use. Everything is just where it should be. Everything can be adjusted with the camera to the eye. The shutter speed dial is perfectly weighted, so that it can be quickly turned back and forth with the index finger. The viewfinder is great too. Simple, uncluttered and instinctive. Line up the thin black meter needle with the thick blue shutter speed needle, and Bobs yer uncle. - No buggering about trying to figure out what those new-fangled LED things mean. It all just feels right!
I know that many people on this forum love the MX, and I'm sure it's a fine instrument, but the one time I tried one, I didn't really take to it. It just did not feel 'right' in the same way that the KX does.
I have bought more old cameras than I care to admit. This one is the first that I have sent away to have professionally serviced. That should tell you how much I like it and that I intend keeping it for good.
The only thing I wish it had, is changable focusing screens. I Would happily give up the mirror lock-up function for that. (somewhere, an MX owner is wishing for mirror lock-up instead of changable screens!). That it does not take a motor does not matter to me.. Never needed one. In fact nobody but a thumbless sports photographer, needs a motor wind, anyway.

So... The SP500 and the MZ-M are going to have to take a back seat for a bit, while I play with what is surely the most under-rated Pentax, ever.

I bought one of these a while back but sadly it was in terrible condition (e.g. the lens lock didn't work and the lens fell off when I tried to focus it!) and after some wrangling and threats of small claims court the seller took it back and refunded the money. It does seem, however, a lovely camera although I will reserve judgement between the KX and my LX until I actually have one to play with.

Never did understand what people see in the K1000... :

When I bought my K2 and LX back in 1981 the K1000 was the most basic model they made and they virtually couldn't give them away. I understand why some people hold it in esteem as a fully manual camera now, but back then it was the Skoda in the Pentax range (no offence Skoda owners, although they have gone up in esteem since then too How values change ). My friend who was a brilliant artist who made animated films had a KX and it was a nice camera and he swore by it and took some lovely pictures with it. I never looked that carefully but it seemed a similar size and build to the K2. Both were built like tanks. But for solid AND refined the LX takes some beating still.

I too have an Asahi Pentax KX: it is a solid, unpretentious performer.

I also like the metering display: very visible in most lighting conditions (unlike some others).

In addition to the 50mm lens that came with it, I have a CJZ 24mm (very sharp), an Pentax 30mm (very good all rounder), a Pentax 50mm Macro and a Pentax 100mm Macro, plus an Astron 80-250 zoom (which no one seems to have heard of, but one that performs surprisingly well for a "no name" lens).

I have 2 KX and 2 MXC bodies. They will be the film bodies to keep until film is no longer available.

KX: very solid, big, easy to use.

MX: very solid, small, easy to use (also better viewfinder).

The MX with 40/2.8 fits in a large pocket and could substitute for a Leica, it is that small and usable.

My first Pentax was a KX and I wish that I still had it (for sentimental reasons).