which pentax film body to get?

My other half is hankering to take photos the old fashioned way. with film.

now while she's looking at really old fashioned fixed lens camera bodies, the old style vertical with two lens built in stuff, I'm trying to persuade her to go for pentax,

for a start we can share old lenses and I've got a 50mm M 1.4 she can use for starters.

but I know nothig about pentax film bodies. what's a good one to get?

there happens to be a camera shop in leeds that is selling a number of different pentax camera bodies for £60 down plus has a nice selection of lenses. but I don't know anything about the bodies.

K1000 is, IMO, the best option for such a venture.

I'd recommend Super A or ME Super (I used to have both).

Not knocking the legend that is the K1000, but metering is a lot more convenient with the later bodies. The ME Super in particular is a very good compromise between very basic, and convenient metering.

Make sure the seals aren't perished.

The mx is lovely - it is small, has good metering in the viewfinder but keeps the feel of an old slr - I like the me super and super a, but if she's really into old style form, then the mx is well worth a try.

Or the LX, of course.

My brother used to have one, and he still tells the story of when he dropped it on a rock, and it was the rock that broke.

If you just want here to get on with it, then I'd suggest a P30 or P50. If you want a classic and are prepared to perhaps have light seals replaced, then go for the MX

+1 for the mx. If she is looking for something classic, and fully manual, that would be my choice.

P30 gets my vote....well it would because I've got the P30n. Can be fully auto or fully manual, whatever floats your boat.

The P30n or P30T are preferable to the earlier P30 (P3 in the US) because they also offer aperture priority (they all have manual and program), they're later cameras too.

There are a lot to choose from, the most obvious/available options are (with available exposure modes) K1000 (M), MX (M), ME-Super (M,Av), Super-A (M,Av,Tv,P), P30n/T (M,Av,P) LX (M,Av) - all manual focus bodies. There are autofocus options too.

It depends on what you're after (Super-A & ME-Super have buttons rather than dials which some people don't like).

John.

Although not Pentax I'll add Ricoh XR-X to that list too

I've got a MG, A3 and P30T bodies sitting here unloved, which you can have for the price of the postage. Can't guarantee what the light seals are like but the mirrors seem to flip up and down and the shutter moves Take your pick.

Pentax Program A, or the much better Super A(aperture and Shutter priority)

I have a good quality programme A surplus to my requirements. PM me if you are interested.

Dave

I think we need to know the level of automation she wants, and if size and weight are important.

i've just got back into film and haven't a clue about Pentax film cameras and any tips of what would be a good, simple camera would be greatly appreciated.