Hello Peter - I found your message in "My portfolio", not in "My messages"! As I haven't been a member for 30 days yet I can't respond via that section. No, I live in Southampton and bought the camera mail order from Chiswick Cameras. I have found that camera shops sell old 35mm SLRs cheaper than eBay - AFTER I had bought several via eBay of course!
You'll see from my posting that it's pretty much certain my camera is faulty. Other owners have verified that theirs work with Sigma and Tamron AF lenses, amongst others and all my other Pentax bodies work with them too.
Many thanks for your kind offer.

Thanks Steve. I need a Pentax that will auto-focus with all AF lenses, as do my other AF bodies. People sell the Z1 with third party lenses which work fully so I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with mine. My lenses all work as Auto-Focus on my SFX-n, SF7, MZ60 and of course my K5. This Z1 only works with 1 Pentax AF lens, as I've said in my first posting.

There is no PM in my inbox or my private email address. As John says, perhaps you can share what you have?
I have written to another Z1 owner but it's looking as if mine is faulty so needs to be returned.
Cheers, Lionel

[Copied out of another thread] I have received my Z1 from Chiswick Cameras and it has problems with AF lenses. Only one of my AF lenses will auto-focus - a Pentax DAL 18-55mm Macro zoom. I have another Pentax, 2 Sigmas (One new) and a Tamron that won't a-f with it. I've checked the contacts and cleaned them and checked the manual. Does anyone know of any glitch with these cameras that makes it over-sensitive to certain AF lenses?
I have 3 other Pentax 35mm AF bodies and all the lenses work on all those fine. (An MZ60, SFX-n & SF7)
As I wanted a top spec 35mm body to go with my K5 and all the lenses, this will be a non-starter if there isn't a simple solution. The manual doesn't help much. It says you can't auto-focus with an old 42mm screw thread lens with a K-adapter! You don't say!
As the controls are basically similar to the other 35mm A-F cameras I've tried all combinations of the switching and focussing options but it puzzles me that one lens should work but not the other three.
The shop is happy to give a refund if I send it back but we agreed that, as there's no rush, I would try to find out something from the forums and leave any return until after Xmas.

Ah, shame (for me!)Out of curiosity how much did you sell it for? I haven't really used the K5 in anger yet - for field use the Fuji "superzoom" is better. No lenses to change! Having been an SLR user for about 40 years I know that their advantage is also their disadvantage - changing lenses. You can't do it outdoors in the rain or even indoors at a pub gig with beer flying and fights going on!! I used the Fuji for a gig recently because it also has the advantage of an articulated viewing screen. Something which Pentax DSLRs sadly do not have. It means you can take shots from either a very low angle down near the floor or a high angle above your head and still be able to frame them.
I'm currently trying to sell the SLR 35mm cameras I'm not keeping. There's a Pentax SFX and an MZ60 plus a Chinon CP-7m. Nothing more than £25 bodies only. I haven't decided which lenses I will keep yet. I sell via eBay as it's easier to sell to people who have a PayPal account. Postal cheques are far too slow - well over a week to get into your account! With my "new lease of life" in my first DSLR I'm taking advantage of the low costs of high quality 35mm. It hasn't been replaced by digital any more than books have! I have a 300 year-old book at home which is perfectly readable although a little tattered around the edges. Nothing digital that is in place today will last anywhere near that long! Cheers, Lionel

Thanks for the link Kuvvet. I had already looked at it last week - I am a member of that forum too.
Cheers, Lionel

Sorry David! After a quick check I found your note about being in South Devon - a lovely part of the world with many happy holiday memories for me and my family! I have only joined this forum today.

Like you I have retired and taking more interest in my old hobby of photography. I am seeking, by trial and error, a decent AF film SLR to go with my newly acquired K-5. I have an SFX-n and an SF-7, both from eBay and both untried as yet. The SF-7 is in almost mint condition with 2 AF zoom lenses, original boxes, receipts and filter etc. and cost me a massive £38.77!! The SFX-n cost me £28 with a 35-70mm AF zoom lens so it's quite easy to 'try' them via eBay as they are so cheap. I have decided on spec alone that a Z1 or Z1p would be my best choice but just missed a Z1 from a camera shop this week. It was advertised in AP for £35 - with Pentax 28-105 zoom. There's a body-only on eBay for £40.

I still have my original KX, bought from new in 1977 and with a superb Pentax f1.4, 50mm prime lens. All the K-mount lenses work on my K5 too, which is why I went for the K5! I have my old Chinon CE-4, still immaculate and with a Power Winder. It was the most 'modern' SLR I had until recently. TTL metering and auto shutter speed! WOW!! I still used it for rock gigs in low stage lighting with the light-gathering f1.4 Pentax lens and got excellent results. A year or so ago I went into digital quite seriously with the amazing Fuji HS10 with 30x zoom lens! It has a bucketload of 'bells & whistles' and is unbeatable for the price. (Good for field work birdwatching etc. as you don't have to change lenses in the peeing rain!) I have kicked around the idea of DSLRs but the prices put me off until I made the big leap about a month ago with the K5. I now have an assortment of lenses, some of which I need to sell. I also bought a Chinese made battery grip from an eBay shop in Wales for £37 - about 1/3rd the price of a Pentax one!
Anyway, I could drone on but please get back to me about the camera. Cheers, Lionel

a) Have you sold it yet?; b) What part of the world are you?; c) If in UK would £45 interest you?
Cheers, Lionel