The pentax k1000
An iconic camera highly recommened by many for beginners and students alike since its beginning in the 80's. It's loved for it's simple design, it having all basic features needed to learn photography and it being build as many would say, like i, "like a tank".
Specs:
Modes: The k1000 is fully manual with no automatic modes so you have to set everything yourself, very valuble when learning photography.
Shutter: The k1000 has a shutter speed from 1 second to 1/1000th plus blub which will keep the shutter open for a long as the shutter release is held down. It also has a threaded shutter release which allows you to activate the shutter using a shutter release cable.
Self timer: The k1000 does not have a self timer.
Iso/asa range: 20 - 3200 which is very much adequate.
Hot shoe(flash mount): The k1000 uses a standard hot shoe.
Flash modes: The k1000 only has manual flash modes so you'll have to set all the settings yourself if you wish to use a flash.
Flash sync: The k1000 has a flash sync speed (the fastest shutter speed that will sync with the flash) of 1/60 which is quite standard and nothing great.
Lens mount: It uses the pentax k bayonet mount which has a selection of great, easy to find, cheap lens to offer and also that mount is still used in pentax dslrs today so those lenses will work fine straight onto once of pentax's dslrs.
Light meter: It has a TTL match needle light meter which means when you look through the viewfinder there will be a needle (located on the right) that will move up and down acording to the light and it will tell you when you exposure is correct when it is hovering in the middle of the plus and minus found at the top and bottom.
Motor drive: The pentax k1000 does not allow for the use of a motor drive.
Power: It takes one lr44 cell bettery which is only needed to power the TTL light meter so the camera will still work with out a battery just the light meter will not function.
Price:
Price also plays a massive part in things as it could make it or break it in terms of whether you get a certain camera or not but luckily the pentax k1000 isn't a bank breaker, on ebay a k1000 with a standard 50/55mm f/2 lens it will run you about £50 - £100 but if you look around on markets, charity shops, people you know they can be had for much less.
My thoughts/words
If you are concidering this camera then i would make sure you get the one of the early metal verisons not the later chinese plastic. You can tell this by a few things on the metal versions there will be a logo on the front of the camera just above where it says pentax (on the prisim), also on the bottom of the chinese models on the base of the camera it will usually say "Assembled in China"
I really think this is a brilliant camera to start with, it was the first film slr i had and has taught me a lot. I think the build quality (of the japanese made ones) is very good with it's robust metal construction, but that being said it does make the camera quite heavy which doesn't bother me but there is a possibility it could for you. It has all of the basic features one could need although there are some missing which aren't necceacery but you may want them, these are things such as depth of feild preview, self timer, mirror lock up and no motor winder option. Over all for the money i think it's well worth the concideration it has everything you'll need to start with.
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