proctorius

Hey all,

If anyone has any idea what the value is of this old Pentax gear I would surely appreciate the guidance. I purchased it on a whim at a garage sale to go with a camera that I had forgotten I had already sold. It all seems to be in nice condition with signs of wear on the plastic parts. The case itself has scratches on the exterior in the 'leather' (clearly not leather) surface.

I'm planning to sell it and put the money toward a canon fisheye for my Canon Rebel t4i.

Do you think it would be worth more if I found a compatible camera body to include with it? I found a manual for the bulk film magazine back 250 online and it says it is compatible pentax spotmatic cameras, but I have confirmed it will work with the a K-1000 body as well. Would it be worth buying the refillable film canisters and the bulk film loader to include? Or, are buying those parts not going to produce any significant return when I sell it?

This stuff is so nice, I am tempted to start collecting vintage pentax gear... I have several takumar lenses (m42 and K). The older stuff is beautifully constructed and designed! I probably shouldn't though... I don't need to start ANOTHER collection, and my canon gear is already out of hand. :(

Thoughts? Any Pentax collectors on here? Should I keep it? Anyone interested??

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

That is exceptionally nice equipment. However, it's probably not going to garner you any great amount of money. I just bought two K-1000 bodies and a couple of lenses for $40.
--Bob

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Look each piece up on eBay. The only thing that matters is what it sold for. Good luck!
SS

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

These are exceptional pieces and I would bet quite rare.
Look on ebay but they might not be there either.
I would say they have good value but you will need to search the internet.
I found this where this is a $100,000.00 camera and system that was apparently never officially offered for general sale.
http://photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00ZAWl
Do not let idiots low ball you with the cheap regular K1000 this is not a regular camera.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

If that last comment was aimed at me, I'll take issue with it.
--Bob

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

These look very much like collector pieces, and that means finding the right collector which takes patience. Try ebay and other sources for what has sold to get an idea of value. The right person may well pay a decent amount, but it may take months or longer for something like this. Buying more stuff may not help, but selling them individually may well yield a higher return in the long run.

What fisheye are you considering for your T4i? The Samyang 8mm (aka Rokinon and others) is pretty good, and can be found for under $200 if patient...

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I didn't read it that way, Bob. FWIW. Take care.

forjava Loc: Half Moon Bay, CA

The felt in larger cases is rarely so intact as yours and this is a huge plus. The key to desirability of any decorative arts or technical equipment is condition, for example, all-original and collector-grade mint, as in camera lenses. Look, for example at the scopes and scientific-measurement pieces in the Zwinger museum, as a baseline. You may be able to nail condition here, by completing the set -- authentically.

A second key to desirability, lots of fun, is identifying what the object is and that is often tough. You may need to go so far as to check factory documents, but it looks to me like you have an item from the golden age of Japanese camera-equipment making and I expect you can readily find a catalog on eBay that mentions your kit, as there are over one-hundred available right now. Identification establishes rarity. It is exceptional to have desirability, even with rarity, when condition is marginal.

To see how this catalog stuff can fill in your knowledge gaps, consider, for example, Nikkor lenses from about the time frame of your kit. To understand makers' intent for old Nikkors, I have assembled Nikon catalogs and a number of old books from the F-mount/MF/film era. For my three 50mm MF f/1.4s, this has helped me understand their development sequence and merits (like the coating improvement on the S.C which followed the three S models) among the nine pre-AF 50mm f/1.4 variants.

Wrt identification, last week, I wrote to a clock museum in France and asked for their help to identify a mantle clock (une pendule).
Before the museum responded my wife realized the maker's signature began with a Q, rather than with a G.
This resulted in finding out that the clock maker made the clock at the Montparnasse metro station, and that he enjoys quite a lot of recognition. This clock episode entailed lots of time, some despair, and finally a sense of winning, while reflecting well on my wife.

The item you have deserves to be protected from oblivion and destruction. For a quick win, consider identifying it exactly, enjoying it, and then donating a complete kit, while possibly securing a valid tax deduction.

BebuLamar

Look like you have the complete set except the camera. It must be a special Spotmatic to accept the motor drive and bulk film back. You said the bulk film back would fit on the K1000 but the K1000 won't take that motor drive unit. I think it does have good value but you need the camera to go with it.

forjava Loc: Half Moon Bay, CA

As the posting party mentions scratched plastic casing, note that there are fillers to address that.

proctorius

Hey all!

Thank you for the varied responses. I appreciate the differing points of view.

I do think I will end up selling it, even if I don't make money on it. I just can't justify starting another collection I already collect vintage Canon equipment and that has taken over a significant portion of my living space. I have a serious issue with collecting things. My board game collection takes up an entire bedroom of our house! And I won't even talk about my movie or music collections!

As recommended I looked on eBay, the bulk film loader is listed at between $400 and $500. The power winder is listed at well over $100, and the handle just over $100, but without the charger, battery cage, or meter. I can't find any information anywhere about the case, including a period manual for all of the parts which I found online. Obviously, just because someone on fleabay is trying to sell something for a price it doesn't mean it is worth that... but I think there is some value here.

I am tempted to start a Pentax collection here though. I already have some lenses... arg!

The scratches are very superficial. I could easily buff them out myself, except for those on the case. they aren't deep, but some of them are wide and long, and it would be hard to repair them and match the texture on the case. I would be afraid to try and make matters worse.

I might just fleabay it... :s

proctorius

Peterff,

I was looking at a Peleng, but I think I am going to grab a used Canon ef. I know I will lose a lot of the 'fishyness' on the cropped sensor, but I hope to pick up a full frame canon camera eventually.

proctorius

I think the motor drive for the kit to go with the k-1000 might in fact be different. One more thing to buy, I guess...

(Download)

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

The Peleng seems to be a good lens, and it will still retain 'fisheyness' ie barrel distortion as does the Samyang in comparison to a rectilinear lens like the the EF-S 10-22.

A used EF, as in the EF 8-15? Nice. A little different in terms of price, but I'd want one! On the other hand lenses like the Samyang will give the circular fisheye effect on a FF body, so long as the lens hood can be detached...

If money is not a consideration, then Canon for sure in my opinion...

proctorius

If I sell this kit I *might* be able to go for the Canon.