The Best Pentax K1000 Lenses
The Pentax K1000 is an excellent 35mm film SLR camera. This web page will go into the 5 best lenses for the Pentax K1000, as well as a few of alternative options.
In a hurry? Here’s the list of the best lenses for the K1000:
- Kit Lens - SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
- Wide Angle Lens - SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
- Portrait Lens - SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
- Zoom Lens - Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
- Macro Lens - SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro
The best Pentax K mount lenses are separated by kind of photography and price level. There are a number proposed choices to select from that are in price ranges matching the price of the camera.
Standard Focal Length Lenses
The following is a selection of 50mm focal lengths that are compatible with the K1000. Back when the camera was being sold as new, there was quite often a discount available to buy a 50mm lens with the camera as a kit.
The 50mm is called a standard lens due to the fact that the angle of view for the lens is similar to what people see with their eyes.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
- “Kit” lens for the K1000.
- Terrific value.
- Light, small, and compact.
- 49mm filter threads.
If you don’t already have it, the ideal initial lens to buy for the K1000 is the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7. The 50mm f1.7 is widely available, is very affordable, has fantastic photo output, lightweight, and compact . This is the most used lens on the camera.
{You can also purchase the 2nd version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7|The 2nd version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, is also a good buy}.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
- Exceptional optics.
- Improved output from optical multi-coatings.
- Easy to find.
- Comparatively affordable.
At the added burden of weight and size, the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 is approximately a stop faster compared to the f/1.7. An f/1.7 or f/2 lens will cost more. The prior version, SMC Pentax, and next version, SMC Pentax-A, are both compatible with the K1000.
SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2
Just like the other camera manufactures, Pentax created a 50mm “halo” lens. The resulting SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2 is a expensive, fast, and quite large piece of glass.
The lens can be tricky to get because it will work on Pentax DSLRs so the desirability extends beyond use with 35mm film cameras. If you want to track down a copy you will need to check and track what’s offered through weeks or months.
Wide Angles
SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
- Great combination with a 50mm lens.
- Super Multi Coating (SMC) to improve output.
- Many copies can be found.
- Relatively cheap.
The SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8 isn’t the best option. The reality is, many people may not consider it a wide angle lens. However, it is a whole lot more affordable when compared to any wider option.
There is an abundance of wider focal lengths to consider, but they are either significantly higher priced or third-party alternatives have noticeable amounts of barrel distortion. On top of that, it is easy to see chromatic aberrations and other optical problems in third-party lenses.
More Options
The rule of thumb for prices is easy to understand. As the field of view gets wider, the lens will be priced higher. Fast lenses will also be more expensive.
Take into account, that these don’t have all the corrections that modern lenses have. The issue you are most likely to see with vintage wide angles is going to be apparent barrel distortion.
- SMC Pentax-M 20mm f/4
- SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2
- SMC Pentax 18mm f/3.5
- SMC Pentax 24mm f/2.8
Portrait & Telephoto Lenses
SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
- 85mm substitute.
- Excellent value.
- Relatively inexpensive.
- Widely available.
85mm focal length lenses weren’t as commonly used as they are currently compared to when the K1000 was first made available back in DDATE. On account of being more affordable, 100mm and 135mm focal lengths were more frequently used.
The price difference can be seen when looking at what is available online.
More Alternatives
There is an abundance of telephoto lenses to pick from. Focal lengths longer than 135mm and 85mm lenses will be expensive.
- SMC Pentax 85mm f/1.8
- SMC Pentax 85mm f/2.2 Soft
- SMC Pentax 105mm f/2.8
- SMC Pentax 120mm f/2.8
Zoom Lenses
Before the introduction of autofocus, in the 1980s, there were a small number of lenses made by third-party manufacturers that performed better than what Pentax was offering.
A large number of the best performers were released with the Vivitar brand name. Zooms with the Vivitar Series 1 branding are going to have the best optics you can expect to see from a vintage zoom lens.
Sadly, getting one of these lenses in usable condition can be quite difficult. In addition to that, no vintage zooms offer noteworthy performance. If you find a copy available that is inexpensive enough, it might be worth picking up.
Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
More Options
Here are several more options that you can consider if you really want a zoom lens for your K1000. None of them are going to be amazing, and you would likely be better off using a couple of primes.
- SMC Pentax 85-210mm f/3.5
- Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5
- SMC Pentax 45-125mm f/4
Pentax Macro Lenses
Macro lens options for the Pentax K1000 suffer from availability problems. The available supply of Pentax K mount choices is tiny, which increases prices higher than you’ll pay for comparable Nikon F mount or Canon FD mount lenses.
SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro
- Ideal focal length for 1x magnification.
- Widely available.
- Mediocre value.
A few people online have experienced balsam separation of the front doublet. This is troubling because even a little separation will expand gradually and make it unusable. If you see any signs of balsam separation, avoid that lens and keep shopping.
Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 Macro
- The second best vintage macro lens I’ve used.
- An outstanding lens for close-up photography.
- Can achieve life-size magnification without needing an extension tube.
My favorite vintange macro lens I’ve used, the 90mm Vivitar, was manufactured with a variety of camera mounts. However, it’s tough to find a copy that’s got a Pentax K mount.
The Vivitar 55mm is my second favorite vintange macro. Take into account that it does have a shorter working distance when compared to the 90mm. It is good for table top and close-up photography, but it is not the best choice if you want to take macro images at life-sized magnification.
Both Vivitar macros were built by Komine and were sold under various different brand names. If you decide to look for a copy also search under the Panagor, Elicar, Quantaray, Spiratone, and Rokunar brand names.
There is a Vivitar 90mm Macro Review and a [/vivitar-55mm-f-2-8-macro-lens-review](Vivitar 55mm Macro Review).
For taking photos at life-sized magnification, 90mm-105mm focal lengths are going to be the most desirable option. You’ll have a large enough working distance to allow the use of flash, while staying away from excessive weight and excessive costs that come with longer focal lengths.
Alternatives
- SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/4 Macro
- Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review
- Vivitar 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review
Used Pentax Lens Prices
Prices change all the time depending on demand and supply in manual focus glass. Over the past few years, shooting film has risen in popularity, which has pushed prices higher.
Additional upwards pricing pressure stems from Pentax DSLR users collecting and buying lenses. Third party manufactures generally do not make lenses for the K-mount, unlike the Canon EF or Nikon F mounts.
Marketing conditions are constantly changing, and sudden events can lead to big changes in prices. However, the price differences between options should be similar.
Checking a few sites is an intelligent way to get correct pricing information. If you’re fortunate enough to come across a terrific deal, get it since the best deals tend not to last very long.
What Lens Mount Does the Pentax K1000 Use?
The Pentax K1000 uses the Pentax K lens mount.
Introduced in 1975, the Pentax K mount is still used in cameras. It replaced the M42 screw mount That was previously used on cameras like the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic. Over time improvements have been done to add metering information, autofocus, electronically controlled apertures, and CPU contacts.
As long as a lens has a aperture ring, it will be compatible with Pentax film cameras. Keep in mind, it isn’t a good idea to waste money on expensive features that are not going to be be useable. The exception would be if you also own Pentax DSLRs.
It is also possible to use the older M42 screw mount with an adapter. The M42 screw mount Takumar lenses would be the best to use. However, I wouldn’t encourage doing this as getting them with focus rings that are not tight can be challenging.
Lens Cap Size
The standard filter ring thread and lens cap diameter used on the majority vintage manual focus Pentax K mount lenses is 49mm. Lenses were originally sold with slip on caps, not the more typically used center-pinch kind today. Shopping around at what is available, you’ll discover only a few lenses sold with matching lens caps.
Keep in mind big front elements will need larger filters and caps.
The benefit of having a standard filter thread size is that you only need to own one set of filters.
Pentax-M vs Pentax-A
Pentax-M and SMC Pentax lenses were designed to include a stop-down coupler that provides a linkage to the camera. The stop-down coupler enables the camera to know the aperture is set to so that the light meter can meter accurately without being required to use stop-down metering.
The Pentax-A series introduced the feature for the camera to set the aperture in the lens. Cameras that support the Pentax-A changes have the capability to do shutter priority and aperture priority modes.
Even so, because that feature isn’t supported by the camera, it would not make financial sense to spend money on features the camera is unable to use.
Related Posts
That’s it for information on the best lenses for the K1000. Here’s further information that will provide you with more info about the camera can be found below: