Fun and Cheap Pentax K1000 Lenses

The Pentax K1000 uses manual focus K-mount lenses, with a 50mm f1.7 being the most common first lens sold with the camera.

Introduced in 1975, the K-mount was in use until September of 2026. Ricoh discontinued all of the K-mount DSLRs, like the K-1 Mark II, because of low sales.

Lens compatibility can be tricky. There are several variations of K-mount lenses and newer ones made for DSLRs are not compatible.

The K1000 was sold for 21 years from 1976 until 1997, and was a favorite of photography students. That 21 year sales run left a huge amount of fun, affordable, and easy to find lenses.

Vintage zooms are generally not my first recommendation. The image quality isn’t as good as a prime and they are more likely to have condition problems like fungus, haze, and dried helicoid grease. But if you want one, look for a Vivitar Series 1 zoom, they are covered below.

Pentax K-Mount Lens Abbreviations Explained

• SMC — Super-Multi-Coated. Pentax’s multi-layer anti-reflective lens coating. Reduces flare and improves contrast. Introduced in 1971.
• K — The original K-mount lens series (1975–1977), before the -M redesign. Larger than Pentax-M lenses.
• Pentax-M — Compact/Miniature series. Introduced 1977. Smaller and lighter than earlier K-series lenses. Fully manual aperture ring.
• Pentax-A — Aperture series. Introduced 1983. Added an “A” position on the aperture ring, enabling automatic exposure modes on compatible bodies. Not useful on the K1000.
• Pentax-F — Autofocus series. Introduced 1987 for autofocus bodies. Compatible with the K1000 but autofocus won’t work.
• Pentax-FA — Full-frame Autofocus. Designed for 35mm film autofocus bodies. Still made today for DSLRs.
• DA — Digital Aperture. Designed for APS-C DSLRs. No aperture ring — not compatible with the K1000.
• Takumar — Pre-K-mount Pentax lenses used on M42 screw-mount bodies (pre-1975). Not natively compatible with the K1000. Requires an adapter. “Super-Takumar” and “SMC Takumar” are common variants.
• Vivitar Series 1 — Not a Pentax designation. Vivitar’s top-tier third-party lenses, typically made by Komine, Tokina, or Cosina. Higher optical quality than standard Vivitar lenses.

• How to load film into the Pentax K1000
• How to rewind and remove film from the Pentax K1000

Lens Compatibility

K-mount lenses need to have a physical aperture ring to be compatible with the K1000.

DA lenses were designed for DSLRs use electronically controlled apertures and will not work with the K1000.

M42 Screw Mount Lenses…

Before the K-mount, Pentax used the M42 screw mount for their cameras. They can be used with an adapter as Pentax designed the K-mount with backward lens compatibility in mind.

I wouldn’t recommend for a beginner because it adds complexity. The adapters can be difficult to remove and depending on the lens, and you might have to stop the lens aperture down to get a correct light meter reading.

Before tracking down an adapter, you should be comfortable using the K1000 and happy with the photos your getting back.

Pentax-M vs Pentax-A

Pentax-M are the earlier versions. They can be smaller and more compact. Optically, they are the same or have slightly worse coatings.

Pentax-A lenses are capable of shutter and aperture priority modes. That makes them a better choice if you also want to use them on a DSLR.

I like Pentax-M lenses because they should be less expensive. The K1000 is a fully manual camera. I don’t see the point in paying for features that can’t be used.

Pentax DSLR Compatibility

Newer Pentax DSLRs have K-mounts and are compatible with all the lenses the K1000 can use.

How to Check the Condition of Used Lenses

Once you receive your lens, check it right away.

• Are the optics clear?
• Is the aperture snappy?
• Do the focus and aperture rings turn smoothly?
• Does it smell like cigarettes?

For more detailed information check the manual. PDF scans are available from the Internet Archive (Archive.org) and Butkus.org.

Where to Buy Lenses

When buying used, there are a handful of things to watch out for.

1. The seller has at least a 30 day return policy.
2. They specialize in camera gear. They will know how to check for fungus, haze, and aperture problems.
3. There is no visible sand or grit on the lens.

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50mm Lenses

When new, the K1000 could be bought with a bundled “kit lens.” After all, what good is a your first camera without a lens?

These are by far and away the most common lenses, which make them the best values. You should have no problem finding a good deal.

SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7

• The “classic” experience.
• Unbeatable value.
• The lens is light, small, and compact.

50mm is my favorite focal length. Out of the many choices, the 50mm f1.7 is the one I would recommend.

It has good enough optical qualities, especially for film, and doubly so if you’re shooting black and white. If a vintage look is what you’re after, this was one of the most used lenses.

The K1000 is still a popular recommendation for film students. Lots of work has been created with this combo.

The Pentax-A version is also good.

The 50mm f/2 shown in the price list above is smaller and should be a little cheaper.

SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4

• Easier to focus in low light.
• Better optical coatings that reduce flare and chromatic aberrations.
• Easy to find.
• Kinda heavy.

I’m not a fan of 50mm f1.4 lenses. I think they’re too heavy and a thin depth of field quickly gets boring.

Plenty of people disagree with me. Many consider this the best lens for the K1000.

The large aperture is going to be an advantage in low light. The viewfinder will two-thirds of a stop of light brighter.

That’s always helpful indoors. It will also allow you to squeeze out a little more shooting during golden hour.

SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2

It’s a big, heavy, expensive, and blazingly fast lens.

Like all the other “halo” lenses, it was made to show off. It’s an enormous and eye-catching chunk of glass.

Prices for copies of the lens are in line with a manual focus Nikon F-mount 50mm f1.2 or Canon FD 50mm f1.2.

Keep in mind that you can adapt the lens to a mirrorless system with an adapter for less than $20. Focus peaking and other focusing aids make manually focusing easier than with the K1000.

Wide Angles

SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8

• Great combination with a 50mm lens.
• Many copies are available.
• Well corrected for barrel distortion.

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 for the Pentax K1000.

Portrait & Telephoto Lenses

SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5

• 85mm substitute.
• Excellent value.
• Relatively inexpensive.

85mm focal length lenses weren’t as commonly used as they are currently compared to when the K1000 was released in 1976. On account of being more affordable, 100mm and 135mm focal lengths were more frequently used.

Zooms

Vintage zoom lenses have worse image quality than vintage primes or modern zooms.

Due to their age, they can be difficult to find in good working condition. They have more moving parts, which makes repairs more expensive and often uneconomical.

Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5

The most famous Series 1 zoom.

Macro Lenses

The selection of macro lenses is smaller for the Pentax K1000 than for comparable Nikon F-mount or Canon FD-mount lenses. Prices will be slihtly higher and you’ll have a more difficult time finding 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 vintage 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 vintage macro lens for the Pentax K1000.

The working distance is shorter than the 90mm, making it good for table top and close-up photography. An added bonus is that it does not need to use an extension tube for 1:1 macro 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 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.