Best old Pentax body to get in 2021?

robgendreau wrote:

What do experienced Pentax shooters think might be the best older Pentax digital body to get now as a basic value? say something older than the K-3 or K-50, so fron the K-5ii and further back?

I've owned as old as a K-01, but not before that. I would think a K-30 would be maybe to of the list as the most modern, but I know from other brands that sometimes the even older CCD and <10MP cameras have their own charms. And of course one has to factor in the negatives, like maybe old card formats or batteries that are hard to find, although I don't know if that's a problem with Pentaxes.

And are the Samsung/Pentax variants any better eg than the Hoya/Pentax models?

IOW, if you were to discover a circa 2011 or older Pentax on the table at an estate sale, what model would you like to see sitting there?

There is no one correct answer to this question .

I started with Pentax circa 1976 with a KM , worked my way up the film bodies through ME , ME Super , KX , MX until I got to the LX , which I had two of - after that there seemed nothing further to upgrade to , unless I was going to get a 6x7 , which at that time I could not afford , besides I had three Rollei TLRs and at work there were Hasselblads available to use .

I stuck with my LXs until around 2005 ; I had tried the *istD in a shop , but baulked at the cost , so I waited a year until I picked up a used one for , from memory , around £700 .

I don't think there was any advantage of the subsequent *ist models , they all had the same 6MP sensor , and were cheaper due to various features being deleted - for example , only the original *istD supported traditional TTL as well as P-TTL , so I was able to continue to use my older Metz flashes at that time . I think the *istD was the best camera of that whole series ; hence I bought two , and kept with them until I bought my K-3 and K-01 in 2014 .

I gave the *istD bodies to my children - my daughter is a keen photographer and uses hers as a backup to her K10D ; my son never showed much interest so I have it back in my house , for now .

When I got my first *istD , it was a body only , and I used my extensive collection of SMC-M lenses I had built up over the years ; because I had been used to focussing manually , I saw little value in AF , but because I had an AF capable body I did start to buy some AF lenses ; but even now I still use my SMC-M lenses regularly , even on my K-1 . I did also buy a used MZ-S since at that time I was still shooting film , both 35mm and 120 ; the MZ-S is a very nice camera and the best successor to the LX Pentax have made to date .

The first significant upgrade was the K10D , with the 10MP sensor ; I bought my daughter a new one for her 21st Birthday , and she still uses it today . Pictures taken with it still look very nice today .

The K20D was a step up again ; I might have bought one , but I was still waiting for a full frame Pentax DLSR .

The K-7 is a good camera , but if you're considering one , I think you are just as well getting a K5 or derivative ; they won't cost you much more .

The K-01 , which you had , was essentially a mirrorless K-5 .

I also have my K-01 which I bought new on final reduction for a bargain price and I still love it .

Of course the cameras get better from one generation to the next - only you can decide where the cost/performance balance sits right for you . I can still look back at pictures taken with my *istD and some can still look very good - even today .