Is the Pentax K1000 Overrated?

The "Greatest Beginner SLR of All Time"?

"...this splendid Volkswagen Beetle of SLRs..."

-- Herbert Keppler, Oct. 1989 -- ​

   In a word...Possibly. Does that make it a terrible camera? Nope. Does it mean that you shouldn't buy one? Not necessarily ;-). But before getting sucked in by all of the Interweb-mongering of the K1000 as the best beginner SLR...of...all...time, it may be worth your while to investigate where it stacks up in relation to other vintage 35mm SLRs (many of which can be had nowadays for the same or considerably less in terms of monetary outlay) and how it came by its popularity among newbs in the first place. Let's start with the latter.

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