Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Film Cameras
If you want a good reliable camera that will get you back to basics then this is it . It's got a tight ,crisp feel to the controls and is refreshingly uncomplicated. Just f stops and shutter speed and a very good manual focused screen. Very satisfying camera to use . More than pleased with the camera.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Camera is tip top apart from the battery compartment being stuck closed. Description said that the camera was tested and working which wasn't true as batteries are needed for the camera to work and the compartment cannot be opened. Going to be fun drilling into this baby
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
A Pentax P30 is often the best option if you want to get into film - because: --It has full manual exposure control in all P30 Versions. --It has a depth of field button. --It has a pentaprism not a penta-mirror (easier to focus) --It has a metal blade shutter (not a silk and rubber curtain like many old SLRs) with electronic control - so speed accuracy is usually good if the circuits are intact. --it uses commonly available non-mercury battery cells (this can be a real problem on 1960s-1980s cameras which did not have bridge circuits and so cannot cope without expensive modifications or battery options) --and finally because lots were sold to amateurs who didn't give them the hard shutter breaking work of the professionals (although beware - lots were sold to schools and colleges to teach photography - look for tell tale markings such as numbers etched or painted onto the body and scuffed and scratched paintwork). However it has its faults and these 1980s cameras are now getting old. The problems are often electrics - with leaking and corroded capacitors; or the gear train in the shutter gets stripped. Both are bad news as these cameras are not really worth fixing if you cannot do it yourself (they never command the high prices of classic Nikons. Rolleiflexes and Leicas). Buy with caution if the seller can't tell you that it has been tested and that the shutter fires and the viewfinder LEDs light up. For a seller - get a couple of inexpensive button cell batteries and do yourself and your buyers a favour with a simple test....remember that describing such a camera as "Used" means it can be used as intended. The shutter fragility is also a reason to avoid a motor winder on older cameras. Brittle nylon and plastic cogs don't last the way that the 19060s and 70s metal ones did. Get a good one however and the world of Pentax K fit lenses awaits - usually half the price on ebay of Nikon, Canon or Minolta equivalents. Add a tripod, some lens hoods and a ND graduated filter and enjoy the world of slow-photography with all its creativity and charm and contemplation. Photo - wikipaediaRead full review
Verified purchase: No
I bought this camera because I wanted an analog film camera and I heard that the Pentax P30 was a good quality camera - and it is. The camera itself isn't too big or heavy and once you get used to it, it's rather easy to use. If you're going to buy it, I'd recommend buying it with the SMC PENTAX-M 50mm 1:1.7 LENS. It is an amazing lens and I think it's cheaper buying both the camera and lens together than separately because the lens is really popular and hard to get hold of on eBay unless you're willing to pay ridiculous prices. The only thing that slightly annoys me about the camera is that it is a little complicated to use, but as I said earlier, once you get used to it you'll love it.
This is a good reliable and robust film camera, basic and easy to use. I've dropped them loads of times without a problem, but I do seem to give them away, which why I have to buy another!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned