PENTAX K2 THE ‘UNDERRATED LEGEND’

Written By Philippos Pattichis

Often overshadowed by the less advanced sibling the K1000, the Pentax K2 remains an underrated legend, offering refinement and reliability in a timeless design.

It was New Year’s Eve 2014, and I was working the evening shift. For some reason, the strangest purchases always seem to happen when you’re either at work or in the bathroom. That night, I decided that a vintage Pentax would make the perfect Christmas gift to myself. Price? $49. I didn’t think twice. Buy it now.

A few days later, the camera arrived from Japan. Beautiful, solid, built like a tank, and with that reassuring heaviness in the hand — paired with the always-welcome Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7. I popped in some batteries, but the tiny button that shows the light meter is working didn’t light up. For a moment, I worried.

I decided to test it anyway. Eleven years later, it still works like a clock — accurate metering and delivering me countless beautiful moments on film. This is my honest Pentax K2 review after more than a decade of real-world use.

The Pentax K2 is a 35mm SLR camera worth trying. It’s not as simple as its cheaper and more famous sister, the Pentax K1000, but it is a professional-grade film SLR with true presence in the hand. At the time of its release in 1975, it was the flagship of Pentax’s new K-series:

  • Lens mount: K-mount (first generation, opening the door to decades of lenses)

  • Shutter speeds: 1s – 1/2000s + Bulb, with electronic and mechanical backup

  • Exposure modes: Aperture-priority auto exposure + full manual control

  • Viewfinder: Bright, clear with 92% coverage

  • ASA range: 8–6400 (though that ASA ring will test your patience)

Its use is very straightforward, even for someone just starting out with film photography. Prices are steadily climbing, but the K2 remains an excellent example of Japanese engineering in cameras — built by Pentax, the pioneer of SLRs in Japan.

My only real complaint? Whoever designed that ASA ring clearly wasn’t thinking much about practicality at the time.

Philippos Pattichis