C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →slr-35mm
The Pentax K2 was the top model in the original K-mount family when Asahi introduced its bayonet system in 1975. Sitting above the manual-only KX and entry KM, the K2 added aperture-priority automatic exposure to the mechanical competence of the line. Its most notable technical distinction is the vertical-travel metal blade shutter with a top speed of 1/4000s — unusual for 1975, when most competing bodies topped out at 1/1000s or 1/2000s. The result was the fastest flash sync in the K-series at the time, at 1/125s, and a meaningful advantage for action and available-light photographers.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Pentax's 1975 flagship K-mount launch, with a then-rare 1/4000s vertical metal shutter and aperture-priority AE.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Pentax K |
| Years | 1975-1979 |
| Shutter | 8s - 1/4000s + Bulb, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPC, EV 1-18 |
| Exposure modes | Aperture-priority AE, manual |
| Viewfinder | ~92% coverage, ~0.87x |
| Weight | ~645 g (body only) |
| Battery | 2x AA |
Asahi Optical launched the K-mount system in 1975 simultaneously with four bodies: the K2 (flagship AE), KX (full-featured manual), KM (basic manual), and the ES II carry-over. The K2 was designed to compete with the Canon EF and Minolta XE-7, both of which offered aperture-priority at the high end of the market. The K2 DMD variant was released shortly after to accept the optional motor-drive unit, which is the first motor-driven Pentax SLR. Production ended around 1979 as the compact M-series took over the K-mount lineup.
The 1/4000s shutter was a genuine differentiator in 1975. At a time when Nikon's F2 topped out at 1/2000s and most consumer bodies at 1/1000s, the K2 offered sports photographers finer motion-stopping latitude. The camera represents the high-water mark of Pentax's ambitions for the K-mount before the company pivoted toward the lighter, more consumer-oriented M-series. For collectors, it is the flagship of a historically significant mount transition.
Pentax K mount. All SMC Pentax-K lenses released at launch couple fully with the K2's meter. The SMC Pentax 50/1.4, 50/1.2, 85/1.8, and 135/2.5 are natural companions. Later KA and KAF lenses mount and meter in aperture-priority. The K2 DMD variant accepts the Pentax Auto Winder (motor-drive unit), the first ever offered for a Pentax SLR.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →C41
Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Pentax K2
Image coming soon