photography. On the other hand the one you have may be beyond economical repair. Get
an estimate. If it costs more than you limit to repair then look for a clean MX, you can probably
find one in good to excellent condition from $150-$250 depending on cosmetic condition. The KX is also a very good choice well built and robust, the major draw back is that it was made
for a relatively short period of time, and the newest one is about 30 years old. Parts may be difficult
to find if something goes wrong, and at that age many things could go wrong.
The K1000 is the simplest of the K bodys, very well built, very reliable, made for almost two decades
so there are lots of parts cameras if need be. It's only drawbacks are its relatively high price vs. it's limited
feature set, (I've seen good condition K1000s selling for almost as much as the excellent condition MX in
the same case). The most glaring omission on the K1000 was the lack of a DOF preview, but there is
a workaround for those so inclined.
If you buy any of these cameras, unless you buy from a reputable store, be sure to figure to include the cost
of a CLA at your local store
Cerulean wrote:
Background info: I got a non-functional black MX from
an ex as a trade for my old barely-functional
computer. It came with three different lenses (don't
have the info with me of what they are), plus misc
filters, etc. The camera is in desperate need of
repair; the shutter release is stuck in the down
position, the cloth itself looks like it's messed up,
and the film advance won't advance.
I've done some research online of repair costs sending it in, etc, and figure I'll be putting in anywhere from $120 - $175 just to get it working again. Since I don't know the history of this body, I don't know if it'll have something else go bad next year or if it'll last for years to come. I'm considering Abilene Camera's Refurb or Gold options to maybe guard against the future.
I'd like a body that I can keep using for at least a couple years, the more the better. Other than longevity, I have small hands and want as much manual control as possible.
You can probably see where I'm going with this.
My question: Is it worth the money to have the MX repaired or refurbished, or should I invest in some other body (like a KX or K1000 or something else)?
Any and all comments are welcome and wanted. I'm saving money up for this, and will be buying an enlarger later on, so my budget is limited.
Thanks.
--
I can understand why mankind hasn't given up war. During a war you get to drive tanks through the sides of buildings and shoot foreigners - two things that are usually frowned on during peacetime.
--P.J. O'Rourke
