Pentax Spoimatics have long been among the most popular of the 35mm SLRs. Adding a built-in, cross-coupled exposure meter turned the early Pentax SLRs into “Spot-matics.” Yet even the recent Spotmatic models use basically the same shutter and transport systems as do the early Pentax cameras. Most of the variations you’ll encounter among Pentax Spotmatics are in the exposure-meter systems. The original Spoimatics use stopped-down metering and screw-mount lenses. But later models changed to full-aperture metering and bayonet-mount lenses. Yet, once past the exposure meter, you’ll find the familiar Pentax shutter and transport. Even the fully automatic, electronically controlled Spotmatics -- the ES models -- retain the same basic shutter mechanism. The ES just adapts the Pentax shutter and transport systems for fully automatic shutter-speed control. That’s why the K1000 provides a good representative for your thorough study. You’ll be servicing many variations of the same camera. Also, the K1000 is quite representative in several general categories. It provides an excellent example of the double-roller focal-plane shutter, the mirror operation of the single-lens reflex, and the electrically cross-coupled exposure-meter system.