In my own experience, my most reliable Pentax body has been my PZ-1. Christmas present in 1995; used for most of my paying assignments and all travel since. In October 1998 I had the baseplate replaced because there was a crack in it, next to the battery compartment door. (Didn't affect anything, just didn't like having a crack there.) Last year, I asked my friendly local camera tech to check its meter and speeds against his calibration instruments, because the camera had never been serviced and I wanted to test some slide film without confounding variables. The report was that the meter and the speeds were spot on.
Actually, I also never had any trouble with my K1000, which I bought new in 1982 and which was basically my only camera for four years and my primary camera until about 1989. Then I lent it to someone, and he lost it. So I guess the durability prize among cameras I've owned is won jointly by the PZ-1 and the K1000. However, I ran more film through the PZ-1 and have subjected it to more moisture and temperature extremes. For those who read the above and happen to recall that I own an LX -- I've only had the LX since Oct. '99 and it just hasn't been through the experiences that the PZ-1 has ... yet. Eliminated from competition, due to having failed at least once, were my individual examples of the ME Super, the Super Program, the Program Plus, the P30t and the ZX-5n. ERNR My photographs hang on the virtual walls at http://members.aol.com/ernreed - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
