Pentax thread mount cameras - Taken from long gone website

Two excellent pages are available with description of before spotmatic cameras and Spotmatics. Some brief information is also available at the Pentax FAQ page. I don't want to repeat it here.

I consider Spotmatics as one of the best thread mount cameras available and have and use extensively two - the Spotmatic (SP) and Spotmatic F (SPF). They are very well made and perform well. The only problem with spotmatics is that they are overpriced. A year ago, Spotmatic F with 50/1.4 SMC Takumar was sold at about $195 (AUD). However, prices on Spotmatics dropped considerably during the last year and the last three Spotmatics were sold at the Cash Converters at Canberra for a very attractive $95 (AUD).
Spotmatic F, the latest of Spotmatics, is often considered to be the best camera of the series. It may be true, but if you buy one, you must be prepared that some lenses will not fit it. For example, Russian made Zenitar 16/2.8 Fish Eye would not mount on the camera. Another Russian lens, the Rubinar 500/5.6 mirror, causes sticking of the mirror at the up position on my Spotmatic F. There are no problems with the Spotmatic SP.

To quote from [1]: "If the objective is to buy a lightweight, quiet and reliable camera outfit that delivers top-quality images at the modest price, then a Pentax Spotmatic or SV/S1a outfit must be a strong contender. If you are also concerned to achieve a financial return on your investment, then the Pentax is rather less attractive."

From  Gary E.:
While I've been a serious photographer for approximately 50 years, I float in and out of the seriousness I bring to the game. At one low-ebb photography period, in 1968, I purchased a Honeywell Pentax SP 500 merely to produce some transparencies for a real estate project.
I subsequently started using the camera for vacation transparencies while viewing the results solely via a slide projector.
Ten years later, I began making medium format black & white negatives for the media to produce 16 X 20 prints, exclusively for sale. The Pentax SP 500 was relegated to an office drawer where it remained for a number of years.
After moving into a house where the walls required large ▒artwork' I went back through some 20 year old transparencies I'd produced with the SP 500. I found a couple that were appropriate and had them enlarged by The SlidePrinter in Denver, Colorado to approximately 3 X 4 FEET. The sharpness of the prints was stunning!
I instantly began looking at my old Pentax SP 500 through new eyes. I gradually acquired a few more Takumar lenses and eventually another body, via the Internet.
While I retain two medium format cameras and a Nikon 35 mm I use my Pentax on almost a daily basis. Great workhorse. I recently acquired a Pentax ES II body to supplement my system.
Yeah. . . it's still kinda of a pain switching lenses anywhere between 20mm and 200mm but the payoff is the quality and sharpness. At one time, I had owned a Leica and the sharpness of the Takumar lenses compare favorably to the various Leica lenses I had at that time.
Currently my complete photography operation is digitized; Adobe PhotoShop, high quality CD scans, Epson Stylus 2000P printer, etc. That is, except for the camera. I continue to use my various Pentaxes, SP 500, IIa, ES II, etc. These cameras and their respective Takumar lenses are gems and can currently be acquired at almost give-away prices.

Would you like to share your experience with Pentax thread mount cameras?