Cosina's budget mechanical K-mount SLR — the C1s, metered manual, 1993.
The Cosina C1s was a 35mm film SLR made from 1993 and was one of Cosina's later budget K-mount bodies. It served as the basis for a number of rebadged cameras sold by other brands in the 1990s, continuing Cosina's long role as an OEM maker of low-cost manual SLRs.
It is a single-lens-reflex camera for 35mm film on the Pentax K mount. The C1s is a metered-manual SLR with TTL metering and a mechanically controlled focal-plane shutter, so it can fire without a battery, the cell powering only the meter. The body is light, largely plastic and simple in operation.
It suits beginners and students wanting a cheap, dependable manual body, and its light weight makes it easy to carry. The K mount means lenses are inexpensive, so it works well as a starter camera or a low-cost backup.
On the used market the C1s is inexpensive and often found rebadged under other names. Inspect the foam seals and mirror-damper foam, confirm the mechanical shutter fires across speeds without a battery, and test the meter with a fresh cell. Check advance, rewind and screen; the plastic build is basic, so look for cracks and wear, though the simple shutter is comparatively repairable.