Cosina's budget mechanical K-mount SLR — the CT-1, metered manual, 1979.
The Cosina CT-1 was a 35mm film SLR made from 1979 by Cosina, a Japanese manufacturer that supplied cameras both under its own name and as rebadged bodies for other brands. The CT-1 used the Pentax K bayonet and was a plain, budget-oriented body that formed the basis for several later variants and OEM cameras.
It is a single-lens-reflex camera for 35mm film on the Pentax K mount. The CT-1 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 light meter. It follows a simple, no-frills control layout.
It suits beginners and students who want an inexpensive, dependable manual body to learn on. The mechanical shutter and metered-manual operation make it forgiving, and the K mount keeps lenses cheap and easy to obtain.
On the used market the CT-1 is very affordable and widely available, partly because Cosina made so many related bodies. Check foam seals and mirror-damper foam, verify the mechanical shutter fires at all speeds with the battery out, and test the meter with a fresh cell. Inspect advance, rewind and screen; build quality is basic, so look for wear, though the simple mechanics are relatively serviceable.