The Pentax K2, released in 1975, was the flagship of the trio of cameras (K2, KX, KM) with which Asahi Pentax launched the K bayonet mount — the mount that, remarkably, still underpins Pentax DSLRs today.
It offers aperture-priority automatic exposure plus full manual control, an electronically governed vertical-travel metal shutter running from 8 seconds to 1/1000, TTL centre-weighted metering with an unusually wide ISO 8-6400 range set via a ring around the lens throat, depth-of-field preview, and a bright full-information viewfinder in a robust all-metal body.
Its significance is foundational: as the first flagship K-mount body it anchors any Pentax collection, it was among the more sophisticated auto-exposure SLRs of the mid-1970s, and its relative scarcity next to the ubiquitous K1000 — plus the coveted motor-drive K2 DMD variant — explains why UK asking prices now average a serious £385.
UK used-buying checks: the shutter is electronically timed, so bring a fresh 6V battery (or ask the seller to fit one) and verify all speeds fire — a K2 that only clicks at one mechanical fallback speed needs specialist repair that few UK technicians offer; check the light seals and mirror damper foam, universally perished by now; confirm the meter needle responds sensibly against a phone meter; inspect the aperture-coupling ring at the mount for smooth movement; and if the top plate says 'K2 DMD', that motor-drive-capable variant commands a substantial premium — verify accordingly.