Story about my 'First PENTAX' and the 'reunion'

After I left the British Army in 1958 i wanted to get into 'Medical Photography' but no jobs so  did 'Microbiological Research' with May & Baker Company, then  after getting the first of my Photography Qualifications managed to get a job with 'Breda Studios' in Barking, Essex England - they had a contract to do all the Press Photos for the 'Barking Advertiser' newspaper - I was put saving all their dreadful negs in the Darkroom but occasionally got a  Press Photo assignment -- however, using the pre-war Zeiss CONTAX  III with it's very small viewfinder was often cutting of top of heads of VIP's such as The Mayor ! 

  One of the Partners had been in the RAF in Singapore - CHEEEP Cameras !  He had a couple of weird cameras called 'Asahi Pentax'  thsn nobody had ever heard of with weird lenses called 'Takumars'  when all we knew were Leitz Elmars, Zeiss Tessars and Sonnars - but the RESULTS !!!   one  day I spotted a small crowd of  Camera-Starved Brits pressing their noses to the window of the  Local Camera Dealers -- I rushed over -- inside was ONE ONLY 'Japanese Camera -- an Asahi Pentax S3' priced £87 ( a FORTUNE !! ) in Pride of Place ! 

I rushed in, offered my CONTAX in part exchange and  rushed out , the Proud Owner of an Asahi Pentax !

Several years and many Photo awards later I sold it for £20 to a Bloke. About 40 years later he contacted me - " Peter -- that camera you sold me doesn't work -- do you want it back?" --  well he delivered a Dusty Box -- inside was my ORIGINAL 1961 Asahi Pentax S3 all filthy !  I cleaned body , took off base-plate , lubricated the Cogs and Levers and tried it -- it 'Creaked Into ACTION once again !' 

Now I cannot show the photos as the Nikon UPLOADER will not allow it for some reason ! Only ONE photo allowed !

After I left the British Army in 1958 i wanted to get into 'Medical Photography' but no jobs so did 'Microbiological Research' with May & Baker Company, then after getting the first of my Photography Qualifications managed to get a job with 'Breda Studios' in Barking, Essex England - they had a contract to do all the Press Photos for the 'Barking Advertiser' newspaper - I was put saving all their dreadful negs in the Darkroom but occasionally got a Press Photo assignment -- however, using the pre-war Zeiss CONTAX III with it's very small viewfinder was often cutting of top of heads of VIP's such as The Mayor !
One of the Partners had been in the RAF in Singapore - CHEEEP Cameras ! He had a couple of weird cameras called 'Asahi Pentax' thsn nobody had ever heard of with weird lenses called 'Takumars' when all we knew were Leitz Elmars, Zeiss Tessars and Sonnars - but the RESULTS !!! one day I spotted a small crowd of Camera-Starved Brits pressing their noses to the window of the Local Camera Dealers -- I rushed over -- inside was ONE ONLY 'Japanese Camera -- an Asahi Pentax S3' priced £87 ( a FORTUNE !! ) in Pride of Place !
I rushed in, offered my CONTAX in part exchange and rushed out , the Proud Owner of an Asahi Pentax !
Several years and many Photo awards later I sold it for £20 to a Bloke. About 40 years later he contacted me - " Peter -- that camera you sold me doesn't work -- do you want it back?" -- well he delivered a Dusty Box -- inside was my ORIGINAL 1961 Asahi Pentax S3 all filthy ! I cleaned body , took off base-plate , lubricated the Cogs and Levers and tried it -- it 'Creaked Into ACTION once again !'
Now I cannot show the photos as the Nikon UPLOADER will not allow it for some reason ! Only ONE photo allowed ! 31527021805_71a4a4e5d0_c.jpg

I'm a little late to this post...but...
I believe the S3 was the same as the H3 sold in the states under Honeywell distribution. My aunt, who was a WWII vet, became a medical photographer in NYC. The hospital she worked was often where pro sport stars of NY went. She had given me a picture she took of Babe Ruth a week or two before his passing. Also pics of Joe DiMaggio and even an autographed Joe Namath pic. Anyway, in her later years she gave me all here cameras, including the Pentax H3 with a 55mm f/2 auto-takumar (which I still have and works fine), a Nikon F with the 58/1.4, 55/3.5 micro, and the 105/2.5 lenses. She also gave me a Rolleiflex Automat MX. I did sell off the Nikon and Rolleiflex, unfortunately, but I've since repurchased a couple of Nikon F's and 3 Rolleiflexes. I'm guessing I'm not the only fool who sold off their film cameras in the late 90s only to repurchase them in the 2020's.

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TONY - hope you learnt a Lesson -- DON'T GET RID OF ROLLEIS when they are 'Gifted' !!