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 !