Head to head
Pentax K1000 vs Minolta X-700
Both turn up on every "first film SLR" shortlist, and both are cheap, plentiful, and built around the same 35mm SLR job. The split is philosophical. The K1000 is a fully manual, match-needle camera with no automation at all, while the X-700 is an aperture-priority machine with a program mode and an electronics-dependent shutter. One asks you to set everything; the other will run the exposure for you if you let it.
How they differ
In the hand, the K1000 is a brick in the good sense. No batteries needed to fire it (the cell only powers the meter), one shutter speed dial, one aperture ring, a needle in the finder you center. That is the whole interface. The X-700 gives you a brighter viewfinder, an LED readout instead of a needle, aperture-priority and program auto, exposure lock, and TTL flash with the dedicated Minolta units. It also has a self-timer and a more refined feel overall. The tradeoff is that the X-700 is electronic to the core, so a dead battery means a dead camera (it only has a couple of mechanical backup behaviors, not full manual operation).
On glass and cost, both win. Pentax K-mount lenses are everywhere and the SMC Takumars and later K-series primes are excellent and cheap. Minolta MD/MC mount glass is arguably an even better value right now because Minolta manual lenses stayed under the radar, so a Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.7 is a steal. Bodies are similar money used, though clean X-700s sometimes ask a bit more for the features. The one reliability note worth knowing: X-700s can suffer capacitor failures that kill the camera, a known and usually repairable fault, whereas the K1000's simplicity means there is very little to go wrong.
Choose Pentax K1000
Pick the K1000 if you want to learn exposure with nothing hiding from you, or if you want a camera that will keep shooting for decades with almost nothing to break. It is the right choice for a student, a teacher's recommended body, or anyone who likes deciding every setting by hand. If a dead battery on a trip would ruin your day, the all-mechanical shutter is the safer bet.
Full Pentax K1000 guide →Choose Minolta X-700
Pick the X-700 if you want auto-exposure to lean on when light is changing fast, a brighter and more informative viewfinder, and proper TTL flash. It suits someone shooting events, street, or travel who wants to grab a frame in aperture-priority and move on, while still having full manual when they want it. The richer feature set makes it the more versatile everyday camera.
Full Minolta X-700 guide →The verdict
Close call, and it comes down to how you like to work. Want a teacher that never quits and never automates? K1000. Want a brighter finder and aperture-priority for shooting on the move? X-700. Both deliver great results on cheap, abundant glass, so buy the cleanest body you can find and put the savings into lenses and film.