Elicar 55mm macro k/AR mount?

Does anyone know if I will be able to mount this lens on a k10D? I am in need of

a 1:1 macro to do jewelry photography and this seems just right if it will fit...

 

thanks,

 

Jessica

Sounds like it's a Konica AR mount lens, in which case no it won't mount on a Pentax. You may be thinking or Ricoh, which made a fair number of K mount lenses (designated as K/R if IIRC). However, some of those have an extra pin which can get caught on the autofocus driver on the K10D lens mount, so you can't take the lens off the camera without extraordinary measures.

K/AR is Konica AR mount, which is possibly adaptable to 4/3rds mount, but not to any other mount due to its very short (40.5mm) register.

 

However the lens pictured is not a Konica AR lens(If you're looking at the same eBay Ad I found via google). The aperture scale is the wrong way around and it's also missing the A position at the right end of the aperture scale (AR lenses are the inverse of KA lenses for aperture scale).

 

That's either a Nikon F or Pentax K lens, based on the ad, most likely a KA mount for Pentax

rick oleson's pager and his lens mount identification guids

( scroll down orage text below HI

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/

 

very well done site.

this will give you clues to what a pentax or other lensmount looks like.

You can look for 50mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lenses in K/A mount that were labeled Kiron or Vivitar Series I. Same lens, and an outstanding performer.

 

I once spent a week in Acadia NP, and never took the lens off the body.

I have never seen a 50/2.8 macro lens with the Vivitar or Kiron or Vivitar Series 1 name. There was a 55/2.8 lens which was sold under the Vivitar (not Series 1) and Panagor names. It also showed up as a Quantaray lens markes 55/3. On a K10D the field of view provided by a 50-55mm macro lens will be adequate for most subjects. With the smallest pieces you will be better off with a lens in the 90-105 range because a 50-55 lens will leave very little working room.

The Elicar Macro lenses is highly rated in Europe and ranked one of the top lenses in a magazine shoot out back in 90's. Elicar was marketed/targeted for Dental field use as a system with ring flash and body as one unit, just like the fame Lester Dine Macro that people here in US rave so much about which also started out as dedicated Dental equipment. Elicar never attained the reputation here like it did in Europe but the performance to price ratio cannot be beat.

 

You don't come across too many Elicar lenses on ebay or any other place for that matter, compare with other third party brands or even Lester Dine, so if the price is right, go for it. You can't go wrong with Elicar Macro lenses, all metal construction and focuse down to 1:1 and vary good performance across the field. I have the Elicar 90mm HQ f2.5 and vary please with it.

 

With jewelry, the issue you'll have with the 50mm focal length is how to light the subject with the lens so close to it, trick, use reflectors. goood luck.

thanks for all the information everyone! One of the reasons I was looking for a 50mm lens was so I could easily adjust the pieces while shooting. Previously I shot my work with my Nikon 4500 that I bought in 2001 which had no working distance at all. Anything will be an improvement over that!

I picked up one of these on eBay a few weeks ago, and have been having fun with it on my K10D. My sample was old-stock, new-in box. It's a nicely made lens, though I find the focusing ring action to be a bit "tight". That may loosen up with some use, though.

 

As others have noted, it's entirely metal construction, and the feel harkens back to an older time. It's not too heavy, and it balances well on the K10D body. The front element is deeply recessed, which pretty much obviates the need for a lens hood.

 

The lens mount is marked PK-A/R, and the lens communicates the aperture settings to the K10D body (and vice versa) just fine (when the lens aperture ring is set to "A"). I have not noticed any exposure problems with the lens. Sharpness is very good, and so far, the bokeh is pleasing, though I haven't shot anything with strong, out-of-focus specular highlights.

 

All this having been said, I find that I prefer my MF Tamron 90mm f2.5 macro lens to this, even though the Tamron only produces a 1:2 image (unless one uses an extension tube or teleconverter). The 90mm focal length gives a more comfortable working distance, and I find the contrast of images made with the Tamron to be more pleasing. These lenses often come up for sale on eBay, and for not too much more than what the Elicar seems to sell for.<div></div>