Pentax K5IIs with Super Takumar M42 Mount

<p>So, I have recently converted over to using mostly older prime lenses on my K5IIs. The problem I've encountered is that this camera is a new DSLR, designed to work mostly with modern zoom and automatic prime lenses and when using these older lenses my light meter does not want to function! This is frustrating as I've read the manual and tried different things but nothing seems to work. I have the M42 - K mount adapter which allows use of older Takumar and Zeiss lenses.<br>

There is a menu setting 'C' Custom Settings #4 which allows you to set the shutter to fire (permitted) with the aperture ring set to manual, unfortunately, there is no setting which allows you to control the light meter! How do I fix this?<br>

The only thing I can figure is since the camera's software is designed to read the appropriate aperture and bases it's light reading on the F-stop, that if it can't read the F-stop it doesn't want to give an appropriate light reading. Does anyone have experience with this on the K5/K5II/K5IIs model cameras?</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<p>Joe</p>

<p>No such issues with my K-5...did they change something ? seems strange.<br>

Pete</p>

<p>Have you got 'use aperture ring...permitted' in menu item 27 ? Only thing I can think of.<br /> I just stick it in Manual and hit the green button to meter. Or if I'm happy to have the lense wide open ( usually with the K50/1.2), I use Av, no green button press needed :)</p>

<p>Av or M modes should work fine. Of course, aperture can only be controlled manually, but once you stop down the lens, the camera should meter with that setting.</p>

<p>With older Pentax cameras, I had to dial in an exposure adjustment for each aperture - I started from -1EV @wide open and then I added about 1/3-2/3Ev for each additional stop when stopping down. I don't know if the K-5+ cameras still require this kind of adjustment. But for a given aperture and adjustment, the camera should meter pretty reliably.</p>

Genuine Pentax Takumar lenses have an A/M switch on

the lens itself. This must be set to M. In this mode the

aperture stops down as you turn the ring.

 

In A mode, the lens only stops down when the camera

pushes the little pin on the back of the lens. No dslr can

push that pin, so you must use M mode.

 

On my K10d, I use Av metering mode, focus wide open,

stop down to the desired aperture, let the camera pick the

shutter speed and shoot.

<p>Any of that make sense Joe ?</p>

<p>I don't think this has changed, operation is similar for all Pentax DSLRs. (Models without the 'green button' generally used the AE-L button for the same purpose.)</p>

<p>As others noted you can use Av mode, but you need to stop down the lens yourself.</p>

<p>For M mode, you can stop the lens down yourself, then press the green button to automatically set the shutter speed appropriately. </p>

<p>For all older lenses without the electronic contacts and 'A' on the aperture ring, the camera doesn't support full aperture metering -- the lens must be stopped down before the meter reading can be used. For early K-mount lenses, this could be done by using the green button to quickly stop down the lens for metering, then the lens would be stopped down to preset aperture when shooting. For screwmount (M42, etc.) lenses, the camera can't stop down the lens, it's up to the photographer; set lens switch to M, open aperture for focusing, then stop down aperture with ring to desired shooting aperture. Either shoot Av for automatic shutter speed, or use M and set speed with green button.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Andrew said<br>

"...For screwmount (M42, etc.) lenses, the camera can't stop down the lens, it's up to the photographer; set lens switch to M, open aperture for focusing, then stop down aperture with ring to desired shooting aperture. Either shoot Av for automatic shutter speed, or use M and set speed with green button. "</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm sorry i think this is incorrect. The camera most certainly can stop down these lenses.<br /> In manual, it stops them down to either meter or with dof preview. Then stops it down on shutter release.</p>

<p>Peter, I believe that you are thinking of the early k-mount (bayonet) lenses. A modern Pentax dslr can stop those lenses down.</p>

<p>However, the old M42 (screwmount) lenses, such as the Super Takumar, Super Multi-Coated Takumar or SMC Takumars, use an entirely different mechanism. And, no, no dslr has the mechanism to stop these lenses down. This is done by pushing a little silver pin that stick out of the lens mount, pointing directly back into the camera. The K5 (any variant), can not do that.</p>

<p>As others have pointed out, metering must be done by the old stop-down method. That is, the lens must be stopped down manually to the desired working aperture to meter. For some of us, this is not a problem. My first real camera was a Spotmatic, for which these lenses were made.</p>

<p>No, I was refering to M42 lens on M42/K adapter. I was fooled by all the stopping down noise that issues forth :) </p>

<p>I was able to find a thread online that tells you how to set the camera up for older lenses. Funny that Pentax doesn't provide this in the user manual. I understand that Canon and Nikon wouldn't but Pentax has always been a photographer's camera and it's common knowledge that there are millions of old M42 mount lenses still in circulation. Oh well... at least I was able to figure it out. Thank for your all your responses.</p>