Pentax M42 to K mount adapter

Has anyone used 3rd party adapters recently and recommend a brand? The genuine

pentax adapter seems to be out of stock from Pentax in the US, and also at

adorama and bhphoto. If the Pentax adapter is available I'd be happy to go with

it. Since it is not available, i'd be glad if anyone with experience with 3rd

party adapters, could write to this post about any issues you may have faced.

 

There seem to be several adapters available on ebay, Kood, Marumi, Roxsen and so

on. Any specific comments?

 

 

Thanks in advance.

I have gotten at least three "General Brand" from B&H, and they have all been Bowers brand. The thing about them is that they have a little leaf spring that, when you bayonet the lens to the camera, catches on the lens locking mechanism (this is normal, it's supposed to do this). So when you try to remove the lens, it unscrews from the adapter, rather than the adapter coming out with the lens. Then you have to use the included wrench, which disengages the leaf spring while you twist the adapter out of the body.

 

I have taken to just removing the leaf spring. It means that the lens won't actually lock into the body, so you have to be careful they don't separate inadvertantly, but when you do go to remove the lens, the adapter comes out with it. I've never actually had a lens come off accidentally. The closest call was with a 300/4 Takumar; I had mounted it on a tripod using the lens tripod socket and then got tangled in the camera strap or something, so pulled down on one side of the camera. It turned maybe halfway to coming free.

 

FWIW.

I also bought the Bowers brand from B&H, and I hate it - for the reasons listed. The genuine Pentax brand adapter is so much better made, it is like night and day. With the Bowers, I was able to accidentally over-tighten my M42 lens, and the adapter turned inside the mount and I had one heck of a time getting it out again - of my brand new expensive Pentax *ist DS. I was freaked right out, thought I had ruined the camera. I also promptly lost the little wrench they give you, so that was the end of that experiment.

 

The genuine Pentax adapter needs no wrench, it comes out quickly and easily. Costs about double what the Bowers does - there is no reason I can think of not to buy the real thing.

 

Also, there is some fruity looking adapter being sold on eBay that has a 'lip' or 'rim' that protrudes above the inside of the K-mount. The more honest vendors will tell you that your M42 lens won't focus to infinity with this adapter - but most don't bother. Crooks. This adapter serves no purpose and anyone who buys it has been served, IMHO.

 

Buy the real thing. From Pentax. Works a treat.

 

It is usually out of stock at Pentax - put your order in, they get them every month or so. They've got the crappiest customer service for accessory sales I've ever seen. It's like 'service with a grudge'.

 

Used genuine adapters sometimes come up on eBay. The key is, the word Pentax or Asahi (I have one of each) are engraved, not painted on.

I bought a russian made adapter along with an order for an 85 F/2 russian lens. The Russian made adapter is NOT compatible with Pentax cameras. It's a little hard to describe the problem, but in short the adapter has material on it that prevents it from attaching to a Pentax body, and modification would be impossible without a lathe.

The Pentax branded adapter I later bought works fine, though it's a little slow to use. Like has been said, just keep looking 'til you can find the real thing.

I bought Hama, and had no problems ever since (10+) years.

Hama and a FSU product. Both work somehow, but removing them sucks.

I can most definitely agree to this :((

I have a KOOD M42>K adapter.

 

The first time I used it the leaf spring got jammed and I had a few tense moments trying to remove it. My experiences pretty much mirror what others have said. When I finally gor the adapter out the leaf spring snapped off and I have had no problems with it since.

 

I would prefer to have a Geniune PENTAX branded one but where on earth can they be bought from in the UK?

 

FWIW I have a collection of SMC-M lenses that I now use in preference to my M42s. Perhaps the only M42 lens that I covet now is the 135/2.8 Meyer Orestor in Zebra finish.

So...don't you reccomend HAMA adapter ?

I've one, but i have the same problems yet described

I just bought a Bower brand k-mount to screw mount adapter and the thing is totally stuck and will absolutely not come out. Is there a trick to getting it off without breaking something?

<p>The Pentax original is just fab. I have two, and I'm always on the lookout for more. (I'm not just greedy, I sell cameras, and people are always looking for these.)<br />The reason I have two is that I have one in my old 35mm kit, and one stays with my new digital. (It saves faffing around.) One of those I have used for years.<br>

You can often find them on eBay. (Please don't bid on any today I've got bids running!) A maximum bid of $10 including shipping should secure one. Sometimes they go for more, sometimes for a lot less. (Sometimes you get only one appearing, just when a lot of new eBay members are looking for one, and a bidding war follows.)<br>

The genuine Pentax article is bright plated brass, just like the camera mount itself and fits perfectly flush. Even though it would have been packed with a removal tool, you can easily unhook the spring tab with a thumbnail, and I have never had a problem with jamming on any K mount body. (I have tried them on a great many!)<br>

Most of the alternatives I have seen are aluminium, and the quality of the allow varies greatly.<br>

Most aluminium alloys are soft and 'grabby'. They have a tendancy to stick, and it is easy to shave a great lump of swarf off. Not something you want falling in your camera! This also means that the screw threads are easily damaged, and if a lens jams in the mount you can't get it off the camera.<br />(This can be pretty severe! I have seen lenses jammed in a K mount before. On a 35mm locking the shutter open can often let you get to the cause of the jam, but otherwise you need to dismantle the lens. If you can't unjam it, you need to drill through the back of the lens to reveal the screws that secure tha mounting ring to the camera. You cannot remove the mount with the lens fitted. Some lenses can't be dismantled when mounted, and then it's a hacksaw job! )<br>

Also, some do not properly register the lens. Instead of sitting flush with the camera mount, they have a flange which forms a lip, and has a groove to engage the lens lock. (Just like a K mount lens has.) This meand that the lens will no longer focus at infinity, so not a <em>lot</em> of good. (The only reaon I can think as to why, is that the designer is aware of sloppy manufacturing tolerances which might mean that the spring tab solution would jam!)<br>

The genuine item can be easily identified by the following.<br>

1. It's very shiny!<br>

2. It's slim. (No flange.)<br>

3. Lettering on the front.<br>

4. there are two distinctive rectangular notches on the outside of the ring.<br>

<br />If you look on eBay note also the following.....<br>

It will not come from Hong Kong. The chinese government does not permit the import of cameras. Lenses yes. Cameras no. So any from China will <em>not</em> be genuine!<br>

<br />The seller will not have several identical items for sale under different titles. (Ebay this week banned duplicate listings for goods sold at a fixed price. This means that some unscrupulous sellers are resorting the practice of modifying titles in order to spam search results. It's agains ebay's rules, and you have to ask yourself how many other rules are they wiling to break!)</p>

<p>Also, if you are in the US, you will find that you will find the best bargains from UK sellers right now. The £UK is much lower compared with the $US than even three months ago. This time last year 1$ got you 56pence, now it gets you almost 80pence. Just over 20% more.<br />The shipping to the US is likewise cheap. These weigh very little.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Drew. <em>As a last resort</em> remove the lens mount-ring from the camera. <br>

Take great care with any contacts etc. These have tiny springs behind them. Easily lost or bent!<br>

Remove each of the six screws gradually working around the mount. You may find that the adapter can be freed just by loosening these screws a little. But whatever you do, do not force anything.<br>

If this sounds a little scary, you may have to take it to a professional repair shop.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>On the subject of those adapters which have a little lip on them so they can lock in, I have one and usually it is useless because you can't focuss to infinity. But I have one lens, a russian MTO 500mm f/8 that actually focuses beyond infinity so when I put on the adapter it can still focus to infinity (and then still goes a little bit further), so if you find your lens focuses beyond infinity these may be a good idea.</p>