use of pentax K mount lenses on Pentax K10D

Hi

 

I am thinking of getting a pentax K10D but I already have several Pentax K mount

lenses ( including 28mm 50mm 135 and 70-150mm zoom) previously used with a film

camera.

 

Has anyone used K mount film lenses on the K10D?

 

Would it be sensible just to buy the body to use with the old K mount lenses

(allowing for the difference in effective focal length given the smaller

sensor)or would I get better results with the 18-45mm digital zoom lens that

comes with the K10D kit?

 

I mostly do landscape, nature (bird) and some portrait photography very much as

an amateur.

 

Thanks

 

Bob

Just slap 'em on and shoot away. Pentax is very proud of the fact that just about all lenses with the Pentax bayonet mount can be used on all bayonet mount Pentax SLRs and DSLRs. Thje only problem is that Pentax M and A lenses won't give you the automatic exposure and focus features. But you can use tham by using the manual controls. Good Shooting!

I have used a Pentax *ist DL for a while and have amassed a rather large stockpile of old Pentax lenses. All Pentax A lenses, lenses that on the aperture ring have an A (usually green and past the smallest aperture), will meter perfectly, but not AF. I also have many screw mount Pentax lenses and use them with an adapter. They also meter, even though the exposure isn't always perfect. Have fun with your shooting!

Hi

 

Thanks for the information and reassurance.

 

Body only it is.

 

regards.

 

Bob

Bob,

 

As Danny intimates, all generations of Pentax lenses can be used on the K10D

successfully.

 

All lenses from the Pentax-A series onwards are a no-brainer ... just stick them on, set

aperture ring to the A position set camera to Manual Focus, focus, meter and shoot. All

the metering options are fully supported, and if you power cycle the camera when you

change lenses, it will automatically ask you what focal length for the shake reduction

when you power it back on. (You can set it manually too using the menu.)

 

Prior series K-mount lenses require a little setup and understanding. In the Custom

Settings, set the option to permit use of the aperture ring (do this once ... leave it that

way). When you fit the lens, set the camera to Manual exposure mode and Manual Focus.

Focus, set the aperture you want to use on the lens. Only cw averaging and spot metering

modes are available. Frame your subject and press the green button ... the camera will

stop the lens down briefly and set an exposure time. When your setting is near wide open,

this is pretty accurate, but if you've stopped the lens down a bit you'll learn by experience

that it is a bit over-exposed and you'll tweak the setting a bit to compensate. I usually do

a test exposure using the digital preview function with the histogram enabled. The camera

will also do Av autoexposure mode with these lenses but the lens will *always* remain

wide open for the exposure, the aperture setting will be ignored. (The shake reduction

setting will be the same as for the A series lenses.

 

For M42 thread mount lenses, the setup is the same as for the K-mount lenses but the iris

is controlled 100% manually. This means that you must set the lens opening to the desired

setting with the A-M switch on the lens set to M ... the viewfinder will become dark as you

stop the lens down. The upside of this is that if you choose to use Av metering mode, you

can use other than wide-open aperture ... the camera knows nothing of the actual lens

opening and will just set an exposure time to suit.

 

The Pentax bodies are quite flexible at this and work well. Many people I know bought

their Pentax DSLR bodies exclusively to use the older series Pentax lenses they already

had.

 

The one thing that you should keep in mind, however, is that the DSLRs have a smaller

format than 35mm cameras. The sensor is 16x24mm in size, not 24x36, so a 35mm wide

angle lens on your Pentax film SLR will be a normal lens on the DSLRs. what this means is

that if you want wide angle field of view, you will need to buy a shorter focal length lens.

The field of view of that old 28mm lens on your film SLR is pretty close to what you'd get

with an 18-20mm focal length lens on the DSLRs. Similarly, what you used to see with a

20mm lens on your film SLR will require a 14mm focal length on the DSLR.

 

Godfrey

Pentax's backward compatibility is unmatched by any other manufacturer.<div></div>