Pentax 6x7 Lenses on Pentax Digital?

[steve_rasmussen]

I'm sure the Pentax K-Mount Adapter can be used to mount Pentax 6x7 lenses on

the K-Mount digital cameras. Anyone done this? Images turn out OK?

[danny_wong2]

Yes, it works - BUT- the 67 lens are HUGH when mounted on the DSLR. They are all good lens and Images are more than OK. I use the 400/4/67 and 300/4EDIF/645 on my K10/20D.

 

Unless you have the lenses already I would not go buy them and hunt down an adapter to use them.

[frank_skomial]

I used Pentax 6x7 lenses on Pentax MX or K1000 film 35 mm cameras using the original Pentax adapter that mounts the lenses perfectly. That was more of a curiosity or proof that it could be done, and not from real need for.

 

Never considered using or getting digital body for Pentax 6x7 lenses. Never considered getting DSLR Pentax body for my 35 mm Pentax/Soligor/Vivitar/Tokina lenses in the Pentax K mount either. SInce I have an array of Nikon lenses - if I did not have ? - who knows ? - never say never...

 

It is a pitty, that there can be no, (correct me if I am wrong), any digital back or something for the Pentax 6x7 camera. Lenses are great.

[brad_n]

I asked my local camera shop about this because they had plenty of used 645 and 67 lenses and they were fairly inexpensive. THe salesperson, who is also an experienced photographer of many years, told me that if I don't already have them then its not really a way to go. He said they have lower quality glass, too much glass, and are quite heavy. His analogy was that a medium format lens would have to be much more expensive to equal quality of a 35 or DSLR lens because of the size of the glass. Makes sense to me.

[jlkphoto]

I wouldn't take the word of that salesperson. Almost all the 67 lenses are incredible on the 67 camera itself. When used on a DSLR, even a full frame DSLR, you are only using the center of the image circle...in other words, the sweet spot of any lens.

 

I have not tried it but I would imagine there's a chance the image quality may even be BETTER than with a 35mm or digital lens.

 

The weight and size are still issues.

[frank_skomial]

"too much glass, and are quite heavy" - that perhaps was a reason for using that much glass? - like providing great picture quality for the coverage size ? - so heavy.

 

But I agree with him on "its not really a way to go" -in the current rush of excellent new DSLR camera models.

[stemked]

I used to use a 35mm body as a backup when I hiked with my 67 'system' (well two lenses, a TC, and a body). It sure beat bringing a second 67 body with me.

 

It's actually pretty funny to have a 67 lens on a small body like that, but certainly it works, and you can dial in the focal length and get image stabolization on the digital bodies that have this feature. But no, I wouldn't recommend it either.

[thomas_janik]

Hi Steve:

 

I used some of my 67 lenses on a DS and agree with most of the previous comments (except the salesperson). I used my DS to check the 67 500mm f5.6 vs the 300mm ED + 2x. You can see the shots via this thread: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KyqS

There is a full frame shot with the 300 wide open and it is quite sharp. I also once compared the 50mm M f1.4 to the 67 55-100mm zoom once; the 67 lens was the equal of the 35mm lens (but a lot heavier)

 

It seems to me that the real value of the 67 (or 645) lenses on DSLR would be with something like the Zoerk PSA shift adapter, allowing the use of most of the image circle of the 67 lens by stitching multiple exposures producing the equivalent of 40-60MP. Unfortunately the adapter is expensive but it can be ordered to fit almost any DSLR not just Pentax. I was waiting for the Pentax 645D, but now I may try the Zoerk.

http://www.zoerk.com/pages/p_pshift.htm

[tony_cunningham]

Hi Steve - I have almost a full set of P67 lenses (except the zooms) and have been using Pentax digital cameras since the first weeks of the one with the silly name (* ist D or something similar). I agree almost completely with Brad's sales person - a rare thing these days.

 

From what I can remember the 45 mm was excellent and the 55 mm useless. The 75 mm was so-so, 90 mm not tried, 135 mm useless, 200 mm just about ok. The 400 mm can't remember and the 600 mm was disappointing. The 45 mm does make a very entertaining lens on a little 6 MP camera.

 

I skipped the K10D, but while waiting for the K20D I purchased a K100D super. This is superb with the old 35 mm lenses. I can hand hold the 500/4 with anti-shake on and get excellent results. The 300/4 is brilliant. I expect hand holding the P67 600/4 may also be possible (for very brief periods!)

 

In time I will try all the P67 lenses on the K100D super and the K20D for you and report back - it could be that I will revise the statements above as I have a lot more digital experience now. I am rather busy at the moment so if you give me a priority list that would be a help - sorry can't help with your beloved zooms though!

[steve_rasmussen]

Thanks guys!

[tony_cunningham]

Steve - I have now tested the Pentax 67 45, 55, 75, 90, 135 and 200 mm lenses on a K100D super and contrary to my comments above, which related to the istD, I could not fault any of them, except perhaps the 135 mm (not even certain about that). Some of the photos were as sharp as anything I have seen on a digital camera.

 

I particularly remember the images I took with the 55 mm and the istD - severe flare and what I thought were internal reflections. The only flare I could achieve with the 55 mm yesterday was with a low sum in the image and even that was not excessive. I have no idea what could have caused the difference.

 

It is much easier to show these images than describe them so I will set up a website. I was planing to do this sometime anyhow.

[steve_rasmussen]

Thanks for following up Tony. There has always been the perception that Medium Format lenses are generally not as sharp as lenses made for smaller formats. Equally corrected lenses for 35mm and 67 will show that the larger format lenses will not perform as well, due to scaling up of the design and the geometric nature of aberrations. However, designers are aware of this fact and compensate by optimizing the Medium Format designs further than the smaller format designs. The results are what I have expected; that 67 lenses can in fact be as sharp as their smaller format brethren.