How workable are A Pentax lenses with an autofocus camera like the ZX 7?

[leonard_isaksson]

I just bought a Pentax ZX 7, which has a normal lens, and two longer

lenses. Now if I wish to lay hold of a landscape type wider lens,

will the A mount lenses work well with this camera? I got a manual

focus lens with it, from 70-222. The A lenses must have to, but

pardon me, I am too ignorant to know this. I was looking around for

information on the 28mm A smc lens on the site, but did not see an

answer to this.

 

It is a basic question, do the A lenses work on the newer Pentax?

They must. I was reading that the ist does not work with some of the

older finer lenses.

 

I do not see this addressed in the manual, just the subject of the

lenses that work with the flash, and their best ability.

 

 

 

Thanks for any help to a rank novice.

[stemked]

70-222?

 

Hi Leonard.

 

The ZX-7 will work with ANY K-mount lens and any 42mm screw mount. Some notes:

 

Screw Mounts-stop down focusing required,no shutter priority or program modes.

 

pre-A K mounts-no shutter priority or program modes.

 

'A' lenses-no autofocus (every thing else though works fine)

 

A piece of interesting trivia. With the ZX-7 and a non-autofocus K mount lens (notably in the A lenses) you can prefocus the camera place the camera somewhere where something will 'come into focus' (like you walking into the image)place the camera on 'autofocus and hold open the shutter with the shutter release. Now you can

 

1) drive a car into the focus area.

 

2) Wlak into to the focus area.

 

3) Wait for a bird to do same.

 

The camera will automatically take a photo for you. Cool huh? Only Pentax and Nikon cameras can do this (see snap focus).

[leonard_isaksson]

I found an answer to this basic type question, from year 2000, mainly, titled,

 

"Will manual lenses work with newer Pentax bodies?"

 

I could not find it before, I searched differently this time.

 

Well, hopefully it will help someone, to see a new reference to it.

[leonard_isaksson]

Thanks, Douglas:

 

That is just what I was looking for, and was thinking, but I had to ask. Say that is quite the thing that you shared about the autofocus, remarkable.

 

So which Pentax do you like to use, and which lenses, of the many available for these cameras, do you employ, like of the A lenses?

[Jochen_S]

I never took my Pentak AF serious, so I have manual focus lenses and AF standard zoom only. For manual focusing I prefer the old bodys, maybe just because I'm used to them ore like the focusing aids on their screens. I can't tell anything bad about my A 28mm 2.8, but I suppose it was in price optimized mass production so maybe it is mechanically not the salt of the earth - I had trouble with my 135 f2.8. For me 28mm is a unusual focal length; that means I use to go with 20 & 35mm mounted and have 28mm ready for cases when I can't get around it. Focusing even a 35mm f2.8 exactly is a little pain, but if you are into landscape you'll have time to use the electronic focusing aid and f2.0s are expensive, but maybe nice in some cases and surely convenient. The rectangular lenshood tailormade for the old M 28 f3.5 fits the f2.8.

[Sandeha Lynch]

I have a PK A 200mm F4 lens that I got second hand some years back. I've used it on an ME Super, on a P30t, on an MZ5, and now on my MZS. Works great on all of them.

[leonard_isaksson]

Thanks for your contributions here about your experiences with the lenses you have used.

[oldlenses]

Leonard,

The Pentax A lenses are very workable with the newest Pentax auto focus cameras. I own a new Pentax *ist and use an "SMC Pentax A 1:1.7 50mm" on this camera. With the aperture ring of the lens locked to the A position, all functions of the camera are available except the auto focus. I even use a Pentax M42 screw mount 28mm 1:3.5, with screw to k adapter.

Regards,

Jimmy