from darkness

Hello,

I cut out an old split screen from a defect Nikon camera.

Found some tutorials on the net.

Due to the fact that it was Nikon and not Pentax I had some doubts regarding the compatibility.

It works like charm. No back or front focus. I am using only manual lenses. It also measures the light correctly.

If you have an defect old film camera (Pentax would be nice) you can try it.

Total cost (for the defect camera) ~ 10EUR

Ok - only 3...

Sigma 10-20mm

Panagor 90mm/2.8 (macro 1:1) or Jupiter 85mm/2

Soligor 70-210/f3.5

Hello,

I have a Panagor 90/2,8 (macro 1:1) under this name were sold in Europe the Kiron lenses. A beautiful lens. Very sharp Pentax K mount. I bought the lens with 100EUR. It was not cheap but worth the money.

Vivitar is also a very good choice.

I used a Super Takumar Penatx 50/4 (macro 1:1) with adapter. Also a very good choice, but I prefered the 90mm lens instead.

Extension tubes are ok. Better as the converter. I have a Kenko 2X converter, with 7 lenses (one of the best made) with a macro function - it extend itself.

But in therm of quality works not with all the lenses, which is not the case of the extension rings.

I used also a screw in lens at the begining - it's a bulshit.

But it thosen't matter what you chose, the most important thing is to have fun with macro photography. Whish you the greatest fun in the world Adam.

Hello Hin Man,

This si "Angel" my cat with her boy friend.

It is shot with the same Jupiter 2/85 at f11. Light comes from a home made softbox and a screen.

I was using the teddy bear to set up the lights when she poped up and try to become a model ;-)

As you can see this lens is quite soft wide open and very sharp when it passes over f4.

The only thig what is annoyng me is that this lens is very quickly affected by flare. But this issue was also the biggest issue on the pre WWII CZJ lens. The Jupiter is a copy of the old Zeiss lens.

But the bokeh is incerdiblle beautiful.

I have all my old M42 lenses with an adapter stick on it. I have dismantel the locking tab and I use them as a normal K mount lens.

No lens has fallon from the body. As Paul said the friction created between the mount and adapter is enough to fix the lens.

I don't think that you have to worry about that.

Hello David,

I am using sevral M42 lenses on my K10D.

A russian Jupiter 2/85, a Schneider Kreutznach "Curtagon" 4/28 and a Yashica 1,4/50.

With all the lenses the camera measures the light correctly (some issues with the Jupiter - needs 1 stop correction in some cases).

The diaphragm and focus must be made manualy.

The rest of my lenses are manual lenses on K mount, with the exception of a Sigma 10-20mm. They all work fine.

(Soligor 3.5/70-210, Panagor macro 2.8/90, Pentacon 2.8/28)

Pictures are sharp and well exposed...

I think that Pentax as all the others would like to sell a lot of new lenses, Even if those are crap comparing to the old good lenses.

This is the main reason why they do not write about teh compatibility of the new camera bodies with old lenses.

If you want to use your old lenses it would be wise to consider installing a split screen on your camera. It will help you focus manually faster.

With old lenses the camera can assist you by confirming the focus, an this also works fine with all my lenses.

Hy,

I had the same issue a few weeks ago. But, it has started from a different point.

I bought a lot of new lenses last year which, sincerely, I can not use at maximum becouse I do not knov them yet.

And suddently I decided to make a mountain trip, and I needed 3 backpacks to take all that I wanted to.

After two trips I striped everything down - 3 lenses - 2 flashes - one bouncer...

I would probably keep another 2 lenses for my improvised studio and the rest...

Hwo need's them?...

And each day I am thinking to buy a new lens.

Guys - THIS IS A FORM OF ADDICTION.

Probably I am lenso-coolic.

So - Have fun and make photos. Not buy lenses.

Hello Robert,

I have the same issue. I have bought an adapter and I could not focus to infinity, at least with some of M42 lenses.

I bought a new one, different, the one that seems to be totaly incastrates in the screw of the lenses.

Both of the adapters shown in the link above are ok.

The first thing that that I do is to break the small spring and stuck an adapter on each lens. In this case you can dismount an lens without the key as with a normal K mount lens.

Neither one of the adapters is an original Pentax.

Lenses that use without and issues:

Juptiter 85/2, Schneider Curtagon 35/4, Takumar 50/4 macro

Thanks.

I bouhgt a used Flashmeter Minolta IVF (170 EUR). In very good condition.

The Sekonic 508 was out of my budget. Thanks for your advice.

Hello, I am quite new in this field, and I have a question.

I have tried to find a post that could give me a clue but without success.

For macro and outdoor portraits I use 3-4 flash unit and a bouncer. Flashes

are the one you install on your camera, with rotative head (30~35 guide no. I

do trigger the main one with a cable on separate tripod and the other ones I

used as slaves triggered by fotocels attached to each flash. My problem is

that I have not enough experience to corelate the different types of light I

use.

A flashmeter or other devices that enables me to measure the light that fals

on the subject from each flash would be perfect. I also do not want to sped a

few hundered of EUR on such a device since I am sure that in a year or so my

eyes will be enough traind and I will use it only in special ocasions.

What should I buy?

Thanks for your thoughts.

I have bought the Takumar M42 50mm F4 macro (1:1) with 120EUR. This is not cheap but it's the best macro lens I have had. It is far better then several new macro lenses I have tried, more expensive as this one.

Nevertheless it's not cheap. It was the most expensive M42 lens that I have bought. But I still buy it again.

A very nice lens for portrait too.

I own several M42 lenses which I use on my Pentax K10D body.

I am very pleased with them. Sevral people have complained about exposure but I never had this issue. I work mainly on manual settings.

Hello,

The lens is ok. Try to set the camera on manual and make some test pictures before.

If you work with such a large angle the software of the camera is not able to find the best solution in it's database.

Try manualy.

I had such a Tamron an was realy ok. It depends what you do with it and what you want from it.

Small prints - ok. Bigger - (45/30cm I would not advise).

One lens in the kit - perfect if you want to travel light.

I have sold it with my ist DL and the guy is very pleasd with it. As I was.

It is a nice lens - very, very versatile.

Hello,

I have an old Super Takumar (M42) - 50mm f/4, macro 1:1. At f4 (not very bright)it is the sharpest lens I have.

Hello,

Thanks for your answer. It is realy stupid from me. I have not given all the data.

Camera - Pentax K10D - firmware 1.30 (the last one)

Matthew - I want to use it on landscape photo, especially were water is in the frame.

Hello guys.

I want to buy a cockin filter wihich enables a step down of 10 stops. It is

almost a black piece of glas.

In order to use it I will have to set the camera on B mode and try manualy

(remote)to use shutter lags bigger than 30".

Do you have any experience with such situation. Is there a disturbing noise on

such photos? Is the camera affected by the heating of sensor? Can I damage the

camera?...

Any info will be appreciated.

Christian

Hello Rainbow,

You should consider buiyng a focus split screen which will help a lot while focusing with manual lenses. You can control your DOF better as with a normal mate screen.

If you are at the beginning it will be hard to focus with manual lenses.

Teoretically it is considered that a focal lenght smaler than the diagonal of your senzor is wide, the equal of the diagonal is normal and what is above represents telephoto. You can calculate that.

But somehow I would not consider the 24mm to be wide. :)

Christian

Hello,

Sorry, I think that I am not mastering the english language enough and also I have explain it in a stupid way.

In most all of the cases when we are shooting objects in movment we are panning (more or les) in order to have a clear subject. It seems that this movment is somehow compensated by the SR.

How do you explain the recomandation to turn of SR when you shoot on long exposure times from tripod?

I think that both were written in a Panasonic FZ-5 instruction manual (not a DSLR but with SR in the Leica objective).

Hello Bob,

I do not own a K10D but becouse I want to buy it I have read a lot about it. Perhaps some info will help.

1. It is not recomended to shoot moving objects with shake reduction on (on any type of cameras - it thosent matter if the device is in the camera or in the lens). Images will be blured while the SR will try to compensate the movment of the subject.

The same thing is when trying to shoot a landscape with the camera installed on a tripod (long exposure times) - the SR will try to compensate a non existent movment.

You have great chanses to make unsharp photos "blured?".

For many the SR was seen as a divine medicine in photography - a cure for cancer and all the diseases...

It seems that SR has in fact a very limited field of use.

Teoretically, the size of RAW files from the K10D is not very different from an *ist DL - (12 Mo comparing to 9.9 Mo). I have also imagined a greater difference in the file size from 6Mp to 10Mp.

Hope it helps. For me, on those two issues your camera seems to be ok.

I have tried:

- extension tubes,

- bellows,

- reversing ring.

Mostly used them together with allrounder lenses - similar with Tokina (1:3, 1:4 macro)

I have finally bought a SMC Takumar 50mm f4 (Macro 1:1) - and used it with and M42-Pentax K adapter.

When it is not enough I also use a Kenko 2x converter with macro function wich should bring the lens to a 2:1.

There are months since I have not used the converter, the lens seem to be enough and the extension tube and bellow are rusting at home.

The lens is a gem and it is incredibly sharp. I bought it with 120 EUR. It has worth the money and I would advise you to try something like this.

You can not compare the results of a dedicated lens with a lens that has also a macro function.

Hello,

I am using on my ist DL:

- SMC Pentax M 1,4/50;

- SMC Takumar M 4/50 (macro 1:1) for M42 with adapter

- Schneider Kreuznach "Curtagon" 4/28 for M42 with Pentax K-M42 adapter.

All the lenses are working perfect in M mode. Sharpnes and contrast are no issue.

Christian