[KatPal]

Good Morning!

I am a complete newbie and today for the first time, I mounted a used, older lens I purchased on eBay.
It is Auto Chinon SMC 50mm 1.7, K mount(snaps in without problem). When I snapped it into place and turned on the camera- (my brand new K-5 IIs my first ever DSLR:-)), and I got "F_ _ "message blinking and the shutter would not do anything. I assumed I will just put this lens on, and since it is AUTO, it will work same way as the 40mm pancake I have used in past week. Anyway, I wen to the Settings, and set Manual Aperture "Permitted". After that, this lens took images, but I had to Manually focus with the ring. I specifically do not want manual lenses until I learn to use the camera. How do I make this lens to automatically focus?

Thank you,
Kat

[jheu02]

Good Morning!

It is Auto Chinon SMC 50mm 1.7, K mount(snaps in without problem). When I snapped it into place and turned on the camera- (my brand new K-5 IIs my first ever DSLR:-)), and I got "F_ _ "message blinking and the shutter would not do anything. I assumed I will just put this lens on, and since it is AUTO, it will work same way as the 40mm pancake I have used in past week. Anyway, I wen to the Settings, and set Manual Aperture "Permitted". After that, this lens took images, but I had to Manually focus with the ring. I specifically do not want manual lenses until I learn to use the camera. How do I make this lens to automatically focus?

Thank you,
Kat

I guess it's time to learn as you have a manual focus lens!

The "Auto" refers to an automatic aperture, which enables you to focus with the aperture fully open, but then when the picture is taken it closes automatically to the selected setting.

I use manual focus lenses most of the time, but I'm used to that. There's more information you need to know about using manual lenses properly, but I can testify that it's a fine lens that you have. If you're willing to take the time to practice and want to know what other steps you need to take to get the most out of this lens, just ask.

Here's an example of what it's capable of. This was taken with the addition of an extension tube, but is a 100% crop of a larger image.

[mattt]

Auto refers to aperture. What you have there is a wonderful fast fifty Manual Focus lens.

[dakight]

To answer your question straight up, you cannot make it focus automatically as it lacks the necessary mechanism to engage the autofocus linkage of the camera body. You, as others have noted, must focus manually or select a different lens.

[RuiC]

Besides focusing manually don't forget to select mode to "M" and pushing the green button to get an exposure reading!

[KatPal]

Oh- thank you all for the explanation :-) as you can see I did not even know that it does not mean autofocus. I will read up on it in the meanwhile. The testshots I took were actually with very nice blurry background, so do like the feel. I just need to learn how to actually control the other settings. I shall come back here tomorrow with more questions and upload some more images taken with it.

[arrrgh]

Besides focusing manually don't forget to select mode to "M" and pushing the green button to get an exposure reading!

With this particular lens the "green button metering" won´t work. I´ve got the same lens and pressing the green button causes nothing. I figured out that it has something to do with the black anodized metal of the mount. All my other manual lenses have chrome here so I guess that the contacts of the camera´s bayont could not recognise that there is a lens mounted. I tried to put a pice aluminium foil between the camera and the lens - which actually worked, the camera sets a shutterspeed automaticaly when I pressed the green button. The problem is only to get the foil between the mounts without ripping it and not jamming the bayonet. I gave up after all and bought a used Pentax M 50 1.7 for a few Euros on ebay (pluged to a Pentax MX-Body ) With that lens the metering works flawlessly.

[KatPal]

With this particular lens the "green button metering" won´t work. I´ve got the same lens and pressing the green button causes nothing. I figured out that it has something to do with the black anodized metal of the mount. All my other manual lenses have chrome here so I guess that the contacts of the camera´s bayont could not recognise that there is a lens mounted. I tried to put a pice aluminium foil between the camera and the lens - which actually worked, the camera sets a shutterspeed automaticaly when I pressed the green button. The problem is only to get the foil between the mounts without ripping it and not jamming the bayonet. I gave up after all and bought a used Pentax M 50 1.7 for a few Euros on ebay (pluged to a Pentax MX-Body ) With that lens the metering works flawlessly.

I am now reading this post- seems relevant to you arrrgh! that mentions to sand of the metal part to allow the green button to work:-)
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...k-x-k-7-a.html

[Trigger Happy]

With this particular lens the "green button metering" won´t work. I´ve got the same lens and pressing the green button causes nothing. I figured out that it has something to do with the black anodized metal of the mount. All my other manual lenses have chrome here so I guess that the contacts of the camera´s bayont could not recognise that there is a lens mounted. I tried to put a pice aluminium foil between the camera and the lens - which actually worked, the camera sets a shutterspeed automaticaly when I pressed the green button. The problem is only to get the foil between the mounts without ripping it and not jamming the bayonet. I gave up after all and bought a used Pentax M 50 1.7 for a few Euros on ebay (pluged to a Pentax MX-Body ) With that lens the metering works flawlessly.

It depends on the body - I think the K-3 will meter M42 lenses in M mode, but I know my K-30 won't. It will meter in Av mode though, or in M (Manual) if you use Live View. It's only M through the viewfinder where it won't meter.

[VisualDarkness]

It's a really nice lens that's still cheap 'cause people haven't heard about it yet. Nice buy!

[KatPal]

I guess it's time to learn as you have a manual focus lens!

The "Auto" refers to an automatic aperture, which enables you to focus with the aperture fully open, but then when the picture is taken it closes automatically to the selected setting.

I use manual focus lenses most of the time, but I'm used to that. There's more information you need to know about using manual lenses properly, but I can testify that it's a fine lens that you have. If you're willing to take the time to practice and want to know what other steps you need to take to get the most out of this lens, just ask.

Here's an example of what it's capable of. This was taken with the addition of an extension tube, but is a 100% crop of a larger image.

Hello! Thank you for the advice. So I think I am ready for more information on how to use this lens. I did change the setting inside camera so now this lens works, but few questions to get me started:
1. When manually focusing, i do not trust my eye(I always feel blurry), is there some indicator that tells me I am sharply focused at that point? There was a green light also something red blinked, inside viewfinder that seemed to have blink only at certain time when I was turning the focus ring- is that to indicate I am in focus?
2. When changing the aperture on the ring, that is the aperture size that will ultimately be shot, correct?(I keep reading something about aperture being wide open at all times with manual lenses).
3. Can I change other setting like ISO with this manual lens on? What about shutter speed?

Any other advice on how to test and learn the best? I'm thinking of sitting at the table and shooting one object over and over with different apertures to see what happens. can I still shoot something movable like my pets, with this lens? I feel that I will not be able to focus on time?

Confused:-)

[stevebrot]

It depends on the body - I think the K-3 will meter M42 lenses in M mode, but I know my K-30 won't. It will meter in Av mode though, or in M (Manual) if you use Live View. It's only M through the viewfinder where it won't meter.

Yep, recent lower end Pentax bodies have problems with lenses having non-conductive bases.


Steve

[jheu02]

Without use of the green button metering, you'll only get the lens to work "wide open" at f/1.7. Same is true if the mode switch is set to other auto modes...Sv,Tv, Av, and TAv.

[jheu02]

Hello! Thank you for the advice. So I think I am ready for more information on how to use this lens. I did change the setting inside camera so now this lens works, but few questions to get me started:

1. When manually focusing, i do not trust my eye(I always feel blurry), is there some indicator that tells me I am sharply focused at that point? There was a green light also something red blinked, inside viewfinder that seemed to have blink only at certain time when I was turning the focus ring- is that to indicate I am in focus?

If the K5 is like the K20, there will be a green hexagon in the viewfinder that will light up when the focus is correct. It's between the aperture readout (which will be F-- ) and the light meter scale, above the letters MF for Manual Focus (assuming you've set the camera to Manual Focus with the MF, AF.C, AF.S switch. There's also something called "catch-in-focus." You set the AF switch to either AF.S (single focus attempt) or AF.C (continuous auto focus) EVEN THOUGH you're using a manual focus lens. Then, when you press the shutter button, it will only fire if the image is in focus. Continue to hold the shutter button down while slowly turning the focus ring and you'll eventually hear the shutter fire. I don't personally use this mode much, but some find it useful.

2. When changing the aperture on the ring, that is the aperture size that will ultimately be shot, correct?(I keep reading something about aperture being wide open at all times with manual lenses).

Yes, the auto function of the aperture allows you to look through the lens with the aperture fully open for better focusing. Then, when the shutter fires, the aperture also closes to what's set on the ring IF you're in M (manual) mode using stop-down metering with the green button. See my other post above about what you've read.

3. Can I change other setting like ISO with this manual lens on? What about shutter speed?

Yes, but there's many ways to set the camera to do this in the menus. I have my K20D set so that the front e dial wheel adjusts the shutter speed and the rear e dial adjusts the aperture setting (though this doesn't work with non-"A" lenses, I leave it like that for simplicity). I then have the ISO changeable by pressing the OK button while simultaneously turning the front e dial. That's the wonderful thing about these...you can customize the buttons to what works for YOU. With these functions set, I can change all the settings I need while looking through the viewfinder...no need to look at the rear screen and change menus, etc.

Any other advice on how to test and learn the best? I'm thinking of sitting at the table and shooting one object over and over with different apertures to see what happens. can I still shoot something movable like my pets, with this lens? I feel that I will not be able to focus on time?
Confused:-)

I would definitely look at your manual and the menu screens while playing with the controls so you see what's happening on the camera itself as you change things. I'd also go to the library and get a book on basic photography so you can learn the interplay between ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, Depth of Field, etc. There's so many creative things you can do once you learn the basics of photography that a DSLR will allow, vs. a point and shoot.