Is a Pentax branded macro reversal ring absolutely necessary to maintain quality?

Vicioustuna2012 · 01-23-2017, 01:36 PM

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I'm wanting to get a 49mm reversal ring for my ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 lens. In a perfect world, I would buy the actual vintage Pentax one, but they are kinda pricey (not too bad, but I'm cheap). Is buying a cheap one that fits okay? Will it alter the quality of the photos, or is it really just a build quality concern?

bertwert · 01-23-2017, 01:37 PM

Originally posted by Vicioustuna2012

I'm wanting to get a 49mm reversal ring for my ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 lens. In a perfect world, I would buy the actual vintage Pentax one, but they are kinda pricey (not too bad, but I'm cheap). Is buying a cheap one that fits okay? Will it alter the quality of the photos, or is it really just a build quality concern?

Cheap ones work fine, got one on ebay for less than a dollar.
IQ will not be affected as it is just a metal ring.

Vicioustuna2012 · 01-23-2017, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by bertwert

Cheap ones work fine, got one on ebay for less than a dollar.
IQ will not be affected as it is just a metal ring.

I'm having trouble finding one that cheap. Can you, possibly, help point me in the right direction?

bertwert · 01-23-2017, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by Vicioustuna2012

I'm having trouble finding one that cheap. Can you, possibly, help point me in the right direction?

Me too... but they're cheaper than the (bloody expensive for a ring of metal) genuine Pentax ones.
It was about a year ago, here's one for under $4:
49mm Macro Filter Lens Reverse Mount Adapter For Pentax Kr K7 Kx Km K10D K20D

Not a Number · 01-23-2017, 01:54 PM

The adapter is just a K-mount bayonet on one side and a male filter thread on the other. Both are easy to machine with enough tolerance to fit trouble free. Brass would be preferred over aluminum. 3rd party knock offs are cheap enough that you can get them in the filter sizes you need rather than fuss around with step/down rings.

**UncleVanya** · 01-23-2017, 02:09 PM

I have three. Two Pentax brand and one generic. No difference at all between them.

ChristianRock · 01-23-2017, 03:34 PM

I have two generic ones that I bought used from KEH 3 years ago (52mm and 49mm). They work fine. As bertwert said, there's no glass at all, so there's absolutely nothing in them that will affect image quality for better or worse.

LensBeginner · 01-23-2017, 03:58 PM

Go ahead and try, but regarding image quality I'm afraid it will not be ideal.

I've had fair to good experiences with an inverted 50mm (losing flare resistance since you'll put the SMC coating on the wrong side of the lens), but as soon as I tried a 28mm lens in order to get more magnification, all hell broke loose and I started getting a weird flare dead center
This was due to reflections inside the lens, possibly involving the sensor, and changing the lighting on the subject did not change its appearance.
It could only be mitigated by putting a round paper filter with a small hole in the center between the front element of the lens and the inverting ring.

So, in short, losing SMC could be quite a big deal, depending on the lens you're trying to invert, and other things.

**WPRESTO** · 01-23-2017, 04:27 PM

And jot down this website or add it to your computer with an icon:

AdapterRings.com - Offical Site. The world's largest seller of Camera Adapter Rings.

The have lengthy selections of all kinds of adapter rings, reversing rings, lens-lens mounting rings, bargain price filters, miscellaneous lens attachments, and other odds 'n ends gadgets.

MarkJerling · 01-23-2017, 07:45 PM

Here's a cheap one, and it works fine. 49mm 49 MM Macro Reverse Lens adapter for Pentax K mount camera PK SLR DSLR | eBay

honey bo bo · 01-23-2017, 09:07 PM

Originally posted by MarkJerling

Here's a cheap one, and it works fine. 49mm 49 MM Macro Reverse Lens adapter for Pentax K mount camera PK
SLR DSLR | eBay

Just bought 2 of them a 49mm & 52mm cost me a whole $6.60 CDN .This seller did not indicate metal or plastic but all the rest were metal so I can assume. All the way from the Orient free shipping boggles the mind !

MarkJerling · 01-23-2017, 09:52 PM

The ones I got were metal. I've only ever once not had stuff turn up from China or Hong Kong and thanks to ebay's buyer protection I got refunded no problem. At that price, it's hard to go wrong!

**WPRESTO** · 01-24-2017, 05:55 AM

Originally posted by honey bo bo

. All the way from the Orient free shipping boggles the mind !

I've wondered whether bargain-rate overseas shipping is a perk given by the Chinese government to promote sale of Chinese goods in the USA and Europe. Even if that is so, there's no question that many of the photo products are competitive in quality.

honey bo bo · 01-24-2017, 06:41 AM

Originally posted by WPRESTO

I've wondered whether bargain-rate overseas shipping is a perk given by the Chinese government to promote sale of Chinese goods in the USA and Europe. Even if that is so, there's no question that many of the photo products are competitive in quality.

Bought hundreds of Odds & Sodds from the Orient for photography never had a problem with as advertised quality or shipment. A handful of times less than 6 lost in shipping. Quickly dealt with by Seller, Ebay or Paypal. Seller doesn't want to lose the Ebay platform to make their livelihood. Shipping is painfully slow in some cases but for the price I wait. Watch type batteries are a good Example Maxwell @ Store here $9.95/each from the Orient $5.00/10

**WPRESTO** · 01-24-2017, 07:10 AM

Originally posted by honey bo bo

Bought hundreds of Odds & Sodds from the Orient for photography never had a problem with as advertised quality or shipment. A handful of times less than 6 lost in shipping. Quickly dealt with by Seller, Ebay or Paypal. Seller doesn't want to lose the Ebay platform to make their livelihood. Shipping is painfully slow in some cases but for the price I wait. Watch type batteries are a good Example Maxwell @ Store here $9.95/each from the Orient $5.00/10

Slow shipping?? Once upon a time way back I sent a manuscript to Australia to be read by a co-author. It took a couple MONTHS to get there. I think it went across the Pacific via outrigger.

01-23-2017, 01:36 PM	#1
Vicioustuna2012 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 157	Is a Pentax branded macro reversal ring absolutely necessary to maintain quality? Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. I'm wanting to get a 49mm reversal ring for my ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 lens. In a perfect world, I would buy the actual vintage Pentax one, but they are kinda pricey (not too bad, but I'm cheap). Is buying a cheap one that fits okay? Will it alter the quality of the photos, or is it really just a build quality concern?

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01-23-2017, 01:37 PM	#2
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,173	Originally posted by Vicioustuna2012 I'm wanting to get a 49mm reversal ring for my ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 lens. In a perfect world, I would buy the actual vintage Pentax one, but they are kinda pricey (not too bad, but I'm cheap). Is buying a cheap one that fits okay? Will it alter the quality of the photos, or is it really just a build quality concern? Cheap ones work fine, got one on ebay for less than a dollar. IQ will not be affected as it is just a metal ring.

01-23-2017, 01:40 PM	#3
Vicioustuna2012 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 157 Original Poster	Originally posted by bertwert Cheap ones work fine, got one on ebay for less than a dollar. IQ will not be affected as it is just a metal ring. I'm having trouble finding one that cheap. Can you, possibly, help point me in the right direction?

01-23-2017, 01:44 PM	#4
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,173	Originally posted by Vicioustuna2012 I'm having trouble finding one that cheap. Can you, possibly, help point me in the right direction? Me too... but they're cheaper than the (bloody expensive for a ring of metal) genuine Pentax ones. It was about a year ago, here's one for under $4: 49mm Macro Filter Lens Reverse Mount Adapter For Pentax Kr K7 Kx Km K10D K20D

01-23-2017, 01:54 PM	#5
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	The adapter is just a K-mount bayonet on one side and a male filter thread on the other. Both are easy to machine with enough tolerance to fit trouble free. Brass would be preferred over aluminum. 3rd party knock offs are cheap enough that you can get them in the filter sizes you need rather than fuss around with step/down rings.

01-23-2017, 02:09 PM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,407	I have three. Two Pentax brand and one generic. No difference at all between them.

01-23-2017, 03:34 PM	#7
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	I have two generic ones that I bought used from KEH 3 years ago (52mm and 49mm). They work fine. As bertwert said, there's no glass at all, so there's absolutely nothing in them that will affect image quality for better or worse.

01-23-2017, 03:58 PM	#8
LensBeginner Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,696	Go ahead and try, but regarding image quality I'm afraid it will not be ideal. I've had fair to good experiences with an inverted 50mm (losing flare resistance since you'll put the SMC coating on the wrong side of the lens), but as soon as I tried a 28mm lens in order to get more magnification, all hell broke loose and I started getting a weird flare dead center This was due to reflections inside the lens, possibly involving the sensor, and changing the lighting on the subject did not change its appearance. It could only be mitigated by putting a round paper filter with a small hole in the center between the front element of the lens and the inverting ring. So, in short, losing SMC could be quite a big deal, depending on the lens you're trying to invert, and other things.

01-23-2017, 04:27 PM	#9
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,108	And jot down this website or add it to your computer with an icon: AdapterRings.com - Offical Site. The world's largest seller of Camera Adapter Rings. The have lengthy selections of all kinds of adapter rings, reversing rings, lens-lens mounting rings, bargain price filters, miscellaneous lens attachments, and other odds 'n ends gadgets.

01-23-2017, 07:45 PM	#10
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,406	Here's a cheap one, and it works fine. 49mm 49 MM Macro Reverse Lens adapter for Pentax K mount camera PK SLR DSLR \| eBay

01-23-2017, 09:07 PM	#11
honey bo bo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 768	Originally posted by MarkJerling Here's a cheap one, and it works fine. 49mm 49 MM Macro Reverse Lens adapter for Pentax K mount camera PK SLR DSLR \| eBay Just bought 2 of them a 49mm & 52mm cost me a whole $6.60 CDN .This seller did not indicate metal or plastic but all the rest were metal so I can assume. All the way from the Orient free shipping boggles the mind !

01-23-2017, 09:52 PM	#12
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,406	The ones I got were metal. I've only ever once not had stuff turn up from China or Hong Kong and thanks to ebay's buyer protection I got refunded no problem. At that price, it's hard to go wrong!

01-24-2017, 05:55 AM	#13
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,108	Originally posted by honey bo bo . All the way from the Orient free shipping boggles the mind ! I've wondered whether bargain-rate overseas shipping is a perk given by the Chinese government to promote sale of Chinese goods in the USA and Europe. Even if that is so, there's no question that many of the photo products are competitive in quality.

01-24-2017, 06:41 AM	#14
honey bo bo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 768	Originally posted by WPRESTO I've wondered whether bargain-rate overseas shipping is a perk given by the Chinese government to promote sale of Chinese goods in the USA and Europe. Even if that is so, there's no question that many of the photo products are competitive in quality. Bought hundreds of Odds & Sodds from the Orient for photography never had a problem with as advertised quality or shipment. A handful of times less than 6 lost in shipping. Quickly dealt with by Seller, Ebay or Paypal. Seller doesn't want to lose the Ebay platform to make their livelihood. Shipping is painfully slow in some cases but for the price I wait. Watch type batteries are a good Example Maxwell @ Store here $9.95/each from the Orient $5.00/10

01-24-2017, 07:10 AM	#15
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,108	Originally posted by honey bo bo Bought hundreds of Odds & Sodds from the Orient for photography never had a problem with as advertised quality or shipment. A handful of times less than 6 lost in shipping. Quickly dealt with by Seller, Ebay or Paypal. Seller doesn't want to lose the Ebay platform to make their livelihood. Shipping is painfully slow in some cases but for the price I wait. Watch type batteries are a good Example Maxwell @ Store here $9.95/each from the Orient $5.00/10 Slow shipping?? Once upon a time way back I sent a manuscript to Australia to be read by a co-author. It took a couple MONTHS to get there. I think it went across the Pacific via outrigger.