Just received my Vivitar MC TC 2x PK-A. Need help.

[raider]

I just received my Vivitar 2x MC PK-A TC today and I have tried the FA50/1.4 on the TC. I have since then set the SR to 100mm and "AE-L button on M exposure" to "Tv Shift". I also set the aperture on my FA50 to 1.4. Set the AF/MF lever to MF.

Now if I set my k100D on Av mode, I can see that the metering is working as the Tv value keep changing in response to various lighting level. If I press the AE-L button, the exposure value will be locked.

Now if I set my k100D on M mode, by pressing the AE-L button, I can hear that the shutter of my FA50 is moving and the Tv value then set according to the lighting level. So I guess metering is working also.

Several questions:

1. If I snap a picture either in Av or M mode, the F-stop information is always recorded as F_ _ _ in the digital preview. Is this how it is?

2. Should I always leave the aperture on the FA50 as 1.4 all the time?

3. What should I set the settings on my 360FGZ flash? Currently I am on Auto mode, ISO200 and f2.8. If I set the k100D in Av mode, I find that I just cannot adjust the shutter speed as it is locked to 1/180sec permanently.

4. If I set the k100D in M mode and the flash in auto mode, pressing the AE-L button will set the shutter speed but the shutter speed is no different whether the flash is switched on or not. Is this right?

Really am not good at this. Appreciate some help to clear things up.

Thanks

[clm]

Set the aperture on the lens at A. Metering and flash should work as they usually do. I don't know about setting focal length, though.

[JMS]

Set the lens to "A". You'll need to set the FL to 100mm. Make sure you have the latest firmware on your K100D as well. Note that apertures will show up in the finder as they would with out the convertor- ie, instead of showing as f2.8-f45, it'll still show up as f1.4-f22.

Also note that some copies of the MFTC have an internal problem where they don't transmit "A" data. If that's the case, ask me for help, and I'll post instructions on ow to fix it. Or, you could send it to me, and I'll fix it for a small fee.

[raider]

Thanks for the help, clm and JMS.

JMS - Okay. I now tried to set the lens to "A" and the SR previously also set to 100mm. I am on latest k100D firmware as well.

On Av mode, it still give an AV - - reading. Ditto for M mode. So I guess the "A" data is not being transmitted properly? How would I fix it.

Thanks!

[Lowell Goudge]

Originally Posted by raider

Thanks for the help, clm and JMS.

JMS - Okay. I now tried to set the lens to "A" and the SR previously also set to 100mm. I am on latest k100D firmware as well.

On Av mode, it still give an AV - - reading. Ditto for M mode. So I guess the "A" data is not being transmitted properly? How would I fix it.

Thanks!

Check for dirty contacts on the teleconverter and lens. clean them with a gum eraser (not an abrasive one)

ALso the A mode pin is resessed on the camera this pin gets shorted to ground (mount) to turn A mode on.

check on the TC with the lens attached AND the A mode set on the lens, that this pin does stick out, and with an ohm meter, that with A mode set there is a very low resistance between this pin and mount.

Note, this pin is the third one from, the lens locking pin

If not it is time to troubleshoot/

[keithlester]

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

Check for dirty contacts on the teleconverter and lens. clean them with a gum eraser (not an abrasive one)

ALso the A mode pin is resessed on the camera this pin gets shorted to ground (mount) to turn A mode on.

check on the TC with the lens attached AND the A mode set on the lens, that this pin does stick out, and with an ohm meter, that with A mode set there is a very low resistance between this pin and mount.

Note, this pin is the third one from, the lens locking pin

If not it is time to troubleshoot/

I've been watching this thread, as I am in the same position as the OP. I have checked and found with my TC that there is an open circuit on the pin concerned. The lens itself provides a short to the mount when switched to A mode. Further checks show that both ends of that connection have an open circuit between them. Is this going to be a nasty fiddly job, or can I expect to open the converter and find a simple solution? As best as I can tell, all the connections are open circuit. I assume there should be a through connection on each contact. Is it likely to be a flexible ribbon cable, plugged in at each end or are the connections soldered? I don't fancy removing the mounts, for fear that a load of small components are going to fall out.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

Regards, Keith

[keithlester]

Originally Posted by keithlester

I've been watching this thread, as I am in the same position as the OP. I have checked and found with my TC that there is an open circuit on the pin concerned. The lens itself provides a short to the mount when switched to A mode. Further checks show that both ends of that connection have an open circuit between them. Is this going to be a nasty fiddly job, or can I expect to open the converter and find a simple solution? As best as I can tell, all the connections are open circuit. I assume there should be a through connection on each contact. Is it likely to be a flexible ribbon cable, plugged in at each end or are the connections soldered? I don't fancy removing the mounts, for fear that a load of small components are going to fall out.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

Regards, Keith

Update on my situation. I bit the bullet, and removed the rear mount, the contacts should all be connected by extensible spring connectors. All but one have fallen off the rear mounting strip. I think I will need to fashion a tool to enable me to lift them back into place. Wish me luck, I'll need it.

[PentaxScott]

Originally Posted by JMS

Set the lens to "A". You'll need to set the FL to 100mm. Make sure you have the latest firmware on your K100D as well. Note that apertures will show up in the finder as they would with out the convertor- ie, instead of showing as f2.8-f45, it'll still show up as f1.4-f22.

Also note that some copies of the MFTC have an internal problem where they don't transmit "A" data. If that's the case, ask me for help, and I'll post instructions on ow to fix it. Or, you could send it to me, and I'll fix it for a small fee.

Interesting...

I have what I believe is the same TC. It seems to take decen pics, but I seem to have an issue with the metering, or better put, with the numbers reported for the metering. I understand that not all TCs will properly report the new f-number correctly but mine seems to be doing weird things. When using my DA* 16-50 my K10D with TC reports f/2.8, which is to be expected. When using the DA 18-55 kit lens, it reports f/4 throughout the entire zoom range (instead of going to f/3.5 at 18mm and forcing down to f/5.6 at 55mm). This is the same on my FA 28-90mm. My Tamron 24-135 f/3.5-5.6 reports f/4.5 throughout the entire zoom range, and the weirdest example yet comes from my Quantaray 70-300 f/4-5.6. This is the Sigma DL Super version (the specs were identical, and it even has a rear lens cap with the greek letter sigma on the inside. This lens reports back f/1.2 (?!?) at all focal lengths. This phenomenon not only occurs with my K10D but occured with my film bodies (ZX-50 and MZ-7) as well.

Anyone have any idea whats up? The TC has 6 pins both front and back with the 3rd pin from the left slightly more recessed in the front and protruding slightly more in the rear.

[keithlester]

Originally Posted by keithlester

Update on my situation. I bit the bullet, and removed the rear mount, the contacts should all be connected by extensible spring connectors. All but one have fallen off the rear mounting strip. I think I will need to fashion a tool to enable me to lift them back into place. Wish me luck, I'll need it.

I used the head of a superfine dress-makers pin as a kind of hook to catch the springs and fed them back on to the contacts with the aid of a N0. 1 gauge British Standard left thumb. It took me two attempts to reassemble the mount to the back, (I got the sprung lever on the wrong side first time) but it works, reports aperture correctly, and meters fine. I can't believe I fixed it, WOOO HOOO.

Heart-valve bypass surgery, anyone?

[Lowell Goudge]

Originally Posted by keithlester

I used the head of a superfine dress-makers pin as a kind of hook to catch the springs and fed them back on to the contacts with the aid of a N0. 1 gauge British Standard left thumb. It took me two attempts to reassemble the mount to the back, (I got the sprung lever on the wrong side first time) but it works, reports aperture correctly, and meters fine. I can't believe I fixed it, WOOO HOOO.

Heart-valve bypass surgery, anyone?

Nice work.

It takes a lot of patience to but all that back together.

DId you ever find out where the open circuit was?

Just curious

[keithlester]

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

Nice work.

It takes a lot of patience to but all that back together.

DId you ever find out where the open circuit was?

Just curious

All except one of the contacts was open circuit. The springs form the electrical path between the contacts on the mounts internally, expanding and contracting to maintain the circuit as the helicoid is moved in or out. The springs each hang on to a row of small "L" shaped lugs on the contact strip directly beneath the rear mount. It really was a simple but fiddly matter of re-hanging each spring onto its lug. On my copy all but one of these springs had jumped, fallen or been shaken off the lugs. I don't intend to drop-test it to find out which.

If anybody intends to open theirs to fix it, may I recommend that you lift the lens off the mount, rather than lifting the mount off the lens. This will keep all the sprung pins in their correct postions in the mount. If any fall out, they appear to be completely interchangeable and it becomes quite obvious where they belong.

[Lowell Goudge]

Originally Posted by keithlester

All except one of the contacts was open circuit. The springs form the electrical path between the contacts on the mounts internally, expanding and contracting to maintain the circuit as the helicoid is moved in or out. The springs each hang on to a row of small "L" shaped lugs on the contact strip directly beneath the rear mount. It really was a simple but fiddly matter of re-hanging each spring onto its lug. On my copy all but one of these springs had jumped, fallen or been shaken off the lugs. I don't intend to drop-test it to find out which.

If anybody intends to open theirs to fix it, may I recommend that you lift the lens off the mount, rather than lifting the mount off the lens. This will keep all the sprung pins in their correct postions in the mount. If any fall out, they appear to be completely interchangeable and it becomes quite obvious where they belong.

Seems a bit fiddly inside, "cheap" if you don't mind me saying so.

I took a sigma lens apart (it was junk and I was going to use the mount to convert a K to KA (but that is another story)

It had a very solid contact block, where all the pins and springs were retained even when you took the block off the back of the mount. This sounds almost like pandora's box, once opened you'll never get it all back in. As I said you did a good job.

[keithlester]

Originally Posted by Lowell Goudge

Seems a bit fiddly inside, "cheap" if you don't mind me saying so.

I took a sigma lens apart (it was junk and I was going to use the mount to convert a K to KA (but that is another story)

It had a very solid contact block, where all the pins and springs were retained even when you took the block off the back of the mount. This sounds almost like pandora's box, once opened you'll never get it all back in. As I said you did a good job.

Seems cheaply made, I agree. But I paid a good price for it and it was going to be an expensive paperweight. That's why I went ahead and opened it up. It ceased to be difficult when I began to have faith in my ability to get it done. Is there a moral in there somewhere?

[maxwell1295]

I'm glad it worked out, especially since I was the seller of this TC. I never had a problem with it, I just didn't have much of a need for a true macro setup. I guess I can blame our wonderful USPS mail handlers for any damage they may have caused...

[raider]

Hmm...may I request some photos how to fix the broken pins? I am not too brave to conduct any surgery without proper knowledge.