[Adam]

Where would it be best to buy the K mount adaptor online? Thanks in advance!

General Brand Pentax-K Body to Universal Lens Adapter ABPKS -

Cheapest one, too!

Adam
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[JohnBee]

This is a picture of Kindai M42 adaptor. It is more precisely machined than Pentax one. Its inner flange depresses the stopdown pin of some M42 lenses that do not have auto/manual lever. It costs about $100 or more.

Is that entirely anodized?
Does it cover the contacts?
Would it be possible to show a picture of the adapter mounted on a lens?

Sorry for the barrage of questions.
But this looks like the type of thing I could obsess over

[stevebrot]

General Brand Pentax-K Body to Universal Lens Adapter ABPKS -

Cheapest one, too!

...and identical to the one that got stuck on my camera, 'cept mine came from Adorama. It got stuck brand new out of the box and took several hours of fiddling and cussing to get off. It left a fine dusting of metal filings on the mirror as a calling card too.

Not wanting to dis' the generic adapters or the owner of this forum, but in my opinion the generic adapters are best used by people who are willing to do the needed modification/surgery to remove the spring and square up the flange end. Those that are not willing/able to do so are risking:

• Stuck on body
• Over-rotation in mount

That being said, there are the highly regarded Kindai and SRB-Griturn adapters that are available as a viable alternative to the Pentax product. The price is higher than the generics, but in some markets (U.K. for example), they are very attractively priced when compared to the Pentax version in the same market.

Steve

[stevebrot]

Is that entirely anodized?
Does it cover the contacts?

The adapter seats flush entirely within the K-mount so conductivity and contacts are not an issue.


Steve

[yanzhi0714]

It's not risky at all. As a matter of fact, I took off the spring even when I was using the original Pentax M42 adapter. It's far easier to use w/o the stopper spring.

First of all, it won't stuck in the body if used as I described. Secondly there are two tiny holes on the edge of the ring for you to put tool in so you'd be able to 'turn' it out of the body if really need to .

I bought from China. If you want, I got a couple spare ones left (ordered for local Pentaxians, but a couple of them never came to collect)

Well, I've used many adapters including the original ones from different eras, I have to say the original Pentax adapters aren't the best out there, other than you don't need a dedicated tool to remove it from the camera body

Hello Frank, I am looking around for a m42-pk adaptor, do you still have some spares to sell?

edit: opps, or maybe point me on where to get it from China websites, might be too tedious and unreasonable to ask you to go post office just to send adaptors all the way to Australia

Thanks

[wzxs]

i am chinese i find out that from chinese forum we can buy it .
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[RKKS08]

Until this week I owned 2 adaptors: one genuine Pentax bought at a sell-out for a low price some 20 years ago, and only recently one of unknown make from an eBay seller (less than € 10.-, surely chinese manufacturing). I like to have the adaptors fixed at the lenses, to make changing lenses between m42 and KA faster, so I need one adaptor per m42 lens. For a while, a was frequently bidding on nearly all offers on eBay, waiting for a good deal. I finally succeeded with an offer for a new one by the german internet store Photo Walser (€ 10.85 including shipping) and was very astonished to get an "inner flange" one. The writing on it says "KIPON".

The "inner flange" works perfectly in pushing the auto pin; I was a bit afraid of damaging the body, as the "inner flange" seems to touch the power zoom contacts (just touching without putting force on the contacts), but no negative effects. Do they get voltage only if the body detects a power zoom?

EDITED: I just realized there is an opening in the "inner flange" (you can see it in the 2nd picture) preventing the powerzoom contacts to be shortcut once the adaptor is in its working position. So, if you switch off during lens change there shouldn't be any danger.

Comparing the 3 models [1]=Pentax, [2]=Noname, [3]=Kipon:

1) None of them fits perfectly, tolerances of [2] probably worst, often difficult to insert in the body.
Removing can be tricky with all 3 of them, even with [1] it is sometimes VERY difficult (I remember, years ago on my Super-A, I once needed half an hour).

2) In all 3 cases, cause of the difficulties is the spring: after getting rid of it, all 3 can be inserted and removed quite easily. As a result, the lens is now not securely fixed at the body. You need to drill a hole in the flange of the lenses so you can use the standard body/lens locking. If one uses one adaptor per lens, this would be the best solution (of course, if you don't carry a K-mount AND a m42-body with you and are interchanging m42-lenses between the 2 bodies).

3) All 3 adaptors do tilt the lenses; they are stopped too early, so shimming would worsen the problem - but to me, moderate tilting is not a problem. Nearest to 0 is [1], the other two are stopped 10-20 degrees early.

I will try to get another of these Photo-Walser adaptors, but as the description does not mention the "inner flange" and the picture does not comply with the item delivered, the next one I will get may be from another manufacturer. Also, at the moment Walser is only offering a limited number at € 14.95 (fixed price including shipment within Germany), with an option to offer a lower price. I tried, but they did not agree to any sugggestion lower than € 14.95. In their shop (outside eBay), they offer them at a much higher price.

Added pictures of the "KIPON" adaptor [3], the spring still attached.

Attached Images

 

---

Last edited by RKKS08; 01-14-2011 at 05:49 PM.

[m42man]

...Comparing the 3 models [1]=Pentax, [2]=Noname, [3]=Kipon:

1) None of them fits perfectly, tolerances of [2] probably worst, often difficult to insert in the body.
Removing can be tricky with all 3 of them, even with [1] it is sometimes VERY difficult (I remember, years ago on my Super-A, I once needed half an hour)...

Are you sure the "Pentax" adapter is a genuine one? There are some out there marked "Pentax" which weren't actually made by Pentax. Genuine (older) adapters should be marked "ASAHI PENTAX" and "Japan" (but I think "ASAHI" has been dropped for newer ones). The reason I query is that I'm surprised at anyone having any kind of difficulty in removing the genuine adapter - let alone half an hour's worth!

One of the main reasons for difficulty in removing an adapter, I think, is if it jams on the camera body because it's been over-rotated. A genuine Pentax adapter won't allow this, because (you'll see) there is a positive end-stop in the form of an abrupt squared-off flange next to the spring. Lenses, as opposed to adapters, don't have this - their flanges are smoothly ramped; since most third-party adapters seem to have been based on a lens mount, they won't have this feature either.

By the way, by far the best way of getting an adapter onto a camera body is to screw it onto a lens first, and then mount the lens onto the camera.

[m42man]

I should have added that Pentax adapters are designed to be a loose fit in the camera body, in order to facilitate removal (though from what you're saying, all your adapters seem to loose-fitting anyway). The action of tightening the lens is used to "pinch" the camera's mount between the inner flange of the adapter and the lens rear, which gets rid of the free play.

[JACOBY]

If I may on ebay. The site photo imaging out of New York has them for 10.00 bucks bought three of these and have no problems took the metal tabs off. Work great with my 200f4 and 135 f2.8 they set right on the mount also maybe I got lucky.

[RKKS08]

Are you sure the "Pentax" adapter is a genuine one? There are some out there marked "Pentax" which weren't actually made by Pentax. Genuine (older) adapters should be marked "ASAHI PENTAX" and "Japan" (but I think "ASAHI" has been dropped for newer ones). The reason I query is that I'm surprised at anyone having any kind of difficulty in removing the genuine adapter - let alone half an hour's worth!

One of the main reasons for difficulty in removing an adapter, I think, is if it jams on the camera body because it's been over-rotated. A genuine Pentax adapter won't allow this, because (you'll see) there is a positive end-stop in the form of an abrupt squared-off flange next to the spring. Lenses, as opposed to adapters, don't have this - their flanges are smoothly ramped; since most third-party adapters seem to have been based on a lens mount, they won't have this feature either.

By the way, by far the best way of getting an adapter onto a camera body is to screw it onto a lens first, and then mount the lens onto the camera.

It is marked "ASAHI PENTAX" and "JAPAN" and I think it was in a Pentax box. Maybe half an hour is exaggerated, but this was more than 25 years ago, and I remember I was desperate and had to use some tool till it finally came off.

[m42man]

It is marked "ASAHI PENTAX" and "JAPAN" and I think it was in a Pentax box. Maybe half an hour is exaggerated, but this was more than 25 years ago, and I remember I was desperate and had to use some tool till it finally came off.

Certainly sounds like the genuine article - do you recall if it was a case of being jammed, or just having difficulty depressing the spring?

[kxr4trids]

I had one of these adapters, bower 'brand', with the rear flange. See 2nd post in this thread for 2 issues you may want to watch out for: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/92646-bower-m4...not-happy.html
If you rotate the lens so the auto pin lines up with one of those gaps, you may be unpleasantly surprised unless you have removed the side screw/lock first.
Also, the second issue: that the aperture indicator will bind on the rear flange (which most takumar lenses did not have, but super-takumar and smc lenses did have)

Until this week I owned 2 adaptors: one genuine Pentax bought at a sell-out for a low price some 20 years ago, and only recently one of unknown make from an eBay seller (less than € 10.-, surely chinese manufacturing). I like to have the adaptors fixed at the lenses, to make changing lenses between m42 and KA faster, so I need one adaptor per m42 lens. For a while, a was frequently bidding on nearly all offers on eBay, waiting for a good deal. I finally succeeded with an offer for a new one by the german internet store Photo Walser (€ 10.85 including shipping) and was very astonished to get an "inner flange" one. The writing on it says "KIPON".

The "inner flange" works perfectly in pushing the auto pin; I was a bit afraid of damaging the body, as the "inner flange" seems to touch the power zoom contacts (just touching without putting force on the contacts), but no negative effects. Do they get voltage only if the body detects a power zoom?

EDITED: I just realized there is an opening in the "inner flange" (you can see it in the 2nd picture) preventing the powerzoom contacts to be shortcut once the adaptor is in its working position. So, if you switch off during lens change there shouldn't be any danger.

Comparing the 3 models [1]=Pentax, [2]=Noname, [3]=Kipon:

1) None of them fits perfectly, tolerances of [2] probably worst, often difficult to insert in the body.
Removing can be tricky with all 3 of them, even with [1] it is sometimes VERY difficult (I remember, years ago on my Super-A, I once needed half an hour).

2) In all 3 cases, cause of the difficulties is the spring: after getting rid of it, all 3 can be inserted and removed quite easily. As a result, the lens is now not securely fixed at the body. You need to drill a hole in the flange of the lenses so you can use the standard body/lens locking. If one uses one adaptor per lens, this would be the best solution (of course, if you don't carry a K-mount AND a m42-body with you and are interchanging m42-lenses between the 2 bodies).

3) All 3 adaptors do tilt the lenses; they are stopped too early, so shimming would worsen the problem - but to me, moderate tilting is not a problem. Nearest to 0 is [1], the other two are stopped 10-20 degrees early.

I will try to get another of these Photo-Walser adaptors, but as the description does not mention the "inner flange" and the picture does not comply with the item delivered, the next one I will get may be from another manufacturer. Also, at the moment Walser is only offering a limited number at € 14.95 (fixed price including shipment within Germany), with an option to offer a lower price. I tried, but they did not agree to any sugggestion lower than € 14.95. In their shop (outside eBay), they offer them at a much higher price.

Added pictures of the "KIPON" adaptor [3], the spring still attached.

[RKKS08]

I had one of these adapters, bower 'brand', with the rear flange. See 2nd post in this thread for 2 issues you may want to watch out for: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/92646-bower-m4...not-happy.html
If you rotate the lens so the auto pin lines up with one of those gaps, you may be unpleasantly surprised unless you have removed the side screw/lock first.
Also, the second issue: that the aperture indicator will bind on the rear flange (which most takumar lenses did not have, but super-takumar and smc lenses did have)

Following your description of possible issues, the "bower" brand cannot be the same as the "KIPON".

1) With this, the spacing which keeps the item clear off the power zoom contacts, is NOT a gap in the inner/rear flange, but in the connection between the flange and the adaptor itself. So the auto pin is never affected by the rotate position of the adaptor.

2) I didn't know, as I never owned a m42 lens with an aperture indicator.

[RKKS08]

Certainly sounds like the genuine article - do you recall if it was a case of being jammed, or just having difficulty depressing the spring?

I am not sure after all this time, but I think the problem was caused by the spring. As I stated in
#37, without the spring now problems anymore.