[hinman]

My m42 adapter from BHPhoto arrived yesterday and I have been playing with my old Praktica M42 lens. My first test is on my Pentagon 50mm f/1.8. I do have problems in getting the exposure. Somehow, I need to add +2 on Ev in order to get picture properly exposed. I have no idea why that is happening. Here are few samples of indoor testing done earlier. I am new to both my K100D and all the gears with M42, so mistakes are all mine and my inexperience and impatience to get things right:

#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6



Flickr Photoset
Pentagon M42 50mm f/1.8 Test Shots - a photoset on Flickr

I find it quite sharp and the M42 adapter from bhphoto costing $14.99, though not the original pentax M42 adapter, works quite well and no focusing problems noted so far, I have not tried at infinity but a farther distance.



The manual focusing on M42 lens on my K100D is much easier than I thought. I previously bought a $37 Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro and I thought the manual focusing is good but after using the M42 lens, there is no comparison as the M42 lens that I have with Pentagon has twice the focusing ring length than my Takumar. I am in awe with the M42 and with skills yet to be built up in M focusing, I am really IN LOVE with Pentax for the inexpensive choices that are quite extensive. Comments, critiques, corrections and thoughts are welcome.

Previous thoughts on my Takumar
Thoughts on Takumar Asahi 28-80 Macro - Hin's Tech Corner

All pictures test with Takumar
Hin's Tech Corner

and I will blog about my M42 when time allows. And after the Pentagon 50 f/1.8, I have a schneider lens at 135mm f/3.5 to try out -- that is like an antique to me and not-so-good condition Praktica 28-70 f/3.5. So far my m42 50mm f/1.8 looks solid. Life is more than exciting!!!! Thanks to Pentax for making things compatible and I never regret my choice in getting Pentax in my upgrade. I am like you all, a smart customer who wisely chooses Pentax.

Hin

[Mike Cash]

They came out just lovely, didn't they? I'm with you, I love my M42 lenses.

Like you, I have also had to do a +2 EV adjustment. However, based on a tip I saw posted by someone else recently, today I did an experiment which has solved that.

What you need to do is tear a piece of aluminum foil and place it over the contacts on the camera body. I folded a piece of aluminum foil to double thickness and placed it over the adapter so the lens body would hold the foil in place. Then I used my fingernail to smooth the foil down over the contacts.

Result?

It now only requires about a +0.3 ~ 0.7 EV adjustment for correct exposure. This is great, because it leaves me latitude to adjust the exposure for backlit situations.

Quirk: It sometimes records aperture info to the EXIF, none of which is correct, of course.

[pleo]

Having some adaptors and M42-lenses and DS and K100D:
1. There are differences in the adaptors! I'll never buy any again without trying.
2. DS-exposure is much better with old lenses!
3. Exposure shouldn't be set spot or multiple-AF but as standard as possible (don't have mine at hand right now.... sorry for my unpreicise wording)
4. There are many recommendable M42-lenses: Meyer 2.8/100, Pentacon 2.8/135 - but not the wide-angle-lenses which are better nowadays.
I do have and love my manual Vivitar 2.8/24 and Pentax 2.8/28 though.
of course the Zenith 2.8/16 and Jupiter 2.0/85 !
resolutionwise the Pentax-50mm-lenses from A-sereis on are better than older ones - but with a different colour-cast and bokeh. My bokeh-kings are the Meyer and Jupiter-lenses mentioned above.
5. Nice shots!

[hinman]

They came out just lovely, didn't they? I'm with you, I love my M42 lenses.

Like you, I have also had to do a +2 EV adjustment. However, based on a tip I saw posted by someone else recently, today I did an experiment which has solved that.

What you need to do is tear a piece of aluminum foil and place it over the contacts on the camera body. I folded a piece of aluminum foil to double thickness and placed it over the adapter so the lens body would hold the foil in place. Then I used my fingernail to smooth the foil down over the contacts.

Result?

It now only requires about a +0.3 ~ 0.7 EV adjustment for correct exposure. This is great, because it leaves me latitude to adjust the exposure for backlit situations.

Quirk: It sometimes records aperture info to the EXIF, none of which is correct, of course.

Thank you for sharing the tip on aluminum foil. And I feel better in seeing other people dialing in +2.0 EV adjustment. I thought something is working right in the stop-down metering. And I feel better with your input.

Thanks,
Hin

[hinman]

Having some adaptors and M42-lenses and DS and K100D:
1. There are differences in the adaptors! I'll never buy any again without trying.
2. DS-exposure is much better with old lenses!
3. Exposure shouldn't be set spot or multiple-AF but as standard as possible (don't have mine at hand right now.... sorry for my unpreicise wording)
4. There are many recommendable M42-lenses: Meyer 2.8/100, Pentacon 2.8/135 - but not the wide-angle-lenses which are better nowadays.
I do have and love my manual Vivitar 2.8/24 and Pentax 2.8/28 though.
of course the Zenith 2.8/16 and Jupiter 2.0/85 !
resolutionwise the Pentax-50mm-lenses from A-sereis on are better than older ones - but with a different colour-cast and bokeh. My bokeh-kings are the Meyer and Jupiter-lenses mentioned above.
5. Nice shots!

Thanks for all the points, I was using the multi-select auto focus where I default the AF point in center and enable the navigation to move among the 11 AF points in my K100D. It is essentially like center focusing with ability to move AF point among the 11 AF points available.

But for metering, I use the 16 multi-segments, that may not be appropriate for the m42, I will try on center weighted metering option and see if anything changes.

And thanks for the all the pointers for M42 lens. Let's keep this private and scavenge all the good ones in ebay. And I did a couple of ebay watchlist based on your input. Many of your noted names also come in M39. Something new to me with some odd looking silver lens in M39 mounting made from Russia

Thanks again,
Hin

[r3nx]

Having some adaptors and M42-lenses and DS and K100D:
1. There are differences in the adaptors! I'll never buy any again without trying.
2. DS-exposure is much better with old lenses!
3. Exposure shouldn't be set spot or multiple-AF but as standard as possible (don't have mine at hand right now.... sorry for my unpreicise wording)
4. There are many recommendable M42-lenses: Meyer 2.8/100, Pentacon 2.8/135 - but not the wide-angle-lenses which are better nowadays.
I do have and love my manual Vivitar 2.8/24 and Pentax 2.8/28 though.
of course the Zenith 2.8/16 and Jupiter 2.0/85 !
resolutionwise the Pentax-50mm-lenses from A-sereis on are better than older ones - but with a different colour-cast and bokeh. My bokeh-kings are the Meyer and Jupiter-lenses mentioned above.
5. Nice shots!

The jupiter is great! I'm currently buying only m42 lenses. Paid like 15$ for the 85/2 and getting a 135/3.5 for the same money. Also have a 35/2 (superb dof&bokeh) and 50/2.8 macro. Thinking of finding a TC too for macroing. Have 3 sets of extension tubes (got them for umm.. 3$ ). Very good quality pics with minimal investment!

[hinman]

The jupiter is great! I'm currently buying only m42 lenses. Paid like 15$ for the 85/2 and getting a 135/3.5 for the same money. Also have a 35/2 (superb dof&bokeh) and 50/2.8 macro. Thinking of finding a TC too for macroing. Have 3 sets of extension tubes (got them for umm.. 3$ ). Very good quality pics with minimal investment!

Thanks you r3nx for the input.

Can anyone share with me their favorite M42 vendors in eBay. I have henrys.com as my farvorite sellers. What about yours? And I actually like sellers offering the 'buy it now' option as I am the peculiar kind not liking to bid up the price but paid full prize when I find the lens worthy and reasonably priced.

Thanks,
Hin

[hinman]

Thanks you r3nx for the input.

Can anyone share with me their favorite M42 vendors in eBay. I have henrys.com as my farvorite sellers. What about yours? And I actually like sellers offering the 'buy it now' option as I am the peculiar kind not liking to bid up the price but paid full prize when I find the lens worthy and reasonably priced.

Thanks,
Hin

Besides the favorite ebay vendors, I also like to hear if Yashica and Soligor are good brands for m42 lens. Thank you.

Hin

[konraDarnok]

Besides the favorite ebay vendors, I also like to hear if Yashica and Soligor are good brands for m42 lens. Thank you.

Hin

I don't know. This is the only prime I have for my K10D. What do you think? This is a full pixel crop from a picture I took this weekend with a Auto Yashinon 1:1.8 f=5.5cm Yashica lens.

I had the aperture wide open while I was holding the camera with SR enabled.

[hinman]

I don't know. This is the only prime I have for my K10D. What do you think? This is a full pixel crop from a picture I took this weekend with a Auto Yashinon 1:1.8 f=5.5cm Yashica lens.

I had the aperture wide open while I was holding the camera with SR enabled.

Hi KonraDarnok, that is a beautiful picture and the crop is wonderfully made. But I do see the eye and eyebrow being a bit soft. I have untrained eyes but I am thinking that sharpness can enhance the beautiful picture you have in this one -- her smile and the cropping is perfectly done in the picture.

And much thanks for a sample of Yashinon lens, is that the same as Yashica lens? Thanks again.

[hinman]

The one that I ordered, the bower general m42 adapter, do come with a tool that is needed to mount and dismount the adapter. I have my m42 adapter for two days so far it works pit quite well for me. Unlike the genuine pentax adapter which I can't find it anywhere, the adapter in the link requires a key for mounting and dismounting. So far, I find it quite manageable for the mounting as long as I have that tool with me.

General Brand | Pentax-K Body to Universal Lens Adapter | B&H


Picture and description from FotoPete for the general adapter along with the genuine one that comes with a key in the picture. I hope Pete forgives me in using his picture as I have asked him for usage and I have not heard back from him. I intend to use his picture in future references.


Left to Right : Adaptor Tool -> Genuine Pentax M42 adapter -> third party adapter

Thanks,
Hin

[Mike Cash]

I have a third-party adapter and have always used the tool for removal. But I left the tool at home recently and discovered that a pair of tweezers works even better than the tool for removing it.....and my fingernail also works perfectly. All that is necessary is to pull the little spring tab inward while turning the adapter.

Korna, I love the portrait. Like Hinman, I also notice that the eye area is slightly soft. It looks as though the area of focus was a few mm closer. You can see that the area of her cheek and the area of her canine tooth (third from the rear in the photo) are in clear focus. Not a problem with the photo, but it does demonstrate the very narrow area of sharp focus one gets when shooting wide open.

[Nesster]

Just as a point of interest, my Lensbaby 1.0 also requires that +2 Ev compensation. I'd thought it had something to do with how the Lensbaby works, but now perhaps I see it has to do with the contacts in the lens mount.

Thanks for all the M42 info and samples & enthusiasm, that's definitely an area I want to get into.

[Chako]

Hmmm...I may have to get myself one of these. Not sure what quality the 55mm f/2.2 Takumar that came with my Pentax S is, but it might be worth it to play around with.

[konraDarnok]

Korna, I love the portrait. Like Hinman, I also notice that the eye area is slightly soft. It looks as though the area of focus was a few mm closer. You can see that the area of her cheek and the area of her canine tooth (third from the rear in the photo) are in clear focus. Not a problem with the photo, but it does demonstrate the very narrow area of sharp focus one gets when shooting wide open.

It's hard to get the DOF right in the eyes. That picture did end up in the teeth more or less. That's the best I've done so far. DOF is tricky on-the-go, but it gives the best effect for faces. I would be really interested in seeing some full pixel crops of other 50mm lenses wide open so I could see how mine compares. Maybe I'll start a thread and see if anybody participates.

I thought about getting the Pentax 1.4 AF, for low light, but I think this lens does a good job at 1.8, but I don't have anything to compare to -- nor 200 bucks for the Pentax.

I know my Yashica can be had on ebay for like 14 bucks or so. It's quite well made -- all natural finished aluminum with orange on black indicators -- circa 1965.

I also have a Yashica 90-190mm zoom screw mount. It ain't so hot. Modern zooms are better. The science wasn't good enough for zooms back then.

On the rest of the topic: I have the Kalt brand adapter from B&H. It works just fine. But I only have m42 lenses at the moment, so I haven't taken it off the camera except when I first got it to test how it works -- and it works. The threads are very well machined.

I read a thread about taking the adapter and breaking the spring off. Then lock-tight the adapter to the lens and then drill a small hole into the lens so that it locks into the body -- effectively converting the lens to K mount.

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=572668&forum_id=94&page=1

I won a 28-300mm Tamron on ebay recently. I will use this lens for wildlife and bright sunshine. I plan to keep the Yashica for low light and portraits, and converting it to k-mount with the above technique.