Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
01-08-2012, 04:48 AM   #1
New Member




Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 4
Using old lenses on digital SLR

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 own an H2 with 55mm and 135mm lenses from 50+ years ago.

Am wondering if these lenses would be usable with a DSLR.

I have an adaptor from the days when I used an MG (?) - since lost in a burglary.

Thanks for any advice.

Vincent

01-08-2012, 04:57 AM   #2
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
boriscleto's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: North Syracuse, NY
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 16,464
They will work just fine with the adapter.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-beginners-corner-q/110658-using-ma...x-dslrs-f.html
01-08-2012, 05:07 AM   #3
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
RobA_Oz's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,182
They certainly will, Vince. If you check around the Forums here, you'll find lots of examples; the Takumar Club's a good place to start https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/lens-clubs/31601-takumar-club.html, but there's plenty of others - Voigtlanders, Tamrons etc (even Leitz!).

If you don't already have a screw mount adapter, have a look on eBay, but be aware that some of them don't allow focussing to infinity, and some of the cheaper ones are poorly made, and either won't mount or are the devil to get off your camera. Go with Pentax originals, or get some recommendations from Forum members, if you're thinking about buying. You used to be able to buy Pentax ones for $20-30 a couple of years ago, but I notice that a lot are around the $45 mark now.
01-08-2012, 05:50 AM   #4
New Member




Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 4
Original Poster
Thanks for such rapid replies!

I might have usefully added that the lenses are Auto Takumar, and have screw mount. The adaptor I have was to enable me to use them with the MG which had a bayonet mount.

The lenses have a lever which opens them to allow viewing then the first action of the shutter was to return the aperture to the selected number - or that's how I understood it - I never did become very expert in these matters. In particular I was wondering if that viewing system would work on a modern camera.

Vincent

01-08-2012, 02:37 PM   #5
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
RobA_Oz's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,182
If you bought the adapter in the days when the MG was current, then it's almost certain that it's a Pentax original. In that case you won't have any issues with it.

I should have added that you'll probably want more than one, as changing lenses can be easier if you don't have to change the adapter each time, but unless you modify the original screw-mount to make the adapter more permanent, this won't be an issue. Have a look around the Forums here for more information on the adapters.
01-08-2012, 02:55 PM   #6
Veteran Member
RioRico's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Limbo, California
Posts: 11,263
Short rant on adapters:

Every M42 screwmount user should own just one Official Pentax adapter -- safe, tedious, not cheap. But those of us using multiple screwmount lenses (I have 80) tend to buy piles of cheap clone adapters, often marked BOWER. These adapters usually work fine. Just be sure to remove the screw and clip or YOU WILL GO APESH!T! when the adapter jams in the camera mount Then use a rear lens cap as a wrench to tighten the adapter on the lens, and to remove it if desired. I've had adapters on some lenses so long, I've almost forgotten they aren't PK native.

The Official Pentax and Bower adapters are all narrow-flange. There also exist wide-flange adapters, cheap and safe, sometimes called NIF (no infinity focus). Their 1mm thickness is enough to lose infinity. These are fine with lenses used for portraits, macros, other jobs where infinity doesn't matter. Some long tele lenses (400mm+) normally focus PAST infinity, so an NIF adapter is just fine. And I use NIF adapters on 180mm+ teles, stopped down; far-focus may drop from infinity to 150m, but at f/11 the DOF usually extends to infinity. Just shoot closer subjects.

Why use a NIF adapter? For convenience, and for CIF (catch-in-focus). Some screwmount lenses have a narrow base that doesn't cover the aperture-control contacts on the camera mount. Those contacts MUST be (safely) shorted for CIF to work. So I'll take a NIF adapter, file or scrape off the paint on the section that covers the pins, and mount a narrow-base lens for CIF assistance. My delaminating eyeballs depend on CIF with MF lenses.

I'll shut up now. Right.
01-08-2012, 03:59 PM   #7
Junior Member




Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 31
Since someone else already asked this question, I may as well piggy back on this thread.


I have several MD mount Minolta lenses that I used with my X-570 ALR body. How well will these work with my K-R? Do I have to buy individual adapters for each lens or is there one adapter that will twist onto my K-R and then accept any MD Minolta lens I own? If so, is this adapter made by Pentax or another brand? A part number would make it easy for me to locate it if you happen to know it.

Thanks in advance.

01-08-2012, 05:10 PM   #8
Veteran Member
RioRico's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Limbo, California
Posts: 11,263
QuoteOriginally posted by hydriv Quote
I have several MD mount Minolta lenses that I used with my X-570 ALR body. How well will these work with my K-R? Do I have to buy individual adapters for each lens or is there one adapter that will twist onto my K-R and then accept any MD Minolta lens I own?
If you want the IQ of the MD lenses, you're out of luck. MD register (FFD, flange focal distance) is 43.7mm; Pentax is ~45.5mm. That almost 2mm difference means that a glassless MD->PK adapter would not allow infinity focus; the lenses would only be good for close work. Glassless and optical adapters exist: PK MD adapt | eBay -- but optical adapters act like short TCs, killing wide lenses and impacting IQ a bit. Whatever made the MD lenses special is gone.

I've chopped lenses in Nikon, Olympus OM, Contax-Yashica C/Y, and Petri bayonet mounts to fit PK,and I've adapted Exakta and Argus C3 mount lenses. I had a pile of great MDs but sold them all because they're just not suitable for adaptation or modification. Oh my, I sure wish I could have kept and used the Rokkor SI 28/2.5, PF 50/1.7, PF 100/2.5, and HF 300/4.5. They were gifts. But they're not for Pentax SLRs. They can be used on NEX and m4/3 and other short-register cameras, but not ours. Bummer.
01-08-2012, 06:21 PM   #9
Junior Member




Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 31
Riorico,
As a newb to the entire world of DSLR's, some of what you said went straight over my head due to me not being familiar with the jargon. However, the message still came ringing through, loud and clear. I am not pleased that my investment in Minolta lenses will continue to gather dust in the bottom drawer of a cabinet in my office but that's how it is since I have no intention of going back to film. I want to thank you for your time in providing the explanation. At least now I know that there is no point in spending money on any adapters. You might be interested to know that two other camera aficionado's had told me they would work except I would have no metering or auto focus.

Darn...... three zoom lenses, two prime and a 500 mm mirror are now in the antique class. What a waste.
01-08-2012, 09:29 PM   #10
Veteran Member
RioRico's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Limbo, California
Posts: 11,263
OK, I'll translate:

* IQ is Image Quality, how accurate an optic is technically, like 'fidelity' in music.
* TC means TeleConverter, an add-on lens that stretches the focal length of the host lens.
* FFD or Register is the distance from lens base to frame (film or sensor). In SLRs, it's the size of the mirror box.

Longer register lenses can be fitted to shorter-register cameras and will still focus to infinity, so Pentax lenses *could* be used on Minolta MD cameras with little hassle. Short-register lenses on longer-register cameras can only focus to infinity with an optical adapter, which is a short TC. Unless a TC is closely matched to a host lens, it loses IQ. A glassless adapter will keep IQ but lose infinity focus. What a pickle.

So the only ways to use a Minolta MD lens on a Pentax camera are to 1) use the optical adapter (with its ills), or 2) to shoot stuff that's a couple cm|inches in front of the lens, or 3) to perform major surgery on the MD lens. Others have take the surgical route. They have machine shops; I don't.

All hope is not lost. Pentax's new owner Ricoh makes a Leica M mountor (mount+sensor) for their GXR camera. The M register is 27.8mm, far shorter than Minolta MD, so mounting an MD lens would only take a simple glassless adapter. I'd be surprised if Hong Kong editions of MD->M weren't on eBay already. Ricoh also announced a PK mountor for our Pentax lenses. Your Minolta glass can live again, just not on any of the major dSLRs. I'm tempted by the GXR. All I need is money.

My recommendation: Hang on to your MD lenses. In a year, they could be much more valuable, or you may buy a camera that can use them. Good luck!

Last edited by RioRico; 01-08-2012 at 09:45 PM.
01-09-2012, 03:35 AM   #11
Veteran Member
hoanpham's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Strand
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,366
QuoteOriginally posted by hydriv Quote
Darn...... three zoom lenses, two prime and a 500 mm mirror are now in the antique class. What a waste.
They are not trash if you still have the good ones. You can use them with adapter on sony nex or micro4/3.
01-09-2012, 04:41 AM   #12
Veteran Member
Mike Cash's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Japan
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,950
The Auto-Takumar 55/2 is one of favorite lenses and I use the old Takumars as my regular daily shooting gear. They still work just fine.
01-09-2012, 08:50 AM   #13
Junior Member




Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 31
QuoteOriginally posted by Mike Cash Quote
The Auto-Takumar 55/2 is one of favorite lenses and I use the old Takumars as my regular daily shooting gear. They still work just fine.


Mike,
Perhaps I'm missing something but how does your reply affect my situation of wanting to use Minolta MD mount lenses on my Pentax K-R?
01-09-2012, 08:55 AM   #14
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
boriscleto's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: North Syracuse, NY
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 16,464
QuoteOriginally posted by hydriv Quote
Mike,
Perhaps I'm missing something but how does your reply affect my situation of wanting to use Minolta MD mount lenses on my Pentax K-R?
His reply is to the OP.
01-09-2012, 09:07 AM   #15
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Roodepoort, South Africa
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,561
QuoteOriginally posted by hydriv Quote
Darn...... three zoom lenses, two prime and a 500 mm mirror are now in the antique class. What a waste.
I have some MD glass as well (from my X700) days and I'm looking into a mirrorless (like the Samsung NX10).

QuoteOriginally posted by hydriv Quote
Mike,
Perhaps I'm missing something but how does your reply affect my situation of wanting to use Minolta MD mount lenses on my Pentax K-R?
That happens when you 'hijack' a thread. Far better to start your own one as it prevents this confusion (and it's more polite to the opening poster)
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
k-mount, lenses, pentax lens, slr lens
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A film SLR feels better than a digital SLR ? spystyle Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 114 11-08-2014 01:54 PM
Pentax FA power zoom lenses and digital SLR jobopentax Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 24 07-09-2013 08:26 PM
Old Film SLR to Digital SLR PentaxDilemma Pentax DSLR Discussion 16 03-11-2011 06:25 PM
Using digital SLR and film SLR side by side dugrant153 Photographic Technique 12 07-30-2010 12:00 PM
Do digital SLR's die much faster than 35 mm mechanical SLR's ? lesmore49 Photographic Technique 23 06-05-2009 04:17 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:49 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top