[sharepointalex]

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.

---

Thanks ripit the colours and contrast look pretty good. Would also like to confirm with you guys the correct procedure for using these older MF lenses on new Pentax DSLRs:

1. Put camera in Manual
2. Set aperture using aperture ring on lens
3. Press the green button to allow camera to select the correct shutter speed
4. Focus the lens using the focusing ring - I've heard people say that you still get the beep and dot appear in the viewfinder?

Cheers

Alex

[ripit]

Thanks ripit the colours and contrast look pretty good. Would also like to confirm with you guys the correct procedure for using these older MF lenses on new Pentax DSLRs:

1. Put camera in Manual
2. Set aperture using aperture ring on lens
3. Press the green button to allow camera to select the correct shutter speed
4. Focus the lens using the focusing ring - I've heard people say that you still get the beep and dot appear in the viewfinder?

Cheers

Alex

Yea thats basically it for using it. I'm not sure if you have to change anything in setting but mine will indicate when it is in focus with a beep and the dot and so far as I know all other pentax's can do it with manual lenses too. Something I forgot, I use an ist-ds which is only 6 MP so keep that in mind when judging my shot.

[sharepointalex]

Ok nice one thanks - sounds simple enough!

[tim60]

Thanks for the input guys - budget is probably around 60 or 70 aussie dollars. Barnster found me a Auto Chinon 50mm 1.7 on the bay for me (eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace. I'm pretty tempted by this one especially if it goes cheap and it looks like it might at the moment.

Figured if its cheap enough I could actually get two primes. Thinking the 50mm focal length maybe more practical for utilising the shallow DOF with macro shots etc and I could get a 28mm or keep an eye out for 24mm for landscapes.

Cheers

Alex

I collected a bunch of Super Takumars of various lengths during the past year. I started with about the same budget per lens. It was surprisingly achievable, mainly using eBay (international). With a bit of caution and patience - remember you do not need to buy the first one which appears - the collecting is fun, and you get time to get to know each one as they arrive.

Just like buying a new lens, look until you find a good lens to buy, and avoid wasting money on not quite there lenses.

BTW: a friend bought an old K-mount film body last year with an off-brand lens - I think they were both Hanimex. The 50mm f2 seems very similar in look and feel to my M50/2 that I got as kit lens with my MX.he paid AUD20 at a pawnbroker. I paid AUD320, in 1981 at a camera shop.Do the TVM sums and see the premium I paid for 'new', and the benefit of not waiting 30 years.

On ebig rule buying old lenses - patience, patience, patience ....

[wasser]

Thanks ripit the colours and contrast look pretty good. Would also like to confirm with you guys the correct procedure for using these older MF lenses on new Pentax DSLRs:

1. Put camera in Manual
2. Set aperture using aperture ring on lens
3. Press the green button to allow camera to select the correct shutter speed
4. Focus the lens using the focusing ring - I've heard people say that you still get the beep and dot appear in the viewfinder?

Cheers

Alex

One thing you missed - before you can use it you need to change a setting in the menu to allow you to use the manual aperture. On the K-5 you press "Menu" and then under the "C" tab change the "Using Aperture Ring" (C,4,27) setting to "2" (Permitted).

Oh, and after you mount the manual lens and start your camera, it will ask for the focal length of your lens. Be sure to input it correctly so the SR will work properly.

[lytrytyr]

Would also like to confirm with you guys the correct procedure for using these older MF lenses on new Pentax DSLRs:

3. Press the green button to allow camera to select the correct shutter speed

When you've got the green button pressed,
you'll have to adjust the shutter speed with the wheel
until the camera confirms correct exposure.

So the camera allows you to select the correct shutter speed.

This assumes you've done all the other things mentioned above,
like "enabling aperture ring" and setting the FL on start-up.

It all sounds like a pain at first,
but can become instinctive and addictive.

[wasser]

When you've got the green button pressed,
you'll have to adjust the shutter speed with the wheel
until the camera confirms correct exposure.

So the camera allows you to select the correct shutter speed.

This assumes you've done all the other things mentioned above,
like "enabling aperture ring" and setting the FL on start-up.

It all sounds like a pain at first,
but can become instinctive and addictive.

Perhaps I'm missing something...

Green button sets your shutter speed. Adjustments aren't necessary. Furthermore, in manual mode you are always free to change both the shutter and aperture. Green button has nothing to do with either act. Green button meters the light and adjusts the shutter speed for correct exposure.

[boriscleto]

Sears has some good ones also but I'm not so sure they will be available much there. I thought I had a chinon 1.7 and took a quick snap shot but turns out mine is a chinon 1.9 (my sears 50mm is a 1.7).

Most Sears 50's were made by Ricoh, but the one I have was made by Chinon (Auto Sears MC 50mm 1:1.7). It was the kit lens for the Sears KSX-P (Chinon CP-5).

It's not a bad lens for the price I paid ($10 shipped).

[lytrytyr]

Perhaps I'm missing something...

Green button sets your shutter speed. Adjustments aren't necessary. Furthermore, in manual mode you are always free to change both the shutter and aperture. Green button has nothing to do with either act. Green button meters the light and adjusts the shutter speed for correct exposure.

Just to confirm, we're talking about M-mode, right?

The green button effectively turns on an exposure meter, with display in the viewfinder.
It's stop-down metering, like the old Spotmatics had.
But that's all it does.
No adjustment is made to the camera settings.
You have to set the shutter speed with the wheel,
presuming that you've already set your desired aperture
on the lens with the aperture ring.

[ripit]

My camera doesn't have the green button but has a button that provides the same function. When you push the button, it stops down the lens to what the aperture ring is set to, meters and automatically sets shutter speed for correct exposure. I had thought the green button did the same thing?

As far as being patient on ebay, prices are very volatile on ebay. I have seen the same lens in similar condition go for drastically different prices. people sometimes get trigger happy and bid way too high. There are a lot of things that effect price. Quality of a lens can effect the price but availability and demand is just as important. Some very good lenses sell cheap just because there are so many out there and so many on ebay at any given time. Less common lenses can sell for a lot more as you get a lot more people bidding on the few available ones. People also assume that the major brand is always better, in this case pentax. Thing is, many lenses are not even made by pentax. I just lost an action on a promaster 28-200mm that sold for about 30$( should have bid higher but I'm broke and do have to pay for it). It is the same lens as the pentax and tamron version. The one with the pentax name usually sells for 100$ plus because it has that name on it. Auctions sometimes go cheap because they end a a bad time (middle of the night in the middle of the week instead of the weekend). They also go cheap because of poor listings (kind of have to search a lot to find those). I recently got a "vivitar 58mm macro lens" in perfect condition for about 45$ shipped which in actuality was a vivitar 90mm 2.5 that typically sells for 200$. It had good pictures that clearly showed what it was and its good condition. The longest I ever waited was 4 months (for an uncommon lens). I got a kalimar 35-70mm 2.8 constant that Turned out to be broken, and wanted another. I kept watching them go for closer to 100$ (not worth it as you can get better lenses for a little more). 4 months later I won an auction for the kalimar, another lens, and a ricoh camera body with winder for 28$. The other lens had fungus and the seller refunded 10$. The kalimar was in nice shape.

In short, don't get to impatient or bid too high (unless you have more money than time). and you can score some great lenses cheap. No worries if you loose an auction, another will always come along. Look at completed listings and bid in the lower range or if you are building a collection and bidding on am lot, even below the normal selling range. I have got 50 plus slr lenses off ebay with average cost under 10$ ea. While there were a few broken and a few were duds(not good quality), most were decent and several were exceptional. Mine were mostly manual zooms (a few primes and a few AF lenses) but If I am not mistaken, riorico has over 200 primes off ebay and I am pretty sure his average per lens is lower than mine.

[wasser]

Just to confirm, we're talking about M-mode, right?

The green button effectively turns on an exposure meter, with display in the viewfinder.
It's stop-down metering, like the old Spotmatics had.
But that's all it does.
No adjustment is made to the camera settings.
You have to set the shutter speed with the wheel,
presuming that you've already set your desired aperture
on the lens with the aperture ring.

That isn't green button metering, that's Optical Preview. On the K-5 you can use Optical Preview from the "On/Off" switch. And yes, if you use Optical Preview it then gives a light meter like the Spotmatics and then, while holding the preview, you can then manually adjust the shutter or aperture for correct exposure.

However, the actual green button will just set the shutter speed for correct exposure.

[ripit]

Most Sears 50's were made by Ricoh, but the one I have was made by Chinon (Auto Sears MC 50mm 1:1.7). It was the kit lens for the Sears KSX-P (Chinon CP-5).

It's not a bad lens for the price I paid ($10 shipped).

I can not believe I never noticed (never compared I guess), but with the exception of slightly different size glass, my sears 1.7 and my ricoh 2.0 are identical in every possibly way down to every mark, contour, screw, even colors in the lettering. I over paid for the sears (25$ with a camera locally on craigs list) but it was the second MF lens I ever bought and didn't know the market. The ricoh was 6$ shipped and the chinon 50mm 1.9 was 25$ with a 35-70mm zoom, a chinon body, a chinon camera bag (nice with room for a couple of lenses and lots of little stuff), chinon strap, cleaning kit, flash (pos), and other small accessories (original caps, filters etc).

[sharepointalex]

Thanks for the responses guys just trying to digeste them now - so basically I can use the green button to have the camera set the shutter speed? is this in Manual mode?

Also a Ricoh Rikenon 50mm f2 lens has just popped up on ebay - it looks in mint condition and is currently selling very cheap - is this a better one to go for than the Auto Chinon? see link below.

eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d?r

Cheers

[boriscleto]

Thanks for the responses guys just trying to digeste them now - so basically I can use the green button to have the camera set the shutter speed? is this in Manual mode?[/url]

Cheers

With a fully manual lens, yes. If you are using a K-x or K-r you can set the shutter speed with the AV+- button instead and use the Green Button for something else.

A lens with the 'A' setting can use all the modes. With an 'A' lens set to 'A' the AV+- button switches between aperture and shutter speed in M mode.

[paulh]

Thanks for the responses guys just trying to digeste them now - so basically I can use the green button to have the camera set the shutter speed? is this in Manual mode?


Cheers

Correct - that's the procedure using M and K manual lenses. Of course you are free to override the camera's settings at any time - you're in Manual mode, after all On cameras that don't have a green button, you use the AV+- button or the AE-L button, depending on the model.