[timmijo]

This may have been asked before, but I am wondering if consistent use of film lenses on my digital Pentax K-r would contribute to malfunction ... I recently had to send the K-r in for repair after less than 5000 shutter clicks. I use film lenses almost all the time. The mirror locked up and would not release, and the shutter fires intermittently and erratically whenever the camera is turned on.

Wondering if it was something that I did?

[Rob22315]

If you are using the lenses in a normal manner, then it's unlikely your fault. Pentax designed the K mount for compatibility. It's more likely a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or statistical parts failure.

[magkelly]

The only things I know of that can cause any problems is the infamous Ricoh pin and/or the flange that some manual Vivitar's were made with. I've been using MF lenses both M42 and K mount on Pentax DSLR's, *ist then K-x, and so far no problems providing I took care of any lenses that had the ones mentioned above before I put them on my cameras. If that was the case I'm thinking I'd have experienced it too by now with a DSLR as much as I change out old lenses and use them. Except for work where I use both I use my MF lenses more than I do my AF ones.

[PePe]

Sorry to hear about the problem with your body. 5000 shutter actuations is not much, normally you would expect something like 100 000 or so before major problems.
However, this has absolutely nothing to do with film lenses. I use them all the time. Actually only one of my lenses is designed for DSLR`s, all the others have originally been built for film bodies.
The service center may ( or may not..) be able to cast some light on the source of the problem. The mirror lock-up could - in theory - be caused by physical abuse, but the shutter going wild sounds like an electronics failure. Most probably this is sheer bad luck.

[stevebrot]

Your made-for-film lenses should not be a cause for concern just because they were made for film. Both of my FA lenses (35/2 and 77/1.8) were designed for film cameras and both are still sold by Pentax for use on their digital bodies.

Having said that, there is the outside possibility that a damaged or defective lens might hurt a camera body. I have in a box in my closet, what was a perfectly operational Ricoh film SLR. It worked quite nicely until I mounted a brand-new, but defective, Russian Zenitar Fisheye to it. The couplers on the lens were poorly aligned and munged the corresponding members in the body. So, it can happen.

If your shutter problems were caused by a mismatched lens, the service center will probably find evidence of such.


Steve

(...similar to PePe, only has only two "digital" lenses...all the rest were made for film...)

[Kerrowdown]

Film lenses=digital camera malfunction

I don't think the two things are actually linked, you've just been unlucky.

If there were a link, I'd have been in trouble for many years now, just look at my sig, not a DSLR lens amongst them.