[Photogoof]

I've shot some good photos using my macro rings with my film lens on my K10D. When I use them with the digital lens, though, everything falls apart. What is the procedure here?

[old4570]

Macro Rings = Macro Tubes ?
Falls Apart ?
Which film lens
Which Digital lens
What Tubes


How about a brief description of your set up ?
How are you going about taking a photo ...


I will assume you lose Autofocus with the tubes , you may also be loosing Auto aperture ..
So , I would be setting the camera to M - mode ( Manual )
Set your ISO , SHUTTER , and APERTURE .. Do you use a flash ?
What ever , take a few test shots to make sure your not too dark or too bright ( too much light ) , go out and take some pictures .

[Digitalis]

do you have any lenses with aperture rings? I would suggest trying them. Any lens from the K series through FA series should work fine - DA lenses do not have aperture rings on them, and by default they stop down to f/22 with manual extension tubes, which is probably what is wrecking your images.

[Photogoof]

The film lens was a 35 - 75mm from my K-1000. The digital lens is 18 - 55mm. I always have the lens on "M". The digital readout on the back of the camera asked me for lens length. Whatever length I chose, I always ended up with a dark photo - and I mean, black.

[Not a Number]

Unless the macro tubes have the proper electrical contacts you have to use manual stop-down metering techniques with the 18-55mm. The same goes for the manual focus lens in any case if it is not an "A" type lens.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...-k-x-k-7-a.htm
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/53-pentax-dslr-camera-articles/100260-man...tic-lenses.htm

If the 18-55mm does not have an aperture setting ring it will only shoot fully closed down on tubes without contacts. If the tubes do not have the auto-aperture lever you will have to manually stop down the lens before taking the exposure.

To use extension rings/tubes set the lens to infinity and focus by moving the lens and camera to/from the subject (or the subject closer/further to the lens).

This article will explain various macro techniques and equipment and explain the difference between the types of tubes:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/152336-cheap-macr...lose-work.html