[Manel Brand]

Hello everybody,

I've just bought a Pentax K10 and I've a Tamron Adaptall 2 Tele Macro (103A model) that I used to mount on my old Pentax P30N; I've mounted the lens on the K10 and everything appears to be fine; however on the LCD panel there is an F... blinking, which I presume is asking for some input from me (the focal length of the lens?).

I quickly removed the lens from the camera and begin to look for some information but so far I've found anything that could help me.

I will be much grateful if someone could give some information on this issue, bearing in mind that I'm kind of a beginner on DSLR cameras and I'm confused about using this lens on my K10.

Thanks in advance.

M Brand

[Nesster]

Hi, I have that lens as well, it is a good one

Please look up 'manual lenses on K10' on this forum, there are menu options to set (allow aperture ring etc) that if you haven't yet set, you'll need to.

Which adaptall is it - K or K-A? If K, you have to put the camera in manual exposure mode. If A, then program and Av are available as well. The blinking F just means you were in the wrong exposure mode, and/or hadn't set the menu options correctly.

[Manel Brand]

Thank you Nesster for your reply.

The adaptall is made by Tamron and it has engraved on the mount ring "for Pentax K. M". which I think means "K mount", so it should be K;

I was thinking that the camera would be able to adjust the exposure if I set the lens to AE? I'm kind a lost here but I'm looking forward to fix this issue cause I just love that lens.

I will do the search you suggested;

[dkittle]

Turn the camera off, mount the lens and then turn the camera on. You'll be prompted to enter the focal length of the lens. That should help.

[stevebrot]

Also make sure that setting the aperture via the aperture ring is enabled.

Menu > Custom Settings > Using Aperture Ring

Steve

[bentax]

With your type of adaptor ring you can only use it in "m" mode. (or "a" but only wide open.)
Use the green button to set exposure.

I have the lens too, its a bit of a sleeper, suprisingly good.

... and make sure youve done what steve says above.

[Manel Brand]

Many thanks to all for your help.

To dkittle: how do I dial/enter the focal length?

To stevebrot: I've succeeded doing that; (Aperture Ring permitted)

To bentax: could you be more detailed on operating the green button to set exposure? also, are you saying there is another type of adapter ring that could give me other capabilities beyond the one I've? could you give me more info on that, please?

Please, be patient with me.

[stevebrot]

Many thanks to all for your help.

To dkittle: how do I dial/enter the focal length?

To stevebrot: I've succeeded doing that; (Aperture Ring permitted)

To bentax: could you be more detailed on operating the green button to set exposure? also, are you saying there is another type of adapter ring that could give me other capabilities beyond the one I've? could you give me more info on that, please?

Please, be patient with me.

I will jump in ahead of bentax...Tamron made a PK/A adaptall-2 mount that has the proper electrical contacts and aperture actuator action. If you have the PK/A mount, you can use whatever exposure mode your camera offers. Without the the PK/M mount you are limited to "M" mode. In case you are thinking of getting one, the PK/A mounts have become quite rare and often sell for 2-3x the price of most Tamron lenses.

Steve

[dkittle]

Manel, when you turn the camera on with the lens attached, it should come up with a screen that allows you to pick focal length. On the K10D and K20D, you can use the right/left arrow buttons or use the back dial to change the focal length. Press ok when you've dialed the correct focal length in. If you are using a zoom, it seems logical to set the minimum focal length for the zoom or the SR system might overcompensate.

I actually have 2 PK/A adapters are both of them are problematic. One of them I have to twist the lens "just so" in order to get aperture readings from the lens. The other seems to return aperture info to the metering system (turning the rear dial will change the shutter speed in AV mode) but I don't get an aperture reading on the LCD nor in the image EXIF...

I'd be tempted to stick with a relatively inexpensive PK/M adapter :-)

Cheers, Don

[Cypis aka Piotr]

"Manel, when you turn the camera on with the lens attached, it should come up with a screen that allows you to pick focal length."

on side note - only when SR is ON.

[Manel Brand]

Thanks again to all that have answered my silly questions; Your help is much appreciated; I'm beginning to understand how this works;

To stevebrot: I'm following your advice and I'm searching for a PK/A mount; Actually, I was thinking that if I set the lens aperture to AE, I would be able to use any exposure I want, isn't that so?. ; as for the money it may cost, it's not a big concern for me; after all,I'm trying to understand this procedures for the fun of it and for some sort of sentimental reason (I was afraid that someone come out and post something like "forget that lens and learn to use the one that is bundled with the camera..."). Well, in the meantime, I will use the PK/M adapter, as suggested by dkittle.

Also, I've read something about a multiplier to set the focal length in order to compensate for the sensor crop; is this important? If so, what's the multiplier I should apply? BTW, I've to multiply only the max focal length of the lens, in this case 210mm, by the multiplier factor?

Thanks Cypis aka Piotr for the tip, I was missing that too...

Ok, that's enough questions for now, sorry about that...

Regards,

manel

[Class A]

I actually have 2 PK/A adapters are both of them are problematic. One of them I have to twist the lens "just so" in order to get aperture readings from the lens.

Try the fix as described in the "Fixing Tamron Adaptall P/KA Adapter" article. I hope it will work for you.

And the 'M" adaptal mount. I use it just like any of my other m lenses. Once you set 'allow using aperture', turn off the camera and back on. It should ask you for focal length. I always set my length lower rather than higher. It is tough on a zoom.

but that is a nice piece of glass and I have had a lot of fun with it. If I find an 'A' adaptal adaptor, I may pick it up for this lens. But it works well as an 'M'