[garywakeling]

I like to use my K mount lenses adapted to the Pentax Q with the adapter Q for K mount lenses. Today I tried use the new 16-50 on the adapter and had a couple of issues. Firstly I had to remove the tripod mount from the adapter, as the lens doesn't quite clear the tripod foot due to the bulk of the barrel. Then due to the KA4 lens mount not having any electrical connectors in the Q adapter, the aperture cannot be closed down using the dial on the adapter. This makes sense considering the behaviour of the KA4 mount on older K mount cameras, something I forgot before trying this combination. The third challenge was that as there is no physical connection from the focus ring , it was impossible to focus the lens while on the adapter. The only workaround I came up with was to remove the lens, attach it to a KA4 camera, focus on the subject, remove the lens then reattach to the adapter and take a photo. The focus also changes as you zoom, so this clunky workaround was really a one shot wonder, unlikely ever to be repeated. Technically feasible to use the combination, but not something I will bother with in the future.

[pepperberry farm]

I imagine that, in the future, this will become a larger problem when we are attempting to adapt lenses to camera bodies other than the lens' native mount....

I have a handful of lenses with only electronic controls, rather than any mechanical, that are near-useless on anything other than the native mount...

[UncleVanya]

I didn’t think kaf4 was focus by wire necessarily. Is that more about Plm or just specific to this design? The aperture control issue I understand and expect.

[photoptimist]

This issue will get both worse and better as time goes on.

On the one hand, it will get worse as more and more products (cameras, lenses, and accessories) become fully digital devices with no mechanical interfaces beyond the basic bayonet. Every camera line will have its own proprietary set of electrical contacts and internal communication protocols by which a proprietary digital body controls the respective proprietary digital lenses. Older or other-brand bodies that lack the right set of contacts will have no way to control or actuate focus and aperture of these newer digital lenses. It creates seemingly perfect incompatibility.

However, on the other hand, it can get better to the extent that either skilled hobbyists (or paid engineers of 3rd-party lens makers) figure out these interfaces and write a bit of software for some cheap off-the shelf micro-controller that translates communications between one mount and another. If they publish their software or create an open source projects, anyone will be able to create mount-A-to-mount-B adaptors. Add a couple of cheap sensors (and a rechargeable battery) and an older fully mechanical body can control a newer digital lens. Add a small motor or two, and a newer digital body can control an older mechanical lens. Publish some 3-D printer files and a parts list, and any hobbyist will be able to build an A-to-B adaptor. Finally, if(or when!) some entrepreneur offers to build a bunch of these adaptors, the result is a great Kickstarter project.

[UncleVanya]

To put this another way… the Kaf3 mount 18-50 RE (all versions) will have aperture control but can’t be focused on a Q adapter - right? Since the 18-50 is focus by wire.

[jslifoaw]

To put this another way… the Kaf3 mount 18-50 RE (all versions) will have aperture control but can’t be focused on a Q adapter - right? Since the 18-50 is focus by wire.

Sounds about right. The KAF4 DFA*50 and 85 can be focused manually so for those lenses you lose mechanical aperture control and for the DA18-50 you have a mechanical lever to control the aperture but lose mechanically coupled focusing. I think PLM lenses can focus on KAF3 bodies but they all happen to have electronically controlled apertures so they will be stuck wide open.

[garywakeling]

To put this another way… the Kaf3 mount 18-50 RE (all versions) will have aperture control but can’t be focused on a Q adapter - right? Since the 18-50 is focus by wire.

Correct, I had not previously given much thought to the focusing methods of lenses, however with the newer mounts and technologies I will be using the excellent Pentaxforums Lens Compatability checker more often.

The newer mount systems KAF3 and KAF4 have a mixture of focusing motor technologies so I can't just assume things will adapt in the future.

---------- Post added 10-15-21 at 06:26 AM ----------

I now wonder if all of these different mount versions with their aperture and focusing control methods are the reason we haven't seen any accessory products like teleconverters and extension tubes. I remember back with the original F series lenses started and 3rd party manufacturers like Sigma were trying to reverse engineer the signals from the lens to the camera. It was a black art of mystery as the camera manufacturers seemed to have extra unknown features that would render the third party lenses crippled in features when a new camera body would be released. Who knows what easter eggs they may have in them now.

[UncleVanya]

Correct, I had not previously given much thought to the focusing methods of lenses, however with the newer mounts and technologies I will be using the excellent Pentaxforums Lens Compatability checker more often.

The newer mount systems KAF3 and KAF4 have a mixture of focusing motor technologies so I can't just assume things will adapt in the future.

---------- Post added 10-15-21 at 06:26 AM ----------

I now wonder if all of these different mount versions with their aperture and focusing control methods are the reason we haven't seen any accessory products like teleconverters and extension tubes. I remember back with the original F series lenses started and 3rd party manufacturers like Sigma were trying to reverse engineer the signals from the lens to the camera. It was a black art of mystery as the camera manufacturers seemed to have extra unknown features that would render the third party lenses crippled in features when a new camera body would be released. Who knows what easter eggs they may have in them now.

Sony simply licenses the standards. I think that is a difficult model for Pentax.

[biz-engineer]

The focus also changes as you zoom, so this clunky workaround was really a one shot wonder, unlikely ever to be repeated. Technically feasible to use the combination, but not something I will bother with in the future.

No worry. Just use your K mount lenses on K mount cameras, and Q lenses on Q cameras, and you'll be fine.

[garywakeling]

No worry. Just use your K mount lenses on K mount cameras, and Q lenses on Q cameras, and you'll be fine.

lol , way too limiting, nothing better than adapting lenses from different formats, next try is the 6x7 600mm f4 on the QS1, now that's a combo that should work better, all manual and all Pentax adapters

[Mikesul]

lol , way too limiting, nothing better than adapting lenses from different formats, next try is the 6x7 600mm f4 on the QS1, now that's a combo that should work better, all manual and all Pentax adapters

Oh please, let us know and see how that works out!

[garywakeling]

Oh please, let us know and see how that works out!

Well this was silly, however I was impressed that the spider web 130 metres away was able to be resolved





The setup, one 67 lens, 1 67 adapter K, 1 KQ adapter and the QS1 , all made by pentax 600mm x 5 approx gives equivalent full frame view of 3000mm, completely silly, however it worked

[UncleVanya]

Well this was silly, however I was impressed that the spider web 130 metres away was able to be resolved





The setup, one 67 lens, 1 67 adapter K, 1 KQ adapter and the QS1 , all made by pentax 600mm x 5 approx gives equivalent full frame view of 3000mm, completely silly, however it worked

And made through a glass door???? Or is that just a “product shot”?

[garywakeling]

And made through a glass door???? Or is that just a “product shot”?

Yes through the glass door from safely inside the house, you don't want to let one of those spiders get too close
I think my next effort will be the moon with this combo, just need the rain to stop after dark.

[ZombieArmy]

I imagine that, in the future, this will become a larger problem when we are attempting to adapt lenses to camera bodies other than the lens' native mount....

I have a handful of lenses with only electronic controls, rather than any mechanical, that are near-useless on anything other than the native mount...

There WILL be adapters for those as well at some point. It's not an if it's a when.