[lotech]

Since digital lens has no manual aperture control, adjustment can only be done on the camera, wonder how useful or even possible to use digital lenses on film bodies such as Super A and LX ?

[UncleVanya]

F22 or whatever the minimum is all the time unless you wedge the lever or open the lens and remove the aperture linkage to the lever and shoot wide open. Wedging the lens lever may not work well due to interactions with the body’s actuator lever.

---------- Post added 03-03-22 at 10:43 PM ----------

To be fair the DFA 100 is technically a “digital lens” and the original version has an aperture lever. But most don’t. Some few like the DFA 70-210 will stay wide open due to their electronic aperture but few Kaf4 lenses exist.

[lotech]

F22 or whatever the minimum is all the time unless you wedge the lever or open the lens and remove the aperture linkage to the lever and shoot wide open. Wedging the lens lever may not work well due to interactions with the body’s actuator lever.

---------- Post added 03-03-22 at 10:43 PM ----------

To be fair the DFA 100 is technically a “digital lens” and the original version has an aperture lever. But most don’t. Some few like the DFA 70-210 will stay wide open due to their electronic aperture but few Kaf4 lenses exist.

So M42 is a better choice then if I must use the same lens on different bodies.

[disconnekt]

Depends on the lens. If its a AF lens that has a aperture ring on it (like the Pentax D FA 50mm f2.8 Macro, Tamron 28-75mm f2.8), you will be able to use it on a LX. If it doesn't have a aperture ring on it (like the Pentax D FA* 50mm f1.4) itll stop all the way down to the lens's smallest aperture.

[UncleVanya]

So M42 is a better choice then if I must use the same lens on different bodies.

Any lens with an aperture ring should work fine. M42, A, M, K, F, FA all have viable ways to make them work. And as mentioned some DFA lenses should work as well - those with aperture rings.

[lotech]

Any lens with an aperture ring should work fine. M42, A, M, K, F, FA all have viable ways to make them work. And as mentioned some DFA lenses should work as well - those with aperture rings.

Since I shoot flower and bugs quite a lot I want a 100mm macro lens, I planned to get the DA F 100mm with weather sealing best for my type of shooting, but it does not have aperture control, so that if I must use the same lens on film camera the SMC version is the only choice to me.

[smrk]

There are some film era cameras that can set the aperture in the body but they are later models.

My ZX-10 is one of them, but I haven’t really tried to use any of my DA glass on it other than to check for full frame coverage looking through the viewfinder due to idle curiosity.

[lotech]

There are some film era cameras that can set the aperture in the body but they are later models.

My ZX-10 is one of them, but I haven’t really tried to use any of my DA glass on it other than to check for full frame coverage looking through the viewfinder due to idle curiosity.

So that AF bodies more likely to support film lenses then

[pschlute]

so that if I must use the same lens on film camera the SMC version is the only choice to me.

The first version of the DFA 100mm macro has an aperture ring. Any of the FA or F series also have an aperture ring, so you can use these on both old film cameras and modern DSLR,

[lotech]

That's great thanks for the tip !

[bilybianca]

Film era bodies from the A-series (Super A, Program A, P30, P50, delivered from the mid 80's) and onwards, can control the lens aperture from the body. The LX is an exception from this.
So they should also be able to control the aperture on lenses without an aperture ring.
If there has been other modifications on the lens mount that makes these newer lenses unuseable on the A-series bodies I don't know. All my film era bodies are now display items in my "museum cabinet" without batteries inserted, so I can't try them for you, sorry!

Kjell

[lotech]

Film era bodies from the A-series (Super A, Program A, P30, P50, delivered from the mid 80's) and onwards, can control the lens aperture from the body. The LX is an exception from this.
So they should also be able to control the aperture on lenses without an aperture ring.
If there has been other modifications on the lens mount that makes these newer lenses unuseable on the A-series bodies I don't know. All my film era bodies are now display items in my "museum cabinet" without batteries inserted, so I can't try them for you, sorry!

Kjell

That's really good news, so that I can have more choices for lenses, and I suppose the latest PLM lenses are exception

[Papa_Joe]

So that AF bodies more likely to support film lenses then

Every pentax camera with program (P) or shutter priority mode (TV) will work with most lenses without an aperture ring, if the lens does not have an electronic aperture mechanism. In program and AV-mode the lenses will work with the cameras.

From the manual focus area these are the P-series, the A3000 and the two Programm/Super bodies, with the Super A/Programm plus the only body offering TV.
From the auto focus area these are the SF-models.

Starting with the PZ-line bodies most film auto focus bodies will also be able to use all other modes including AV, as they were designed to work with the aperture ring in the A-Position all the time. Famous exception are for example the top of the line ZX-3 and ZX-5 with their retro concept. For further detail have a look at lens compability chart (link below).

BUT BEWARE! Some more recent lenses of third party manufacturers will have a crippled K-mount and do not work well with older bodies (At least I hope it is only a third party issue). The Sigma Art 35mm/1.4 for example has a to short aperture simulator which signals to my P-30n a smallest aperture of 1.4 and thus the camera is not able to close the aperture. On the other side my P-30n will work in program mode well with my Sigma 70 EX DG macro.
If you would like to buy a macro lens with an aperture ring, I would suggest to stay away from the Pentax DFA 100 mm macro. It is no role model in terms of built quaility.

The Pentax K-mount Camera Lens Compatibility Chart (compability chart)
The Evolution of the Pentax K-mount - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

[Lord Lucan]

Film era bodies from the A-series (Super A, Program A, P30, P50, delivered from the mid 80's) and onwards, can control the lens aperture from the body. The LX is an exception from this.

Being picky, although indeed the LX cannot control the aperture, it is not an exception to your list of A- and P-Series because it pre-dates them in design. Same with the numerous K-Series and M-Series camera bodies which were produced up until the early 1980s (and beyond in the cases of the LX and K1000).

[kypfer]

Since digital lens has no manual aperture control, adjustment can only be done on the camera, wonder how useful or even possible to use digital lenses on film bodies such as Super A and LX ?

Wide-sweeping statements like this can be misleading for the uninformed!
My *ist film camera was supplied with an FAJ 28-80mm, which has no aperture ring, so there was an "overlap" period where both technologies co-existed

Since I shoot flower and bugs quite a lot I want a 100mm macro lens, I planned to get the DA F 100mm with weather sealing best for my type of shooting, but it does not have aperture control, so that if I must use the same lens on film camera the SMC version is the only choice to me.

I can enthusiastically recommend the Tamron Adaptall-2 90mm f/2.5 as a macro lens in this range and capability. Mine's followed me around since the '80's through several changes of mount and still sits in my camera bag for whenever I need it. Weather sealing … maybe not, but I'm not sure you'll find anything with sealing and an aperture ring