Haha oopsies. I did take the Auto pin out. Well plenty of things have been learned with this lens. Good thing it cost $6.

[wildlifephotog]

Well now if you run across a cheap KR lens. You'll know which pin to take out first.

[jibbonpoint]

Mod away, wildlifephotog. While I'm at it, this is the kit Rikkenon zoom that came with the XR-M


It comes on & off the K10D OK. It won't show aperture value.

The "pin" on all my RK's are short & rounded. They look more like a ball bearing than a pin.

[wildlifephotog]

Most of the true Ricoh's have the rounded pins, but not all. It's the Sears and other names that are known for the brass squared off pin.

Here is another question. I have a bit of fungi on the inside of the very outer lens. Would this be a real pain to get to or would it not be too difficult to get it out and clean? I have this feeling it would be impossible to get to it.

[wildlifephotog]

I would need a clear shot of the lens front. I've never taken that particular lens apart.

Here are two pictures of the lens. Let me know if you need any more to tell. You can see the fungi right in the one picture. And shining a flashlight through I can see some more fungi on one of the inner lenses.

---

Last edited by Raylonn; 03-12-2009 at 07:36 PM.

Well i ripped the thing apart and eventually got to a point(picture 3) where I couldn't figre out how to get further. I told myself, the lens still works at this point, don't mess it up. So I just reassembled it and somehow got it working. The first picture is the lens on the inside that had the fungi after I cleaned it all up and the next shows the perfect aperture blades. The front set is very clean now, it's just the barrel now that are still very cloudy and have fungi. Does anyone know how to get those barrel ones out?

[wildlifephotog]

The rear lens group usually comes out the back. It can get involved removing the rear assembly.

[gentrysama]

Hi everyone. I'm the newest member of the "Ricoh Pin Club"! Bought an old lens off ebay (two actually) and hastily tried it on only to immediately get that sinking "I'm an idiot" feeling, as the lens wouldn't budge at about a half-mounted position. On my very very new K-x, mind you. After trying to slide some thin, rigid plastic sheeting material between the lens and the mount (umm, not even close), I read that some have just forced the issue. So, set it to MF, then put a little elbow into it and SNAP! The lens very easily broke in half, and out came the lens assembly. I could see my mirror and sensor in there, which was obviously a bit precarious, so i quickly gave it another good grip and really wrenched it and SNAP! again. The rest of the lens (barrel) came right off. It did gouge the AF screw hole a bit, around which the metal is slightly raised from the surface of the lens mount, but my kit lens and my old SMC 50 1.7 M mounted alright. I will prob attend to the ridges this weekend. It's a miniscule area, but it did seem both lenses mounted a little "tighter" than I remember. Anyway, the whole episode has dissuaded me from using anything but Pentax or "made for Pentax" lenses.

Which brings me to another point:

Will there be a section in the new Lens Database for known Ricoh Pin lenses? Regardless, let it be known that JC Penney 135mm F2.8 lenses that work on old Pentax bodies DO NOT work on DSLR's, as I can confirm the Ricoh Pin.

Anyone interested in my Pentax brand M42 adapter, let me know. I'll try and find the thread for selling items here. I be n00b.

Regards

[nater]

Will there be a section in the new Lens Database for known Ricoh Pin lenses? Regardless, let it be known that JC Penney 135mm F2.8 lenses that work on old Pentax bodies DO NOT work on DSLR's, as I can confirm the Ricoh Pin.

A couple of points: if such a section is made, it should make a clear distinction between K/R lenses with a pin vs. K/R lenses with a contact. I own a few lenses with the contact, and they don't need modification and don't get stuck on AF bodies. Lenses with the pin do get stuck on AF bodies and do need modification to be used safely. (Note that the pin hazard is for all Pentax AF bodies, including film bodies, not just Pentax DSLR bodies.)

[Nowhere Matt]

A couple of points: if such a section is made, it should make a clear distinction between K/R lenses with a pin vs. K/R lenses with a contact. I own a few lenses with the contact, and they don't need modification and don't get stuck on AF bodies. Lenses with the pin do get stuck on AF bodies and do need modification to be used safely. (Note that the pin hazard is for all Pentax AF bodies, including film bodies, not just Pentax DSLR bodies.)

I guess I myself do not know the difference. I have once encounter a Vivitar lens with PK-R pin that was rather pointed and had definite resistance when mounting the lens was carefully tested. But many of my other PK-R lenses have the more rounded style pin. Are you suggesting that the more rounded style pins are some sort of additional electrical contact for lens to body communication?
I do agree that none of my lenses with the rounded shaped pin (I have three) have given trouble to my film or digital bodies.

[nater]

I guess I myself do not know the difference. I have once encounter a Vivitar lens with PK-R pin that was rather pointed and had definite resistance when mounting the lens was carefully tested. But many of my other PK-R lenses have the more rounded style pin. Are you suggesting that the more rounded style pins are some sort of additional electrical contact for lens to body communication?
I do agree that none of my lenses with the rounded shaped pin (I have three) have given trouble to my film or digital bodies.

Here's the best example online I've seen delineating when the Ricoh pin is a problem (it has to do with the height):

Hin's Tech Corner: Ricoh Pin and Ricoh R/K mount

None of my lenses with a Ricoh contact stick out that much, but are at the same height as you average KA/KAF contact.

[stevebrot]

Will there be a section in the new Lens Database for known Ricoh Pin lenses? Regardless, let it be known that JC Penney 135mm F2.8 lenses that work on old Pentax bodies DO NOT work on DSLR's, as I can confirm the Ricoh Pin.

Very unlikely since there are literally thousands of house brand and no-name lenses that were made in Ricoh P mount or hybrid KA/R mount. I am with you that this is a huge issue for buyers of older lenses. It particularly stinks because it has unfairly put a stigma on the Ricoh product. The fault for the incompatibility lies squarely with Pentax. Ricoh and many other makers were actively selling lenses with the offending pin and had been doing so for about a decade when the first Pentax AF bodies debuted. Pentax knowingly put a product on the market with a potentially damaging incompatibility with existing lenses. Those lenses were perfectly safe when used with all previous Pentax bodies.

BTW...In regards to your JC Penny lens. It depends on which variant of JC Penny 135/2.8 you are referring to. Some are straight K-mount. Others are Pentax-A compatible and still others are Ricoh P dedicated (but back-compatible to Pentax-M/K). My general warning regarding purchase of any used lens is to inspect the mount before attaching it to your camera. This applies to the "Ricoh pin" as well as to the possibility of damaged coupler levers. I ruined a perfectly good Ricoh XR7 body by mounting a defective Zenitar 16/2.8 Fisheye. The Zen had a bent coupler lever that mangled its mate in the body. Rotten shame it was to have to retire an old friend because of a single sour mating.


Steve

[m42man]

Regarding the identification of 3rd-party lenses which cater for the Ricoh version of "auto"-aperture, would it be dangerous to suggest that ALL of these will include the letter "P" on the aperture ring? I say this because Rikenon-P lenses use the letter "P" (for Program) where the Pentax lens would have the "A" (for Auto?).

Otherwise I suppose it's a question of examining the lens flange for suspicious pins, but I think we ought to make it clear that, if there's no A or P position on the aperture ring (i.e. the camera body can't set the aperture), then there won't be a pin.

Anyway, regardless of the above, people shouldn't be deterred from buying Rikenon lenses - even if it's a "P" version, it's dead easy to remove the pin (I'd prefer this over using a Dremel):

theatre of noise: Ricoh Lenses On Pentax Cameras -- The Ricoh Pin Fix

Just make sure it's a Philips (size 0) screwdriver (I've used a skinny jeweller's type and it's OK).