[-=JoN=-]

ANyone ever try to shoot w/ a DA lens on a film body?
popped in my kit lens that came w/ the tenD on the *ist and @ 18mm, it gave me a somewhat skewed view...will shoot w/ it next week....

[sandpiper6]

I was told to never put a digital lens on a film body. You can do the opposite though. Something about the size of the mount/pins, etc. Anyway, you can bust your mirror and/or something else in your film body with your digital lens (b/c it has deeper whatever-they-ares.)

Our local camera store owner confirmed the news.

Oh, and yes, we did experiment with this before knowing this. While we did not break our mirror (just like you didn't, I presume), I still understand that dynamic after being shown. I'd be interested to here what others have or have not heard about this.

What did we play around with? Getting a fish-eye effect with what the kit lens?! (I think that's the one). The distortion you see is coming from the difference between the digital and film's factors. Our digital cameras have a 1.5 factor that makes a 14mm lens, a 21mm lens for example. The film cameras are full frame. Digital is not (except in those identified as "full frame sensors" like the Canon 5D).

So, you were getting a wide-angle, fish-eye view with your kit lens on the film body. I can't explain it completely like Joe could. I probably butchered the whole explanation. I'm sorry if I did.

Faith

PS - My husband who is training me is way more proficient at identifying parts and functions than I am.

[ully]

I just measured the depth of the tab on the rear of my DA lenses and they are exactly the same as my old A lenses. Should not be a problem.

Cheers

[ccallana]

They'll fit - same mount. But since they are designed for the smaller sensor, you may or may not see lots of vignetting. I've seen some shots where you see the entire circle just depends on the lens.

[Ivan Glisin]

It works, but depends on focal length.

Any Pentax camera accepting FA-J lenses will work with DA lenses (no aperture ring, that's it). I have tried DA18-55 on a MX and at 18mm end you see dark corners due to smaller image circle of DA lenses. Zoomed in to over 20mm thet effect disappears. Thus, DA18-55 is perfectly useful with film bodies with focal lengths (to be on a safe side) 24-55mm.

Also, there is a guy at Photo.net who tried DA40 on a film body with perfect results.

My guess: any DA lens 24mm or longer should be perfectly useful with all Pentax film bodies supporting aperture control.

-= IVAN =-

[Ivan Glisin]

I was told to never put a digital lens on a film body. You can do the opposite though. Something about the size of the mount/pins, etc. Anyway, you can bust your mirror and/or something else in your film body with your digital lens (b/c it has deeper whatever-they-ares.)

Applies to Canon EF-S lenses. All Pentax K-mount lenses ever produced can be mounted on any Pentax K mount body ever produced. No problems at all. As usual, your camera store owner/sales think Canon/Nikon only.

What did we play around with? Getting a fish-eye effect with what the kit lens?! (I think that's the one).

I think the effect you are talking about is actually just dark corners due to smaller image circle of DA18-55 lens at 18mm. The lens is still rectilinear (off-center lines stay straight).

Our digital cameras have a 1.5 factor that makes a 14mm lens, a 21mm lens for example. The film cameras are full frame. Digital is not (except in those identified as "full frame sensors" like the Canon 5D).

This is the most confusing thing ever with digital cameras. So called "crop factor" as just that -- a crop factor, not a focal lens multiplier. So 14mm lens stays 14mm lens regardless of the sensor or film size. Smaller size of APS-C sensor would result in reduced field of view only.

Now, how experienced film users could visualize that 1.5 difference (or 1.6 with Canon)? By telling them "your digital camera with 14mm lens would have field of view identical to 21mm lens on your film camera". Then we say, "Aaaah, I see, so 14mm is an ultra wide angle lens on digital, I am buying it!". Thus, it only helps us visualize the result of a certain lens on digital based on our experience with film, while it does absolutely nothing optically to the lens.

I can't explain it completely like Joe could. I probably butchered the whole explanation. I'm sorry if I did.

No problem: the topic is really not a simple one and many professionals do not quite understand it, not to mention manufacturers who are trying to confuse us even more in order to make us NOT try anything except for the newest of the newest (and expensive) designed "for digital only". Pentax is the rare exception and that's why I stay with Pentax.

[mikeb]

I can confirm that the 40mm pancake DA does work on my MZ-S with excellent results.
I would be very interested to find out if the DA21 does too - I would buy it in a flash if it does