K-Mount to Screw Mount Adapter Ring is Stuck

LittleSkink · 03-19-2010, 01:43 PM

hi folks, agree with all the sentiment about sticking to Pentax adaptor. I have 1 and like it

thing is, in UK they are now £70 and I can't get a US firm to send me any

Was watching one on ebay.co.uk just now and it went to £49 before I left ebay - no doubt there will be a rush at the end !!

One US dealer told me Pentax will be "withdrawing the product from market to make improvments"

straightshooter · 03-19-2010, 02:35 PM

Wow. Charging 70 Pounds/$105 USD for an item that sells for less than 21 Pounds/$30.95 USD on the Pentax Imaging site. Anybody planning a trip to the UK from North America, here's a good business opportunity.

sterretje · 03-19-2010, 09:19 PM

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-talk/85686-daylight-robbery-just-...-my-chest.html

And yes, at the end of the day I did pay it because I got a bloody good deal on the FA31,

Lloydy · 03-20-2010, 03:04 PM

I've just posted the link to the SRB Griturn adaptors in yet another post about "which adaptor is the best ?"

I've got one genuine and three SRB adaptors, and other than the markings it's difficult to see any difference.

I've never had any of the SRB one's stuck, leave swarf in the camera or be be difficult in any way.
The bonus is, they are far cheaper.

I fully realise that some people have had adaptors stuck and that there are genuinely crappy ones out there, but there are some good third party ones as well.
So wouldn't it be better to identify the crappy ones rather than just lump all third party, and cheaper, alternatives in the same 'crappy' category?

And I have NO connection to SRB or any reason to pimp their adaptors other than I save a lot of money by using something that was recommended to me, so I'll recommend it others.

stevebrot · 03-22-2010, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by Lloydy

...So wouldn't it be better to identify the crappy ones rather than just lump all third party, and cheaper, alternatives in the same 'crappy' category?...

Good idea...except that the crappy ones are available under literally dozens of different names and are likely sourced from dozens of different manufacturers. The only thing they have in common is that they are poorly made and don't work properly. For the purchaser, this is only discovered AFTER they have attached the piece of junk to their camera.

I don't doubt that you have found a good supplier in the UK and that the product is acceptable. With any luck it will stay that way. But, in regards to making a safe purchase of this type of product, I will continue to lump all third party crap into the same porcelain receptacle and recommend the genuine Pentax to users on this forum.

Edit: I just visited the SRB Griturn Web site (LINK) and am willing to lend credence to Lloyd's testimony. From the information on their site, it appears that they have a close relationship with the manufacturer. For those in the UK and Europe, this supplier may be a reasonable option.

Steve

(Bought a Bower from Adorama on advice from a forum thread..."the Bowers are good", the claim went...spent 2.5+ hours getting the thing off my camera...never again...)

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-22-2010, 10:55 AM

I have two third party adapters and they both work fine. The main difference between them is that one has the thread machined better, so that lenses screw with the scale up, as they should - on the other one, they end up with the scale around 10 o'clock.

The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring.

I didn't had any problems mounting and unmounting these adapters. It may look more challenging the first time you do it, but once you figure out how to remove them, there should be no issues. One of them did came with a key that was pretty useless on its own, so I used the first adapter's key instead.

I'd probably consider paying the price of the Pentax adapter if there would be a clear advantage in its build, but I'm not sure what that would be.

sterretje · 03-22-2010, 11:55 AM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

I have two third party adapters and they both work fine. The main difference between them is that one has the thread machined better, so that lenses screw with the scale up, as they should - on the other one, they end up with the scale around 10 o'clock.

I have two genuine Pentax adaptors, one bought in the beginning of the year and one very old one (80s or so). The latter aligns nearly at 12 o'clock and the newer one between 10 and 11 o'clock. I did mention this in another thread and someone raised the theory that that is because of the built-in flash the blocks the view on the aperture ring and therefore the newer one is 'designed' to not align at 12 o'clock.

Quicksand · 03-22-2010, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring.

I have NEVER encountered this with my genuine adapter. And I wouldn't have been happy if I had.

Of all the things I might want inside my camera, "metal shavings" are probably near the bottom of my list (right next to "fire" and "poo").

sterretje · 03-22-2010, 08:43 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

I'd probably consider paying the price of the Pentax adapter if there would be a clear advantage in its build, but I'm not sure what that would be.

Not having (metal ?) dust inside is a clear advantage in my eyes.

I hope the dust is not from the lenses.

RioRico · 03-23-2010, 01:26 AM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring.

I have and use one (1) Official Pentax adapter which I rarely use, ten (10) third-party adapters (some Bowers) that live on various lenses, and two (2) flanged non-infinity-focus adapters. All of the Bowers-type adapters have their screws and clips removed, for my sanity. Except for the Official Pentax, which I leave on the body because it's a nuisance to remove, I almost always screw the adapter onto the lens, then mount the adaptered lens on the camera. I don't like screwing and unscrewing lenses on the camera body. I do NOT find metal dust inside either my K20D nor ZX-M bodies.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-23-2010, 01:47 PM

Originally posted by sterretje

Not having (metal ?) dust inside is a clear advantage in my eyes.

I agree that would be an advantage, but I'm not sure how stiff your stiffest lenses are and whether the Pentax adapter would handle a stiff lens better.

One of the lenses I have is so stiff that I ended up unscrewing the adapter despite that clip that is supposed to block it (and lock it on the mount in the worst case scenarios). I had to straighten the clip to make sure it extends more and keeps the adapter inside the mount. So, in a way, my problem was the opposite of the one the OP had.

Originally posted by sterretje

I hope the dust is not from the lenses.

I actually don't know. There's friction between many parts - the camera mount, that small metallic piece on the mount that blocks the adapter, the clip on the adapter that prevents it from coming off, the adapter itself, and finally the lens screwmount.

Another thing I noticed is that when I passed a cotton swab on the threads of both adapter and lens screwmount, after using a lens for several days, I collected black dirt from both. I think that is black paint from the lens screwmount, because the adapters are silver, but most screwmounts are painted black.

sterretje · 03-23-2010, 06:08 PM

I'm not sure what a stiff focusing ring has to do with it. I have two Taks and a Vivitar 55mm/2.8 macro and all three go smoothly in and out of the adaptor.

wlank · 03-24-2010, 02:59 AM

Originally posted by Quicksand

Of all the things I might want inside my camera, "metal shavings" are probably near the bottom of my list (right next to "fire" and "poo").

Goobers are number 1 on my list.

03-22-2010, 09:06 AM	#20
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Lloydy ...So wouldn't it be better to identify the crappy ones rather than just lump all third party, and cheaper, alternatives in the same 'crappy' category?... Good idea...except that the crappy ones are available under literally dozens of different names and are likely sourced from dozens of different manufacturers. The only thing they have in common is that they are poorly made and don't work properly. For the purchaser, this is only discovered AFTER they have attached the piece of junk to their camera. I don't doubt that you have found a good supplier in the UK and that the product is acceptable. With any luck it will stay that way. But, in regards to making a safe purchase of this type of product, I will continue to lump all third party crap into the same porcelain receptacle and recommend the genuine Pentax to users on this forum. Edit: I just visited the SRB Griturn Web site (LINK) and am willing to lend credence to Lloyd's testimony. From the information on their site, it appears that they have a close relationship with the manufacturer. For those in the UK and Europe, this supplier may be a reasonable option. Steve (Bought a Bower from Adorama on advice from a forum thread..."the Bowers are good", the claim went...spent 2.5+ hours getting the thing off my camera...never again...) Last edited by stevebrot; 03-22-2010 at 09:22 AM.

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03-19-2010, 01:43 PM	#16
LittleSkink Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: t'North Photos: Albums Posts: 166	hi folks, agree with all the sentiment about sticking to Pentax adaptor. I have 1 and like it thing is, in UK they are now £70 and I can't get a US firm to send me any Was watching one on ebay.co.uk just now and it went to £49 before I left ebay - no doubt there will be a rush at the end !! One US dealer told me Pentax will be "withdrawing the product from market to make improvments"

03-19-2010, 02:35 PM	#17
straightshooter Inactive Account Join Date: May 2008 Location: Forest Park, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 633	Wow. Charging 70 Pounds/$105 USD for an item that sells for less than 21 Pounds/$30.95 USD on the Pentax Imaging site. Anybody planning a trip to the UK from North America, here's a good business opportunity.

03-19-2010, 09:19 PM	#18
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-talk/85686-daylight-robbery-just-...-my-chest.html And yes, at the end of the day I did pay it because I got a bloody good deal on the FA31,

03-20-2010, 03:04 PM	#19
Lloydy Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Shropshire, UK Posts: 1,114	I've just posted the link to the SRB Griturn adaptors in yet another post about "which adaptor is the best ?" I've got one genuine and three SRB adaptors, and other than the markings it's difficult to see any difference. I've never had any of the SRB one's stuck, leave swarf in the camera or be be difficult in any way. The bonus is, they are far cheaper. I fully realise that some people have had adaptors stuck and that there are genuinely crappy ones out there, but there are some good third party ones as well. So wouldn't it be better to identify the crappy ones rather than just lump all third party, and cheaper, alternatives in the same 'crappy' category? And I have NO connection to SRB or any reason to pimp their adaptors other than I save a lot of money by using something that was recommended to me, so I'll recommend it others.

03-22-2010, 10:55 AM	#21
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	I have two third party adapters and they both work fine. The main difference between them is that one has the thread machined better, so that lenses screw with the scale up, as they should - on the other one, they end up with the scale around 10 o'clock. The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring. I didn't had any problems mounting and unmounting these adapters. It may look more challenging the first time you do it, but once you figure out how to remove them, there should be no issues. One of them did came with a key that was pretty useless on its own, so I used the first adapter's key instead. I'd probably consider paying the price of the Pentax adapter if there would be a clear advantage in its build, but I'm not sure what that would be.

03-22-2010, 11:55 AM	#22
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor I have two third party adapters and they both work fine. The main difference between them is that one has the thread machined better, so that lenses screw with the scale up, as they should - on the other one, they end up with the scale around 10 o'clock. I have two genuine Pentax adaptors, one bought in the beginning of the year and one very old one (80s or so). The latter aligns nearly at 12 o'clock and the newer one between 10 and 11 o'clock. I did mention this in another thread and someone raised the theory that that is because of the built-in flash the blocks the view on the aperture ring and therefore the newer one is 'designed' to not align at 12 o'clock.

03-22-2010, 04:59 PM	#23
Quicksand Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring. I have NEVER encountered this with my genuine adapter. And I wouldn't have been happy if I had. Of all the things I might want inside my camera, "metal shavings" are probably near the bottom of my list (right next to "fire" and "poo").

03-22-2010, 08:43 PM	#24
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor I'd probably consider paying the price of the Pentax adapter if there would be a clear advantage in its build, but I'm not sure what that would be. Not having (metal ?) dust inside is a clear advantage in my eyes. I hope the dust is not from the lenses.

03-23-2010, 01:26 AM	#25
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor The only problem I noticed with these is that with stiff lenses, the lens thread grinds against the adapter and I sometimes find some fine dust inside the K mount. I'm not sure if the Pentax adapter would be better in this respect. This only happens when I mount lenses with a stiff focusing ring. I have and use one (1) Official Pentax adapter which I rarely use, ten (10) third-party adapters (some Bowers) that live on various lenses, and two (2) flanged non-infinity-focus adapters. All of the Bowers-type adapters have their screws and clips removed, for my sanity. Except for the Official Pentax, which I leave on the body because it's a nuisance to remove, I almost always screw the adapter onto the lens, then mount the adaptered lens on the camera. I don't like screwing and unscrewing lenses on the camera body. I do NOT find metal dust inside either my K20D nor ZX-M bodies.

03-23-2010, 01:47 PM	#26
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by sterretje Not having (metal ?) dust inside is a clear advantage in my eyes. I agree that would be an advantage, but I'm not sure how stiff your stiffest lenses are and whether the Pentax adapter would handle a stiff lens better. One of the lenses I have is so stiff that I ended up unscrewing the adapter despite that clip that is supposed to block it (and lock it on the mount in the worst case scenarios). I had to straighten the clip to make sure it extends more and keeps the adapter inside the mount. So, in a way, my problem was the opposite of the one the OP had. Originally posted by sterretje I hope the dust is not from the lenses. I actually don't know. There's friction between many parts - the camera mount, that small metallic piece on the mount that blocks the adapter, the clip on the adapter that prevents it from coming off, the adapter itself, and finally the lens screwmount. Another thing I noticed is that when I passed a cotton swab on the threads of both adapter and lens screwmount, after using a lens for several days, I collected black dirt from both. I think that is black paint from the lens screwmount, because the adapters are silver, but most screwmounts are painted black.

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03-23-2010, 06:08 PM	#27
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	I'm not sure what a stiff focusing ring has to do with it. I have two Taks and a Vivitar 55mm/2.8 macro and all three go smoothly in and out of the adaptor.

03-24-2010, 02:59 AM	#28
wlank Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Santa Teresa, New Mexico Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,130	Originally posted by Quicksand Of all the things I might want inside my camera, "metal shavings" are probably near the bottom of my list (right next to "fire" and "poo"). Goobers are number 1 on my list.