[enoeske]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

Here's a rundown of what I could find.

Any idea on the differences? They all seem to control the aperture of DA lenses. None do auto-focus. Seems the pentax has a build in shutter which may allow faster flash syncing ala leaf shutter. Other than that, there is just the huge price difference.

Fotodiox -- $30
Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter w/ Aperture Dial, Pentax K/PK Lens to Pentax Q-Series Camera, fits Pentax Q Mirrorless Cameras: Camera & Photo



RJ -- $60
RJ Pentax PK PK-A AF DA lens to Pentax Q adapter with tripod mount aperture ring | eBay



Pentax -- $250
Pentax Adapter Q for K-mount Lenses B&H Photo Video



Novoflex -- $293
Novoflex Adapter for Pentax K Lenses to Pentax Q PENTQ/PENT B&H

[JHD]

I have the Fotodiox on the way - $23 at Amazon... Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter, Pentax K/PK Lens to Pentax Q-Series Camera, fits Pentax Q Mirrorless Cameras: Camera & Photo

Don't think this is particular one is the same though - don't see the ring to control the aperture. Not a problem for me since all my lenses have one.

[crewl1]

I am currently using the Fotodiox with aperture control version $29 at Amazon.
It allows use of DA lenses on the Q.
Build quality is so- so, it goes onto the camera fine but attaching lenses to it is extremely tight and takes a bit of force to get them all the way on.
When the Pentax adapter becomes available I expect I will purchase it.

Update 11/14/12: I've had the adapter over a month now and the intial tightness has gone away and all lenses mount easily.
I did have to paint the interior of this adapter with flat black paint as the original finish was a bit shiny and caused internal reflections and haziness with some lenses.
The flat black coating eliminated the problem.

[snostorm]

Hi enoeske,

There's also the Rayqual, but it's not easily available (need to order through a Japanese distributor), and very pricey (can't recall but over $300 USD shipped seems to ring a bell -- I inquired when they were first announced and posted it here somewhere. . .). It does have an aperture control ring, and was possibly the first available from anyone.

mount adapter

Personally, I have two. I initially bought a Bower K to C and used it with a Kipon C to Q. This combination worked with many lenses, but would not focus past about 15' with at least one. I inquired early at Fotodiox (actually went to their offices in Waukegan) and they were only in the "looking into it" stage at the time, so I bought the RJ adapter when it was released, and have been using it since with good results.

Edit: crew1 posted while I was typing this, and I'll add that with the RJ adapter that I have, mounting K lenses is very smooth -- and might even seem loose. Mine is a very early one, so I don't know if that might make any difference. . .

The Fotodiox with aperture control visually looks a lot like the RJ, Don't know if it's a knock off or made by the same mfg and rebadged -- haven't seen one close up so can't say. . .

The Novoflex obviously, from the photo certainly has build quality going for it, but I don't know how much of this can be justified in the price differential with the inexpensive Chinese adapters that do work fine.

The Pentax OEM has the shutter, and this will differentiate it from the rest. The assumption is that the coming firmware update will allow SR FL input with it, and it will allow mechanical shutter speeds up to 1/1000 (and assume that faster shutter speeds can be accessed with the electronic shutter when the adapter is mounted, as is the case with the Q Quality line lenses). There has been no information that I can find about flash sync, so that's still a question, but I hope that external flash compatibility with adapters will also be addressed in the firmware. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Regardless, I've been told by my dealer that they will be ordering at least one when they become available, along with the new 06 tele zoom, and I'll be notified when there's any news.

Scott

[Ishpuini]

Do any of the other adapters besides the Pentax allow you to use shake reduction?

The fact that K-mount lenses will be able to take advantage of the Q/Q10's SR doesn't appear to have anything to do with the adapter. As far as it is possible to tell from the models that were showcased there are no electric contacts whatsoever in the adapter, and as such passing the focal length from the lens to the camera is just not possible. Hence, the only way SR would be able to function is an update in the firmware that will allow putting in the focal length manually. If this is confirmed, then all adapters will allow SR for K-mount lenses, and quite possibly SR will able to work with other mount adapters as well. Unless Pentax devises a particular way for the adapter to identify itself, an identification that will be required for the manual entry of focal length information?

No one seems to have asked this question at Photokina so far. If I don't forget and get the opportunity I will...

Wim

[crewl1]

To activate the shutter of the Pentax adapter i assume it has contacts that communicate with the Q.

[Biro]

From the B&H page for the Pentax-brand adaptor: "Also helping to prevent the effects of camera movement, applicable lens focal length information can be input in order to gain the benefits of in-camera Shake Reduction." I'm wondering if this is a manual entry or whether there are electrical contacts that allow the lens to communicate with the camera. I'm disappointed that the Pentax-brnad adaptor doesn't seem to allow auto focus.

[snostorm]

To activate the shutter of the Pentax adapter i assume it has contacts that communicate with the Q.

Hi crew1,

You are correct, but it's probable that the communication will be limited only to shutter actuation. They could, of course chip the adapter and allow only their adapter to allow manual FL entry for SR, but this would be a dumb move IMO as it would limit the usability of the body with other brand lenses -- which would in turn limit the Q system's possible appeal to photographers who shoot other systems and want the Q to supplement their present DSLR gear.

From the B&H page for the Pentax-brand adaptor: "Also helping to prevent the effects of camera movement, applicable lens focal length information can be input in order to gain the benefits of in-camera Shake Reduction." I'm wondering if this is a manual entry or whether there are electrical contacts that allow the lens to communicate with the camera. I'm disappointed that the Pentax-brnad adaptor doesn't seem to allow auto focus.

AF would be pretty impractical from a number of standpoints. Either screw mount or SDM would mean a significant power drain, and the Q battery is challenged as it is. In addition, screw mount would require a motor in the adapter, making it that much more expensive. They could cure the power problem with an additional battery in the adapter, but that would make it that much more complicated and bulky.

In any case, AF without auto aperture actuation would not seem to make any sense (at least to me), and Pentax uses a mechanical aperture control which requires precision movement of their aperture actuation/limiting lever, and this would require another motor or mechanism -- an extremely precise one -- and this would make it that much more expensive.

I'm a bit worried about the durability with just the shutter as it is I'll be babying this adapter for sure once I get one -- these other things would just make it more complicated -- and with the state of CD focusing with lenses designed for PD systems being what it is, we'd have a very expensive adapter that most everyone would complain about from the standpoint of speed and maybe even accuracy -- I'm sure that Pentax doesn't need more headaches on this front. . .

I'm personally very happy with what this adapter offers if it functions as it should including the firmware update to go along with it. Don't get me wrong -- I'd love AF with adapted lenses, but I really don't see how it would be practically possible.

Scott

[Mistral75]

Official Pentax K to Q adapter will be available on October 26th in Japan (same day as Q10).

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20121012_565621.html

[snostorm]

Official Pentax K to Q adapter will be available on October 26th in Japan (same day as Q10).

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20121012_565621.html

Hi Mistral75,

Nice Find!!

It's interesting that in the description that they say the leaf shutter will also act as an aperture diaphragm for lenses that don't have them. Aperture blades are most efficient at the smallest point in the light path within a lens, so I have to assume that in practical use, stopping the lens down with it's own integral aperture diaphragm would be preferable than using the shutter diaphragm in the adapter if there is a choice. This also raises the question of whether, with a DA lens with no aperture ring, the adapter would use the aperture mechanism in the lens or the blades in the adapter. . . or maybe it's user switchable??? This has to be the most mysterious photo accessory ever introduced.

At least we know now that there seems to be a firm date for it to become available. . . hopefully they'll make the firmware update available online before this introduction. . .so we'll know what will be included on that count.

Scott

[crewl1]

It's interesting that in the description that they say the leaf shutter will also act as an aperture diaphragm for lenses that don't have them.

In my Google translate version it does not say this - instead it references using the ring to operate the lens' own aperture. This makes sense, but not sure how accurate the translation is.

Also includes a manual iris ring that operated even if there is no aperture ring on the lens.

Google Translate

[snostorm]

Hi crew1,

That makes more sense. . .

I used Bing Translate, and it was a bit more cryptic

Have the aperture ring on the lens side without form the aperture manually.

Somehow I got the impression out of this that they were using the shutter diaphragm to control the aperture. . .who knows why???

Scott

[panoguy]

This has to be the most mysterious photo accessory ever introduced.

Not anymore...