Using DA lenses on a Q

35millimeter · 07-26-2014, 09:31 AM

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Hello there!

I found this forum when I was researching the Pentax Q before buying one (a white one with the 02 zoom lens), and I'm impressed with both the technical expertise and friendliness of the forum - so much more civilised than most of the car forums I'm on! I also have a Pentax K-500 with 18-55 DA-L lens and the 50-200 DA lens.

I'm interested in using the DA-L and DA lenses on the Q and I see you can get adapters relatively cheaply, but what I can't work out is how you could adjust the aperture. Would I be right in saying I'd have to use the DA-L and DA lenses fully open as they don't have an aperture ring? I guess an alternative would be to try the F and FA mount lenses. They appear to have an aperture ring opening up more options using them on an adapter, and I could use them with auto-focus and auto-exposure on the K-500. If I did use them on the Q would I have to use the manual exposure mode or would it would on aperture priority? Obviously I'd have to use manual focus - any tips for this?

**monochrome** · 07-26-2014, 09:42 AM

The genuine Pentax Q > K Adapter makes manual aperture control possible on the adapter itself. See the product descripton HERE.

It's pricey but it does the job. (For 300mm and longer lenses you'll probably also want the tripod foot shared with the DA*300)

35millimeter · 07-26-2014, 09:52 AM

The genuine Pentax one looks very nice, but it is very expensive - cheapest I can find costs at least twice what I paid for the Q itself! Does anyone have any experience of this mount - clicky? It looks like you could focus with the lens wide open and then use the adapter to stop it down and sort out the exposure.

**filoxophy** · 07-26-2014, 09:56 AM

Some cheap adapters also have an aperture control ring. But the Pentax one also has a built in leaf shutter.

**monochrome** · 07-26-2014, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by filoxophy

Some cheap adapters also have an aperture control ring. But the Pentax one also has a built in leaf shutter.

The Pentax adapter is massively over-engineered. It will, no doubt, outlive me by decades.

**monochrome** · 07-26-2014, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by filoxophy

Some cheap adapters also have an aperture control ring. But the Pentax one also has a built in leaf shutter.

The Pentax adapter is massively over-engineered. It will, no doubt, outlive me and my Q's by decades.

**filoxophy** · 07-26-2014, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

The Pentax adapter is massively over-engineered. It will, no doubt, outlive me and my Q's by decades.

Good to hear! I have yet to pick up a K->Q adapter for myself, but would obviously greatly prefer the official version.

Kendigitize · 07-26-2014, 10:27 AM

Since your going to be doing manual focus anyways, you could pick up a cheap adaptor (I have the Fotodiox without aperture ring), and a M or K version lens, for less then the cost of the Pentax adaptor. And you'd have a nice prime lens for your full size Pentax too!

**boriscleto** · 07-26-2014, 11:00 AM - **1 Like**

I got this one from jinfinance.

RJ Pentax PK PK A AF Da Lens to Pentax Q Adapter with Tripod Mount Aperture Ring | eBay

Has a tripod adapter foot and an aperture ring. I got the Canon FD adapter as well. I'll probably end up with the Minolta MD, M42, etc...

Though I think the next will be D-mount and C-mount adapters. Try out some old 8mm and 16mm movie camera lenses.

35millimeter · 07-26-2014, 12:32 PM

Originally posted by boriscleto

I got this one from jinfinance.

RJ Pentax PK PK A AF Da Lens to Pentax Q Adapter with Tripod Mount Aperture Ring | eBay

Has a tripod adapter foot and an aperture ring.

Thanks for the link. It looks ideal for what I want, so I've bought it! Just need to wait for the slow boat from China to bring it over now......

hnikesch · 07-26-2014, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by 35millimeter

Thanks for the link. It looks ideal for what I want, so I've bought it! Just need to wait for the slow boat from China to bring it over now......

I had that adapter and it worked quite well if you use a tripod because camera or subject motion will distort your image even at fast shutter speeds. You can get some good images with that adapter. I did upgrade to the Pentax adapter after about 6 months because I like to shoot hand held and my hand held images improved greatly.

35millimeter · 07-29-2014, 03:21 AM

A small update. I got a message from the eBay seller (jinfinance) about the adapter;

"Just let you know that we now offer the new version of this adapter...

please let me explain...

We did change the design of this adapter a litte bit... pictured was our 1st edition of this adapter (which was out more than 2 years ago !)... We now mainly changed 2 things (the PK lens mount... we now use the spring lever structure; and the aperture push lever, the new version is less 'intrusive' than the old version... And yes.. we make the aperture turning ring 'silver' color to differentiate with the body part... please give it a try, and it works just as good as the old one (actually better).... and in fact, production cost , the new version costs a bit more actually.... And it is still the R.J. one (we sometimes didn't mark it R.J. as we usually do a lot of OEM for other dealers)..."

I asked them to confirm it still has the tripod mount and it does. I'm looking forward to getting it.

**barondla** · 07-29-2014, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by 35millimeter

A small update. I got a message from the eBay seller (jinfinance) about the adapter;

"Just let you know that we now offer the new version of this adapter...

please let me explain...

We did change the design of this adapter a litte bit... pictured was our 1st edition of this adapter (which was out more than 2 years ago !)... We now mainly changed 2 things (the PK lens mount... we now use the spring lever structure; and the aperture push lever, the new version is less 'intrusive' than the old version... And yes.. we make the aperture turning ring 'silver' color to differentiate with the body part... please give it a try, and it works just as good as the old one (actually better).... and in fact, production cost , the new version costs a bit more actually.... And it is still the R.J. one (we sometimes didn't mark it R.J. as we usually do a lot of OEM for other dealers)..."

I asked them to confirm it still has the tripod mount and it does. I'm looking forward to getting it.

I had the original cone shaped JR Q-PK adapter when it first came out. Loaned it to a friend when the Pentax made adapter arrived. Ordered a new JR adapter about 2 weeks ago, for another friend. Got the same message from JR.

The new adapter still has an aperture control ring for DA lenses. It also has the same, near useless tripod foot. The adapter's tripod foot was loose out of the box- no waiting for the way too small screws to strip out.

On the original RJ adapter, I bought longer screws, put nuts on them and JB Welded them into place. Problem solved. Friend hangs a Canon FD 200 f3.5 lens on it all the time. The new adapter doesn't allow access for adding nuts. Only hope would be to remove screwws, JB Weld everything together, and put the screws back in place. .

JR obviously spent a lot of time improving the adapter. Why didn't they fix the tripod foot? That was a bigger problem than the way the aperture control ring worked. Te adapter also seems to reflect less light inside, which increases picture IQ.

I was also worried that the new, non- cone shape would be hard to hand hold. I have small fingers so it isn't as tight as the Pentx adapter. The Pentax leaf shutter has to fit some where, and is worth its weight in gold.

thanks
barondla

Enjoy the Q.

GibbyTheMole · 07-30-2014, 04:26 AM

I have the same RJ adapter as the one in the eBay link. (Mine's the Fotodiox brand, though.) It works fine with DA lenses, though the aperture ring is a bit sloppy. A couple of things to note: If the inside of the adapter is shiny, you'll want to get some flat black spray paint, mask everything off and spray the inside to cut down on internal glare. Also, I wouldn't use the tripod foot. Mine's tight, but I don't trust those two tiny screws holding the whole thing on. The screws are about the same type as the ones that hold eyeglasses together, so I can see them snapping in half pretty easily.

35millimeter · 07-30-2014, 09:19 AM

Thanks for the warnings about the tripod mount - I'll have a close look when it arrives to see if it can be made good. How can you select aperture on the DA lenses though? Is there an aperture ring on the adapter?

07-26-2014, 09:31 AM	#1
35millimeter Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 60	Using DA lenses on a Q 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. Hello there! I found this forum when I was researching the Pentax Q before buying one (a white one with the 02 zoom lens), and I'm impressed with both the technical expertise and friendliness of the forum - so much more civilised than most of the car forums I'm on! I also have a Pentax K-500 with 18-55 DA-L lens and the 50-200 DA lens. I'm interested in using the DA-L and DA lenses on the Q and I see you can get adapters relatively cheaply, but what I can't work out is how you could adjust the aperture. Would I be right in saying I'd have to use the DA-L and DA lenses fully open as they don't have an aperture ring? I guess an alternative would be to try the F and FA mount lenses. They appear to have an aperture ring opening up more options using them on an adapter, and I could use them with auto-focus and auto-exposure on the K-500. If I did use them on the Q would I have to use the manual exposure mode or would it would on aperture priority? Obviously I'd have to use manual focus - any tips for this?

07-29-2014, 02:32 PM	#13
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,715	Originally posted by 35millimeter A small update. I got a message from the eBay seller (jinfinance) about the adapter; "Just let you know that we now offer the new version of this adapter... please let me explain... We did change the design of this adapter a litte bit... pictured was our 1st edition of this adapter (which was out more than 2 years ago !)... We now mainly changed 2 things (the PK lens mount... we now use the spring lever structure; and the aperture push lever, the new version is less 'intrusive' than the old version... And yes.. we make the aperture turning ring 'silver' color to differentiate with the body part... please give it a try, and it works just as good as the old one (actually better).... and in fact, production cost , the new version costs a bit more actually.... And it is still the R.J. one (we sometimes didn't mark it R.J. as we usually do a lot of OEM for other dealers)..." I asked them to confirm it still has the tripod mount and it does. I'm looking forward to getting it. I had the original cone shaped JR Q-PK adapter when it first came out. Loaned it to a friend when the Pentax made adapter arrived. Ordered a new JR adapter about 2 weeks ago, for another friend. Got the same message from JR. The new adapter still has an aperture control ring for DA lenses. It also has the same, near useless tripod foot. The adapter's tripod foot was loose out of the box- no waiting for the way too small screws to strip out. On the original RJ adapter, I bought longer screws, put nuts on them and JB Welded them into place. Problem solved. Friend hangs a Canon FD 200 f3.5 lens on it all the time. The new adapter doesn't allow access for adding nuts. Only hope would be to remove screwws, JB Weld everything together, and put the screws back in place. . JR obviously spent a lot of time improving the adapter. Why didn't they fix the tripod foot? That was a bigger problem than the way the aperture control ring worked. Te adapter also seems to reflect less light inside, which increases picture IQ. I was also worried that the new, non- cone shape would be hard to hand hold. I have small fingers so it isn't as tight as the Pentx adapter. The Pentax leaf shutter has to fit some where, and is worth its weight in gold. thanks barondla Enjoy the Q. Last edited by barondla; 07-29-2014 at 02:42 PM.

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07-26-2014, 09:42 AM	#2
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	The genuine Pentax Q > K Adapter makes manual aperture control possible on the adapter itself. See the product descripton HERE. It's pricey but it does the job. (For 300mm and longer lenses you'll probably also want the tripod foot shared with the DA*300)

07-26-2014, 09:52 AM	#3
35millimeter Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 60 Original Poster	The genuine Pentax one looks very nice, but it is very expensive - cheapest I can find costs at least twice what I paid for the Q itself! Does anyone have any experience of this mount - clicky? It looks like you could focus with the lens wide open and then use the adapter to stop it down and sort out the exposure.

07-26-2014, 09:56 AM	#4
filoxophy Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 1,133	Some cheap adapters also have an aperture control ring. But the Pentax one also has a built in leaf shutter.

07-26-2014, 10:02 AM	#5
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by filoxophy Some cheap adapters also have an aperture control ring. But the Pentax one also has a built in leaf shutter. The Pentax adapter is massively over-engineered. It will, no doubt, outlive me by decades.

07-26-2014, 10:18 AM	#7
filoxophy Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 1,133	Originally posted by monochrome The Pentax adapter is massively over-engineered. It will, no doubt, outlive me and my Q's by decades. Good to hear! I have yet to pick up a K->Q adapter for myself, but would obviously greatly prefer the official version.

07-26-2014, 10:27 AM	#8
Kendigitize Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 324	Since your going to be doing manual focus anyways, you could pick up a cheap adaptor (I have the Fotodiox without aperture ring), and a M or K version lens, for less then the cost of the Pentax adaptor. And you'd have a nice prime lens for your full size Pentax too!

07-26-2014, 11:00 AM - 1 Like	#9
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,477	I got this one from jinfinance. RJ Pentax PK PK A AF Da Lens to Pentax Q Adapter with Tripod Mount Aperture Ring \| eBay Has a tripod adapter foot and an aperture ring. I got the Canon FD adapter as well. I'll probably end up with the Minolta MD, M42, etc... Though I think the next will be D-mount and C-mount adapters. Try out some old 8mm and 16mm movie camera lenses.

07-26-2014, 12:32 PM	#10
35millimeter Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 60 Original Poster	Originally posted by boriscleto I got this one from jinfinance. RJ Pentax PK PK A AF Da Lens to Pentax Q Adapter with Tripod Mount Aperture Ring \| eBay Has a tripod adapter foot and an aperture ring. Thanks for the link. It looks ideal for what I want, so I've bought it! Just need to wait for the slow boat from China to bring it over now......

07-26-2014, 02:50 PM	#11
hnikesch Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,316	Originally posted by 35millimeter Thanks for the link. It looks ideal for what I want, so I've bought it! Just need to wait for the slow boat from China to bring it over now...... I had that adapter and it worked quite well if you use a tripod because camera or subject motion will distort your image even at fast shutter speeds. You can get some good images with that adapter. I did upgrade to the Pentax adapter after about 6 months because I like to shoot hand held and my hand held images improved greatly.

07-29-2014, 03:21 AM	#12
35millimeter Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 60 Original Poster	A small update. I got a message from the eBay seller (jinfinance) about the adapter; "Just let you know that we now offer the new version of this adapter... please let me explain... We did change the design of this adapter a litte bit... pictured was our 1st edition of this adapter (which was out more than 2 years ago !)... We now mainly changed 2 things (the PK lens mount... we now use the spring lever structure; and the aperture push lever, the new version is less 'intrusive' than the old version... And yes.. we make the aperture turning ring 'silver' color to differentiate with the body part... please give it a try, and it works just as good as the old one (actually better).... and in fact, production cost , the new version costs a bit more actually.... And it is still the R.J. one (we sometimes didn't mark it R.J. as we usually do a lot of OEM for other dealers)..." I asked them to confirm it still has the tripod mount and it does. I'm looking forward to getting it.

07-30-2014, 04:26 AM	#14
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	I have the same RJ adapter as the one in the eBay link. (Mine's the Fotodiox brand, though.) It works fine with DA lenses, though the aperture ring is a bit sloppy. A couple of things to note: If the inside of the adapter is shiny, you'll want to get some flat black spray paint, mask everything off and spray the inside to cut down on internal glare. Also, I wouldn't use the tripod foot. Mine's tight, but I don't trust those two tiny screws holding the whole thing on. The screws are about the same type as the ones that hold eyeglasses together, so I can see them snapping in half pretty easily.

07-30-2014, 09:19 AM	#15
35millimeter Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 60 Original Poster	Thanks for the warnings about the tripod mount - I'll have a close look when it arrives to see if it can be made good. How can you select aperture on the DA lenses though? Is there an aperture ring on the adapter?