[timb64]

Congrats on your prize and what a nice prize it is ! That strap on your new Spotmatic looks like the original one that came with the camera. Very similar to my original strap on my '74 Pentax ES ll.

Thanks. Does anyone know if it’s possible to tell from,say,the serial number,how old the camera is?

[D1N0]

Aqcuired with a voucher the auction site gave me for getting a crap lens from Portugal. So I just paid auction fee and shipping.





Cosina 19-35mm 1:3.5-4.5

[Gary H Perth]

A surprise package. I saw an ad for a used Pentax camera in uncertain condition Multiple photos in the ad seeming to show the camera, but also a few accessories. One of the shots showed what looked like an Adaptall, another shot had 13A written on a lens barrel. So I bounced a few messages, the seller had very little idea what he had and asked my "What's the Tamron?", and I bought the lot in hope for $100 AUD plus $30 for postage.

What did I get?
1. A Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 24-48mm, a bit stiff on the zoom ring but clean lens that focuses perfectly - that is what I was after. No hood and a damaged front cap, but cleaned up nicely
1a. Tamron PKA adaptall mount - I am still cleaning this to see if it can work, it is stiff and the movement feels like there is some grit inside the stop-down lever mechanism
2. Pentax K-m body very clean and unmarked, battery cover is stiff. Equipped with a 18-55mm II lens that is also clean and just needed the grit to be dusted off. Inserted a SD card and some Duracells and it works fine, the lens focuses on auto.
3. Pentax Program A body in poor condition, with a really cheap plastic bodied Vivitar 35-70mm (I think the original is a Cosina). Lens works fine on the K-m body but it's cheap and uninspiring and is PK mount. The advance lever seems to have a broken return spring,
4. PL filter 77mm looks unused - makes me suspect there was a Tamron hood for the 24-48mm lens at some stage.
5. Pentax M 80-200mm lens with dented barrel so it does not zoom very well (it is a slider zoom) and the grip is loose on the rotating barrel. At the very least it works as a sharp 200mm. It works fine on my K-30 with green button exposure if I get the lens to a suitable focal length. Test shots seem sharp across the frame, so no major alignment problems with the lens elements.
6. Everything in a soft bag, strap broken but otherwise good and clean, with a cable release loose in the base of the bag
7. Two empty film canisters and one canister with a roll of Fujifim X-tra 400 that I am not going to try.

In review, the Tamron SP lens was worth the total price, the K-m is easy to sell (I already have one) as is the 77mm filter. I am unsure whether I will keep the 18-55mm lens, and the Program A is probably a parts exercise only.

[pepperberry farm]

A surprise package. I saw an ad for a used Pentax camera in uncertain condition Multiple photos in the ad seeming to show the camera, but also a few accessories. One of the shots showed what looked like an Adaptall, another shot had 13A written on a lens barrel. So I bounced a few messages, the seller had very little idea what he had and asked my "What's the Tamron?", and I bought the lot in hope for $100 AUD plus $30 for postage.

What did I get?
1. A Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 24-48mm, a bit stiff on the zoom ring but clean lens that focuses perfectly - that is what I was after. No hood and a damaged front cap, but cleaned up nicely
1a. Tamron PKA adaptall mount - I am still cleaning this to see if it can work, it is stiff and the movement feels like there is some grit inside the stop-down lever mechanism
2. Pentax K-m body very clean and unmarked, battery cover is stiff. Equipped with a 18-55mm II lens that is also clean and just needed the grit to be dusted off. Inserted a SD card and some Duracells and it works fine, the lens focuses on auto.
3. Pentax Program A body in poor condition, with a really cheap plastic bodied Vivitar 35-70mm (I think the original is a Cosina). Lens works fine on the K-m body but it's cheap and uninspiring and is PK mount. The advance lever seems to have a broken return spring,
4. PL filter 77mm looks unused - makes me suspect there was a Tamron hood for the 24-48mm lens at some stage.
5. Pentax M 80-200mm lens with dented barrel so it does not zoom very well (it is a slider zoom) and the grip is loose on the rotating barrel. At the very least it works as a sharp 200mm. It works fine on my K-30 with green button exposure if I get the lens to a suitable focal length. Test shots seem sharp across the frame, so no major alignment problems with the lens elements.
6. Everything in a soft bag, strap broken but otherwise good and clean, with a cable release loose in the base of the bag
7. Two empty film canisters and one canister with a roll of Fujifim X-tra 400 that I am not going to try.

In review, the Tamron SP lens was worth the total price, the K-m is easy to sell (I already have one) as is the 77mm filter. I am unsure whether I will keep the 18-55mm lens, and the Program A is probably a parts exercise only.

nice!!

as far as the 18-55, you could give it the Dartmoor Dave treatment.....

[Gary H Perth]

nice!!

as far as the 18-55, you could give it the Dartmoor Dave treatment.....

Which is/was?

I don't recall, sorry.

When I bought my K-m in about 2009, the kit lens was the awful Sigma DC 18-50mm f3.5-5.6

[Jome]

3 different auctions 'won' (LBA talking):

1. 2SFXn with 2 zooms and some stuff (about $24 shipping included)
2. A charger for my K-10, an m42 Tamron adaptall with some other stuff (about $48 shipping included)
3. Two DA zooms (about $90 shipping included)

Quite expensive but should arrive start of next week.

It is here !!

1st Package: Glass in bad state, will try to clean otherwise ... Spare material

[Jome]

2nd Package: Very good state (really as new) the hood is in alu for 67mm tele.

---

Last edited by Jome; 03-13-2020 at 02:23 AM.

[Jome]

And finally, the 3rd package was the best surprise for the 2 DA zooms:

[pepperberry farm]

Which is/was?

I don't recall, sorry.

When I bought my K-m in about 2009, the kit lens was the awful Sigma DC 18-50mm f3.5-5.6

briefly, he sanded the front element to achieve the desired look...

[Gary H Perth]

And finally, the 3rd package was the best surprise for the 2 DA zooms:

That's a good catch. I have a 16-45 and this is a very under-rated lens. It is constant F4 max aperture, which was originally a bit slow. Newer DSLRs have very good sensitivity and ISO 1600 means you can stop this down to f8 at a reasonable shutter speed in poor light.

It was in the list of top 15 Pentax lenses that went thru the forum about two weeks ago.

it's light to carry as well, especially if you compare to the f2.8 models with similar range of focal length.

[luftfluss]

1. A Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 24-48mm, a bit stiff on the zoom ring but clean lens that focuses perfectly - that is what I was after. No hood and a damaged front cap, but cleaned up nicely

If you decide to replace the front cap, be careful. The front element of the lens can easily make contact with some standard pinch style caps. I use one that looks like this and it just clears the front element:

[steamloco76]

An eBay auction win for $144 total including shipping and tax. Asahi Pentax K with Auto-Takumar 35mm f/2.3 lens. The camera has shutter issues and needs a trip to Eric the Pentax Doctor.

[Canada_Rockies]

My first Pentax was similar, bought used in 1961, including a Takumar 55/2.2

[D1N0]

An eBay auction win for $144 total including shipping and tax. Asahi Pentax K with Auto-Takumar 35mm f/2.3 lens. The camera has shutter issues and needs a trip to Eric the Pentax Doctor.

That Auto Takumar is high on the wish list for my tak collection. Great find!

[Gary H Perth]

If you decide to replace the front cap, be careful. The front element of the lens can easily make contact with some standard pinch style caps. I use one that looks like this and it just clears the front element:

Lens cap is not a problem, I have a soft plastic pushon cap that would not harm the glass even if it makes contact.

The internal grittiness seems to stop the zoom from functioning properly, but every time it sticks it is a different position.

The less said about Adaptall PKA adapters the better, I have five and I think that only two are reliable, this one may free up to become the third.

---------- Post added 01-18-20 at 02:23 AM ----------

The same day as I collected the bag of stuff, I dropped into a local camera shop and found a SMC DA 35mm Limited Macro in really good condition, selling with a 1-year shop-supported warranty. Irresistible.

Photographic evidence and examples coming soon