[UncleVanya]

I suspect they aren't decoding the aperture pins on the mount. The F, FA, DA, and DFA lenses should communicate focusing distance, focal length and I think "exact" maximum aperture including variable aperture lenses. These lenses also have the passive "A-series" style communication for backwards compatibility with older manual focus bodies. The "A-series" passive communications have a limited set of options for maximum aperture. This is why the DA 50 f1.8 is able to tell the camera it is f1.8 while the A 50 couldn't do so if it wanted since there isn't an f1.8 option on the chart of positions for the lens contacts. And there's no cpu in the A 50.

Features and Operation of the KA Mount | The K-Mount Page

@OoKU am I correct?

[pinholecam]

I hope to see some reviews on this forum when people get it.

I can already predict a review:

"The AF is incredible, the grass is greener and all you guys are sucxxrs / dinos/ etc"

(thats always the line when someone jumps to a new system).


That said, it does interest me so this product is certainly on my radar.
Problem is that I only have a Sony A7 which I only use MF lenses with and this adapter needs at least A7III to fully utilize the better AF capability.

[bdery]

There will be people who will buy $ony bodies instead of Pentax,thats money Ricoh wont ever see.

Then with the native and third party glass available,people will buy those lenses.Thats money Ricoh will never see.

Pentax owners who purchase a Sony body do so because they are looking for features not available on Pentax.

Newcomers who have to decide between Pentax and Sony will probably not be swayed by this adapter (if they even know it exist).

That leaves us with:

1-current Pentax owners, who might be interested in a dual system, and might wish to keep purchasing Pentax lenses (where the company probably makes its largest margins)

2-Current Sony users, especially those who might already have adapted manual lenses, and who might now be interested in purchasing AF glass. If Pentax sells one Limited for each three adapters sold somewhere, they'll be making profit from a new market segment.

I can already predict a review:

"The AF is incredible, the grass is greener and all you guys are sucxxrs / dinos/ etc"

I can certainly assure you that when I write a review I try not to decide on the outcome beforehand

I doubt the adapter will allow perfect and optimal utilization of the Sony AF. It will possibly (likely?) be more sluggish than on either Sony or Pentax bodies in regular use conditions. But it will be better than nothing.

Quite often, I'm not looking at lightning fast AF. Being able to use the Limited, the 60-250, etc, on another format would be fantastic, whatever the AF speed.

[someasiancameraguy]

Pentax owners who purchase a Sony body do so because they are looking for features not available on Pentax.

Newcomers who have to decide between Pentax and Sony will probably not be swayed by this adapter (if they even know it exist).

That leaves us with:

1-current Pentax owners, who might be interested in a dual system, and might wish to keep purchasing Pentax lenses (where the company probably makes its largest margins)

2-Current Sony users, especially those who might already have adapted manual lenses, and who might now be interested in purchasing AF glass. If Pentax sells one Limited for each three adapters sold somewhere, they'll be making profit from a new market segment.

I definitely think that there is a lot of allure to the Pentax glass ecosystem. Very few companies out there seem to do moderately fast primes right out there. There are plenty of photographers that want relatively compact, fast aperture, high quality camera systems. A big part of the Leica appeal is precisely this, but not everyone can afford a Leica. Pretty much all the other manufacturers either overemphasize optics: huge, heavy, super expensive lenses, or they are cheap flimsy nifty fifty types that have poor IQ wide open, or exclusively in smaller form factors such as aps-c (Canon EF-S 40mm is a good example of this) & m4/3 with less resolving power, and the such. I feel like there is plenty of space in the middle where Pentax can and should create more of these lenses, from around F1.8 - F2.4, and at most 3 inches tall. Overall a rugged, high quality, relatively compact setups suitable for daily photography and travelling type of shooting.

[ecostigny]

I definitely think that there is a lot of allure to the Pentax glass ecosystem. Very few companies out there seem to do moderately fast primes right out there. There are plenty of photographers that want relatively compact, fast aperture, high quality camera systems. A big part of the Leica appeal is precisely this, but not everyone can afford a Leica. Pretty much all the other manufacturers either overemphasize optics: huge, heavy, super expensive lenses, or they are cheap flimsy nifty fifty types that have poor IQ wide open, or exclusively in smaller form factors such as aps-c (Canon EF-S 40mm is a good example of this) & m4/3 with less resolving power, and the such. I feel like there is plenty of space in the middle where Pentax can and should create more of these lenses, from around F1.8 - F2.4, and at most 3 inches tall. Overall a rugged, high quality, relatively compact setups suitable for daily photography and travelling type of shooting.

There are also something like 48 million K-mount lenses out there that could potentially be supported by this adapter, though naturally not all of them will work as well as a native lens for a Sony camera (Then again, almost all of them will probably be a lot cheaper than Sony's G or GM series lenses).

[thibs]

I don't give a damn about Sony but I totally get how this is useful for anyone into Sony.
Seems like a smart device.

[bdery]

I definitely think that there is a lot of allure to the Pentax glass ecosystem. Very few companies out there seem to do moderately fast primes right out there. There are plenty of photographers that want relatively compact, fast aperture, high quality camera systems. A big part of the Leica appeal is precisely this, but not everyone can afford a Leica. Pretty much all the other manufacturers either overemphasize optics: huge, heavy, super expensive lenses, or they are cheap flimsy nifty fifty types that have poor IQ wide open, or exclusively in smaller form factors such as aps-c (Canon EF-S 40mm is a good example of this) & m4/3 with less resolving power, and the such. I feel like there is plenty of space in the middle where Pentax can and should create more of these lenses, from around F1.8 - F2.4, and at most 3 inches tall. Overall a rugged, high quality, relatively compact setups suitable for daily photography and travelling type of shooting.

Indeed. I understand Pentax's will to cater to pros with their two most recent primes (50 and 85). But part of the system's appeal is with the Limited lineup. Both Limited lines are superb examples of optical excellence in a small package.

For the record, Tamron and Samyang are visibly trying to design lenses along those lines for the Sony lineup.

[surfar]

There are also something like 48 million K-mount lenses out there

Where did this figure come from?

that could potentially be supported by this adapter,

From the Info provided only F/FA/FAj lenses will AF....Correction,some DA and DFA will AF too.

[ExSpectator36]

For the record, Tamron and Samyang are visibly trying to design lenses along those lines for the Sony lineup.

After years of massive but very fast and optically superb options, I think people are realizing that there is also a place for complentary options that prioritize compact size, rendering, or both. It's not just Tamron and Samyang - the Voigtlander 35/40/50 Noktons and Sigma's (the last lens maker I expected this from) new 45/2.8 DG DN are other good recent examples for E mount. Also why the FA Ltds remain well regarded among mirrorless shooters

[pres589]

That Sigma 45 f2.8 DG DN is still too big in my book. It's also close enough to a 50 that an OEM f1.8 would get my interest over the 45. Make more 40's!

[thibs]

Seems indeed a bit slow at first sight. Unless there's a special feature I dunno about.

[bdery]

After years of massive but very fast and optically superb options, I think people are realizing that there is also a place for complentary options that prioritize compact size, rendering, or both. It's not just Tamron and Samyang - the Voigtlander 35/40/50 Noktons and Sigma's (the last lens maker I expected this from) new 45/2.8 DG DN are other good recent examples for E mount. Also why the FA Ltds remain well regarded among mirrorless shooters

Indeed, and there's room for both. In that perspective it makes sense for Pentax fo release fast 50 a 85mm lenses. But the logic of the DA Limited (and the FA Limited to some extent) is gaining traction in the market nowadays.

Again, Pentax is preaching in the desert but preaching the right thing

[mlt]

To turn things the other way, now all we need is someone to design a speed booster (to correct for flange distance) type of converter with the af pins mapped to Kaf4 for the new Canon R mount 600 and 800 F-11 lenses. Wouldn’t have to worry about the aperture control or lens stabilization.

[Mistral75]

To turn things the other way, now all we need is someone to design a speed booster (to correct for flange distance) type of converter with the af pins mapped to Kaf4 for the new Canon R mount 600 and 800 F-11 lenses. Wouldn’t have to worry about the aperture control or lens stabilization.

It couldn't work that way. A focal reducer (what you call a speed booster) reduces the flange focal distance of the lens it's attached to. This is why focal reducers are used to mount long-flanged lenses (SLR lenses) on short-flanged cameras (mirrorless cameras), not the other way around.

[Serkevan]

It couldn't work that way. A focal reducer (what you call a speed booster) reduces the flange focal distance of the lens it's attached to. This is why focal reducers are used to mount long-flanged lenses (SLR lenses) on short-flanged cameras (mirrorless cameras), not the other way around.

So what you're saying is we can get a especially-designed teleconverter to get a lens that can see the pimples on an astronaut's face. Well,at least as long as said astronaut has the luminance of the face of the Sun, aperture considered