[nzcjs]

I'm about to go digital and will probably stay with Pentax. Hopefully my older equipment will still operate fine with a new dSLR. What about my old SunPak AutoZoom 3600 flash for example? Also, how awkward is it to use the older K-mount lenses?

My present SLR is an MX, so I'm happy with manual configs :-)

The dSLR I'm seriously thinking of is the K20D with a 16-45 lens.

Cheers for now,

Chris.

[cpopham]

Always nice to see another friendly face around here!

[Wombat]

G'day, Kiwi,

Welcome to the friendliest forum on the planet.

I lived in Auckland for about 15 years - went to Auckland Grammar and went to Uni there, where I first got into photography in the 1960s. I'm married to a Kiwi from Ekatahuna (hub of the world!).

Your old Pentax gear will work just fine with a K20 (but check the voltage on your flash unit before you use it - it may not be compatible). I have an ME F with a couple of M series lenses and I mix and match them with my K100DS without any problem. Loads of members here do the same. Just use them on Manual setting, read the K20 manual and you'll be set to go.
Looking forward to seeing some of your photos.

[nzcjs]

Thanks for your welcome.

[nzcjs]

G'day, Kiwi,

Welcome to the friendliest forum on the planet.

I lived in Auckland for about 15 years - went to Auckland Grammar and went to Uni there, where I first got into photography in the 1960s. I'm married to a Kiwi from Ekatahuna (hub of the world!).

Your old Pentax gear will work just fine with a K20 (but check the voltage on your flash unit before you use it - it may not be compatible). I have an ME F with a couple of M series lenses and I mix and match them with my K100DS without any problem. Loads of members here do the same. Just use them on Manual setting, read the K20 manual and you'll be set to go.
Looking forward to seeing some of your photos.

I'm actually from the UK originally, been in NZ for 17 years.

Thanks for the info on the lenses. It makes the transition that bit easier (financially) when you have a few lenses that can still be used on the new equipment.

The flash is a worry. Whilst looking at Canon (40D and 50D) I was told I'd seriously damage the camera if I atached my flash to it. I suspect, sadly, that the same would be true of the Pentax. Then again, there may be someone in the group who is using the same flash successfully with a digital SLR.

Once I get the camera, I'llpost some photos. :-)

[Class A]

Hi,

welcome to the forum!

Please join us other Kiwis at https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/everything-else/41021-kiwi-pentaxians.html

Sometimes we even discuss useful stuff.

[Class A]

Also, how awkward is it to use the older K-mount lenses?

On a Pentax DSLR it's no trouble at all. Just an extra press of one button, that's all mainly.

Have a look at K100D (Super) Pictorial guide to using manual lenses [imgs]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Sometimes (I think in particular with the K10D) people have to compensate the metering, but I have no personal experience with this.

A forum search (if necessary via google adding "site:www.pentaxforums.com" to your search terms) will get you some discussions regarding this matter.

[Arpe]

Sometimes we even discuss useful stuff.

I must've missed that bit!

Welcome Chris. Have a good look around and you'll find most of your queries are already answered somewhere, but if you can't find it, best to ask in the right forum section - more likely to get answers that way.

[cpopham]

Also, how awkward is it to use the older K-mount lenses?

I have a K 55 f1.8 which I use occasionally. A full manual lens like that (or an M series lens) will only work in manual mode, and the aperture will remain wide open all the time, unless you press the metering button (AE-L on a K100/200, Green button on a K10/20), at which point the camera will stop down, and meter.

If you want an 'almost' auto metering experience, you can use the lens wide open (and wide open only) in Aperture priority mode, and that works as expected. This is particularly hand for faster primes.

Please note that there is an entry in the "Custom" settings which must be changed to allow the use of lenses with aperture rings. If you have any Pentax A series lenses, they will operate automatically in aperture priority, and shutter priority modes, do not require stop down metering.

If you want to try it out, the guys at Auckland Camera Centre in New North Road (who I have no afiliation with by the way) are pretty helpful, and last time I was there had a couple of K20s, and some older second hand lenses as well.

With regards to your flash, as Class A mentioned, older flashes tend to have high trigger voltages which can damage modern SLRs, and the K series manuals contain warnings about this. However, the K20 has a PC-Sync terminal, and there is speculation that may be able to cope with higher voltages.

If you'd like to play it safe, you can buy various voltage regulating buffers, such as this one: Camera Flash & Acc - Flash Controls, Cables & Accessories - SMDV SM-512 Safe Camera Hot Shoe Adaptor for fairly modest sums.

(I am not recommending that, I have no experience with it, it's simply what I found with a quick search)

Also, on the subject of the 16-45, it is worth noting Pentax has since released the DA 17-70 f4, which is a bit longer. However, it is also more expensive, and seems like a bit of an unknown quantity.

I see that we're both in Auckland though, so if you'd like to have a quiet play with some Pentax gear outside of a shop (I don't have that much though), drop me a PM and we might be able to sort something out.