[vanyagor]

The story: I've ordered a 3rd party M42 adapter for my new K5 sold by RainbowImaging Amazon.com: M42 lens to Pentax PK K Mount Adapter Ring infinity focus guaranteed K20D K10D K200D K-M: Camera & Photo It arrived yesterday and I was eager to try it with my old M42 mount lenses. Guess what? It got stuck!

I have read other threads on this issue both here and on other websites, however neither offers a solution to the problem. The solution is simple though:

1. Lay the camera body on the back (LCD down)
2. Unscrew the 5 screws which hold the mount. Be extremely careful! Make sure nothing falls into the camera.
3. Carefully pull the mount out. Be careful! The connector pins have small springs under them, don't lose them, don't make anything fall into the camera. If you do it carefully enough, it can be done smoothly and easily. Right under the mount there is a flexible ring with a connector welded to it. Sometimes the ring goes out with the mount. Make sure you do not break the connector. - be super careful here - at least one person broke it (see comments below)
4. When you have the mount with the stuck adapter out of the camera it is fairly easy to remove the adapter by slowly rotating it in clockwise direction (if you look from the top)
5. Carefully position the mount back and fix all 5 screws back it to the body. Make sure the flexible ring under the mount has not been displaced (there are tiny black pins on which it sits, which may be hard to see).

Tools you will need: jewelers screwdriver set, light.

Reason it gets stuck: Poor design - the tiny screw which fixes the flat spring to the adapter can be easily deformed when you rotate (install/or remove) the adapter. The screw protrudes too much from the adapter and may be blocked by a dent on the mount when you try to install/remove it.

What you may want to do to avoid the adapter getting stuck first place:
- Do read the reviews carefully before you by it
- do not force anything
- make yourself familiar with the tool which comes with the adapter. It can be tricky. The design of the tool is such that the tool itself may be blocking the adapter when you try to remove it without you noticing.
- If you are determined to try the adapter with the spring attached, make sure the tiny screw which hold the spring is not loose (mine was)
- Alternatively what many people do, just remove the spring altogether.
- before you install the adapter, carefully examine the design of the mount and take notice of the initial positioning of the adapter - it will help you remove it if it gets stuck.

I will try to add some pictures later. Hope this helps to someone.

In case you are not comfortable doing it yourself, I'm sure any local camera repair shop can do it. Or you can PM me and I will be glad to do it for you.

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Last edited by vanyagor; 03-12-2012 at 02:12 PM.

[boriscleto]

Better solution...

Buy a genuine Pentax adapter. $21.95 from pentaxwebstore.com

[Adam]

Couple extra bucks goes a long way

[RioRico]

- Alternatively what many people do, just remove the spring altogether.

That's the quick cheap answer. Remove the screw+clip or YOU WILL GO APESH!T as you have discovered. I use dozens of these clone adapters with no problems, once the screw+clip are gone.

[boriscleto]

That's the quick cheap answer. Remove the screw+clip or YOU WILL GO APESH!T as you have discovered. I use dozens of these clone adapters with no problems, once the screw+clip are gone.

But you're a perv.

[RioRico]

But you're a perv.

And??

[boriscleto]

And??

There are some of us who only have a few M42 lenses and prefer to have an adapter securely mounted to the camera. If you take the clip out all that is keeping that lens on the camera is friction. I know you've never lost a lens yet, but it would seem to be a matter of time to me.

[fccwpe]

That's the quick cheap answer. Remove the screw+clip or YOU WILL GO APESH!T as you have discovered. I use dozens of these clone adapters with no problems, once the screw+clip are gone.

I concur and have the same experience. I do have a genuine Pentax adapter, but it has a very loose fit and is currently sitting in my bag.

[RioRico]

There are some of us who only have a few M42 lenses and prefer to have an adapter securely mounted to the camera. If you take the clip out all that is keeping that lens on the camera is friction. I know you've never lost a lens yet, but it would seem to be a matter of time to me.

Whenever this topic comes up, I recommend that anyone using M42 lenses should own just one Official Pentax adapter. It is safe and tedious.

But I also note that those of use with more than a few M42s tend to buy a bunch of clone adapters, and remove the screws+clips. A PK rear lens cap can be used as a wrench to (un)tighten the adapter on the screwmount. For a semi-permanence, put a small drop of contact cement on the adapter threads. If the lens base is suitable, a slot can be cut or a hole can be drilled for the PK locking pin to engage.

[TomB_tx]

The original Pentax adapter is great if you have several Takumar lenses and use them (almost) exclusively, so you leave the adapter on the body and unscrew the lenses. When the adapter first came out, people would just buy a K-mount body to use with their M42 lens collection.
Now most people have primarily new autofocus lenses and just want to use an M42 lens now and then. For this is it better to put a non-locking adapter on each lens.

[acmenet]

Hi vanyagor

just followed your instructions on how to unhook the stuck m42 adapter

and guess what even being ultra careful the tiny cable to the circular ring broke

any idea what iy does , as the camera K-R still seems to function

got the ring off ,

but ca t see where the little cable goes to weld it back on , and there is not enough cable to pull it and and reweld it, and no obvious way to remove the cover and get at it from the other side

kindest regards john

[Jean Poitiers]

Bonsoir,

With all of horror stories that I've stumble across, I recently bought A OEM Pentax ring from B&H, had it sent to my mom in the States, then she mailed it to me. Why? Because the OEM adapter is 60 EUROS at NUMIPIXEL/Phox Photo (60 E x 1.35 = over 80 bucks!). Works great and worth the extra hassle to get a (less expensive) OEM adapter to France.

http://www.numipixel.com/boutique/fiche_produit.cfm?type=11&code_lg=lg_fr&num=0

Allez et aux "M42"s !!! Salut, J Frog

[vanyagor]

Hi vanyagor

just followed your instructions on how to unhook the stuck m42 adapter

and guess what even being ultra careful the tiny cable to the circular ring broke

any idea what iy does , as the camera K-R still seems to function

got the ring off ,

but ca t see where the little cable goes to weld it back on , and there is not enough cable to pull it and and reweld it, and no obvious way to remove the cover and get at it from the other side

kindest regards john

John, sorry to hear that. I don't know the purpose of this piece. I have contacted customer service to find out. If they do not provide that info, I will ask at some local repair shop.

[vanyagor]

Better solution...

Buy a genuine Pentax adapter. $21.95 from pentaxwebstore.com

Thanks for your input. However this is not a solution if your adapter is already stuck though The purpose of the thread is to provide a solution if your adapter is already stuck

Furthermore, if you are careful and remove the pin, you can use a 3rd party adapter just fine. And considering the price of 3rd party adapters is essentially $0, it is still a good deal compared to $21

Most important though is that those who know why one should go with the OEM adapter would also know how to make the 3rd party adapters safe (since they would have read the forums probably). This thread is for those who saved some money without reading the forums first and got themselves into the stuck-adaptor situation.

[vanyagor]

Hi vanyagor

just followed your instructions on how to unhook the stuck m42 adapter

and guess what even being ultra careful the tiny cable to the circular ring broke

any idea what iy does , as the camera K-R still seems to function

got the ring off ,

but ca t see where the little cable goes to weld it back on , and there is not enough cable to pull it and and reweld it, and no obvious way to remove the cover and get at it from the other side

kindest regards john

John, customer service has instructed me to contact the following phone #. Please let us know what they tell you.

You should contact 877-269-7179 dial zero to bipass the atutomatid voice