k1000 Manual Lenses Stuck on Widest Aperture

cuteditpaste · 07-18-2012, 01:56 PM

Whenever I attach a lens (I have 3 lenses): M42 mount, and 2 k-mount ALL manual lenses.
The problem is whenver I attach them to my k1000 the lenses get stuck at the widest open aperture, this is a recent problem it has not happened before with the camera I have. Usually whenever I change the aperture on the lens the light meter moves up or down and view finder gets light or dark, now it does not do so anymore, instead what happens is the lens automatically gets stuck on the widest aperture and even when moving to a narrower aperture the camera doesn't seem to pick up on the changes.

Note: my light meter works fine, so I know it's not a light meter issue, it works extremely well when moving into different light regions.

**boriscleto** · 07-18-2012, 02:25 PM

I am assuming you mean the M42 lenses because the K-Mount lenses should meter open.

Do the M42 lenses have an Auto/Manual switch? If so they should be set to manual, in other words the Man or M should be visible and Auto or A should be covered.

cuteditpaste · 07-20-2012, 04:13 PM

yeah but even then ALL lenses get stuck on the widest aperture? not sure if it has to do with anything inside the camera itself

Pioneer · 07-20-2012, 04:25 PM

The K1000 will meter wide open with the K lenses. Since there is no DOF button you can't manually close the aperture in your lenses on the K1000 without tricking them by starting to partially remove them. If you fire the shutter while looking into the lens you might be able to see the lens close down and then re-open.

If your meter is not responding when you make adjustments to the aperture then it is more likely a metering issue and the first thing that I would check is the battery. Install a new one and see if that does the trick.

Not a Number · 07-20-2012, 05:23 PM

With all K mount lens with the diaphragm operating lever the K1000 should normally be using Open Aperture metering. It is normal for the aperture to be wide open so the view finder doesn't get dimmer as you set higher f-stops. The diaphragm should close down when you take the exposure. The needle on the exposure meter should move up or down as you change the shutter speed or aperture setting.

As mentioned before stop-down metering is used with screw-mount lenses. If there is a auto/manual lever it should be set to manual. You may have to press in the little auto/manual lock button so you can do this. This should be depressed if the lens is mount and firmly screwed into the mount/adapter.

Without film in the camera and a K mount lens attached set the shutter to "B" (bulb) and set the aperture to fully closed. Open the back of the camera and look through the lens from either end pointing it at a light colored wall or something. Press and hold down the shutter release button. You should see the iris close down. Try this with different f-stop settings. The iris opening should vary in accordance to the setting and should consistently close down to the same size as the setting when repeated. You can test this off camera too by operating the diaphragm control lever manually. If you have enough light and you are looking at the front of the lens it is not necessary to open the back. It's just difficult to see the iris from the front with some lenses.

The operating manual for the K1000 can be found here:
http://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/mf/pentax_k1000_manual_s.pdf

Password is "Pentax" - case-sensitive

You can read about the manual focus K-mount here:
Features and Operation of the Original K-Mount

07-18-2012, 01:56 PM	#1
cuteditpaste Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 3	k1000 Manual Lenses Stuck on Widest Aperture Whenever I attach a lens (I have 3 lenses): M42 mount, and 2 k-mount ALL manual lenses. The problem is whenver I attach them to my k1000 the lenses get stuck at the widest open aperture, this is a recent problem it has not happened before with the camera I have. Usually whenever I change the aperture on the lens the light meter moves up or down and view finder gets light or dark, now it does not do so anymore, instead what happens is the lens automatically gets stuck on the widest aperture and even when moving to a narrower aperture the camera doesn't seem to pick up on the changes. Note: my light meter works fine, so I know it's not a light meter issue, it works extremely well when moving into different light regions.

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07-18-2012, 02:25 PM	#2
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,477	I am assuming you mean the M42 lenses because the K-Mount lenses should meter open. Do the M42 lenses have an Auto/Manual switch? If so they should be set to manual, in other words the Man or M should be visible and Auto or A should be covered.

07-20-2012, 04:13 PM	#3
cuteditpaste Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 3 Original Poster	yeah but even then ALL lenses get stuck on the widest aperture? not sure if it has to do with anything inside the camera itself

07-20-2012, 04:25 PM	#4
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411	The K1000 will meter wide open with the K lenses. Since there is no DOF button you can't manually close the aperture in your lenses on the K1000 without tricking them by starting to partially remove them. If you fire the shutter while looking into the lens you might be able to see the lens close down and then re-open. If your meter is not responding when you make adjustments to the aperture then it is more likely a metering issue and the first thing that I would check is the battery. Install a new one and see if that does the trick.

07-20-2012, 05:23 PM	#5
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	With all K mount lens with the diaphragm operating lever the K1000 should normally be using Open Aperture metering. It is normal for the aperture to be wide open so the view finder doesn't get dimmer as you set higher f-stops. The diaphragm should close down when you take the exposure. The needle on the exposure meter should move up or down as you change the shutter speed or aperture setting. As mentioned before stop-down metering is used with screw-mount lenses. If there is a auto/manual lever it should be set to manual. You may have to press in the little auto/manual lock button so you can do this. This should be depressed if the lens is mount and firmly screwed into the mount/adapter. Without film in the camera and a K mount lens attached set the shutter to "B" (bulb) and set the aperture to fully closed. Open the back of the camera and look through the lens from either end pointing it at a light colored wall or something. Press and hold down the shutter release button. You should see the iris close down. Try this with different f-stop settings. The iris opening should vary in accordance to the setting and should consistently close down to the same size as the setting when repeated. You can test this off camera too by operating the diaphragm control lever manually. If you have enough light and you are looking at the front of the lens it is not necessary to open the back. It's just difficult to see the iris from the front with some lenses. The operating manual for the K1000 can be found here: http://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/mf/pentax_k1000_manual_s.pdf Password is "Pentax" - case-sensitive You can read about the manual focus K-mount here: Features and Operation of the Original K-Mount