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01-19-2018, 05:44 AM   #16
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Welcome

lots of friendly members here willing to help others

hope this info proves helpful

Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart

The Pentax Camera Lens Compatibility Chart

the K 50 [ and K S 2 as well ] is on line 2

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" Pentax K-Mount Lens Series Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

In a nutshell

There are several series of Pentax K-mount lenses; the ones currently being produced include the DA (digital), DA L (cheap digital kit), D FA (full-frame, digital optimized), and FA (full-frame) series. While all Pentax K-mount lenses ever produced are compatible with all current Pentax DSLRs (in some cases with restrictions in that not all exposure modes of the camera are supported by old lenses), there are significant differences between each lens series and each has different features. Furthermore some of the newer lenses do not work with older cameras. We'll be exploring the differences between the various K-mount series lenses in this article. "

Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

A series is line 7

______________________________________________

The Evolution of the Pentax K-mount
Technical Information and a Little Bit of History


Read more at: The Evolution of the Pentax K-mount - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

---------- Post added 01-19-18 at 06:49 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Cerebum Quote
Depends on budget too. . . .

If your budget is lower you might consider a K5-II, by all accounts a great camera that doesn’t suffer from the actuator fault. you can get a barely used body for £250 with warranty from ebay stores
I liked my " experienced " K 5 II

---------- Post added 01-19-18 at 06:52 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by paulh Quote
. You might consider adding a VF magnifier O-ME53, which makes things a bit easier. Good luck
good advice

PENTAX Magnifier Eyecup O-ME53 reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database


Last edited by aslyfox; 01-19-2018 at 05:54 AM.
01-19-2018, 07:58 AM   #17
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In addition to all the sound advice above, you might also consider changing the focusing screen to one better suited for manual focusing. Have a look here: Focusing Screen
01-19-2018, 08:05 AM - 1 Like   #18
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Check here:

How to use/meter Manual & M42 Lenses on all Pentax DSLRs (K-1, K-3, K-5, K-30, etc) - PentaxForums.com
01-19-2018, 08:46 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by mlucas9 Quote
Any advice along these lines will be much appreciated.
Hi Mike, welcome to PF.

You can also look at used K3 or K5IIs bodies. I have owned both and loved them. I do own old Pentax A, M, M42 (screw mount), 645A and 6x7 lenses. They all work on my Pentax bodies and produce fantastic results. The bargain lens of my set up is an old Sears 50mm f2 lens (possibly made by Pentax) which is as sharp as any modern lens I have. There is the magic of Pentax, lots of legacy lenses that all work with even the most modern DSLR systems.

01-19-2018, 09:59 AM - 1 Like   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by mlucas9 Quote
Hi All,
Any advice along these lines will be much appreciated.
I see lots of great advice so far. I went with pentax because of the availability of relatively inexpensive lenses. My photography skills improved sugnificantly when I discovered the Pentax-A lenses and used them with the K-50. Changing the focusing screen did help. But I did not change it on the K-3ii I now use, so it is helpful but not critical with all the aids others mentioned.

I’d consider a used K-3 or or K-3ii if the budget allows. If you still have the LX and ME, selling one may offset the cost difference.

Enjoy!
01-19-2018, 10:04 AM   #21
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if the OP ( or anyone else ) does start looking for " experienced " equipment

be sure to look at the forum's market place [ " buy/sell " ]

I have had very good luck dealing with forum members there
01-19-2018, 11:44 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jim P Quote
I see lots of great advice so far. I went with pentax because of the availability of relatively inexpensive lenses. My photography skills improved sugnificantly when I discovered the Pentax-A lenses and used them with the K-50. Changing the focusing screen did help. But I did not change it on the K-3ii I now use, so it is helpful but not critical with all the aids others mentioned.

I’d consider a used K-3 or or K-3ii if the budget allows. If you still have the LX and ME, selling one may offset the cost difference.

Enjoy!
Hi Jim P.,

Yep...more good advice. Thanks a bunch! I was leaning towards the K-50, but they actuator problem worries me.

Best,
Mike

01-19-2018, 08:08 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by mlucas9 Quote
. . . and I want to buy a mid-grade DSLR body to use with my old SMC Pentax-A lenses from the old film SLR days . . . .
Most of the time I have had a dslr, the couple of Pentax-A lenses I have had were my NEWer lenses. I thought the old lenses were my m42 mount lenses, that also work very very well, and quite easily with an adapter on a Pentax dslr.
01-20-2018, 04:07 AM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by mlucas9 Quote

Any advice along these lines will be much appreciated.
Are you aware of the crop factor? Your beloved, versatile 50mm will have a much narrower field of view on a crop-dslr (all models except the K-1), comparable to a 75mm lens on your film cameras. That put me off, as I mostly prefer normal to wide lenses.

I started with film, too, and was thrilled by Pentax's backward compatibility. Got a K-5 back then. A very good camera, still, but getting a little old. No focus peaking, for example. Not that I would have liked to use the backscreen to focus, anyway.

I got the magnifier eye cup, which I can really recommend and I hacked me a split focus screen from an old scrap film body. All fun, but in the end I love film and using the classic film bodies much much more. I barely take out the dslr anymore.
01-20-2018, 05:31 AM - 1 Like   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arvid Quote
Are you aware of the crop factor? Your beloved, versatile 50mm will have a much narrower field of view on a crop-dslr (all models except the K-1), comparable to a 75mm lens on your film cameras. That put me off, as I mostly prefer normal to wide lenses. . . .

I got the magnifier eye cup, which I can really recommend and I hacked me a split focus screen from an old scrap film body. All fun, but in the end I love film and using the classic film bodies much much more. I barely take out the dslr anymore.
the only way I can figure out the crop factor ( I have a " cropped " as in limited mind )

is you take a photograph from a full frame camera and " crop " the edges all around it

the result is the image you get on a " crop " sensor camera

the fact is that the lens allows the same " image " to reach the sensor but the sensor isn't as large and thus portions of the image are not recorded

that gives you the " increase " in the field of view

my 50 mm lens on my crop sensor camera body will give me a photograph with the same field of view as a 75 mm lens on a full frame camera would create

Last edited by aslyfox; 01-20-2018 at 06:09 AM.
01-20-2018, 09:02 AM - 1 Like   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
Most of the time I have had a dslr, the couple of Pentax-A lenses I have had were my NEWer lenses. I thought the old lenses were my m42 mount lenses, that also work very very well, and quite easily with an adapter on a Pentax dslr.
Same here - my "A"s are my "new" MF lenses, vs my old M's and Taks.
01-20-2018, 09:49 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by paulh Quote
Same here - my "A"s are my "new" MF lenses, vs my old M's and Taks.
Ha, ha! Yes, I only have 3 auto-focus lenses and one of them only focuses manually. And the only lens I own that is still in production (or for sale new from the manufacturer) is a manual focus KA mount.
01-20-2018, 01:41 PM   #28
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The crop factor is exactly as Aslyfox described. About* 36% of all photography discussion/conflict on the internet is on the crop factor, but to save time, you only need to know that you need to buy something to cover wide angle shots. If you are buying a used camera, you can probably get a version of the DA 18-55 with it for next to nothing. The WR versions are very useful because of the WR. Although there were 15, 16 and 20mm A series lenses made, they were not common and are expensive today. Also the tiny details in the viewfinder make manual focus harder.

*made that stat up
01-20-2018, 01:47 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arvid Quote
Are you aware of the crop factor? Your beloved, versatile 50mm will have a much narrower field of view on a crop-dslr (all models except the K-1), comparable to a 75mm lens on your film cameras. That put me off, as I mostly prefer normal to wide lenses.

I started with film, too, and was thrilled by Pentax's backward compatibility. Got a K-5 back then. A very good camera, still, but getting a little old. No focus peaking, for example. Not that I would have liked to use the backscreen to focus, anyway.

I got the magnifier eye cup, which I can really recommend and I hacked me a split focus screen from an old scrap film body. All fun, but in the end I love film and using the classic film bodies much much more. I barely take out the dslr anymore.




Hi Arvid,


No...I was not! Thanks for pointing this out. I'm assuming the CCD detectors are too small to record the whole image except for the K-1? More to think about...makes the K-1 a very desirable body then...
Best,
Mike
01-20-2018, 02:12 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
And the only lens I own that is still in production (or for sale new from the manufacturer) is a manual focus KA mount.
Guess the lens ...

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