m42 to pentax k adapter

theofon · 04-04-2018, 04:00 AM

Greetings forum! i recently got an old pentax k100d super and started experimenting with photography. My question is more of a confusion because i recently got an old m42 lens and i was looking into adapters to buy. The confusion is: are all the m42 to k mount adapters like the kipon/fotodiox and the official compatible with my k100d?

**old_manual_guy** · 04-04-2018, 04:28 AM

You should be able to find info on some old threads. I have used both the Pentax official adapter and fotodiox brand with the same design on my K-50 which has the same KAF2 mount as your K100D Super. The adapters of the "flange" design according to threads here will not focus to infinity. I haven't use one of those. To use a M42 lens the lever/switch on the side of the lens needs to be set to manual mode in order for it to be stopped down, A DSLR does not have the mechanical components that a Spotmatic has. If your lens does not a switch and is fully open when off the camera, i.e. will only stop down when the stop down pin is pushed, you will be only be able to shoot fully opened on your DSLR. You should also be able to find a post on stop down metering with vintage lenses on the forum.

**Skodadriver** · 04-04-2018, 04:35 AM

They should all be compatible though the official Pentax version is generally accepted as the better one to buy and use. My first inclination was to buy a cheap adapter from China (usually shown with a tool to fix and remove) but the first time I tried it I could feel the sensation of metal cutting into metal so stopped using it. I bought a couple of Pentax adapters ( noticed one fitted to a lens that the seller had not noticed was a M42 lens with the adapter on it, very lucky), one felt a tiny bit looser fitting so may have been well used and worn but the other was perfect.
Some M42 lenses are quite narrow at the camera mount end and can let light in through the adapter. For these you might have to make up a surround to prevent light ingression. (Or use a flanged adapter).
Some adapters have a flange that depresses the auto stop down pin, (some M42 lenses have an A/M switch, some do not) only used one of those on my Canon but it works.
There is also a flanged adapter, this covers the camera contacts, prevents light from leaking in and reduces the lens ability to focus to infinity due to the slight "extension tube" effect. I find this to be great as it feels a little more robust with a heavy lens on the camera.
I would suggest you avoid the cheapies and read up on the brand name versions to find what you would like to invest in, remember to check out how to set the camera up to use old pre "A" setting lenses and enjoy.

theofon · 04-04-2018, 05:07 AM

old_manual_guy cool thanks for the info. its a helios 44m-6 and when i read the review in this forum it said that i need a special rim that depresses the aperture pin.

Skodadriver yea i was thinking about the official but 50 euro is a bit too much for me right now so i was thinking about the kipon which is half the price to try it out and in the future switch to the official.
i just wanted to know if its compatible with my current setup and the helios 44m-6 which is the lens i got.

**Skodadriver** · 04-04-2018, 06:45 AM

There is also a Bower adapter that I believe is often cheaper than the Kippon. If you have not already, check out the reviews of these adapters on Amazon, any problems will probably show in the customer reviews.

**jatrax** · 04-04-2018, 07:38 AM

Most of the time the cheaper knock-offs are fine, but quality control is hit or miss. Some are perfect, some nearly useless. They also have a spring that generally needs removed or the lens can get stuck on your camera.

On the other hand the official Pentax version works perfectly every time. it is twice the cost but if you decide you don't want to stick with M42 you can sell it on for nearly full price. Selling on a knockoff is doubtful at anything close to what you paid.

theofon · 04-04-2018, 09:10 AM

Skodadriver: okay i will give them a look didnt really come up as an option instead of the kippon.

jatrax: yea im not really thinking about the resell value right now but thats true. For now my plan is to get a cheap to test the lens and if down the road i decide to buy another m42 ill buy the official.

stevebrot · 04-04-2018, 10:07 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Skodadriver

There is also a Bower adapter that I believe is often cheaper than the Kippon. If you have not already, check out the reviews of these adapters on Amazon, any problems will probably show in the customer reviews.

Brand names mean little in the land of 3rd-party adapters. Conventional wisdom is that they are sourced from a number of suppliers in bulk and "branded" by packaging alone by the various vendors (Bower, Dotline, Kipon, Photodiox, etc.).

Originally posted by jatrax

Most of the time the cheaper knock-offs are fine, but quality control is hit or miss. Some are perfect, some nearly useless. They also have a spring that generally needs removed or the lens can get stuck on your camera.

A good rule of thumb with the third-party adapters is to assume that it will (eventually, if not immediately) get stuck on the camera unless the retention spring is removed as a precaution. A second expectation is that machining will be an approximation of the genuine adapter, even best case. Mounting generally requires a firm movement until the adapter and/or camera mount gets worn in.

Originally posted by theofon

For now my plan is to get a cheap to test the lens and if down the road i decide to buy another m42 ill buy the official.

That sounds reasonable, but do remove the retention spring. If the adapter gets stuck, chances are good that a Dremel tool will be required to get it out.

A few additional comments:

The genuine Pentax adapter is designed to float loose a slight distance below the camera mount face. This is to allow true registration of the lens flange to the body flange. The adapter allows the lens to "snug up" against the flange as it is screwed on (or mounted as a unit with the adapter). Tension is maintained by the springs that load the body-side tangs.
Third-party adapters are designed as snug fit with the adapter approximately flush with the body flange face with registration determined by the position of the lens when fully threaded to the adapter or contact with the mount flange, whichever comes first. Depending on adapter, this may result in inability to attain infinity focus.
Third party adapters usually (always?) lack appropriate machining in the area of the retention spring. The result is failure to release as well as possible over-rotation in the mount. Over-rotation is not a significant problem for current K-mount bodies, but may effect meter function with most film bodies.
If a third-party adapter is chosen, be sure to give it a proper cleaning with rag and/or canned air before putting it on your camera. Fine metal dust and shards adhering to the metal are not unusual. Likewise, inspect carefully for obvious rough machining in the tangs and screw threads that might damage the lens or body.

Good luck with your exploration of the world of M42 lenses. There is some fine glass out there.

Steve

(...speaking from personal experience regarding stuck (Bower) adapter...)

theofon · 04-04-2018, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Brand names mean little in the land of 3rd-party adapters. Conventional wisdom is that they are sourced from a number of suppliers in bulk and "branded" by packaging alone by the various vendors (Bower, Dotline, Kipon, Photodiox, etc.).

A good rule of thumb with the third-party adapters is to assume that it will (eventually, if not immediately) get stuck on the camera unless the retention spring is removed as a precaution. A second expectation is that machining will be an approximation of the genuine adapter, even best case. Mounting generally requires a firm movement until the adapter and/or camera mount gets worn in.

That sounds reasonable, but do remove the retention spring. If the adapter gets stuck, chances are good that a Dremel tool will be required to get it out.

A few additional comments:

The genuine Pentax adapter is designed to float loose a slight distance below the camera mount face. This is to allow true registration of the lens flange to the body flange. The adapter allows the lens to "snug up" against the flange as it is screwed on (or mounted as a unit with the adapter). Tension is maintained by the springs that load the body-side tangs.
Third-party adapters are designed as snug fit with the adapter approximately flush with the body flange face with registration determined by the position of the lens when fully threaded to the adapter or contact with the mount flange, whichever comes first. Depending on adapter, this may result in inability to attain infinity focus.
Third party adapters usually (always?) lack appropriate machining in the area of the retention spring. The result is failure to release as well as possible over-rotation in the mount. Over-rotation is not a significant problem for current K-mount bodies, but may effect meter function with most film bodies.
If a third-party adapter is chosen, be sure to give it a proper cleaning with rag and/or canned air before putting it on your camera. Fine metal dust and shards adhering to the metal are not unusual. Likewise, inspect carefully for obvious rough machining in the tangs and screw threads that might damage the lens or body.

Good luck with your exploration of the world of M42 lenses. There is some fine glass out there.

Steve

(...speaking from personal experience regarding stuck (Bower) adapter...)

Thanks alot Steve. ill check out how to remove the retention spring if i end up buying a third party adapter. All this talk im beginning to think i should just go for the official from the start.

**Skodadriver** · 04-04-2018, 11:49 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by theofon

Thanks alot Steve. ill check out how to remove the retention spring if i end up buying a third party adapter. All this talk im beginning to think i should just go for the official from the start.

Just to let you know, the genuine Pentax adapter is currently available from Amazon UK for £71, which equates to about 80 euros!
Getting a used genuine one from somewhere is a good plan for the future. I have 2 now but unfortunately for you am keeping mine. Both were sourced from ebay and as I said, one was attached to a lens that cost me less than 20 euros.
If you do get an adapter with a flange to depress the pin, let us know how good it is. I have a Helios 44M-4 that I have not tried yet, mainly because I also have a 44-2 and a 44M that do not need the pin to be modded or the flanged adapter.
If you check out the M-4 lens review page, there is a video about removing stuck adapters.

theofon · 04-04-2018, 12:13 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Skodadriver

Just to let you know, the genuine Pentax adapter is currently available from Amazon UK for £71, which equates to about 80 euros!
Getting a used genuine one from somewhere is a good plan for the future. I have 2 now but unfortunately for you am keeping mine. Both were sourced from ebay and as I said, one was attached to a lens that cost me less than 20 euros.
If you do get an adapter with a flange to depress the pin, let us know how good it is. I have a Helios 44M-4 that I have not tried yet, mainly because I also have a 44-2 and a 44M that do not need the pin to be modded or the flanged adapter.
If you check out the M-4 lens review page, there is a video about removing stuck adapters.

Oh 80 euro, dayum. Well here in Greece the ricoh/pentax representative has it for 50 euro. I havent really searched for used etc because i dont really know what to search for and what to inspect.
I just saw a video on youtube about removing stuck adapters so after this week passes im gonna decide and order. If anything happens im gonna be back here trying to figure it out, thanks alot guys!!

**kernos** · 04-04-2018, 07:42 PM

One thing that has been missed is that the genuine Pentax adapter will not depress the aperture control on quite a few lenses especially the German and Russian lenses without A/M switches. This also applies to lenses with aperture pins and failed A/M switches, something not uncommon for m42 working antiques. Without making some change you are shooting wide open all the time on those lenses. You can remove the aperture pin on each lens, superglue the pin down or use the kipon adapter which is what I did. The kipon adapter also seems to handle narrow diameter lenses without light bleed. Downside is some negligible lens thread wear and the need to keep track of a special tool if you are intent on removing the adapter. I have a K30 with ACB failure that is a permanent m42 camera - the adapter is never removed. Incidentally, over rotation is not solved by the official Pentax adapter it is just different than the kipon's over rotation at least when I checked this on my flotilla of non Pentax lenses.

stevebrot · 04-04-2018, 08:28 PM

Originally posted by kernos

One thing that has been missed is that the genuine Pentax adapter will not depress the aperture control on quite a few lenses especially the German and Russian lenses without A/M switches.

You are correct; the genuine adapter will not depress the aperture actuator on lenses lacking the A/M switch. Neither will most 3rd-party adapters. The Kipon model with the "shelf" (not all Kipon adapters have the feature) will depress the actuator, though there are compatibility problems lenses having extensions at the lens rear.

Another thing that was missed in this discussion is the risk of incompatibility of S-M-C and SMC Takumar models with some 3rd-party adapters where the "cutout" sections are deep enough to foul the A/M interlock pin on the face of those lenses. That is not a huge issue, but may complicate lens removal for adapters where the retention clip/spring has not been removed. (The details are not pretty.)

And a final note from me...We also did not touch on flanged adapters, why they should be avoided, and when they are a good idea.

Originally posted by kernos

Incidentally, over rotation is not solved by the official Pentax adapter it is just different than the kipon's over rotation at least when I checked this on my flotilla of non Pentax lenses.

That is interesting. I have several genuine adapters and none over-rotate in the mounts* of my half-dozen or so working K-mount bodies. Unless the mount has been damaged, the body-side spring clip nicely engages the squared-off tang on the adapter to prevent further motion. That being said, the clip may be damaged by overenthusiastic mounting torque and or persistent prying in an attempt to remove a stuck 3rd-party adapter with over-rotation as the result. Most 3rd-party adapters do not properly engage that clip due to a chamfered edge on the tang which tends to slip past the intended stop point. It is thought that getting "stuck" is related in some way to over-rotation, though I have not seen convincing evidence to support that theory.

Steve

* There may be some confusion of terms here. I am speaking of the adapter rotating in the mount past the intended stop point. There is another common behavior of M42 lenses (adapted or not) where the index mark on the lens barrel for aperture and focus scale does not rest at "12:00" on the mount when fully screwed on to an M42 body or adapter. This is caused by variation in thread entry and is does not affect lens function in any way. Rare is the lens/body combination where the index is at 12:00.

**Lowell Goudge** · 04-05-2018, 02:36 PM

One point that is often missed with third party Adaptors is the screw holding the spring which has already been mentioned as bending and leading to the lens being stuck on the body.

The other half of that issue is the screw that holds the spring is too long, and people unwittingly thread a lens to the adaptor, jamming it in the threads of the adaptor with the screw. This when combined with the spring getting stuck, is what leads to a lens being stuck on the body. The extra long screw n ends to go. Period

Also watch out for metal shavings. Quite often there are shavings that can also jam the threads or fall into either the lens or the body causing damage.

Clean and deburr the part carefully before use.

**kernos** · 04-07-2018, 11:13 AM

Stevebrot, there is some confusion in terms. Yep you are correct that none of my lenses have the index mark line up. Thanks for explaining the nuance. I will say that I've had no issues with the kipon adapter with shelf other than some very minor thread wear on the lens, which has not been a problem. If one has working A/M switches on each m42 lens, all will be well with the genuine Pentax adapter, but if you want to branch out into what the Russians have, it is really inconvenient.

04-04-2018, 04:00 AM	#1
theofon New Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Greece Posts: 18	m42 to pentax k adapter Greetings forum! i recently got an old pentax k100d super and started experimenting with photography. My question is more of a confusion because i recently got an old m42 lens and i was looking into adapters to buy. The confusion is: are all the m42 to k mount adapters like the kipon/fotodiox and the official compatible with my k100d?

04-04-2018, 10:07 AM - 1 Like	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Skodadriver There is also a Bower adapter that I believe is often cheaper than the Kippon. If you have not already, check out the reviews of these adapters on Amazon, any problems will probably show in the customer reviews. Brand names mean little in the land of 3rd-party adapters. Conventional wisdom is that they are sourced from a number of suppliers in bulk and "branded" by packaging alone by the various vendors (Bower, Dotline, Kipon, Photodiox, etc.). Originally posted by jatrax Most of the time the cheaper knock-offs are fine, but quality control is hit or miss. Some are perfect, some nearly useless. They also have a spring that generally needs removed or the lens can get stuck on your camera. A good rule of thumb with the third-party adapters is to assume that it will (eventually, if not immediately) get stuck on the camera unless the retention spring is removed as a precaution. A second expectation is that machining will be an approximation of the genuine adapter, even best case. Mounting generally requires a firm movement until the adapter and/or camera mount gets worn in. Originally posted by theofon For now my plan is to get a cheap to test the lens and if down the road i decide to buy another m42 ill buy the official. That sounds reasonable, but do remove the retention spring. If the adapter gets stuck, chances are good that a Dremel tool will be required to get it out. A few additional comments: The genuine Pentax adapter is designed to float loose a slight distance below the camera mount face. This is to allow true registration of the lens flange to the body flange. The adapter allows the lens to "snug up" against the flange as it is screwed on (or mounted as a unit with the adapter). Tension is maintained by the springs that load the body-side tangs. Third-party adapters are designed as snug fit with the adapter approximately flush with the body flange face with registration determined by the position of the lens when fully threaded to the adapter or contact with the mount flange, whichever comes first. Depending on adapter, this may result in inability to attain infinity focus. Third party adapters usually (always?) lack appropriate machining in the area of the retention spring. The result is failure to release as well as possible over-rotation in the mount. Over-rotation is not a significant problem for current K-mount bodies, but may effect meter function with most film bodies. If a third-party adapter is chosen, be sure to give it a proper cleaning with rag and/or canned air before putting it on your camera. Fine metal dust and shards adhering to the metal are not unusual. Likewise, inspect carefully for obvious rough machining in the tangs and screw threads that might damage the lens or body. Good luck with your exploration of the world of M42 lenses. There is some fine glass out there. Steve (...speaking from personal experience regarding stuck (Bower) adapter...)

04-04-2018, 11:27 AM	#9
theofon New Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Greece Posts: 18 Original Poster	Originally posted by stevebrot Brand names mean little in the land of 3rd-party adapters. Conventional wisdom is that they are sourced from a number of suppliers in bulk and "branded" by packaging alone by the various vendors (Bower, Dotline, Kipon, Photodiox, etc.). A good rule of thumb with the third-party adapters is to assume that it will (eventually, if not immediately) get stuck on the camera unless the retention spring is removed as a precaution. A second expectation is that machining will be an approximation of the genuine adapter, even best case. Mounting generally requires a firm movement until the adapter and/or camera mount gets worn in. That sounds reasonable, but do remove the retention spring. If the adapter gets stuck, chances are good that a Dremel tool will be required to get it out. A few additional comments: The genuine Pentax adapter is designed to float loose a slight distance below the camera mount face. This is to allow true registration of the lens flange to the body flange. The adapter allows the lens to "snug up" against the flange as it is screwed on (or mounted as a unit with the adapter). Tension is maintained by the springs that load the body-side tangs. Third-party adapters are designed as snug fit with the adapter approximately flush with the body flange face with registration determined by the position of the lens when fully threaded to the adapter or contact with the mount flange, whichever comes first. Depending on adapter, this may result in inability to attain infinity focus. Third party adapters usually (always?) lack appropriate machining in the area of the retention spring. The result is failure to release as well as possible over-rotation in the mount. Over-rotation is not a significant problem for current K-mount bodies, but may effect meter function with most film bodies. If a third-party adapter is chosen, be sure to give it a proper cleaning with rag and/or canned air before putting it on your camera. Fine metal dust and shards adhering to the metal are not unusual. Likewise, inspect carefully for obvious rough machining in the tangs and screw threads that might damage the lens or body. Good luck with your exploration of the world of M42 lenses. There is some fine glass out there. Steve (...speaking from personal experience regarding stuck (Bower) adapter...) Thanks alot Steve. ill check out how to remove the retention spring if i end up buying a third party adapter. All this talk im beginning to think i should just go for the official from the start.

04-04-2018, 08:28 PM	#13
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by kernos One thing that has been missed is that the genuine Pentax adapter will not depress the aperture control on quite a few lenses especially the German and Russian lenses without A/M switches. You are correct; the genuine adapter will not depress the aperture actuator on lenses lacking the A/M switch. Neither will most 3rd-party adapters. The Kipon model with the "shelf" (not all Kipon adapters have the feature) will depress the actuator, though there are compatibility problems lenses having extensions at the lens rear. Another thing that was missed in this discussion is the risk of incompatibility of S-M-C and SMC Takumar models with some 3rd-party adapters where the "cutout" sections are deep enough to foul the A/M interlock pin on the face of those lenses. That is not a huge issue, but may complicate lens removal for adapters where the retention clip/spring has not been removed. (The details are not pretty.) And a final note from me...We also did not touch on flanged adapters, why they should be avoided, and when they are a good idea. Originally posted by kernos Incidentally, over rotation is not solved by the official Pentax adapter it is just different than the kipon's over rotation at least when I checked this on my flotilla of non Pentax lenses. That is interesting. I have several genuine adapters and none over-rotate in the mounts* of my half-dozen or so working K-mount bodies. Unless the mount has been damaged, the body-side spring clip nicely engages the squared-off tang on the adapter to prevent further motion. That being said, the clip may be damaged by overenthusiastic mounting torque and or persistent prying in an attempt to remove a stuck 3rd-party adapter with over-rotation as the result. Most 3rd-party adapters do not properly engage that clip due to a chamfered edge on the tang which tends to slip past the intended stop point. It is thought that getting "stuck" is related in some way to over-rotation, though I have not seen convincing evidence to support that theory. Steve * There may be some confusion of terms here. I am speaking of the adapter rotating in the mount past the intended stop point. There is another common behavior of M42 lenses (adapted or not) where the index mark on the lens barrel for aperture and focus scale does not rest at "12:00" on the mount when fully screwed on to an M42 body or adapter. This is caused by variation in thread entry and is does not affect lens function in any way. Rare is the lens/body combination where the index is at 12:00. Last edited by stevebrot; 04-04-2018 at 08:37 PM.

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04-04-2018, 04:28 AM	#2
old_manual_guy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Saint Louis Photos: Albums Posts: 74	You should be able to find info on some old threads. I have used both the Pentax official adapter and fotodiox brand with the same design on my K-50 which has the same KAF2 mount as your K100D Super. The adapters of the "flange" design according to threads here will not focus to infinity. I haven't use one of those. To use a M42 lens the lever/switch on the side of the lens needs to be set to manual mode in order for it to be stopped down, A DSLR does not have the mechanical components that a Spotmatic has. If your lens does not a switch and is fully open when off the camera, i.e. will only stop down when the stop down pin is pushed, you will be only be able to shoot fully opened on your DSLR. You should also be able to find a post on stop down metering with vintage lenses on the forum.

04-04-2018, 04:35 AM	#3
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	They should all be compatible though the official Pentax version is generally accepted as the better one to buy and use. My first inclination was to buy a cheap adapter from China (usually shown with a tool to fix and remove) but the first time I tried it I could feel the sensation of metal cutting into metal so stopped using it. I bought a couple of Pentax adapters ( noticed one fitted to a lens that the seller had not noticed was a M42 lens with the adapter on it, very lucky), one felt a tiny bit looser fitting so may have been well used and worn but the other was perfect. Some M42 lenses are quite narrow at the camera mount end and can let light in through the adapter. For these you might have to make up a surround to prevent light ingression. (Or use a flanged adapter). Some adapters have a flange that depresses the auto stop down pin, (some M42 lenses have an A/M switch, some do not) only used one of those on my Canon but it works. There is also a flanged adapter, this covers the camera contacts, prevents light from leaking in and reduces the lens ability to focus to infinity due to the slight "extension tube" effect. I find this to be great as it feels a little more robust with a heavy lens on the camera. I would suggest you avoid the cheapies and read up on the brand name versions to find what you would like to invest in, remember to check out how to set the camera up to use old pre "A" setting lenses and enjoy.

04-04-2018, 05:07 AM	#4
theofon New Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Greece Posts: 18 Original Poster	old_manual_guy cool thanks for the info. its a helios 44m-6 and when i read the review in this forum it said that i need a special rim that depresses the aperture pin. Skodadriver yea i was thinking about the official but 50 euro is a bit too much for me right now so i was thinking about the kipon which is half the price to try it out and in the future switch to the official. i just wanted to know if its compatible with my current setup and the helios 44m-6 which is the lens i got.

04-04-2018, 06:45 AM	#5
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	There is also a Bower adapter that I believe is often cheaper than the Kippon. If you have not already, check out the reviews of these adapters on Amazon, any problems will probably show in the customer reviews.

04-04-2018, 07:38 AM	#6
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,992	Most of the time the cheaper knock-offs are fine, but quality control is hit or miss. Some are perfect, some nearly useless. They also have a spring that generally needs removed or the lens can get stuck on your camera. On the other hand the official Pentax version works perfectly every time. it is twice the cost but if you decide you don't want to stick with M42 you can sell it on for nearly full price. Selling on a knockoff is doubtful at anything close to what you paid.

04-04-2018, 09:10 AM	#7
theofon New Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Greece Posts: 18 Original Poster	Skodadriver: okay i will give them a look didnt really come up as an option instead of the kippon. jatrax: yea im not really thinking about the resell value right now but thats true. For now my plan is to get a cheap to test the lens and if down the road i decide to buy another m42 ill buy the official.

04-04-2018, 11:49 AM - 1 Like	#10
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Originally posted by theofon Thanks alot Steve. ill check out how to remove the retention spring if i end up buying a third party adapter. All this talk im beginning to think i should just go for the official from the start. Just to let you know, the genuine Pentax adapter is currently available from Amazon UK for £71, which equates to about 80 euros! Getting a used genuine one from somewhere is a good plan for the future. I have 2 now but unfortunately for you am keeping mine. Both were sourced from ebay and as I said, one was attached to a lens that cost me less than 20 euros. If you do get an adapter with a flange to depress the pin, let us know how good it is. I have a Helios 44M-4 that I have not tried yet, mainly because I also have a 44-2 and a 44M that do not need the pin to be modded or the flanged adapter. If you check out the M-4 lens review page, there is a video about removing stuck adapters.

04-04-2018, 12:13 PM - 1 Like	#11
theofon New Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Greece Posts: 18 Original Poster	Originally posted by Skodadriver Just to let you know, the genuine Pentax adapter is currently available from Amazon UK for £71, which equates to about 80 euros! Getting a used genuine one from somewhere is a good plan for the future. I have 2 now but unfortunately for you am keeping mine. Both were sourced from ebay and as I said, one was attached to a lens that cost me less than 20 euros. If you do get an adapter with a flange to depress the pin, let us know how good it is. I have a Helios 44M-4 that I have not tried yet, mainly because I also have a 44-2 and a 44M that do not need the pin to be modded or the flanged adapter. If you check out the M-4 lens review page, there is a video about removing stuck adapters. Oh 80 euro, dayum. Well here in Greece the ricoh/pentax representative has it for 50 euro. I havent really searched for used etc because i dont really know what to search for and what to inspect. I just saw a video on youtube about removing stuck adapters so after this week passes im gonna decide and order. If anything happens im gonna be back here trying to figure it out, thanks alot guys!!

04-04-2018, 07:42 PM	#12
kernos Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 456	One thing that has been missed is that the genuine Pentax adapter will not depress the aperture control on quite a few lenses especially the German and Russian lenses without A/M switches. This also applies to lenses with aperture pins and failed A/M switches, something not uncommon for m42 working antiques. Without making some change you are shooting wide open all the time on those lenses. You can remove the aperture pin on each lens, superglue the pin down or use the kipon adapter which is what I did. The kipon adapter also seems to handle narrow diameter lenses without light bleed. Downside is some negligible lens thread wear and the need to keep track of a special tool if you are intent on removing the adapter. I have a K30 with ACB failure that is a permanent m42 camera - the adapter is never removed. Incidentally, over rotation is not solved by the official Pentax adapter it is just different than the kipon's over rotation at least when I checked this on my flotilla of non Pentax lenses.

04-05-2018, 02:36 PM	#14
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	One point that is often missed with third party Adaptors is the screw holding the spring which has already been mentioned as bending and leading to the lens being stuck on the body. The other half of that issue is the screw that holds the spring is too long, and people unwittingly thread a lens to the adaptor, jamming it in the threads of the adaptor with the screw. This when combined with the spring getting stuck, is what leads to a lens being stuck on the body. The extra long screw n ends to go. Period Also watch out for metal shavings. Quite often there are shavings that can also jam the threads or fall into either the lens or the body causing damage. Clean and deburr the part carefully before use.

04-07-2018, 11:13 AM	#15
kernos Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 456	Stevebrot, there is some confusion in terms. Yep you are correct that none of my lenses have the index mark line up. Thanks for explaining the nuance. I will say that I've had no issues with the kipon adapter with shelf other than some very minor thread wear on the lens, which has not been a problem. If one has working A/M switches on each m42 lens, all will be well with the genuine Pentax adapter, but if you want to branch out into what the Russians have, it is really inconvenient.