Manual - Auto

wedgetail · 01-07-2010, 10:27 PM

Hi this should be a short thread , I have a Kx and a growing number of Tacamura's
My question is what position do I have the Manual -auto slide in to take a shot.
Cheers Mark

dragonfly · 01-07-2010, 10:34 PM

What is a tacamura?

wedgetail · 01-07-2010, 10:49 PM

Excuse my bad spelling Takumar

raymeedc · 01-07-2010, 11:51 PM

.....Manual.....

Damn Brit · 01-07-2010, 11:54 PM

If you're talking about the MF/AF switch on the camera, I don't think it matters. It never hurts to be safe rather than sorry though so set it on MF. Then if you ever get a lens that gives you the option of MF or AF the switching should be automatic for you.

Igilligan · 01-08-2010, 12:00 AM

If you are using M mode on the camera and green button metering... then I focus in auto (wide open) then slide to man and green button meter - fire...

If you are in 'A' mode on the camera, focus in Auto, slide to Man shoot...

noblepa · 01-08-2010, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by wedgetail

Hi this should be a short thread , I have a Kx and a growing number of Tacamura's
My question is what position do I have the Manual -auto slide in to take a shot.
Cheers Mark

Do you mean screw-mount Takumars? If so, then you must put the lens in manual mode. No Pentax dslr (or any other maker, afaik) has the mechanism to push the little silver aperture pin at the moment of exposure.

On my K10D, I use a Super-Takumar 50mm, f/1.4 from my Spotmatic. I put the lens in manual mode and the camera in Av (sometimes manual) mode. I compose and focus the image, then half-press to activate the meter, turn the aperture ring to the desired stop, let the camera pick a shutter speed and press the rest of the way. This is called "stop-down" metering, since the meter takes its reading with the lens stopped down to the working aperture.

M42 (screwmount) lenses remain open until the camera pushes that little silver pin on the lens mount. Old Pentax M42 bodies, such as the Spotmatic, had the ability to do that; dslrs do not.

I don't believe that k-mount lenses even have the Auto/Manual switch.

SteveM · 01-08-2010, 01:15 PM

I'm guessing it's the screw mount Takumar as well and yes, it should be set to "manual". Be careful when trying to change the Auto-Manual setting on the lens when it is not screwed onto the camera body. There is a very tiny pin at the back of the lens that you have to press in with your finger nail before the slider will slide (you may already know that). This pin is different than the larger pin that controls the aperature blades.

There are a few ways to use manual lenses, and Paul has posted one of them above. There are a few articles on other aspects/methods here on the forum. My method is;

Set the camera and lens to manual
Focus with the lens wide open
Adjust the aperature to what you want
Press the green button
Shoot
Check the shot and adjust using the edials (either the shutter speed or aperature inside the camera)

It's easier than it sounds and once it's set, it's quite often fine for a series of shots. Once you get used to a particular lens, you'll can then get to know what to set the ev compensation to on the camera, so the green button is bang on each time...but I wouldn't worry about that for now...

01-07-2010, 10:27 PM	#1
wedgetail Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: adelaide Photos: Albums Posts: 211	Manual - Auto Hi this should be a short thread , I have a Kx and a growing number of Tacamura's My question is what position do I have the Manual -auto slide in to take a shot. Cheers Mark

01-08-2010, 12:00 AM	#6
Igilligan Guest	If you are using... If you are using M mode on the camera and green button metering... then I focus in auto (wide open) then slide to man and green button meter - fire... If you are in 'A' mode on the camera, focus in Auto, slide to Man shoot...

01-08-2010, 01:02 PM	#7
noblepa Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Village, Ohio USA Posts: 1,142	Screw Mount lenses require manual lens mode Originally posted by wedgetail Hi this should be a short thread , I have a Kx and a growing number of Tacamura's My question is what position do I have the Manual -auto slide in to take a shot. Cheers Mark Do you mean screw-mount Takumars? If so, then you must put the lens in manual mode. No Pentax dslr (or any other maker, afaik) has the mechanism to push the little silver aperture pin at the moment of exposure. On my K10D, I use a Super-Takumar 50mm, f/1.4 from my Spotmatic. I put the lens in manual mode and the camera in Av (sometimes manual) mode. I compose and focus the image, then half-press to activate the meter, turn the aperture ring to the desired stop, let the camera pick a shutter speed and press the rest of the way. This is called "stop-down" metering, since the meter takes its reading with the lens stopped down to the working aperture. M42 (screwmount) lenses remain open until the camera pushes that little silver pin on the lens mount. Old Pentax M42 bodies, such as the Spotmatic, had the ability to do that; dslrs do not. I don't believe that k-mount lenses even have the Auto/Manual switch.

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01-07-2010, 10:34 PM	#2
dragonfly Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: on the wall Photos: Gallery Posts: 715	What is a tacamura?

01-07-2010, 10:49 PM	#3
wedgetail Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: adelaide Photos: Albums Posts: 211 Original Poster	Excuse my bad spelling Takumar

01-07-2010, 11:51 PM	#4
raymeedc Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 951	.....Manual.....

01-07-2010, 11:54 PM	#5
Damn Brit Guest	If you're talking about the MF/AF switch on the camera, I don't think it matters. It never hurts to be safe rather than sorry though so set it on MF. Then if you ever get a lens that gives you the option of MF or AF the switching should be automatic for you.

01-08-2010, 01:15 PM	#8
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	I'm guessing it's the screw mount Takumar as well and yes, it should be set to "manual". Be careful when trying to change the Auto-Manual setting on the lens when it is not screwed onto the camera body. There is a very tiny pin at the back of the lens that you have to press in with your finger nail before the slider will slide (you may already know that). This pin is different than the larger pin that controls the aperature blades. There are a few ways to use manual lenses, and Paul has posted one of them above. There are a few articles on other aspects/methods here on the forum. My method is; Set the camera and lens to manual Focus with the lens wide open Adjust the aperature to what you want Press the green button Shoot Check the shot and adjust using the edials (either the shutter speed or aperature inside the camera) It's easier than it sounds and once it's set, it's quite often fine for a series of shots. Once you get used to a particular lens, you'll can then get to know what to set the ev compensation to on the camera, so the green button is bang on each time...but I wouldn't worry about that for now...