Adaptall 2 System questions

NRV Shooter · 04-05-2010, 05:13 PM

My understanding is that if I buy a Tamron 70-210 zoom, set up for Adaptall 2 but without any mount/adapter, then I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Pentax K mount, I can mount that Tamron zoom on either my ME Super or K10D and the lens will work, albeit without AF on the K10D and possibly requiring some "custom" settings. Do the Tamron zooms have the "A" setting on them?

I also have a Canon EOS Elan II so can I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Canon EOS mount and use the same lens on that camera, again without AF?

Am I correct in the way these pieces fit together, much like an M42 screw mount adapter allows the older screw mount lenses to work on the K mounts? Am I missing anything?

Thanks!

**Douglas_of_Sweden** · 04-05-2010, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by NRV Shooter

My understanding is that if I buy a Tamron 70-210 zoom, set up for Adaptall 2 but without any mount/adapter, then I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Pentax K mount, I can mount that Tamron zoom on either my ME Super or K10D and the lens will work, albeit without AF on the K10D and possibly requiring some "custom" settings. Do the Tamron zooms have the "A" setting on them?

I also have a Canon EOS Elan II so can I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Canon EOS mount and use the same lens on that camera, again without AF?

Am I correct in the way these pieces fit together, much like an M42 screw mount adapter allows the older screw mount lenses to work on the K mounts? Am I missing anything?

Thanks!

Yes, you can mount them. But, there are adaptal adapters for either the m42, K and KA mounts. Only the later will give you program mode functionality, focus confirmation etc on the K10D. The adaptal-K-mount will make the lens work as a fully manual K mount lens. You can meter with the green button. The m42-adaptal-mount plus a m42-K adapter will work like any m42 lens, you have to meter closed down but can do so in Av mode.

It's not really like putting an adapter on a m42 mount, because the adaptal mount itself doesn't fit on any camera. It is there only to offer a mechanical interface that makes it possible to construct adapters with apperture connection for all sorts of mounts.

If you want to be able to shoot like with a KA lens on your K10D, you need to find yourself a KA-adaptal-mount which goes for about 100 USD. A K-adaptal-mount is less expensive and more common.

There are actually different m42-adaptal-mounts also, some without the apperture pin, some compatible with the Pentax Spotmatic F and ES II, and some compatible with the special late (electronic) Praktica and Fujica modifications of the m42 mount.

Edit: what I wrote is for adaptall 2 mounts...the adapt-amatic mount and original adaptal mounts I do not know so well. I've heard that for some lens mounts the adaptal (1) and adaptall 2 mounts are compatible. Where there any original adaptal mounts for the K mount? Or was Pentax still only making m42 lenses back then?

**Just1MoreDave** · 04-05-2010, 06:22 PM

I'm not really an Adaptall-2 expert but I did recently collect some of the stuff. The system doesn't work with auto-focus for any camera/lens/adapter. There are two Adaptall-2 adapters for Pentax-K. One has the electrical contacts to work like a Pentax-A lens: adjust the aperture on camera, etc. It's labeled PK/A and has three obvious electrical contacts. The other has no contacts so the lens works like a Pentax or Pentax-M lens, basically in M mode with stop-down metering. There is also an M42 adapter. I've seen Canon adapters on eBay but I don't know about their functionality. I'm not sure about the older Adaptall (no -2) lenses and adapters, and what happens when they are mixed.

NRV Shooter · 04-05-2010, 08:15 PM

Thanks so much for the clarification on what works with my Pentax stuff. I guess I need a KA mount for a Tamron to work best with my K10D.

Am I correct in understanding that a Tamron lens, designated as "Adaptall 2", does not fit on any camera without an Adaptall 2 brand specific adapter to mate it to that camera?

I need some sort of 70-210/80-200 zoom for my ME Super as the Takumar A I have has terrible "zoom creep", with the zoom function so loose as to be annoying. I read nice reports about some of the Tamron zooms, particularly the 70-210 19AH, in that zoom range and thought I would investigate what all is needed to make them work. Obviously one needs a lens and an adapter.

I think I will lean more, as I did initially before starting down the Tamron road, toward a Pentax A 70-210 or an M80-200 as it will see more use on my ME Super than on the K10D which should be sporting a DA55-300 by the weekend.

Thanks again for the help and any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

**monochrome** · 04-05-2010, 08:30 PM

Originally posted by NRV Shooter

I need some sort of 70-210/80-200 zoom for my ME Super as the Takumar A I have has terrible "zoom creep", with the zoom function so loose as to be annoying. I read nice reports about some of the Tamron zooms, particularly the 70-210 19AH, in that zoom range and thought I would investigate what all is needed to make them work. Obviously one needs a lens and an adapter.

I think I will lean more, as I did initially before starting down the Tamron road, toward a Pentax A 70-210 or an M80-200 as it will see more use on my ME Super than on the K10D which should be sporting a DA55-300 by the weekend.

Thanks again for the help and any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

The #19AH is a fine lens, perhaps better than the esteemed Vivitar Series 1 70~210/2.8~4 P/KA version 3. It can be had in Ex condition for around $100. The KA adapter is another $100.

My advice is if you invest in the KA adapter, plan to also invest in several of the better Tamron SP lenses that are rated near the best OEM lenses of the time, spreading the adapter cost over more than one lens.

The reasonably-priced (risking flames if I leave some out) are:

#52B 90/2.5 Macro
#06B 350mm Catadioptric Mirror (*** f/5.6!!)
#55B 500mm Catadioptric Mirror

(these two are the best moderately priced mirror lenses available. The Vivitar Sereis 1 solid-optic cats designed by Perkin Elmer are better, but the prices for those, when you can find one, are extreme).

#01A 35~80/2.8~3.8
#19AH 70~210 you are considering

The 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters are also excellent.

There are some fine lenses in the earlier Adaptall-2 (pre-SP) category at very good prices - in the tens of dollars.

A few of the specialty lenses are quite rare and expensive - SP 180mm, SP 300mm, etc.

Read all the descriptions - they are generally accurate.

You can research them at Adaptall-2.com

**Douglas_of_Sweden** · 04-08-2010, 02:34 AM

Nut intending to flame you, but just adding some.
The 350mm mirror usually goes for considerably more money then the 500mm mirror, since it is more rare, but has a very good reputation. The 1.4x converter is also more costly than the 2x converter because it is more rare.
The 35-80 lens monochrome lists is a real hidden treasure that goes for almost nothing. Makes a good portrait zoom and has very good macro at 80 mm reaching 1:2.5 by itself and 1:1.25 with the 2x converter or the dedicated tube.

The 24 and 28mm (not SP) are also good lenses for low price, but the 24mm at least can show plenty of PF.

Originally posted by monochrome

The #19AH is a fine lens, perhaps better than the esteemed Vivitar Series 1 70~210/2.8~4 P/KA version 3. It can be had in Ex condition for around $100. The KA adapter is another $100.

My advice is if you invest in the KA adapter, plan to also invest in several of the better Tamron SP lenses that are rated near the best OEM lenses of the time, spreading the adapter cost over more than one lens.

The reasonably-priced (risking flames if I leave some out) are:

#52B 90/2.5 Macro
#06B 350mm Catadioptric Mirror (*** f/5.6!!)
#55B 500mm Catadioptric Mirror

(these two are the best moderately priced mirror lenses available. The Vivitar Sereis 1 solid-optic cats designed by Perkin Elmer are better, but the prices for those, when you can find one, are extreme).

#01A 35~80/2.8~3.8
#19AH 70~210 you are considering

The 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters are also excellent.

There are some fine lenses in the earlier Adaptall-2 (pre-SP) category at very good prices - in the tens of dollars.

A few of the specialty lenses are quite rare and expensive - SP 180mm, SP 300mm, etc.

Read all the descriptions - they are generally accurate.

You can research them at Adaptall-2.com

edumad · 04-08-2010, 04:28 AM

Tamron had lenses in at least 3 types of versatile mounts: Adapt-a-matic, Adaptall and adaptall-2.
Adaptall-2 is the most modern and has some fine lenses (90mm macro, 180mm macro, 500mm mirrors, 350mm mirror, 70-210mm F3.5-4 and the F3.5, 300mm F2.8 , 400mm F4)

In the adaptall and adaptall-2 mounts there is a setting "AE". The mount takes adapters for M42, Nikon F, Canon FD, Minolta MD, Olympus OM, Contax Yashica C/Y, Pentax K and KA are some that I have seen. I don't think that any were originally created for EOS, but some may be produced in China now...

The adaptors mount on the lens and then you can mount the lens on the body.
I have no experience wiht adapt-a-matic, but the adaptalls have the ability with KA adapters (which had the electric contacts) to allow you the setting of the aperture in the camera (once you've set the adapter to "AE".

So the adaptall adapter in KA version makes your lens work as a KA mount lens where the "A" setting is called "AE".

NRV Shooter · 04-08-2010, 05:05 PM

Thanks edumad! I am going to try one of the less-expensive 03A/46A/103A versions, so that with a PK A adapter I can use it on both my ME Super and my newly acquired K10D, which to me is an amazingly impressive piece of technology.

Nesster · 04-09-2010, 07:57 AM

The 103a is a real bang-for-the-buck lens, and not too heavy to lug around.
The 01a is fantastic, my main and nearly-only lens for 15 years, I didn't even desire a true macro lens as it does so well. On aps-c it's less useful as it only goes to 35mm wide.

One technique is to look locally on craigslist, or via other means, as tamron adaptall lenses are common. You may luck into a KA adapter on the lens

for way under market... on ebay the pressure of the masses tends to make this sort of serendipity rare.

NRV Shooter · 04-24-2010, 11:21 AM

I found a NIB Adaptall 2 PK-A adapter at a camera store for $32.50, and a mint condition Tamron 103A with case and instructions for $22.00. After reading the instructions a little closer, and figuring out the little levers on the side, both items work great on my ME Super and K10D.

Now for some sort of Adaptall-2 Tamron Macro.

Thanks for all of the advise and help!

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04-05-2010, 05:13 PM	#1
NRV Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New River Valley, Va. Posts: 116	Adaptall 2 System questions My understanding is that if I buy a Tamron 70-210 zoom, set up for Adaptall 2 but without any mount/adapter, then I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Pentax K mount, I can mount that Tamron zoom on either my ME Super or K10D and the lens will work, albeit without AF on the K10D and possibly requiring some "custom" settings. Do the Tamron zooms have the "A" setting on them? I also have a Canon EOS Elan II so can I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Canon EOS mount and use the same lens on that camera, again without AF? Am I correct in the way these pieces fit together, much like an M42 screw mount adapter allows the older screw mount lenses to work on the K mounts? Am I missing anything? Thanks!

04-05-2010, 06:22 PM	#2
Douglas_of_Sweden Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,374	Originally posted by NRV Shooter My understanding is that if I buy a Tamron 70-210 zoom, set up for Adaptall 2 but without any mount/adapter, then I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Pentax K mount, I can mount that Tamron zoom on either my ME Super or K10D and the lens will work, albeit without AF on the K10D and possibly requiring some "custom" settings. Do the Tamron zooms have the "A" setting on them? I also have a Canon EOS Elan II so can I buy an Adaptall 2 adapter for Canon EOS mount and use the same lens on that camera, again without AF? Am I correct in the way these pieces fit together, much like an M42 screw mount adapter allows the older screw mount lenses to work on the K mounts? Am I missing anything? Thanks! Yes, you can mount them. But, there are adaptal adapters for either the m42, K and KA mounts. Only the later will give you program mode functionality, focus confirmation etc on the K10D. The adaptal-K-mount will make the lens work as a fully manual K mount lens. You can meter with the green button. The m42-adaptal-mount plus a m42-K adapter will work like any m42 lens, you have to meter closed down but can do so in Av mode. It's not really like putting an adapter on a m42 mount, because the adaptal mount itself doesn't fit on any camera. It is there only to offer a mechanical interface that makes it possible to construct adapters with apperture connection for all sorts of mounts. If you want to be able to shoot like with a KA lens on your K10D, you need to find yourself a KA-adaptal-mount which goes for about 100 USD. A K-adaptal-mount is less expensive and more common. There are actually different m42-adaptal-mounts also, some without the apperture pin, some compatible with the Pentax Spotmatic F and ES II, and some compatible with the special late (electronic) Praktica and Fujica modifications of the m42 mount. Edit: what I wrote is for adaptall 2 mounts...the adapt-amatic mount and original adaptal mounts I do not know so well. I've heard that for some lens mounts the adaptal (1) and adaptall 2 mounts are compatible. Where there any original adaptal mounts for the K mount? Or was Pentax still only making m42 lenses back then?

04-05-2010, 06:22 PM	#3
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	I'm not really an Adaptall-2 expert but I did recently collect some of the stuff. The system doesn't work with auto-focus for any camera/lens/adapter. There are two Adaptall-2 adapters for Pentax-K. One has the electrical contacts to work like a Pentax-A lens: adjust the aperture on camera, etc. It's labeled PK/A and has three obvious electrical contacts. The other has no contacts so the lens works like a Pentax or Pentax-M lens, basically in M mode with stop-down metering. There is also an M42 adapter. I've seen Canon adapters on eBay but I don't know about their functionality. I'm not sure about the older Adaptall (no -2) lenses and adapters, and what happens when they are mixed.

04-05-2010, 08:15 PM	#4
NRV Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New River Valley, Va. Posts: 116 Original Poster	Thanks so much for the clarification on what works with my Pentax stuff. I guess I need a KA mount for a Tamron to work best with my K10D. Am I correct in understanding that a Tamron lens, designated as "Adaptall 2", does not fit on any camera without an Adaptall 2 brand specific adapter to mate it to that camera? I need some sort of 70-210/80-200 zoom for my ME Super as the Takumar A I have has terrible "zoom creep", with the zoom function so loose as to be annoying. I read nice reports about some of the Tamron zooms, particularly the 70-210 19AH, in that zoom range and thought I would investigate what all is needed to make them work. Obviously one needs a lens and an adapter. I think I will lean more, as I did initially before starting down the Tamron road, toward a Pentax A 70-210 or an M80-200 as it will see more use on my ME Super than on the K10D which should be sporting a DA55-300 by the weekend. Thanks again for the help and any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

04-05-2010, 08:30 PM	#5
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by NRV Shooter I need some sort of 70-210/80-200 zoom for my ME Super as the Takumar A I have has terrible "zoom creep", with the zoom function so loose as to be annoying. I read nice reports about some of the Tamron zooms, particularly the 70-210 19AH, in that zoom range and thought I would investigate what all is needed to make them work. Obviously one needs a lens and an adapter. I think I will lean more, as I did initially before starting down the Tamron road, toward a Pentax A 70-210 or an M80-200 as it will see more use on my ME Super than on the K10D which should be sporting a DA55-300 by the weekend. Thanks again for the help and any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated. The #19AH is a fine lens, perhaps better than the esteemed Vivitar Series 1 70~210/2.8~4 P/KA version 3. It can be had in Ex condition for around $100. The KA adapter is another $100. My advice is if you invest in the KA adapter, plan to also invest in several of the better Tamron SP lenses that are rated near the best OEM lenses of the time, spreading the adapter cost over more than one lens. The reasonably-priced (risking flames if I leave some out) are: #52B 90/2.5 Macro #06B 350mm Catadioptric Mirror (*** f/5.6!!) #55B 500mm Catadioptric Mirror (these two are the best moderately priced mirror lenses available. The Vivitar Sereis 1 solid-optic cats designed by Perkin Elmer are better, but the prices for those, when you can find one, are extreme). #01A 35~80/2.8~3.8 #19AH 70~210 you are considering The 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters are also excellent. There are some fine lenses in the earlier Adaptall-2 (pre-SP) category at very good prices - in the tens of dollars. A few of the specialty lenses are quite rare and expensive - SP 180mm, SP 300mm, etc. Read all the descriptions - they are generally accurate. You can research them at Adaptall-2.com Last edited by monochrome; 04-05-2010 at 08:37 PM.

04-08-2010, 02:34 AM	#6
Douglas_of_Sweden Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,374	Nut intending to flame you, but just adding some. The 350mm mirror usually goes for considerably more money then the 500mm mirror, since it is more rare, but has a very good reputation. The 1.4x converter is also more costly than the 2x converter because it is more rare. The 35-80 lens monochrome lists is a real hidden treasure that goes for almost nothing. Makes a good portrait zoom and has very good macro at 80 mm reaching 1:2.5 by itself and 1:1.25 with the 2x converter or the dedicated tube. The 24 and 28mm (not SP) are also good lenses for low price, but the 24mm at least can show plenty of PF. Originally posted by monochrome The #19AH is a fine lens, perhaps better than the esteemed Vivitar Series 1 70~210/2.8~4 P/KA version 3. It can be had in Ex condition for around $100. The KA adapter is another $100. My advice is if you invest in the KA adapter, plan to also invest in several of the better Tamron SP lenses that are rated near the best OEM lenses of the time, spreading the adapter cost over more than one lens. The reasonably-priced (risking flames if I leave some out) are: #52B 90/2.5 Macro #06B 350mm Catadioptric Mirror (*** f/5.6!!) #55B 500mm Catadioptric Mirror (these two are the best moderately priced mirror lenses available. The Vivitar Sereis 1 solid-optic cats designed by Perkin Elmer are better, but the prices for those, when you can find one, are extreme). #01A 35~80/2.8~3.8 #19AH 70~210 you are considering The 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters are also excellent. There are some fine lenses in the earlier Adaptall-2 (pre-SP) category at very good prices - in the tens of dollars. A few of the specialty lenses are quite rare and expensive - SP 180mm, SP 300mm, etc. Read all the descriptions - they are generally accurate. You can research them at Adaptall-2.com

04-08-2010, 04:28 AM	#7
edumad Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 167	Tamron had lenses in at least 3 types of versatile mounts: Adapt-a-matic, Adaptall and adaptall-2. Adaptall-2 is the most modern and has some fine lenses (90mm macro, 180mm macro, 500mm mirrors, 350mm mirror, 70-210mm F3.5-4 and the F3.5, 300mm F2.8 , 400mm F4) In the adaptall and adaptall-2 mounts there is a setting "AE". The mount takes adapters for M42, Nikon F, Canon FD, Minolta MD, Olympus OM, Contax Yashica C/Y, Pentax K and KA are some that I have seen. I don't think that any were originally created for EOS, but some may be produced in China now... The adaptors mount on the lens and then you can mount the lens on the body. I have no experience wiht adapt-a-matic, but the adaptalls have the ability with KA adapters (which had the electric contacts) to allow you the setting of the aperture in the camera (once you've set the adapter to "AE". So the adaptall adapter in KA version makes your lens work as a KA mount lens where the "A" setting is called "AE".

04-08-2010, 05:05 PM	#8
NRV Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New River Valley, Va. Posts: 116 Original Poster	Thanks edumad! I am going to try one of the less-expensive 03A/46A/103A versions, so that with a PK A adapter I can use it on both my ME Super and my newly acquired K10D, which to me is an amazingly impressive piece of technology.

04-09-2010, 07:57 AM	#9
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	The 103a is a real bang-for-the-buck lens, and not too heavy to lug around. The 01a is fantastic, my main and nearly-only lens for 15 years, I didn't even desire a true macro lens as it does so well. On aps-c it's less useful as it only goes to 35mm wide. One technique is to look locally on craigslist, or via other means, as tamron adaptall lenses are common. You may luck into a KA adapter on the lens for way under market... on ebay the pressure of the masses tends to make this sort of serendipity rare.

04-24-2010, 11:21 AM	#10
NRV Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New River Valley, Va. Posts: 116 Original Poster	I found a NIB Adaptall 2 PK-A adapter at a camera store for $32.50, and a mint condition Tamron 103A with case and instructions for $22.00. After reading the instructions a little closer, and figuring out the little levers on the side, both items work great on my ME Super and K10D. Now for some sort of Adaptall-2 Tamron Macro. Thanks for all of the advise and help!