[dancheng]

No M42/K adapter is capable of coupling the K-mount to the M42 stop-down pin. (It is pretty much impossible due to the position of the pin.)

This M42/K adaptor can couple with the M42 stop-down pin.

Kindai: M42 To Pentax PK



It is made by Japanese Kindai International.

If you consider the price of a genuine Pentax adapter in eBay (around US$45) as high, then this Kindai one is double expensive (Taiwan $ 2800 = US$90).

But it works, as testified by many users in Hong Kong and Chinese Pentax forums. The message below is translated by Babel Fish followed by some human tidying up. Not perfect English but enough to appreciate the high regard of the adapter afforded by a Chinese user.

KINDAI, a Japanese company, has developed one type of M42-PK adapter. Its characteristic has designed an inner flange which presses against the M42 len's aperture needle. This transforms the M42 lens into a manual aperture lens. Do not overlook this as a small and simple design. It actually has many advantages. For instance the classic VOIGTLANDER, MAMIYA, FUJINON lens and many other M42 lens that do not have the A/M switch can now be used normally... ... If you do not have the Kindai adapter, you will have to remove the M42 aperature needle. Although this is a minor operation, the M42 lens has to be disassembled and it may not be a straight forward operation. Moreover the workmanship of this Kindai adapter is extremely good. At present I have tried several dozens of M42 lens, and found all work flawlessly! As for infinite focusing, I have found many lens just have to be mounted on the camera and twisted clockwise to the full extent and then infinite focusing will work. Excellent adapter!!

The above auction in Yahoo is offered by a Taiwanese guy. He also auctions in eBay. Search for "Japan Kindai Store" in eBay.

BTW, I am not related to the mentioned seller. I have no personal experience of the adapter yet. I have just bought one from him.

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Last edited by dancheng; 04-18-2008 at 07:00 AM.

[noblepa]

That adapter doesn't really couple the camera to the aperture pin. According to the description, it is simply machined in such a way that it ALWAYS pushes the pin in, stopping down the lens.

AFAIK, all Pentax Super-Takumar and SMC M42 lenses had an auto-manual switch, so this adapter is unneccessary for those lenses. Some third-party lenses had no such switch. Since M42 lenses are wide open unless the pin is pushed, this adapter would be useful.

But it doesn't allow the camera to operate the aperture at the time of exposure, the way a Spotmatic, say, would, or the way a K-mount camera can operate the aperture in a K-mount lens.

It seems awfully expensive, just for that little bit of extra machining.

[dancheng]

Hi Paul,

I will use this Kindai adapter when it arrives.

I may choose Av mode:
(a) using a Pentax manual lens by switching its A/M switch to M mode; or
(b) using a third-party manual lens without A/M switch;
and select the desired aperature by turning the aperature ring on the lens.

I can also have infinite focusing regardless the manual lens is Pentax's or third-party's.

Is the above interpretation correct? Thanks!

[Lowell Goudge]

Hello everyone, a general question for you ;-)

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Right now I have a K200D and the 18-55 kit. Due to lots of budget restraints and the desire to own a 300mm+ zoom and a fast 50mm, I'm (hopefully) buying a couple of older lenses in the Marketplace.

If you're curious, they're maybe a Sigma 75-300 LD MF and a Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 M42

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Now, what I'm thinking, is that these lenses are all manual everything, but according to Pentax web store the AutoAperature still works with M42-to-K adapter?.

No, if by auto apature you mean that the apature stops down automatically but you focus at full apature, M42 lenses don't do this. But, when in Apature priority mode, and you manually stop the lens down, the metering then adjusts more or less correctly to the apature you set.

Basically I'm a bit confused, as I never really got into manual film photography but I'm buying older lenses ---

1) Will I need a light meter to do exposure meausuring? Or basically do I need to keep things in a manual mode?

no need for a light meter the internal one can be used

2) Does it help to remember rules? For instance I learned this morning of the "Sunny 16" rule of thumb.

remembering the rule is a good sanity check on the metering. Note above I say the metering is more or less correct, there is some inconsistency in the manual lens metering, specifically due to the viewing screen installed in the K10D, and its reflective properties. Generally at F1.4 the K10D will under expose by 1 stop, expose correctly at F4, and over expose by 1.5 stops by F8, 2 stops by F11 and remain relitively constant from there up, or perhaps come back a little to +1.5 stops by F22/32. so you will need to check how the K10 meters with your lenses

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I'm a newbie in lenses, but I'm willing to learn! Especially if I can get decent optical quality for aroung $100 (both lenses). I'm poor, so this is better to me than paying $200 for an automatic 50mm prime.


I just don't want to get in over my head -- so are manual lenses really that hard to use?

Once you know how your camera behaves manual lenses are quite simple to use, but they require a little patience, you can't always focus as fast as autofocus, and you need to pay a little more attention to metering, but I have found them to be a pleasure to use. After all, for me photography is a hobby that I use to relax, and sometimes, going manual focus and slowing down a little helps, unlike golf, which is a hobby I practice from time to time that I generally use to get frustrated.

[georgweb]

Hi,
as someone who is into manual photography due to having used Spotmatics and such, I just have to rave a little more about Pentax DSLR's with manual lenses.

First of all beware with any adapters and lenses you are willing to put onto your camera. Have a look at what might go wrong, protruding parts on the lenses' side, metal clips coming loose on the adapter, and so on.

A special mention of course for all Ricoh lenses and their special pin protruding from it. This will make for a nice 'always-on-the-camera' lens :-)

But, being careful and thoughtful about this, you can just put many Nikon lenses right onto a Pentax DSLR (over infinity), you can mod C/Y lenses (Planar!) to fit PK, and you can also mod the camera mount to take these and much more lenses.

Why would you do this as autofocus is so much easier and better and more accurate and so on?
Well, try to remember how photos have been done in the Spotmatic and before era. It was probably more demanding for sports shooters and similar applications, but the pictures aren't too bad, are they?

Onto the Pentax DSLR specials for manual lenses:

- Antishake: yeah! You can dial in the focal length for the AS with any old lens you choose
- Register distance: you have a choice for many lenses (Canon is king here)
- Focus confirm: Use the green hexagon (not the red blink) to have focus (til approx. f/5.6). Very useful for 200mm ++ lenses. I am getting confirmation with a 300/5.6 and a 2xTcon - well, not at night :-)
- on of the best if not the best viewfinder for an APS-C camera

Why not try something like this: Take your Pentax KXXD and your preferred autofocus lens and just put the bayonet switch to 'M' as well as the program wheel to 'M'. Maybe take the tripod as well. Maybe do some nightshots, maybe something else that you had a hard time before shooting in AF mode.

I love my 18-55 AF lens and enjoy using it. However I have the feeling that my learning curve so far was much steeper with the manual stuff. Thanks for listening and have fun with whatever suits you best,
Georg