[bighat]

I have shot with a pentax k1000 for alittle while now and have collected a few lenses. I was looking at 2 cameras today, a k3 II, and a k50 for a camera I can travel with, and not worry as much of it getting broken because of the lower price tag. My question is, will old K mount lenses work with these 2 cameras? Or will I need to buy a completely new set of lenses?

[Na Horuk]

Hey, welcome! Which K lenses do you have?
All K-mount lenses will fit on modern Pentax DSLR directly, without adapter. That said, if the lens was made before AF was invented, it still won't have AF. (but it might allow a similar feature called catch in focus), and so on. Only F, FA, DA, and DFA series have full automation including AF.
Anyway, here is one thread about older manual lenses on modern DSLR: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...k-x-k-7-a.html
(m42 is an even older mount and requires a simple adapter, more modern K-mount lenses might have some more automation)
K-50 can be found for amazing prices right now. And the K-3II is a top notch camera, a little bigger and more powerful than the K-50, but costs a little more, as well. K-50 is great for beginners, K-3II has some more pro features. Anyway, if you are buying a DSLR, I suggest you buy one bundled with a lens. Especially if the lens is WR - if you have a WR lens on K-50 or K-3II, then you can shoot in poor weather, rain, and not worry. You can use many manual lenses, but its still good to have one nice WR lens with AF on hand. Modern DSLR cameras are no longer made for manual focus, so using just manual focus lenses can be difficult at times.
Oh, and a lot of users on this forum are using older glass, from Pentax M series, Pentax A and F series, and even older m42 lenses of various brands (Zeiss, Takumar,..). No problem if you are a little patient

[photolady95]

The long and short of it is, yes, you can use your K1000 lenses on any Pentax DSLR.

Too slow!

[kiberkli]

On the camera you have to go full manual.
There is a setting to enable to the aperture ring; and when you attached a manual lens, the camera will ask for the lens focal length.
Get the manual on the camera and read up on using manual lenses.

+1 on getting a WR lens with the camera.

[ZombieArmy]

Yep they work a treat, I use several old manual lenses on my k-01.

Catch in focus and focus peaking will make them very easy to use.

[bighat]

Hey, welcome! Which K lenses do you have?
All K-mount lenses will fit on modern Pentax DSLR directly, without adapter. That said, if the lens was made before AF was invented, it still won't have AF. (but it might allow a similar feature called catch in focus), and so on. Only F, FA, DA, and DFA series have full automation including AF.
Anyway, here is one thread about older manual lenses on modern DSLR: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...k-x-k-7-a.html
(m42 is an even older mount and requires a simple adapter, more modern K-mount lenses might have some more automation)
K-50 can be found for amazing prices right now. And the K-3II is a top notch camera, a little bigger and more powerful than the K-50, but costs a little more, as well. K-50 is great for beginners, K-3II has some more pro features. Anyway, if you are buying a DSLR, I suggest you buy one bundled with a lens. Especially if the lens is WR - if you have a WR lens on K-50 or K-3II, then you can shoot in poor weather, rain, and not worry. You can use many manual lenses, but its still good to have one nice WR lens with AF on hand. Modern DSLR cameras are no longer made for manual focus, so using just manual focus lenses can be difficult at times.
Oh, and a lot of users on this forum are using older glass, from Pentax M series, Pentax A and F series, and even older m42 lenses of various brands (Zeiss, Takumar,..). No problem if you are a little patient

50mm, 200mm, 75mm, 35mm, some wide angles. And the monster 500mmm that I used once, but do not regret buying for the $100 I spent. All different brands, don't remember the apatures for all of them.

I played with my friends k30, and liked it. Although like you said you have to be patient because it takes a few extra steps to shoot with a manual lense.

I am going to rent the k3 and see how I like it. See if it will work for studio stuff, and less dangerous travel. I am almost certain I will be buying the k50 with the kit lense. Will be a good camera for like I said traveling and shooting well doing outdoor stuff or in bad weather. Rather ruin a $500 camera then a 1k camera...

Hoping I can replace my nikon and canon gear within the year.

One more question, how does these camera work for video? I do a fair bit of video, and thats one of the pros/cons I need to look at. Do they overheat easily? do they not last as long with having the shutter up for extended periods of time? It would be great if I didn't have to carry 2 cameras when hiking.

---------- Post added 09-03-15 at 04:15 PM ----------

The long and short of it is, yes, you can use your K1000 lenses on any Pentax DSLR.

Too slow!

On the camera you have to go full manual.
There is a setting to enable to the aperture ring; and when you attached a manual lens, the camera will ask for the lens focal length.
Get the manual on the camera and read up on using manual lenses.

+1 on getting a WR lens with the camera.

Yep they work a treat, I use several old manual lenses on my k-01.

Catch in focus and focus peaking will make them very easy to use.

Hmmm, going to have to look into catch in focus, and focus peaking. Never heard of it! Sounds very useful.

[robgski]

I"ve had a K-5 for two years, and use a lot of older completely manual lenses, since you are transitioning from a K1000, you won't miss the lack of auto features with old lenses. In fact I bought the K-5 to have a fully manual option. BOth te K-3 and K-50 are newer and better versions so either one is a safe bet.
Take a look at the links and articles other provided, you will enjoy the digital Pentax experience.

[Murfy]

I have 2 old k1000 lens I use one the k3. I use the kit lens that came with the k1000, 50mm f/2 and a cheapy 35-75mm which actually takes nice photos. I do notice the lens does not give the correct reading for the aperture with that one. its quite fun using them. Have fun!

[Na Horuk]

Renting is a great idea. And maybe go to a store to hand hold a Canon camera of similar price, so you have something to compare to. I mention Canon because Canon can adapt K-mount fairly easily with glassless adapters and is fairly good for video - though their sensors seem to be behind Sony for still photography lately (based on some reviews, especially at higher ISO values). Pentax cameras (and many Nikon cameras) use Sony sensors btw.

[bighat]

Renting is a great idea. And maybe go to a store to hand hold a Canon camera of similar price, so you have something to compare to. I mention Canon because Canon can adapt K-mount fairly easily with glassless adapters and is fairly good for video - though their sensors seem to be behind Sony for still photography lately (based on some reviews, especially at higher ISO values). Pentax cameras (and many Nikon cameras) use Sony sensors btw.

Eh... I don't really like canon DSLRs for video. always having some sort of issue with them. Well... besides the t3i. Thats a decent camera for video.
Yea, I was looking at some sony cameras and was ready to rent a few to try out. But then I heard about backwards compatible lenses and pancake lenses... Then I started looking into them more and put sony to the back sense they use almost the same sensors.

[robgski]

I am renting a DA 21mm and 10-17mm from borrowedlenses.com. I"ll let you know how I like them. The rental process could not have been easier.

[pathdoc]

My question is, will old K mount lenses work with these 2 cameras? Or will I need to buy a completely new set of lenses?

Yes, they will and no, you won't.

Basically any current Pentax camera can use almost any Pentax lens (there's one weird early autofocus lens that only matched up with one body, but God only knows how few of those are left and if they even still work). I'm pretty sure I currently have more MF than AF lenses, and a couple of them at least are older than I am.

Na Horuk has already posted the how-to link, but here it is again.

[gaweidert]

Welcome aboard!!

I went Pentax Digital 3 1/2 years ago. Old lenses will work and some of them will really surprise you. My 55mm f1.8 SMC Takumar screw mount lens is as good as you can get today. Going manual is not a bad thing. When I first went auto everything, my image quality went to heck. Way to easy to push the button before fully thinking out the results.

[pathdoc]

Even the Takumars are sometimes too easy, because you can use them in Av mode. Having to push the green button to get your metering right is what really slows you down and makes you think.

Going manual is not a bad thing. When I first went auto everything, my image quality went to heck.

The thing that really slows you down and makes you think is only having limited shots and not being able to preview or delete them. I reviewed a whole bunch of pics I took on a European holiday twenty years ago, firmly in the film era, with a camera which had all the program bells and whistles plus AF. There are very few shots I would have discarded, possibly because I knew I was only going to get one go at any of them (I wouldn't see the pics until long after I left that spot) and I needed to make it count. The best training camera would be a DSLR without the rear screen and with M mode only, so that you had to take the card out (only give the user a 256 or 512MB card to simulate the limited number of shots on a film roll) and look at the pictures on a PC/laptop in order to see what you had done.

[robgski]

Going manual is not a bad thing. When I first went auto everything, my image quality went to heck.

I noticed the same thing. Having to do more manually usually causes me to notice and adjust both the composition and the settings with better results.