Good older dslr to dedicate to MF lenses

markoneswift · 10-28-2015, 07:27 PM

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Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens.

**Another dyemention** · 10-28-2015, 07:55 PM

The whole reason I asked this is because I decided to keep my rokinon 85/1.4 and it's tricky to focus on my k50. I've read that a split screen helps so that was kind of the direction I was looking. But no, it doesn't have to be a pentax dslr. Never really thought about other options. But something small like that c3 might be nice. I'll have to look into that. And I'm ready trying to keep it under or around $100. So something like a k3. While nice, is way more than I want to spend.

markoneswift · 10-28-2015, 10:09 PM

Something like this mate :-

Superb Sony NEX 5 body only Plus SonyFlash | eBay

excanonfd · 10-28-2015, 10:28 PM

Originally posted by markoneswift

Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens.

Come to think of it my Lumix G2 and G6 are dedicated to MF - though I had never thought of them as so - since until very recently, all I had was the 14-42 kit lens that came with the G2. Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF? Your C3 looks nice but without a viewfinder, it's not a camera that I'd consider under any condition.

markoneswift · 10-28-2015, 10:39 PM

Originally posted by excanonfd

Come to think of it my Lumix G2 and G6 are dedicated to MF - though I had never thought of them as so - since until very recently, all I had was the 14-42 kit lens that came with the G2. Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF? Your C3 looks nice but without a viewfinder, it's not a camera that I'd consider under any condition.

I used to think I needed an EVF, but the NEX showed me otherwise. Of course, it's personal preference at the end of the day. For built-in EVF you would be looking at the higher spec NEX bodies (I think the 7, 5R, 6 etc had EVF ) and you will not get any of those for the $100 budget :-)

stevebrot · 10-28-2015, 11:05 PM

Originally posted by markoneswift

Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens.

Come to think of it, does anyone ever need to use a Pentax or a dSLR? I guess the first clue might be that the question was posed in the section of this site titled, "Pentax DSLR Discussion". Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of respect for other camera types and brands*, but the OP was pretty specific in their preference. If you want to broaden even further, I might suggest any number of film cameras that will mount Pentax-compatible lenses and also offer the benefit of excellent optical finders, full-frame format, and the stability of not holding the camera away from the face when composing. Oh, and they are also usable in full sun without an optional shade.

Steve

* I personally own multiple camera types in five formats from at least a dozen different makers...

stevebrot · 10-28-2015, 11:15 PM

Originally posted by markoneswift

Something like this mate :-

Superb Sony NEX 5 body only Plus SonyFlash | eBay

So about £50 less than a lightly used K-7 on the UK market... (The price on the NEX is £89.95 which at tonight's exchange rate is $137 USD)

Steve

(...it appears the pound is still slipping...it used to be worth about $2.00 USD

)

Last edited by stevebrot; 10-28-2015 at 11:27 PM.

stevebrot · 10-28-2015, 11:29 PM

Originally posted by excanonfd

Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF?

A7 series...

Steve

rawr · 10-28-2015, 11:40 PM

Originally posted by Another dyemention

I decided to keep my rokinon 85/1.4 and it's tricky to focus on my k50

Does the K-50 do focus peaking in LiveView? Focus peaking is just as good as any split-screen.

The cheapest and simplest solution to focusing manual glass on your Pentax, however, may simply be something like getting the Pentax O-ME53 magnifying eyepiece for $50, or something similar off eBay.

Otherwise, hunt around for a used Sony Alpha 3000. They are the cheapest Sony NEX with a built in EVF, and nice focus peaking, and have the same 20MP sensor as the K-S2. Even when new, they were going for $300 or so with a lens.

excanonfd · 10-28-2015, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

A7 series...

Steve

I know about them, except for the price range being somewhat out of my reach at the moment. These are interesting times - I am thinking that I'd bypass the K-3 altogether and look for a gently used FF DSLR or milc down the road, though I kind of doubt the yet to be released Pentax FF DSLR will be in the price range that I'd be willing to pay when the CBA gnawing become unbearable and I have to scratch myself to get some relief.

**pepperberry farm** · 10-29-2015, 02:52 AM

just a thought - why not upgrade to a K-3 (or K-3II) and use the K-50 as your manual-only body?

this is my upgrade path - I'm waiting for holiday sales to drive the K-3 body a little lower and I'll be moving in this direction.... can't decide between going M42 or 645, though.......

**Another dyemention** · 10-29-2015, 03:53 AM

Originally posted by pepperberry farm

just a thought - why not upgrade to a K-3 (or K-3II) and use the K-50 as your manual-only body?

this is my upgrade path - I'm waiting for holiday sales to drive the K-3 body a little lower and I'll be moving in this direction.... can't decide between going M42 or 645, though.......

That is kind of my plan but I just bought a 12-24 and a sigma 50-150, so I'm a little tapped out ATM. I have my marmot gortex rain jacket for sale on a backpacking forum so when that sells, that's where I'll get t $100 budget from.

And I have used focus peaking on my k50 while MF but I prefer using the VF. Not saying I wouldn't like using live view on something like the nex but it's just ok my my k50. I used to own a samsung nx300 for a very short time and from what I remeber, the focus peaking was much better on that camera. It was my first experience with a digital camera so I really had no idea what I was even doing but I remember how defined the peaking was. When I got my k50, I was slightly disappointed at how faint it was.

pathdoc · 10-29-2015, 04:08 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pepperberry farm

can't decide between going M42 or 645, though.......

You're taking up the Spotmatic NOW?

**boriscleto** · 10-29-2015, 07:36 AM

Originally posted by pepperberry farm

can't decide between going M42 or 645, though.......

M42. The lenses are so much smaller than 645, and better suited to APS-C.

AquaDome · 10-29-2015, 08:06 AM - **1 Like**

When I got my K-3, I put a split-screen in my K-50 and turned it into my manual focus/b&w camera. The split screen makes working with manual focus zooms like the M75-150 and M80-200 a real pleasure.

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10-28-2015, 07:27 PM	#16
markoneswift Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 114	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens.

10-28-2015, 07:55 PM	#17
Another dyemention Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 432 Original Poster	The whole reason I asked this is because I decided to keep my rokinon 85/1.4 and it's tricky to focus on my k50. I've read that a split screen helps so that was kind of the direction I was looking. But no, it doesn't have to be a pentax dslr. Never really thought about other options. But something small like that c3 might be nice. I'll have to look into that. And I'm ready trying to keep it under or around $100. So something like a k3. While nice, is way more than I want to spend.

10-28-2015, 10:09 PM	#18
markoneswift Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 114	Something like this mate :- Superb Sony NEX 5 body only Plus SonyFlash \| eBay

10-28-2015, 10:28 PM	#19
excanonfd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,421	Originally posted by markoneswift Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens. Come to think of it my Lumix G2 and G6 are dedicated to MF - though I had never thought of them as so - since until very recently, all I had was the 14-42 kit lens that came with the G2. Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF? Your C3 looks nice but without a viewfinder, it's not a camera that I'd consider under any condition.

10-28-2015, 10:39 PM	#20
markoneswift Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 114	Originally posted by excanonfd Come to think of it my Lumix G2 and G6 are dedicated to MF - though I had never thought of them as so - since until very recently, all I had was the 14-42 kit lens that came with the G2. Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF? Your C3 looks nice but without a viewfinder, it's not a camera that I'd consider under any condition. I used to think I needed an EVF, but the NEX showed me otherwise. Of course, it's personal preference at the end of the day. For built-in EVF you would be looking at the higher spec NEX bodies (I think the 7, 5R, 6 etc had EVF ) and you will not get any of those for the $100 budget :-)

10-28-2015, 11:05 PM	#21
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by markoneswift Does it have to be Pentax and DSLR ? Why not go NEX - the early 3 & 5 (and the better C3) can be had body-only for cheap and then you can run any legacy lenses you choose on it. There is literally nothing that won't adapt to mirrorless - I used to use M42 / FD / EOS / Sony-Minolta on my NEX-C3. Focus peaking too, and really nice screens. Come to think of it, does anyone ever need to use a Pentax or a dSLR? I guess the first clue might be that the question was posed in the section of this site titled, "Pentax DSLR Discussion". Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of respect for other camera types and brands, but the OP was pretty specific in their preference. If you want to broaden even further, I might suggest any number of film cameras that will mount Pentax-compatible lenses and also offer the benefit of excellent optical finders, full-frame format, and the stability of not holding the camera away from the face when composing. Oh, and they are also usable in full sun without an optional shade. Steve I personally own multiple camera types in five formats from at least a dozen different makers...

10-28-2015, 11:15 PM	#22
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by markoneswift Something like this mate :- Superb Sony NEX 5 body only Plus SonyFlash \| eBay So about £50 less than a lightly used K-7 on the UK market... (The price on the NEX is £89.95 which at tonight's exchange rate is $137 USD) Steve (...it appears the pound is still slipping...it used to be worth about $2.00 USD ) Last edited by stevebrot; 10-28-2015 at 11:27 PM.

10-28-2015, 11:29 PM	#23
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by excanonfd Do you know which Sony milc has a built-in EVF? A7 series... Steve

10-28-2015, 11:40 PM	#24
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by Another dyemention I decided to keep my rokinon 85/1.4 and it's tricky to focus on my k50 Does the K-50 do focus peaking in LiveView? Focus peaking is just as good as any split-screen. The cheapest and simplest solution to focusing manual glass on your Pentax, however, may simply be something like getting the Pentax O-ME53 magnifying eyepiece for $50, or something similar off eBay. Otherwise, hunt around for a used Sony Alpha 3000. They are the cheapest Sony NEX with a built in EVF, and nice focus peaking, and have the same 20MP sensor as the K-S2. Even when new, they were going for $300 or so with a lens.

10-28-2015, 11:57 PM	#25
excanonfd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,421	Originally posted by stevebrot A7 series... Steve I know about them, except for the price range being somewhat out of my reach at the moment. These are interesting times - I am thinking that I'd bypass the K-3 altogether and look for a gently used FF DSLR or milc down the road, though I kind of doubt the yet to be released Pentax FF DSLR will be in the price range that I'd be willing to pay when the CBA gnawing become unbearable and I have to scratch myself to get some relief.

10-29-2015, 02:52 AM	#26
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,766	just a thought - why not upgrade to a K-3 (or K-3II) and use the K-50 as your manual-only body? this is my upgrade path - I'm waiting for holiday sales to drive the K-3 body a little lower and I'll be moving in this direction.... can't decide between going M42 or 645, though.......

10-29-2015, 03:53 AM	#27
Another dyemention Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 432 Original Poster	Originally posted by pepperberry farm just a thought - why not upgrade to a K-3 (or K-3II) and use the K-50 as your manual-only body? this is my upgrade path - I'm waiting for holiday sales to drive the K-3 body a little lower and I'll be moving in this direction.... can't decide between going M42 or 645, though....... That is kind of my plan but I just bought a 12-24 and a sigma 50-150, so I'm a little tapped out ATM. I have my marmot gortex rain jacket for sale on a backpacking forum so when that sells, that's where I'll get t $100 budget from. And I have used focus peaking on my k50 while MF but I prefer using the VF. Not saying I wouldn't like using live view on something like the nex but it's just ok my my k50. I used to own a samsung nx300 for a very short time and from what I remeber, the focus peaking was much better on that camera. It was my first experience with a digital camera so I really had no idea what I was even doing but I remember how defined the peaking was. When I got my k50, I was slightly disappointed at how faint it was.

10-29-2015, 04:08 AM - 1 Like	#28
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Originally posted by pepperberry farm can't decide between going M42 or 645, though....... You're taking up the Spotmatic NOW?

10-29-2015, 07:36 AM	#29
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by pepperberry farm can't decide between going M42 or 645, though....... M42. The lenses are so much smaller than 645, and better suited to APS-C.

10-29-2015, 08:06 AM - 1 Like	#30
AquaDome Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New Carlisle, IN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,475	When I got my K-3, I put a split-screen in my K-50 and turned it into my manual focus/b&w camera. The split screen makes working with manual focus zooms like the M75-150 and M80-200 a real pleasure.