[k-sirrah]

and i'm really upset cause i have just found out that the old lenses i have (3 of them)
are completely useless!
theyre the really old ones from the k1000.
is it true or is there some way to actually be able to use them?

[attack11]

enable the aperture ring under custom settings in the menu.

[k-sirrah]

enable the aperture ring under custom settings in the menu.

thank you so much

[rfortson]

This is such a common question/complaint, I don't know why Pentax doesn't make the default to have the setting the other way. I don't even know why I'd have that setting disabled.

[k-sirrah]

yeah... pretty silly.

[rfortson]

Oh, and welcome to the forum, BTW.

The K20D is a wonderful camera and I think you'll have a lot of fun with it.

[k-sirrah]

thanks so much. yeah i love it at the mo! been saving up for the past month

and so far (now that i can use the really old lenses) i'm well happy with it.

[Javaslinger]

I can't wait... mine will be here in one more day... oh, the agony!!!

[Marc Sabatella]

This is such a common question/complaint, I don't know why Pentax doesn't make the default to have the setting the other way. I don't even know why I'd have that setting disabled.

I always it assumed it was so people didn't accidentally start using the aperture ring on their FA lenses and wondering why they weren't getting the right results. there's a certain learning process about how to use manual lenses - the whole business of having to use manual mode and meter with the green button and/or DOF preview - that people are unlikely to figure out on their own. So at least the default settings gives them the wakeup call they need to find out how to use these lenses.

Of course, Pentax could also have solved that problem by explaining the procedure more clearly in the manual...

[BPT]

When I attach an old lens to my K100D it automatically knows to go to center point focus and I think either spot metering or center weighted average (I dont use my old lenses much) It is too bad it cant also be a signal to activate the aperture ring

[dopeytree]

Yeah it took me a year to realise you could meter using the green button on old lenses lol

[Canada_Rockies]

Yeah it took me a year to realise you could meter using the green button on old lenses lol

I prefer metering with the dof preview on my M lenses.

[rfortson]

I always it assumed it was so people didn't accidentally start using the aperture ring on their FA lenses and wondering why they weren't getting the right results. there's a certain learning process about how to use manual lenses - the whole business of having to use manual mode and meter with the green button and/or DOF preview - that people are unlikely to figure out on their own. So at least the default settings gives them the wakeup call they need to find out how to use these lenses.

Of course, Pentax could also have solved that problem by explaining the procedure more clearly in the manual...

Well, you're right about that as well, Marc. I saw a post from a person on another forum I frequent. She had just bought some new lenses and posted a question to the forum asking what the ring was with the numbers on it next to the camera. (Uhh, that'd be the aperture ring.) She also was preparing to shoot her first wedding. Yep, she claims to be a wedding photographer. Well, she must be because she has a website, right?

Still, I think the incidences of people wondering why their camera quit working like they should because the aperture ring was moved off of A would be much less that the people asking about how to use their old lenses. Especially since Pentax touts the compatibility with old lenses.

Alternatively, like you said, Pentax could just properly address it in the manual. Instead, the manual actually says something about the lenses not working properly, or some such.

[Mister Guy]

I had a film Pentax back in college that was stolen, leaving me only with a box of lenses. When I bought my K110D, I went into the local Wolf's with my SMC 50mm 1.7 in hand and wanted to verify that it would work before I bought into a system heavily influence based on the lenses I had. We couldn't get it to work, and I was very disappointed. The sales guy there sent me across town to a different Wolf's because, in his words, the girl there new more about strange brands. I went in there and SHE spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get it to work. We dug into the manual, which mentions lenses with an A mode, but not specifically what to do for lenses without an A mode. I knew it was SUPPOSED to work but for the life of us we couldn't figure out how. Finally we found a reference to the aperture ring and she figured out where the setting was and I bought it right then.

Going back into the manual once I knew what the setting was and I still couldn't find verbiage that would have explained it to me without already knowing . It's just not clear. It really needs to be in the troubleshooting section without references to specific lens families that mean nothing to someone just starting out. Like:

Question: My fully manual (or film) lens doesn't have an A setting on the aperture ring and my camera won't release the shutter!
Answer: You must enable the aperture ring setting in the custom settings menu.

[FunkyMonk]

I had a film Pentax back in college that was stolen, leaving me only with a box of lenses. When I bought my K110D, I went into the local Wolf's with my SMC 50mm 1.7 in hand and wanted to verify that it would work before I bought into a system heavily influence based on the lenses I had. We couldn't get it to work, and I was very disappointed. The sales guy there sent me across town to a different Wolf's because, in his words, the girl there new more about strange brands. I went in there and SHE spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get it to work. We dug into the manual, which mentions lenses with an A mode, but not specifically what to do for lenses without an A mode. I knew it was SUPPOSED to work but for the life of us we couldn't figure out how. Finally we found a reference to the aperture ring and she figured out where the setting was and I bought it right then.

Going back into the manual once I knew what the setting was and I still couldn't find verbiage that would have explained it to me without already knowing . It's just not clear. It really needs to be in the troubleshooting section without references to specific lens families that mean nothing to someone just starting out. Like:

Question: My fully manual (or film) lens doesn't have an A setting on the aperture ring and my camera won't release the shutter!
Answer: You must enable the aperture ring setting in the custom settings menu.

You are right. I bought the K10D because I had two lens for my K1000 and I was disappointed that I couldn't get them to work. I had my camera for six months and three lens later before I finally got into the custom settings. I saw the setting for turning on the aperture ring turned it on and I went digging in the closet for my K1000. It's nice using the old lenses with the SR in low light.