[Sara Hanna]

Hey guys. I just bought my very first Pentax yesterday (YAY!!!) and I'm in love with it.

A while back, I'd purchased a Ricoh 35mm camera, and it came with a few different lenses. They all have the K-mount, so they should work on a Pentax. I tried them on an old K1000 and they worked fine. I sold the 50mm and the 70-210mm, and had the 28mm left. It's a Tokina, if that matters.

Anyways, I put it on my K-x yesterday, and the camera turns on and flashes "aperture priority" or something to that effect. I can see through the lens and adjust the focus (as it obviously won't auto focus, lol), however it won't let me take a photo. I don't get an error msg or anything, the shutter just won't release. As soon as I put the kit lens back on, it works fine.

Any idea why the lens doesn't seem to work?

[boriscleto]

You need to go to Custom Menu 4 and change Using Aperture Ring from Prohibited to Permitted.

[wildlifephotog]

And be sure the AF/MF switch on the camera is set to MF.

[pxpaulx]

and watch out for the KR mount lenses - they have a small additional pin on the mount that CAN AND WILL get stuck in the focus motor slot, meaning the lens will get stuck on the camera. It is NOT fun getting one off. Use the search for more info.

[Ira]

NOTE: I came back and edited this since my explanation was originally for M42 lenses with adapter only and not K lenses. Therefore, you'll see people making corrections to my original post in their posts below, which will make no sense since I now came back here and made those corrections.

Just wanted to get it all right in one place to help people with this.

This is for KX, so the menu numbers may differ on other models.

------------------------------

1) Custom Menu 4--Use Aperture Ring--Permitted.

2) Menu 4--Green Button--Action in M Mode--TV Shift.

3) Camera Focus Switch on the front of the body to M (manual).

4) Mount the lens--turn on camera..and scroll to the correct focal length.

The camera doesn't know what to do as far as Shake Reduction goes, so every time you install a manual lens or power up the camera with a manual lens on it, you have to tell it the focal length. (If you leave the lens on there, it will default to the last number you selected.) Just choose the number that's closest to what you have. For a zoom, pick a number which you think will be closest to what you'll mostly be shooting. It's not all that critical, since it's only for Shake Reduction, but Shake Reduction is pretty fantastic.

5) Set camera to Manual mode (dial on top).

6) Set lens to Manual.

Look through viewfinder. If you're using an M42 lens, you will see it getting darker as you turn the aperture ring to the higher numbers/lower apertures, but not with a K lens.

7)Select an aperture you want to shoot at. Focus, and you will get a beep and a little flashing diamond icon for in-focus confirmation at the bottom of the viewfinder.

8) Hit the green button--and it will display the shutter speed that the camera has selected for that aperture. (You don't have to keep holding the Green Button down--it's locked at that shutter speed until you hit the Green Button again.) If you're using a K lens, this will also stop the lens down, and if you're using a smaller aperture than wide open, you should see the image darken.

9) Depress shutter button halfway and wait to see the "Hand," the Shake Reduction icon, at the bottom of the viewfinder. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL SHOOTING--EVEN ON AUTOMATIC LENSES. SR IS NOT ACTIVE UNTIL YOU SEE THE HAND!

10) Fully depress shutter button.

11) Rinse and repeat.

Some tips:

If you don't want to mess with the Green Button to set the shutter speed for each shot, you can shoot in Av mode (aperture priority), but on K lenses this will only work at the lens's widest aperture. For M42 lenses, it works at all apertures, and as you move the camera around, you will see the shutter speed change on the fly. Using Av eliminates the need for hitting the green button.

HOWEVER, be aware that there can be a wide disparity in metering accuracy between Av mode and Manual. My M42 Taks in Av mode require ridiculous compensation, so I just stick to M. Your K Taks and others may work just fine,

Also, you will always see "F--" in your viewfinder, because the lens can't communicate its aperture to the camera. So this is normal. You will also not get the aperture used in your EXIF data when you use the Pentax Utility software that came on a CD with the camera or other program.

Finally, for M42 users where lower apertures darken the image in the viewfinder, you may want to focus wide open, then go to your desired aperture before hitting the Green Button. The visual and audio in-focus confirmation are a big help, but you still want to see the in-focus for yourself, because it's not 100% reliable, because it depends on the focus point(s) the camera is using. And it's just easier to focus in the brighter viewfinder of wide open.

HOPE THIS HELPS! AND HAVE FUN!

[Ira]

and watch out for the KR mount lenses - they have a small additional pin on the mount that CAN AND WILL get stuck in the focus motor slot, meaning the lens will get stuck on the camera. It is NOT fun getting one off. Use the search for more info.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WARNING, SARA!!!!!!!!

I'VE READ NIGHTMARE STORIES ABOUT THIS!

[Sara Hanna]

Thank you all so much for your helpful tips! I think I'll have to re-read them again when I've not just spent the day making brooms! Lol My eyes won't stay open and I can't seem to focus properly on what needs to be done. Think I'll wait for a day off.

[Ira]

Thank you all so much for your helpful tips! I think I'll have to re-read them again when I've not just spent the day making brooms! Lol My eyes won't stay open and I can't seem to focus properly on what needs to be done. Think I'll wait for a day off.

You make brooms in Ontario?

My niece, her husband and two children live in Calgary--immigrants from Venezuela.

[Sara Hanna]

You make brooms in Ontario?

My niece, her husband and two children live in Calgary--immigrants from Venezuela.

Haha yes, I make brooms in Ontario. It's at an old shoppe in St. Jacobs. Hamel Brooms.

[samper]

Thanks - this information was userful to me. As I bought a SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1:1.7 from Ebay. Been practicing with it on the K-x. I have a long way to go.

[Ira]

Thanks - this information was userful to me. As I bought a SMC Pentax-M 50mm 1:1.7 from Ebay. Been practicing with it on the K-x. I have a long way to go.

I've been shooting like this since I got the camera just two weeks ago, and it's really becoming second nature.

Another hint:

Depending on your manual lens, the KX will meter inconsistently. It's just the nature of the beast--old stuff on state of the art stuff. I've had pretty good luck/calibration (so far) with my old manual lenses, but my Tak 50 1.4 underexposes a little. Some people experience a major shift, and also, it's not necessarily consistent along all apertures. Like, 1.4 is fine, 2.8 is great, but from 4 to 22, you may have to go over a stop.

For now, I just monitor this by looking at the review in the LCD--which is NOT a great indicator of anything, but it's better than nothing. So after I hit the shutter and notice it's a little under, I just open a little and shoot without going to green button again.

I doubt I'll be able to catch hummingbirds like this, but maybe I'll get lucky.

[GerryL]

Read this: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-beginners-corner-q/59272-shooting-...x-dslrs-f.html
Hope this helps!

[Kirivon]

Look through viewfinder. You should see it getting darker as you turn the aperture ring to the higher numbers.

This is only true when you're using M42 lenses. All K mount lenses will remain wide open until you stop them down either by pressing the green button, enabling the DoF preview, or by taking the picture. The only difference when manually using the aperture ring is that the camera has no idea what the f-stop is set to, and therefore no idea how to meter for the scene until it stops down the lens.

You can also get the camera to meter correctly in real time by shooting in Av mode, eliminating the need to hit the green button prior to each shot. However, the exposure will only be correct if the lens is left wide open.

[Perrumpo]

Awesome post, Ira, Thanks!

I was unaware of some of those things. I only just today tried a M42 lens (50mm f/1.4) since I just got my adapter, and I found out about permitting using the aperture ring and being on manual focus and mode, but changing to Av really improved my shots!

Thanks for the link, GerryL... I'll be sure to read.

[Tringle WP]

I'd just like to say a big thanks to Ira too. I was scratching my head trying to work out why my manual Chinon 50mm f1.7 wasn't stopping down in AV mode and beginning to think that I'd have to put it in the back of the cupboard.

Now I can use it and I am so pleased. It's a fabulous lens, beautiful colours and bokeh despite only having a six blade iris.