[Voe]

Hi guys,

Can you tell me which Pentax film SLR suports aperture change from the camera body with DA and also has support for M lenses?

I have Pentax MZ-50 which supports DA aperture change and autofocus but lacks support for M lenses.

I also have the Pentax MZ-10 which supports M lenses but lacks support to change aperture from the camera on DA lenses.

I also need to have autofocus.

I can't afford the MZ-S because it's expensive. So is there a cheaper camera out there which can do all of the above?

Thanks guys.

[frank]

Seems only these will fit your needs: MZ-6, MZ-7, Z1, Z1p, *ist...

Actually you can use P mode on your MZ-10 to use DA lenses. The camera will set aperture for you, that's what I use when I'm using DA lens on a MZ-S and MZ-3, and SuperA too

[keyser]

The PZ-70 (aka Z-70) that I have supports aperture set from lens but also full (not step down) metering with M lenses.

[Voe]

This is cool, but when you say the camera can set the aperture for me do you mean that I have no control over the aperture manually from the camera buttons? I would try instead of ask, but I'm at work and don't have the camera with me.

[nekulturniy]

You might find this table useful.

Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart

[Voe]

You might find this table useful.

Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart

This is a great info. Thanks for posting it.

[keyser]

What I mean is if the lens is set into the 'A' position (or doesn't have an aperture ring at all), I can use buttons on the camera body to set the aperture to what I want, even if it leads to an over or under exposure.

Some Pentax cameras support the 'A' setting without letting you independantly set the aperture. They use a statistical calculations to balance the shutter speed and aperture in unison (program mode).

Also, unlike the digital bodies that allow you to do this, the lens mount has a meter coupling to allow full use of M lenses without stop down metering.

This is cool, but when you say the camera can set the aperture for me do you mean that I have no control over the aperture manually from the camera buttons? I would try instead of ask, but I'm at work and don't have the camera with me.

[titrisol]

The ZX/MZ-5;6;7 and 3 do support DA lenses and M lenses

[unixrevolution]

Too bad you need autofocus, because my favorite film body, the Super Program, supports both M and A/FAJ/DA lenses. You just don't get aperture priority with a lens that has no aperture ring.

[Nesster]

ZX-L does this and is cheaper than the -S

[Art Vandelay II]

I'm curious, does anyone know why Pentax didn't add that function to their flagship MZ-S even though it came out after the PZ-1? Unfortunately the MZ-S is the only AF Pentax SLR that interests me, but not supporting DA lenses makes it a no-go for me. Especially since you can pick up a Canon EOS 3 or Nikon F100 for less than half the cost of an MZ-S.

Edit: or am I just mistaken by the MZ-S since it doesn't appear to have dual control dials like the PZ-1 has?

[ryan s]

Seems only these will fit your needs: MZ-6, MZ-7, Z1, Z1p, *ist...

Actually you can use P mode on your MZ-10 to use DA lenses. The camera will set aperture for you, that's what I use when I'm using DA lens on a MZ-S and MZ-3, and SuperA too

Here's a noob question...

Could one put on a neutral density filter or two to make the aperture go wider? I know the Olympus Stylus cameras, for example, will favor a higher shutter speed and will open the lens in order to keep the shutter speeds up.

I have a P3 sitting here but it doesn't show aperture in A mode The manual is kinda weird with its graphs and stuff...I can't decipher them.

[Ratmagiclady]

Here's a noob question...

Could one put on a neutral density filter or two to make the aperture go wider? I know the Olympus Stylus cameras, for example, will favor a higher shutter speed and will open the lens in order to keep the shutter speeds up.

I have a P3 sitting here but it doesn't show aperture in A mode The manual is kinda weird with its graphs and stuff...I can't decipher them.

I'm not familiar with all the Pentax models in specific, but I *believe* that with a P3, you'd be better off just setting the aperture you want on the ring than trying to outguess the program line in P mode.

Oh, you mean with a DA lens, of course. I think there you're pretty much trying to force the program line to give you the aperture you'd like. (For this, the graphs I bet you are looking at are exactly what you need to understand, if you want to use ND's) Unless you can meter by eye, however vaguely, and choose a shutter speed in Tv mode that will give you the aperture you want, if there is Tv there?

[Art Vandelay II]

You might find this table useful.

Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart

I have a question about that chart; it has a yellow exclamation point next the MZ-S, which says this:

Not Recommended. The image formed by the lens does not cover the full 24x36 frame resulting in vigneting (dark corners). Exceptions: Some users report that the DA 40mm does cover the full frame and that some DA zooms at least at some focal lengths also cover the full frame.

However, I'm not concerned about the image circle, just aperture control. It doesn't say anything about being able to control the aperture using a DA lens, which is all I really care about (so I can use future full frame lenses like the D-FA 100mm macro for example). Also, will SDM-only lenses autofocus on it? If they do then great, if not then it's not the end of the world.

Also, I don't see the MZ-3 on that chart at all (the other AF SLR I'm interested in). Is it compatible with DA lenses?


EDIT: I just noticed this message (not sure how I didn't see it the first time):

Actually you can use P mode on your MZ-10 to use DA lenses. The camera will set aperture for you, that's what I use when I'm using DA lens on a MZ-S and MZ-3, and SuperA too

Not sure if I'm cool with that though. I shoot in A-priority mode 90% of the time, and in M mode the other 10%. I'm going to have to test out shutter priority for a bit to see if I'm ok with that. The MZ-S, MZ-3, and MZ-5n are pretty much the only AF SLR's I like. Why did Pentax make so few high end 35MM SLR's? Most all have pentamirror VF's and look like cheap plastic.

[Canada_Rockies]

I'm curious, does anyone know why Pentax didn't add that function to their flagship MZ-S even though it came out after the PZ-1? Unfortunately the MZ-S is the only AF Pentax SLR that interests me, but not supporting DA lenses makes it a no-go for me. Especially since you can pick up a Canon EOS 3 or Nikon F100 for less than half the cost of an MZ-S.

Edit: or am I just mistaken by the MZ-S since it doesn't appear to have dual control dials like the PZ-1 has?

You can only indirectly control aperture with the MZ-S, unless you have an aperture ring. It does work fine in shutter priority and program, but not manual or aperture priority.