I recently read somewhere that used copies of the Zeiss ZK 50mm lenses are almost never available for sale anywhere. While this statement is true, those of you wanting to use a high quality Zeiss 50mm lens on the K1 have another option!

Zeiss made a "ZS" version which is in the M42 mount. Get yourself a M42 to K adapter and you can use a Zeiss ZS lens on your Pentax digital cameras.

I just happened to find such a lens ( RARE Carl Zeiss Planar 50 1 4 ZS for M42 72188 T1974 | eBay ) on Ebay today for only $460 USD from a reputable seller!

So, if you don't mind using the green button on your Pentax camera, you can regularly find nice Zeiss M42 mount lenses on EBay.


P.S. This is not my lens, nor do I have any type of relationship with this Ebay seller.

[UncleVanya]

No green button needed. Av mode and stopped down metering.

Also there are several ZK lenses in the marketplace.

[Mr Bassie]

No green button needed. Av mode and stopped down metering.

Which is exactly why I love m42 lenses much more than M and K series lenses.

[ybo1]

No green button needed. Av mode and stopped down metering.

Also there are several ZK lenses in the marketplace.

What does it mean 'stopped down metering' in practical terms? Other than selecting an AV valur and then shootng?

Just curious...

[UncleVanya]

What does it mean 'stopped down metering' in practical terms? Other than selecting an AV valur and then shootng?

Just curious...

If your m42 lens has auto / manual mode, you use auto (aperture mode) while focusing and composing, the switch to manual ( aperture mode ) to do final metering. This allows easy use of these lenses. The manual aperture mode is always stopped down to the aperture ring setting. Some preset lenses have two rings and work similarly in that one mode is wide ooen, then you twist the ring to get the stopped down aperture you preset.

[pde2000]

You don't select an Av value on the camera. You turn the ring on the lens and it opens and closes the iris. The camera computes the shutter speed on the fly based on how much light it detects hitting the light sensor.

For less than £100 you can get a c/y cz50/1.7 and adapt the mount to fit pentax (see riorico's advice on shaving). Not many lenses get close to such perfect contrast and resolution for such a low price. I am in the process of laser-cutting some mounts (have to get my daughter to show me how to use the software) - with some 0.6mm thick washers there's no need for shaving and with the new ring all 3 flanges will engage the mount.

If buying from japan there will be an extra 20% plus handling on import into the UK.