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Forum: Pentax Q
09-28-2020, 06:26 AM
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I have joined the Pentax mirrorless club by buying a nearly new in box Q10 with the 02 zoom lens. I figured for $80.00 it was worth a gamble. I have just started to play with it and I am quite impressed. I really like the fact I can shoot in Raw and do decent post editing on the images. It certainly will not replace my K-3, or my wife's K-70, but a tiny camera to take when I don't want to carry the larger one, but something more than my cell phone. I am keeping my eyes open for the 01 lens for even a smaller package. IT is too bad Pentax chose not to continue to support the line.
Jim Fellows
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-28-2019, 05:25 PM
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Forum: Pentax Q
11-04-2014, 09:12 PM
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One of the reasons I went Olympus vs Pentax for this type of camera even though I have tons of Pentax lenses was because of the Olympus systems excellent VF. At this point I'm settled with a couple of E-P3's and a VF and I love them. I would not trade them for a Q honestly. But if they had done something more like this with a really good removable VF? I might have waited and gone Pentax...
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Forum: Pentax Q
11-04-2014, 07:08 PM
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But they also know that it is hard to compose a shot if you can't see anything.
Several years ago my wife and I were at the Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire when I saw an elderly woman struggling to take a picture. When she finally finished, she told me that one of the locomotives looked just like the one that her (late) husband had operated for a number of years, so she was determined to get a picture of it, but she could see virtually nothing on the LCD in the bright sunshine; in fact, I could see virtually nothing either, and was very grateful for the viewfinder on my camera.
I have had enough trouble composing pictures on an LCD in bright sunlight, even with the LCD turned up to maximum brightness, that I understand why many talk about an LCD turning you into a "point-and-hope" photographer.
Using an LCD to compose a photograph also tends to encourage poor posture - holding the camera so far from your body that your arms become levers, inducing unnecessary instability into the process.
The simple matter remains that Pentax will never win over a large portion of the market if they choose not to provide a viewfinder.
They get to make that choice.
Those of us buying cameras get to react to that choice.
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Forum: Pentax Q
10-12-2014, 06:29 AM
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This is my vision of the next Q... I named it Q-V1 like electronic Viewfinder, with a grip, same modes as the K-3, video and two control wheels.
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Forum: Maintenance and Repair Articles
01-24-2010, 07:52 PM
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The Pentax-A 50mm f1.7 is a very good lens except for one problem. A tiny part can break and jam the aperture ring at some place other than the A position. It often won't return to the A position, making the lens far less useful and valuable. The fix is not that hard and doesn't require special tools. It is probably better to read through this once before starting, then follow the instructions.
A clean workspace with good light is helpful. You may want a clear plastic bag to control a spring-loaded bearing. More on that later. A good quality Phillips #0 or #00 screwdriver is required to take off the mount. Tweezers, a small dab of lithium grease and a small flat-bladed screwdriver are optional.
I have heard that the mount screws have slots for a slightly different screwdriver head, but Phillips will work OK with proper technique - make sure you have good contact with the slot and apply even pressure. With the lens face-down on the work surface, remove all five screws. Grab onto the bayonet lugs and lift off the mount. You'll see this:
At this point, a lot of things are loose - the mount was holding everything together. The first thing you can do is lift off the stamped steel ring around the rear element. It links the aperture to the aperture ring. This photo will help you put it back in the right place.
Next, there's a thing on the left side of the photo marked with a green arrow. Pentax calls it the "A-M Selecting Plate", part number 38305.X50801. It has two more associated parts, a tiny spring and a metal plate. This part is critical in telling your camera you've mounted a KA lens. You can slide it out now with the tweezers, or leave it for later. The main thing is, these three parts are important for maintaining the A position functions. A closer photo:
I think it's easiest to take all these off and reinstall them in the final stages, instead of worrying about them staying in place. Here is the part, its spring and contact:
OK, now we'll talk about the second part that you don't want to lose. There's a 1.5mm ball bearing that makes the clicks between aperture settings. A spring is pushing it outward against the aperture ring, so when you remove the aperture ring, this bearing will launch into space. The bearing is just to the right of the off-white bump. In this photo, it is perched on its little spring:
If you have the lens in a plastic bag, when you slide the aperture ring off, the bearing will end up in the bag. I can usually just orient the lens so the bump is in my left palm, slide the ring off with my right, and the bearing is in my hand. This probably only works because I have spare bearings, so losing one is no big deal for me. The spring can also get lost when you're not looking at it, but it usually stays hidden in its hole. The aperture ring has the small black button in it too; keep track of that.
With the aperture ring off, you now have access to the problem. You probably see something like this:
And you have another tiny part falling out, one of those flat steel springs. Pentax put these springs on with a plastic weld, which doesn't last forever. (In their defense, they may not have expected people to be using these lenses 25 years later.) You can fix the spring in several ways. Epoxy glue is one solution. Pentax uses screws on almost all other lenses, if you have some very small screws. Screw heads or epoxy should not stick out at all, because the aperture ring has to slide by them. Here is a successful screw repair:
It's a good time to clean the aperture ring of any dirt, and remove other grit or dirt you see. One more photo to show you the little v-grooves that mark each click-stop for the aperture:
Now all you have to do is reassembly. This can be challenging because of all the tiny unsecured parts moving around. I use a small amount of lithium grease to relube the aperture ring. I also use a bit to stick the A button in place, and stick the ball bearing to its spring on the lens. I hold the lens sideways and orient the ball bearing so it's at the top and not falling off. I hold the aperture ring so the numbers are going the right way and the v-grooves are lined up with the ball bearing.
Then I slide the opposite side of the aperture ring onto the lens first. I keep sliding it on until it runs into the first (lower) flat spring, then use a small flat-blade screwdriver to tuck that flat spring under the ring. Then I slide the ring on a bit more until it's up against the bearing. I use the flat-blade screwdriver to shove the bearing down and slide the ring over it. Then the upper flat spring gets tucked under the ring and the hard part is done. You should be able to move the aperture ring and feel click-stops, and the button to select the A position should work correctly. Set the ring to the A position for the next step.
Next, reinstall the parts for the A contact. The contact plate goes in first. It has a hook that goes over the outer rim. I use a bit of grease to stick this in place too. It should be in this position, except of course your aperture ring is installed now:
Then just slide the "A-M Selecting Plate" into its slot. The stamped steel plate goes on next, flat side up. Use the first photo to install it; the tab in the aperture ring fits into the slot (red arrow). Line the mount up so the aperture lever will fit through its slot and the A contact will fit into its hole, then put that into place. Reinstall the five screws.
Check your work by mounting the lens on your DSLR. Set the aperture ring to A and see if the camera will recognize the aperture setting. Use the DOF preview to see if the lens stops down to the selected aperture, then change the aperture with the wheel and stop down again. (Exact controls to do this will vary with different camera models.) Then go use your repaired lens.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-07-2014, 06:54 PM
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Too hot in Idaho to go outside, so I found another outlet for my photographic urge. I used a K2000 and a Vivitar f;4, macro-focusing 80-200mm zoom. Available light from a sliding patio door with the drapes partially closed. I really like this lens.... and it was incredibly cheap on eBay. IIRC, $15.00.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-12-2014, 11:26 PM
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Some nice birds recently from u guys, like frogfish, given likes than comments. :)
Chestnut capped laughing thrush suntanning. :)
Enjoying the hot sun.... by kengoh8888, on Flickr
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
08-21-2013, 11:21 AM
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I am not happy about my order on the 14th being cancelled and it won't make me leave Pentax after 35years. What it will do though is that the Pentax Webstore will not be used again by me. In all this time my purchases have been through B for almost everything. What bothers me is after talking to the Webstore Mgr., Jason I requested a response from an owner for which he took my number. I have not been contacted yet. I will move on.
Forum members I know your frustration is high but, there is no need to get snippy with each other. That will only turn you away from this forum. Everybody has knowledge that is needed by others.
Some are lucky and still have a lens coming most are not. I don't have an a/f prime in this range and could have used the 50 as my eyes need help.
Oh Well.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-12-2012, 05:23 AM
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I've seen two examples of lens filters able to take direct impacts. One such example... Riding passenger on the back of a Honda Aspencade 1800. Rock strikes lens at 75++mph. Filter cracked but remained completely intact - no glass debris.
I'd much rather always have some sort of protective filter (and preferably lens shade as well) on a lens of any cost.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-11-2012, 09:50 PM
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Could you please post this image again every time someone says not to use UV / Protection filters? I've lost count of how many times I've read posts here claiming that they're unnecessary.
Sorry for your loss, BTW.
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