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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 14 Hours Ago

Composition adjustment reset
Posted By photogem

Replies: 11
Views: 681

First Menu-page USR DAT CLEAR
It goes deeper, clears everything aside of firmware updates.

Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2 08-05-2023, 11:12 PM

K-S2 Aperture Block Failure
Posted By photogem

Replies: 36
Views: 4,419

The K-7 was the first with a stepper-motor, the K-5 followed. Of the non-flagship versions with was the K-01 and the KP as you mentioned (I see the KP as almost flagship but reluctantly sold mine because I see the danger of the ribboncable from the mainbody to the LCD as too risky. Too expensive if in need for repair)

And yet, the three earliest flagships work with a solenoid and never failed because they use the JAPAN-DSLR-SOLENOID:

*istD/DS/DS2
K10D
K20D

Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2 12-01-2021, 12:19 PM

K-S2 Aperture Block Failure
Posted By photogem

Replies: 36
Views: 4,419

I wasn't aware that anybody discussed the ABF to death?

Well, it isn't fully functional using Takumars because one can use Takumars as well in Av-Mode but that option is not working as it could but only with exposure compensation.

It is fully functional for using any lens with an aperture ring and setting aperture manually on the lens using the green button mode
or using Av-Mode plus exposure correction.
So not only Takumars but no DA or others without an aperture ring.

And yet: It is still a very castrated K-S2 and not what it was intended for.

Yes, but much less if built after Dec. 2015!

Most K-S2's are built before. About 90% of 'em.

We now have another situation which is very interesting because the repairers truly messed it up:
KS2 repair frustrations - PentaxForums.com

Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2 08-04-2023, 01:32 AM

K-S2 Aperture Block Failure
Posted By photogem

Replies: 36
Views: 4,419

Well, the answers were actually given in this thread, but here again:

There was the first modification by Ricoh of the solenoid in 2015, but it didn't work out as desired, after a while many Pentax K50/K-S1/2 and K70's failed.

Only since Jan 2021 you are save with the K-70 and of course KF.

See:
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: Development of the solenoid in Pentax cameras - PentaxForums.com

It is best to do it yourself:
Manual: Solenoid Replacment Pentax K-30/50/500 + Discharge of flash-condenser - PentaxForums.com

Of course you can do it as well with the K-S2 and any other (same Do-It-Yourself section)

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 2 Days Ago

Ricoh KR-5 Super Dirty Focusing Screen
Posted By photogem

Replies: 4
Views: 376

It depends how sticky the stuff on the focusing screen is.

Here what Katzeye Optics recommended:

Cleaning a Focusing-Screen

DO NOT touch the either face of the screen with bare fingers - fingerprints are very difficult to get off.
Hold the screen only by the edges or by the tab and for maximum safety, wear latex gloves when handling the screen.

Use the tabs provided on the screen for grasping during installation and removal.
The surfaces of the screen are very sensitive and can easily be scratched with installation tools.

The only safe fluids to use on the screen are water and mild dishwashing liquid that has been diluted with water.

DO NOT USE alcohol, nail polish remover, paint thinner, Windex, commercial lens cleaning solutions, or any other sort of solvent.
Some of them might be safe, but you use them at your own risk - the plastic of the focusing screen can be softened and smeared by solvents.

If your screen has become extremely contaminated, such as with fingerprints, oils, or some other foreign contaminant, you have a few options:
First, it is possible to wash the screen, if appropriate precautions are taken. Avoid this if at all possible, but if you have serious dirt or oil that won’t respond to the gentler methods, here is the appropriate procedure.

Get a very soft artist’s brush – red sable works well. Wet the screen with warm tap water; place a drop of liquid dish soap (like Dawn) directly on the screen.
Wet the brush and work the soap thoroughly into the screen.

On the matte (prism) side, you can use any motion you’d like.

On the other side, there is a Fresnel lens that has a series of concentric grooves;
to clean them properly, you will need to work in circles starting at the middle and getting progressively larger.

When you’re done, rinse thoroughly in warm water using the brush to help to soap get off.

Then, follow with another thorough rinse, this time in dead cold water.

Finally, blow the water off the screen with canned air (making sure not to freeze it) or a big bulb blower (like a rocket blower).
The key is to blow the water off the screen before it can evaporate and leave water spots.

Distilled or de-ionized water will be less prone to leaving water spots and should be used as a final rinse, before drying, if it is available.

DO NOT dry-rub the focusing screen with a lens cloth or lens tissue - it will almost certainly scratch.

How To Remove Dust From the Screen?

When the screen is installed in the camera, the only safe option is blowing the dust off with a bulb blower. Canned air is not recommended, as freezing liquid can spray into the camera. Stubborn dust can be loosened with a very soft brush, such as a sensor brush or a soft artist’s brush.

With the screen out of the camera, there are a few more options.

Again, the bulb blower is the preferred option because it is the safest.

Sometimes dust will adhere to the screen by a static charge; here’s a little trick to help with that - just give the screen a breath of warm air, as if you were trying to fog up a window, and immediately blow the screen off with the bulb blower.

You may need to repeat the process several times. It sounds a little strange, but the slight moisture in your breath will actually help to dissipate the static without contaminating the screen.

Of course, the sensor brush will also work with the screen out of the camera.

In addition, the canned air is reasonably safe to use outside the camera, although you should still exercise care to avoid letting the freezing liquid hit the screen.

Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 04-08-2024, 03:33 AM

Tutorial: Debug Mode Pentax K5, K5II and K5IIs (+ converting SDM to screwdrive)
Posted By photogem

Replies: 12
Views: 816

The steps:

1.
Get the ready created debug menus from here:
a) PENTAX K-5
b) PENTAX K-5II
c) PENTAX K-5IIs

2.
Prepare your SD-card:
Paste both Debug Menu files "next to the DCIM-folder"
With the K-5 it looks like this:

3.
-Insert the SD card into your Pentax but leave the SD-carddoor open!
-Switch your Pentax on: Now you are in the Debug-Menu on page 1, which is called
DevelopmentMenu1:

4.
- With the 4-Way-Controller of your Pentax arrow-button scroll down to the 2.nd line:
*DEBUG MODE ....and then right:
Here you change from (= DIS abled)
(as you can see on the previous photo line 2)
to (=EN abled):

5. From here on it is about converting SDM to Screwdrive.
The following Pentax lenses can be converted and the procedure is the same:
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 16-50mmF2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF]SDM (this is the one I use here for this tutorial)
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 200mmF2.8 ED[IF] SDM
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 300mmF4 ED[IF] SDM
The SMC PENTAX DA* 60-250mm F4ED [IF] SDM cannot be converted although it has an inbuilt screwdrive mechanism. The lens-rom datas are very complex, nobody succeeded until today.
The DA* 55mmF1,4 and SMC Pentax DA*17-70mm/F4,0 cannot be converted because they have no screwdrive built it, they are SDM only.

You have enabled Debug-Mode:

- With the 4-Way-Controller to page 4:
= Development Menu4
and there 2.nd line:
= *Lens Rom Dat Camera =>SD

6.
- Click on OK:
- The message "Wait" usually comes (but with some Pentax DLSR’s it doesn’t so don’t worry)
- When this task is done, all lens-rom data have been copied from the lens onto your SD-card!
- Remove the SD-card and connect it to your PC or Labtop, open it
Now you can see next to the two debug-files a new one called:
LENSEEP.LNS:

7.
For security make a copy of thisfile LENSEEP.LNS and secure it where ever you want/chose.
The Pentax K-5 (and others) create automatically a backup, but you want to be save
and have it secured on a place on your harddisk as well.

8.
- Now you open LENSEEP.LNS (on your SD-Card!!!) with Notepad++.
It will look like this:

In column 03 you have to change ALL "C0" entries into "80“.
!!!Those columns begin left with 00: One might mistake it for column 4, but it is 03!!!

I marked some of the "C0" enries with a green arrow and above some which have already been changed by myself into "80" with a red arrow.

Remember: You just change all the "C0"- codes in column 03 into „80“:

In column 5 you find usually 2 further "C0" entries: NO NOT CHANGE THOSE!

With my DA*50-135 there were 32 codes in column 3 in the following lines:
6,10,14,18 -- 25,29,33,37 -- 44,48,52,56 -- 63,67,71,75 -- 81,86,90,94 -- 101,105,109,113 -- 120,124,128,132 -- 139,143,147,151

9.
As soon as you have done this, click on "Save" (the top left tab of Notepad++)
For security open the file LENSEEP.LNS again with Notepad++ to make sure that there are no more „CO“ codes in column 03 but only the new „80“ codes!
Close Notepad++, remove your SD-card.

10.
Insert your SD-card into your Pentax (with your lens attached!) and leave the SD-carddoor open.
Switch your Pentax ON.

11.
Again you are in
- Development Menu1:
- Again DIS to EN = enable as before
- Again to page 4 = Development Menu4
- And there on first line:
=*Lens Rom Dat SD=>Camera

11:
- Click on OK.
- Now you can see the transfer of the data on the LCD Display.

- That was it! Well done!

My Pentax K-5 switched of the Development/Debug-Menu automatically on DIS (=disabled)
But this seems to be different with different Pentax DSLRs, so if it doesn’t do this, every time you switch your camera on you would arrive in the Debug-Menu.
So then you go to step 3 but this time with the cursor from to and then [OK]!

If you now connect your SD-card with your PC or Labtop, you can see, that your Pentax automatically made a backup of the old lensrom = BACKUP.LNS .
This is identical with the one you secured before hand.

Very important:
Even with 10 of the same lenses there can be minor differences between the lens-roms!
Thats why it isn’t a good idea to use ready LENSEEP.LNS from others!
They might even be transfered and you even get a Backup.LNS but it can lead to other problems because not specific for YOUR lens!
Therefore: Only change the LENSEEP.LNS of your lens!

Good luck!

Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 03-31-2024, 02:46 AM

Sigma 17-50mm/f2,8
Posted By photogem

Replies: 9
Views: 573

Thanks, this helps!

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-12-2024, 11:06 PM

Clackers' Beginners Tip 103: Lens Coatings
Posted By photogem

Replies: 20
Views: 1,736

Ian, there is a major difference between

S-M-C Super Multi Coating (7 layers)
and
SMC (9 layers)

See HERE

Some mixed this up due to the socalled "official Pentax referenz 06671", which was supposed to be patented in the year 1971 as 7-layers
but they are wrong:
Reference 06671 is for the Pentax Super Program in Oct. 1984 and SMC was standard then.

It is also interesting what happened when Pentax announced the 7-layer S-M-C coating in 1971 claiming (for true) it to be the first 7 layer coating of the world:

In Italy the head of the Italian monthly magacin called "Photo 13" named Fabio Amodeo wrote in his "September 1972 edition"
that Nikon already had used 3-4 layers Multi-Coating on some of their lenses.
Asahi would trick people, because only 5 layers would be possible.
The amazing (spiteful) thing was, that Canon and Leitz publicly agreed with this lie!

Later after being confronted with the truth Fabion Amodeo kind of (upside down) corrected his false statement and now claimed the very opposite:
That Fujifilm alread had developed an 11 layer lens, the socalled EBC-coating (Electron Beam Coating)!
What wasn't known to the public then: Fabio Amodeo was closely linked to Fujinon and he just had lied again:
Fujifilm EBC existed then only for Cine-lenses. See HERE.
The EBC cinelens coating was used for the first time by Kon Ichikawa in his 1965 made film about the 1964 olympic summergames in Tokoy.

So S-M-C was of course 7 layered and as such not just "Multi" coated but "Super Multi" coated.

Fujifilm did develop EBC for cameralenses as well, but this was 1972 for the Fujinon 55mm/f3.5 macro lens in 1972, others followed.
Well: 1972 Asahi introduced the 9 layer SMC-coating (and later ghostless)

During that time of S-M-C some claimed, that Asahi had purchased the MC Multicoating process/patent from Optical Coatings Laboratories Inc. (OCLI), California, USA who had patented this process. But this again was just another lie brought into public by a friend of this mischieved Fabio Amodeo. Well, Italian mafia!

Actually Asahi had researched much earlier on about Multi-Coating but 1945 in Tokyo almost all factory builings of Asahi were destroyed and with this all important documents of research from the socalled Taisho era (1912-1926) as well as from the Showa Era (1926-1945). Already that early Asahi did research for MC coatings!

The connection of Zeiss to Asahi is another very interesting story:

November 1st. 1935 Alexander Smakula, chief developer of Zeiss/Jena developed the first "anticoating for optical gear", the socalled T-Coating (T- for transparence), This T-coating later in 1972 became the famous Leitz T* coating. (By the way: Leitz had developed MC during the 40's as well but never advertised it)

After WW-II Zeiss had to find a new partner in Japan. This was because all German patents were no longer valid after WW-II.
They chose Asahi and got the licence for SMC coatings.

They got it for the Distagon lenses which were also built for Rollei.... for Contarex they had prototypes as well but those came later as "Zeiss Contax" onto the market. The Distagon Pentax lenses are the famous SMC Pentax K15mm/f3,5 and particular the SMC Pentax K28mm/f2 (Hollywood) all developed by Erhard Glatzel of Zeiss.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-04-2024, 06:51 AM

Pentax K-1 mII top control dial failure
Posted By photogem

Replies: 7
Views: 611

Kamerazeit in Lübeck is another option.
But HOST Photoservice is said to be very good any very fair.

In most cases when you have a click for such a dial, it is a bearing ball.
If this click is missing now, the bearing ball either slipped off or broke.
It could be a simple repair if one knows from where to get different sized bearing balls.
I think Host does know. They repair lenses as well, there you often need different sizes of those.

Precision in USA is known to be overpriced.

For example they charged some € 166 for replacing the damaged ribbon cable of a KP while Precision charged $ 565!

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-02-2024, 11:43 PM

Pentax K2000 power button not working
Posted By photogem

Replies: 5
Views: 510

The K-m (2000) and the K-x and the K200D are very sensitive to batteries used as @crossed-up already stated.
For this best study THIS THREAD

But most likely it won't solve your problem!

In many cases it is the contacts of the battery chamber which just don't touch all 4 batteries at their contacts anymore.
For this first give them a good clean, particular if there are leftovers from leaked batteries which often is the case.
Then carefully bend the contacts so that they give better contact.

In case that the "empty-battery-symbol" shows up even with Eneloops (the K200D is particular sensitve to this, but others as well)
I have tried [https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/13335-ist-dl-batteries-6.html]THIS SOLUTION[/url] with an extra capacitor with success in my K200D which was super sensitve to batteries. I had purchased it about a year ago with a super low shuttercount but it would only accept Lithium batteries, Eneloops and others no chance.

Somehow all AA-driven Pentax DSLR's have a similar problem which I haven't been able to solve (I must admit, I didn't dig that much deeper into it because other projects were more important)

And yet sometimes even this didn't lead to success (same for the K100D (super), K110D, K200D and *istD/DS/DL models)

One can always check with standard alkaline AA batteries as well, usually one has easier access to those and they are cheap.
But in your case if you already have tried with new batteries and those solutions won't work it doesn't make sense to spend money for Eneloops (or the cheaper Ikea Ladda's which are relabeled but much less strict controlled Panasonic Eneloops)

Sadly the K-m and K-x don't allow a seperate Powersupply which works very well with *ist-D/DL and K100/110/200D's
So a solution would be as member @crossed-up suggested in his other link.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-01-2024, 09:38 PM

Pentax A50 1.7 dark picture, but aperture works in preview and on metering
Posted By photogem

Replies: 14
Views: 638

Yes, all symptoms led me to conclude ABF.

Which is almost "quite normal" for almost any K30/50/500 these days.

You still can use it in M-Mode, preset aperture and green button for any lens which has an aperture-ring (so all Takumar and M42 lenses as well)

I will send you via PM an adress of a person in Austria who can repair it for you

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-25-2024, 02:54 PM

Sensor Cleaning
Posted By photogem

Replies: 40
Views: 3,193

It looks as if you have pollen on your sensor protection glass.
But there could be also some tiny grains of sand!

One problem is how clean the alcohol (Isopropyl for example) really is!

Also with higher percentage it evaporates very quickly and can leave some traces (streak, layer? I don't know the correct word in English)

What is ultraimporant is that you don't have it in a bottle with a pipette or any contact to plastic because the plastic will disolve into the alcohol!
And then its messy!

Normally a lintfree cotton earstick with just a tiny bit of either 99% or... 70% (doesn't evaporate that quickly) Isop. will do a good job.
Dry cleaning isn't a good idea in your case because you don't know it it is just pollen or maybe tiny sand! Sand will scratch the surface.

In you case I would use 70% Isop. but quite wet and carefully sweep over it. Then again with less, and again with even less and then polish it with a dry lintfree earstick.

But I know of others who are very happy with 99,9% methyl hydrate. It is said that it produces less traces.
I never was bothered about traces, they can be nicely polished away.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-14-2024, 09:50 PM

Gosh;dash and bother!
Posted By photogem

Replies: 16
Views: 855

I understand this because my wife has very small hands and this likes the K-S1 best.

Is there a difference between the photos you noticed?

The way I work as well: To remain patient and never to be greedy.

Forum: Maintenance and Repair Articles 01-18-2024, 11:15 AM

Maintainance of CMOS or memory or backup-battery
Posted By photogem

Replies: 34
Views: 9,129

Well done.
Now, important:
The ML614 might be thicker than the MS414
I don't know, did the old C-MOS sit on the front or the backside of the mainboard with the K-r?
If backside like with the K30/50/500 then it could touch the backpart as shown here:
Tutorial: Change Back-up Battery Pentax K-30, K-50, K-500 - PentaxForums.com

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-13-2024, 09:46 PM

Gosh;dash and bother!
Posted By photogem

Replies: 16
Views: 855

There is a K-r on offer on ebay UK with lots of gear. As usual those sellers don't know much about it because they say "with lenses" but it is just one lens, the rest is filters, converter, etc. They might accept a better deal.

But I found a good deal for the protective glass window: HERE
and the LCD itself HERE

What is your personal experience comparing the K-r with the K-30?

I remember that some were very fond of the K-r.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-12-2024, 11:08 PM

Gosh;dash and bother!
Posted By photogem

Replies: 16
Views: 855

Too bad, but there is hope:

The LCD as well as the LCD window (protective glass) of the Pentax K30/K50/K500 will fit as well!

And remember: A cheap K30/50 with broken solenoid can be found really cheap in UK on ebay (or other places).
The Solenoid Generation 3 (which works perfectly) you can buy cheap from John Pye.

So that might be a sensible step upwards, the D-LI109 fits as well.

Otherwise.... K-S1 or K-S2 often suffer from the same ABF and are even another step upwards, particular the WR K-S2.

Just in case you won't find replacement parts.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-10-2024, 12:18 AM

Pentax KR Missing Focusing Screen
Posted By photogem

Replies: 13
Views: 693

Well done, and good that you supplied photos of the process.

Forum: Pentax K-r 04-24-2021, 12:01 AM

Service-Manual Pentax K-r
Posted By photogem

Replies: 6
Views: 5,722

For those who need it, here is the pdf-version of the
Pentax K-r service-manual.

Very useful also for the K30/50/500 as quite similar.

Forum: Pentax K-r 01-30-2024, 11:18 PM

Lost date and time settings with battery change
Posted By photogem

Replies: 21
Views: 10,259

Your question should be in the K-30/K-50 thread.
Anyway:

Replacing the internal battery see HERE

Also for which types of battery.

If you don't want to solder, then clipping the old one brings you the benefit that you can leave the main D-LI109 inside without it being sucked empty because the internal battery tries very hard to charge itself.

If you replace it, you can do the clipping method as well, this way you leave the two feet soldered on the mainboard. This makes it easier to solder the new battery
onto those two feet. You fix the new battery with bluetack (or epoxy) so it stays in place which makes soldering much easier.
I recommend the old style leaded solder, ideal is solder without flux and then flux/resin (colophony / kalifornia flux). If you have pure colophony, you can dilute it in alcool and then add an aspirin (no kidding). CAIG Rosin flux is ready made and excellent but expensive.

The reason for this ancient soldering method: You can apply solder without rosin much better, there is no rosin burning away but the rosin is applied in tiny amounts to the to be soldered parts. Makes life much easier. The tiny amount of lead for such a short work I find non-critical. But have a window open and a fan blowing air over the to be soldered parts into the direction of the window.

Forum: Pentax Lens Articles 02-19-2020, 05:56 AM

Sticky: Tutorial: Ricoh-Pin removal
Posted By photogem

Replies: 4
Views: 3,910

A short tutorial for how to remove the infamous Ricoh-Pin

The Ricoh-pin is a relic from analog DSLR days. It was for the Ricoh shutter priority or full programmed exposure modes.The well known problem is that the Ricoh-pin sits exactly at this place of the Pentax AF-drive (screwdrive mechanism) and can jam the lens to the body.

So if you want to use your Ricoh or Rikenon lens or any other lens which has the P on the aperture-ring and thus is equippend with such a pin you better modify this lens if you want to use it on any Pentax DSLR (and analog Pentax SLR bodies with AF-motor).

1. Here you can see the Ricoh-Pin on a Rikenon Prime 50mm lens:

This pin was just "pushed down" (with a small Phillips 000 crosshead screwdriver or a blunt needle or whatever similar you find):
If the "spring" holding the pin allows you to do so, that's all you need to do and you don't need to open your lens!

But don't mix it up with the other pin marked here with a red arrow:
This is for A-contacts, you don't take that one out for sure!

This is a Tokina SD 28-70mm/f3.5-4.5 A-Lens!

2. Open the lens, best using a JIS 00 screwdriver (but a Phillips 00 will do as well):

The green arrow shows were the Ricoh-pin was located, I have removed it already:

3. The infamous Ricoh-Pin itself removed:

There are different pins with different diameters, sometimes those with a smaller diameter won't cause problems at all but I have seen the opposite as well, so at least "push it down" so it won't poke out anymore or ... as I do it usually ... remove it completly.

4. This photo shows the pin including the spring which fixes it:

This spring is from the Tokina SD 28-70 A-Zoom-Lens which I used before showing the other important A-Pin!
This spring looks different on different lenses and of different manufacturers!

5. Close-Up (Ricoh-pin removed):

You can see why "pushing down the pin" (i.e. bending the spring downwards) is usually enough.
The pin is still save on the spring, cannot get lose and/or inside your lens but it doesn't stick out anymore to bring the screwdrive-mechanism of your Pentaxbody into trouble!

6. The hole were the pin pushes through:

This hole has a small rubber-or plastic piece. If it is glued to the stainless-steel K-mount, you can leave it.

If it is lose, you must remove it otherwise it can drop into your lens and cause trouble!

7. Bring the K-mount back to its place:

The photo is without the 4x JIS srews screwed in yet!

Screw in the 4 (or 3 or 5 screws) but crosswise:
You start with the first screw, then opposite, then to the right and then to the left in this case and you don't
tighten the screws too strong but first very softly and then again cross-wise you tighten them more and more.
This is very important because otherwise the K-mount might sit with a slight tilt which makes an even sharp photo almost impossible, particular wide open.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-20-2024, 01:10 AM

Hi everyone from England!
Posted By photogem

Replies: 21
Views: 765

I think the balance between the relativly light KP and the heavy SIGMA 150-500 is not ideal, the K3 I find to be better suited.

I don't know the Pentax HD D-FA150-500 but saw/heard very good things about it.
The K20D is the last "Pentax DSLR" made by Pentax and a mighty beast, I still have the same sized K10D which I like as well for it's CCD-Sensor.

The D-FA150-500 might turn out to be a surprise on the K20D and will balance quite well on it.

And then one day maybe a low shuttercount K3.

The alternative brought up be "UncleVanya" using a DA*300 + HD Pentax-DA AF Rear Converter 1.4x AW is a good one, but the DA*300 has the SDM Motor which often fails and is slow. Converting it to screwdrive makes it faster but louder.

The Tamron 300mm/f2,8is a very interesting beast, because it is said that the legendary Pentax FA* 300/2,8 is more or less the same lens (built by Tamron). I cannot comment on that but the Tamron, if one finds it, is usually cheaper.
People us the HD DA AF Rear-Converter 1.4x AW with the FA*300/2,8 so it should work as well with the Tamron.

But again it is screwdrive and thus louder.

Regarding the Pentax KP body:

Study This thread as well.

Regarding the K-1: Of course a fantastic full-frame, but not the same Tele-reach as with an APS-C DSLR!
The DA*300 is 450mm on APS-C but 300mm on fullframe (450mm are 750mm on APS-C but remain 450mm on fullframe)

Forum: Pentax KP 01-06-2024, 02:44 AM

KP screen black out when flipped.
Posted By photogem

Replies: 32
Views: 3,249

Might well have been the reason why Ricoh stopped manufacturing this otherwise amazing DSLR!

Forum: Pentax KP 06-26-2023, 05:04 AM

KP screen black out when flipped.
Posted By photogem

Replies: 32
Views: 3,249

How can this be possible???
What a rip-off!!!

It actually is a design fault by Ricoh, most likely the WR part stops the "Flex Move-Ribbon cable" to move easely but bent more.
This should be repaired for free even if warranty gone.

I have defended Ricoh for the China-Solenoid, they couldn't have knows.

But this is "botch"!

It could and should have been avoided.

Makes me very upset... reluctantly I sold my (perfect working) KP now quite cheap.

Forum: Do-It-Yourself 11-09-2023, 11:54 AM

Tutorial: How to convert Pentax DA*SDM-Lenses from SDM to Screwdrive Step by Step
Posted By photogem

Replies: 57
Views: 4,219

There are many tutorials for converting *SDM-lenses to screwdrive but as I have done it now many times I felt we could have a step by step tutorial including the latest findings and photos, so that everything can go super smooth.

When I did this conversion the first time, I had zero experience with anything like this!
I was ... like most of you ... just a beginner!

And as most tutorials were in English, I was even more so a beginner, a greenhorn as it is called sometimes.

But after I studied a few tutorials, I knew I can do it and so it was. Actually it was pretty easy. So don't be scared!
One just has to be attentive, follow each step and then thats it!

But as I have written many tutorials concerning other Pentax repairs I knew, here we need a thorough tutorial as well.

So here it is:

The following Pentax lenses can be converted and the procedure is the same:
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 16-50mmF2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF]SDM (this is the one I use here for this tutorial)
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 200mmF2.8 ED[IF] SDM
- SMC PENTAX-DA* 300mmF4 ED[IF] SDM
The SMC PENTAX DA* 60-250mm F4ED [IF] SDM cannot be converted although it has an inbuilt screwdrive mechanism. The lens-rom datas are very complex, nobody succeeded until today.
The DA* 55mmF1,4 and SMC Pentax DA*17-70mm/F4,0 cannot be converted because they have no screwdrive built it, they are SDM only.

You need:

1. Pentax DSLR:K100/110/100D-Super*, K200D, K-m, K-x, K-r, K10D*, K20D, K7, K5, K5II, K5IIs (I used the K-5 for this tutorial)
From the Pentax K-30 and K-3 onwards it is not possible anymore to convert those SDM lenses(Of course one can get into the Debug-Menu, but converting isn’t possible anymore. Same goes for the Pentax *istDS/DL-series, again: Debug Menu is possible but no conversion!)
- Charged battery (or external powersupply)
- Formatted SD-card
2. For Windows the program: Notepad++ (Free Download) installed on your PC/Labtop
(some use "PkTether" for activating theDebug-Menu. But for this you need a connection between your Pentax DSLR and your PC/Labtop which is unnecessary,
there is no gain in doing so, nothing would be easier, IMO quite the opposite, it makes things more complicated. I think once somebody recommended it and it became an internet-truth without it ever having been questioned. PKTriggerchord won’t workat all!
3. The DEBUG-Menu files for the camera you use for this task
a) How to create the debug menufor older Pentax bodies see HERE
b) For the Pentax K5-Series you can download the ready created debug menu here:
K-5; K-5II and K-5IIs
c)K100/110D allow direct access into the Debug-Menu *(explained at the end of this tutorial)
4. The lens you wish to convert, attached to your Pentax DSLR
* For the Pentax K10D there is some confusion about which firmware you use:
The K10D with FW v1.10 does not allow to drive SDM-lenses, but it can be used for conversion!
Here you find the tutorial how to enter the DEBUG MENU of the K10D:
Tutorial: Enter DEBUG-MENU of Pentax K10D (For converting SDM-lenses to Screwdrive) - PentaxForums.com

The steps:

1.
Prepare your SD-card:
Paste both Debug Menu files "next to the DCIM-folder"
With the K-5 it looks like this:

2.
-Insert the SD card into your Pentax but leave the SD-carddoor open!
-Switch your Pentax on: Now you are in the Debug-Menu on page 1, which is called
DevelopmentMenu1:

3.
- With the 4-Way-Controller of your Pentax arrow-button scroll down to the 2.nd line:
*DEBUG MODE ....and then right:
Here you change from (= DIS abled)
(as you can see on the previous photo line 2)
to (=EN abled):

4.
- With the 4-Way-Controller to page 4:
= Development Menu4
and there 2.nd line:
= *Lens Rom Dat Camera =>SD

5.
- Click on OK:
- The message "Wait" usually comes (but with some Pentax DLSR’s it doesn’t so don’t worry)
- When this task is done, all lens-rom data have been copied from the lens onto your SD-card!
- Remove the SD-card and connect it to your PC or Labtop, open it
Now you can see next to the two debug-files a new one called:
LENSEEP.LNS:

6.
For security make a copy of thisfile LENSEEP.LNS and secure it where ever you want/chose.
The Pentax K-5 (and others) create automatically a backup, but you want to be save
and have it secured on a place on your harddisk as well.

7.
- Now you open LENSEEP.LNS (on your SD-Card!!!) with Notepad++.
It will look like this:

In column 03 you have to change ALL "C0" entries into "80“.
!!!Those columns begin left with 00: One might mistake it for column 4, but it is 03!!!

I marked some of the "C0" enries with a green arrow and above some which have already been changed by myself into "80" with a red arrow.

Remember: You just change all the "C0"- codes in column 03 into „80“:

In column 5 you find usually 2 further "C0" entries: NO NOT CHANGE THOSE!

With my DA*50-135 there were 32 codes in column 3 in the following lines:
6,10,14,18 -- 25,29,33,37 -- 44,48,52,56 -- 63,67,71,75 -- 81,86,90,94 -- 101,105,109,113 -- 120,124,128,132 -- 139,143,147,151

8.
As soon as you have done this, click on "Save" (the top left tab of Notepad++)
For security open the file LENSEEP.LNS again with Notepad++ to make sure that there are no more „CO“ codes in column 03 but only the new „80“ codes!
Close Notepad++, remove your SD-card.

9.
Insert your SD-card into your Pentax (with your lens attached!) and leave the SD-carddoor open.
Switch your Pentax ON.

10.
Again you are in
- Development Menu1:
- Again DIS to EN = enable as before
- Again to page 4 = Development Menu4
- And there on first line:
=*Lens Rom Dat SD=>Camera

11:
- Click on OK.
- Now you can see the transfer of the data on the LCD Display.

- That was it! Well done!

My Pentax K-5 switched of the Development/Debug-Menu automatically on DIS (=disabled)
But this seems to be different with different Pentax DSLRs, so if it doesn’t do this, every time you switch your camera on you would arrive in the Debug-Menu.
So then you go to step 3 but this time with the cursor from to and then [OK]!

If you now connect your SD-card with your PC or Labtop, you can see, that your Pentax automatically made a backup of the old lensrom = BACKUP.LNS .
This is identical with the one you secured before hand.

*With aPentax K100D and K110D you enter a different way into the Debug-Menu:
(with *istDS/DL as well but with closed SD-card-door but you cannot do the programming of the SDM lenses with those)

- Your chosen SDM*-lens is attached
- Fully charged batteries (or external powersupply)
- Formatted SD-card inserted, SD-carddoor remains open!
1. Press INFO + AE-L at the same time while you switch your Pentax ON.
2. Press the buttons „Menu“, and again „Menu“ and then „INFO“ within 5 seconds
3. Now you are in the Debug-Menu of your Pentax
4. Press button „Menu“ 1 x
5. Close SD-carddoor
6. Choose "LENS EEPROM R/W", then press „OK“ button.
7. Chose "LENS EEPROM STORE" and press „OK“ button.
8. The message "Wait" shows up on your display, then there will be an automatic return into the Debug-Menu!
9. The Lens-ROM Datas (file LENSEEP.LNS) of the lens have now been copied in your SD-Card

Now you follow step 7 as described before
Insert the SD-Karte with the modified file LENSEEP.LNS into your Pentax.
10. Follow steps 1-5 as you have done already
11. Chose "LENS EEPROM LOAD": All data will now be transfered backinto your lens

Done!

Very important:
Even with 10 of the same lenses there can be minor differences between the lens-roms!
Thats why it isn’t a good idea to use ready LENSEEP.LNS from others!
They might even be transfered and you even get a Backup.LNS but it can lead to other problems because not specific for YOUR lens!
Therefore: Only change the LENSEEP.LNS of your lens!

Good luck!