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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 10-05-2013, 05:13 PM  
New Camera for Old Lenses
Posted By TomB_tx
Replies: 14
Views: 2,848
All Eric's info is here: Home
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 10-05-2013, 11:50 AM  
New Camera for Old Lenses
Posted By TomB_tx
Replies: 14
Views: 2,848
I went the same route after retiring, but I had both old Pentax and Leica lenses. I found all dSLRs expected users to use autofocus lenses, so the viewfinders are pretty poor for old manual focus lenses, especially the "APS" or "cropped" (smaller than 24x36 frame) sensors, where the viewfinders are like looking at a tiny image through a tunnel. a big disappointment compared to the MX. Unfortunately, Pentax makes no "FF" dSLRs. So I stayed away from digital for a long time.
But then Leica came out with their M9 rangefinder, which operates identically to my old film Leicas, and takes all the same old lenses. It is stii the only digital that is just like using manual film cameras.

However, I also wanted to use my Pentax lens collection, so after they came out with the K-5 I bought one. Yes, it does work with all my old MX lenses, and after I put in a different focusing screen I can focus pretty well. The camera itself is very nice, and can make great images. Yet the small sensor means my 35mm "wide angle" now has the same perspective as a 50mm on film, so your 28mm won't act very wide either. None of the Pentax dSLRs have a mechanical linkage to the aperture setting on SMC-M lenses, so you have to meter stopped-down. (Works well with the SMC-A lenses with an A on the aperture ring, which are sensed electrically.)
So, yes - you can use your old lenses on a new Pentax and get great pictures. But it is a bit of a pain to those of us that grew up with MX era film cameras. So I still shoot mainly film SLRs, and my digital Leica rangefinder.
The real good news is that Eric Hendrickson has been fixing film Pentax cameras since Honeywell days, and can make your MX good as new quite cheaply, and film and good processing and scanning to digital are still available.
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