Pentax K Mount Lenses

I just bought a K-mount adapter for £25. )-: Where did you find one for less?

I recently acquired a Pentax 50mm f/1.7 prime at a market for under a tenner. We can compare shots once we get them mounted...

 

Pentax lenses are very good. You can go to Pentax Forums and read their lens review database. Some of the reviews contain a wee bit of hyperbole but are usually pretty accurate. I'm a Pentax user and have a large collection of K mount lenses. The SMC M versions are extremely well constructed and have excellent optics. The SMC A's are probably equal optically but are a bit more plastic~y. The 28 F2.8 is a pretty standard lens but a very good one. I prefer the SMC M, but only for the quality of the build.

I don't have any experience with the Ricoh lenses. The good thing about getting a Pentax adapter is the K1000 was more or less the standard film student camera for years. Therefore, a lot of K mount lenses can be found really cheap that you can adapt. Believe it or not several of the Sears branded lenses are quite good, just avoid the zooms. The 135mm F2.8 is a pretty good lens.

I have the Novoflex K mount adapter. It's rather pricey but it has doesn't have any infinity focus issues. That said, I wouldn't have spent that much on the adapter if I didn't already have a bunch of K mounts.

If you have the SMC M 50mm F1.7 you really got a great lens. See:

The Online Photographer: The World's Best Lens

 

I did! I was at the market, and one vendor was selling (amongst assorted wares) a camera with a couple of lenses "for parts or repair." She wanted £12 for the lot. There was a Pentax body, attached to a rather cool Pentax zoom lens. This had obviously been dropped; there was real damage to teh filter ring, a few scratches on the objective, the zoom part of the lens freely moved an additional centimetre in and out (which didn't adjust zoom, but did wreck the focus whenever it moved) and the body itself wouldn't properly cock the shutter when it was wound on, and the shutter speed dial was stuck fast. Sat next to these two write-offs was a really badly fingerprinted and slightly scuffed 50mm prime.

"How much for just this bit?" I asked.
"Oh, I want rid of this all together. I'm not going to split it."
"I'll give you £5 for it..."
"Ten for the lot."
"OK, I suppose."

The prime cleaned up nicely. No fungus, one nearly invisible ding on the glass, and mechanically in excellent condition - obviously not the bit that was dropped! It only had the back cap, and I've bought a front lens cap for it for 99 pence. It is exactly the lens you linked to, and I'm really looking forward to my adapter arriving in the post. It will be my longest lens, whilst ironically being the shortest, physically. The kit zoom is longer when extended than this lens will be on its adapter.

So, for £10 I got a nice lens case (to fit the zoom), a nice "For Pentax" neck strap, a lovely prime lens, and a body and zoom which have been given to a friend of mine who likes to turn broken technology into steampunk jewellery.

 

I have heard of the 1.4, 1.7 and 2, but didn't know they made a f 1 lens. The f2 lens is a real sharp lens and was the best of the three.
Would be interested to see how it performs fully open and if it is indeed a f1 lens you have got an absolute bargain. The 1.4 is pretty good, but IMO not a patch on the Minolta f1.4 50mm which is one of the best fast normal primes at bargain prices I have used... my experience of the Rikenon lenses was on film and I think digital sensors would show up some of their flaws, but for a tenner you can't really go wrong:smile:

 

I have been very happy with my Pentax lenses - they have the advantage (along with Olympus OM lenses) of being smaller than most others.

I have the Pentax-A 50/2, Pentax-M 50/1.7 and the Pentax-M 50/1.4. The 50/1.7 is generally the sharpest followed by the 50/1.4 and then the 50/2 on my Pentax film bodies. I have been testing the 50/1.4 lenses on my Lumix and am very happy with it.

I also own the Pentax-M 28/2.8 and but my daughter has it (and my 50/1.7) and she seems to always forget to bring them back home when she visits so I have not tested them yet, but on my 35mm they were both excellent.

Right now my favorite toy is a Pentax-M 100/2.8 lens I picked up from another forum member.

 

My adapter arrived! Here are some sample images. First of all, Jupiter and Ganymede. This is a 100% crop from the JPEG that came out of the camera. No post-processing at all.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iR-X5EZvpYmya6TtO2UyUfSbXJ2TncoHExUAUx4nwzI?feat=embedwebsite">https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nZiFogXh8eA/TiyrfS5r_KI/AAAAAAAAAec/ZRLl5JgO0Mk/s800/Jupiter_Ganymede.JPG" height="347" width="472" /></a>

Next, the view out of the window from which the previous image was taken. Click for the original, again, straight from the camera, no post-processing. This lens is fast and crisp, and I love it. The only drawback is the ghost which has appeared on the hedge at the left, which has formed because of the bright street lamp. The focus is on the bricks to the left of the upstairs window, near the drain pipe.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/K2DmZMzX6vpqKN_L10TzwPSbXJ2TncoHExUAUx4nwzI?feat=embedwebsite">[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TjWCQOUOm3I/TiYWPJvJJLI/AAAAAAAAAdE/2Hm8XSsP07M/s640/R9302127.JPG" height="427" width="640" /></a>

Now, a couple of images of my cat. He behaved really well for this; the focus is on his left iris (the one on our right) in both images. Amazingly, when using the zoomed in focus, I could tell whether I'd focused on his iris or his cornea. Notice the hexagonal bokeh from my router in the first picture. I'd have preferred round, but at the price, who can complain? (-: In the background in the second photo is my monitor; my background image is a black and white photo of Earth from high orbit.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-4FT-mcAYIl5ep42VXuBRvSbXJ2TncoHExUAUx4nwzI?feat=embedwebsite">[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4qIMpEJSsT0/TiYWPxWd5yI/AAAAAAAAAdI/MKN89I5KfZs/s640/R9302141.JPG" height="427" width="640" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kSmpTtHtAL4j4McQsDE9PPSbXJ2TncoHExUAUx4nwzI?feat=embedwebsite">[img]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dVdX94svnOE/TiYWQU-SrDI/AAAAAAAAAdM/5WCM_8IbN00/s640/R9302142.JPG" height="427" width="640" /></a>

 

That background image makes your cat look like space kitteh!

 

Cassiopeiea, taken with the lens wide open from my back garden. Light pollution was high; I'm impressed with what this lens, and this camera, let me achieve. Click for full-sized fun.

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AqDr2qFCI2Fg1EJLCrhZ6vSbXJ2TncoHExUAUx4nwzI?feat=embedwebsite">

 

FYI: I am also "collecting" Pentax lenses, but probably going for K-r instead of m43 camera.
- No real experience yet, but own following manual focus lenses:

M 28 mm F2.8
A 50 mm F1.4
M 135 mm F3.5
M 200 mm F4

Planning to add a A 28 F2.8 (automatic aperture / metering control) as maybe also a M 50 mm F1.7 (just to play & compare).
- The 100 mm F2.8 seems to be relative expensive (like the 50 mm F1.4...)

 

hey joep, I reckon get a m43 camera as well. Thats what i did. I have the GF1 and a Nikon D90 and I use both depending what mood I'm in. It keeps it fun that way. I like it because I can use have different lenses on each camera and that also makes it easy for different shots.

 

Unfortunately the the market for used Pentax lenses of certain focal lengths can be rather steep because Pentax uses in body stabilization on their cameras. Plus they really don't have many modern prime lenses. The 100 is a very good lens.

I really like Pentax but their recent decision to cancel their FA Limited lens series has me really disappointed. I'm a prime lens user and have been diligently saving to buy these three for a year. I have all of their DA Limited's which are excellent lenses too.

If you are interested I will email you when I list my Pentax lenses on the Pentax Forums. I am going to be changing to a different company for DSLR. Unfortunately Pentax is getting away from prime lens photography. I'm not sure where they are heading. The cancel their best three lenses and release a cheap plastic super zoom. It should be in about 2 or so weeks. I have quite a large collection of K Mount primes and I will need to sell them quickly and therefore cheaply to get a new set of primes for the new mount. Sigh.....

 

I am sorry to hear that Pentax is going that way since I have used their 35mm film cameras for over 35 years (well not much the last 10 as I have been digital for while with Fuji and Lumix).

Are you sure you want to sell them and not just use them on your u4/3 camera?

If you do sell some I would be interested. I am especially looking for a 200/4 and 300/4 (or 5.6). I'd love the 400/5.6 but it is usually too high.

 

First need to get a Pentax DSLR .

I am not sure the rumor on their FA limited lenses is true and they just released a new more affordable prime (35 mm F2.4). And if those DA limited you have are execellent then way would it be a problem if they decided to focus on APC-S instead of FF and APC-S in parallel?

I go the M 200 mm F4 for only 35 Euro.

 

I guess my concern with Pentax is:

A) Is the brand going to be viable 2-3 years from now?

B) If they are cancelling the FA Limited's what's, the path with them towards higher end lenses? I just don't use zoom lenses and really outside of the 100mm Macro, I never need anything longer than 70 or so mm. Somehow cancelling their best lenses and releasing a plastic mount f2.4 35mm and a plastic 18-135mm doesn't indicate that Pentax is going in the direction that's for me. That's not saying they are a good company or that their products are bad.

I will probably hang onto the DA Limited's, a Vivitar Series I 105mm, and the K7 for while, but if I'm going to get the 20mm, 28mm, 50mm, 85mm primes for a new body sadly, I'll probably have to let everything else go. I've a Pentax user for years now so it kind of pains me....  

On the plus side the Takumars will work on the new mount with an adapter. The 85mm F1.8 is just an incredible lens.

 

My understanding is (if the FA Limited (all FF) will be really EOL) that Pentax will focus on non-full frame Limitted primes. Hopefully avordable non-limited as well as DA Limitted!!!

 

Maybe I should go looking for it now I am still living in Japan...

 

A very good yet forgotten lens by pentax ( people try to avoid it due to construction ). If a scary construction , if when the AF is running on your K-M or K-X feels that it will break this poor lens in half and you do not care much then this is the lens for you. FA 28-70 F4 , magnificent rendering , if you do not look on the exif we did a test with a friend of mine we could just about distinguish the rendering difference between a 77 and this lens this is to give you the level of quality of the optics, now the level of crapiness of the moving parts i personally have never seen anything like that. In two words great lens cheap , feels really cheap but amazing results.

 

I've been shut out on Pentax-brand lenses recently, - looking for a compact and light tele, but the non-macro 100 and 120/2.8 lenses command a premium! I've had some success on off-brand PK lenses though. I picked up both Rikenon 50 f/1.7 and f/2, can't really see a difference so will keep the 1.7 and put the f/2 back in the pool. I also use a Vivitar 28-105 zoom that outdueled several others in a similar range. A close 2nd was a Sakar 28-200, I would keep it if it were not 800 grams   or if it had a tripod mount! Even on my K-7 that beast is too much of a burden. I also have a nice Chinon 28/2.8 which I've put in the adapted-lens images section (along with the 28-105).

 

I picked up the Pentax-M 100/2.8 last year and it has about doubled in price.

Get your lenses now because when Nikon comes out with a mirror-less body (and especially when other follow suite) I expect prices to skyrocket.