suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Hi All- wondering if anyone is using vintage Pentax lenses on your Pentax digital camera? If so what have your results been? Any tips? I ask because I have not had good luck with accurate focus using a Pentax Takumar 50 mm lens on my K-3 ll. Focus confirmation comes on and the photo appears in focus but when downloaded to the computer image is not in focus. Probably 90% of my first batch were out of focus. I set up the camera as recommended on an Internet site so I think I have all the basics in place. I have focused from the viewfinder and live view with focus peaking with similar results. I am using the Pentax adapter. I have used this lens on the Sony a6000 with excellent results- so simple. Any user input would be greatly appreciated. Oh and I have used modern AF lens in AF with this camera with no problems.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

It might help if you would post several pictures with (store original) checked so we could see what you are seeing.

Since you specifically asked about our experience, I am posting a couple of pictures I took recently with my Pentax-A lens on my K-30. These are strictly Straight-Out-of-Camera, so you can see what I saw when I first downloaded them. The first one was taken in "A" mode, so it has a reported F-stop, namely f/1.7. The second one doesn't have an F-stop reported in the EXIF, because I set it using the aperture ring, but the shutter speed was a fairly low 1/15, so I'm thinking that it was also taken at f/1.7, since going to a lower aperture would have enabled me to use a higher shutter speed. I'm always impressed by how sharp this lens is, but such a large lens opening should have given me a shallow Depth-Of-Field; since the images look good to me none-the-less, I must have nailed the focus.

These two pictures are not exceptions. Typically I use a new auto-focus lens with that camera, but I cannot think of any time I've been disappointed when I've used one of my old manual focus Pentax-A or Pentax-M on my K-30.


added: could the focus confirmation mean that part of the picture is in focus, but just not the part of the scene that you are interested in??

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suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Yes that is a good possibility. In manual it seems that the only focus area available is a single focus point right in the middle of the screen and that point can't be changed. However I could focus and then re-compose and see what happens. I can also try one of my other vintage Pentax lenses and see the results. The odd thing is I also used focus peaking in live view and those results were also out of focus for the most part. Makes me think the lens and camera are not communicating. I will work on it some more and if the same thing happens I will post results. I trashed all the first attempts :( With the Sony I only use focus peaking through the VF and TV mode with the aperture set on the lens. The camera picks the speed and off we go- everything I want sharp is sharp. Thanks for your response.

corryhully Loc: liverpool uk

am i right in thinking that the lens is a takumar 50mm 1.4 m42 mount?

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Yes-one and the same-

corryhully Loc: liverpool uk

an excellent lens. i have used one on an eos dslr with a chipped adapter but found that the focus confirmation was way off. i guessed it to be either dodgy chip or thickness of the adapter throwing the focus off. i ended up focusing by sight. also, but you probably know this already, to focus a 1.4 wide open is not the easiest thing to do as the dof is very narrow. when i first got my takumar it was very yellow which made it somewhat soft. it took a good few weeks to get it clear ( uv treatment) but it made a huge difference. they used thorium glass in the construction which is radio active.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

That would explain things- works really well with the Sony though. I love the lens. Was hoping I would love it on the Pentax with the stabilization in the Pentax body : ( Like you said very difficult to focus wide open by sight. I'll try another vintage lens and see how that goes.

corryhully Loc: liverpool uk

get yourself a pentax spotmatic 35mm and you will experience it in its true domain.
much easier to focus also. you can pick them up for buttons on ebay :)

drharveys Loc: Holly Springs, NC

Look at pentaxforums.com for tons of info about use of legacy Pentax lenses on modern DSLRs.

FL Streetrodder

I have several vintage Pentax lenses that I frequently use on my Pentax DSLR and have not had the problems you describe. I would suspect a problem with your specific lens, but you say you have used it on another camera body with no problems which seems to rule out that theory.

nitrophil Loc: Dayton, Ohio

I have used a couple of my old Pentax lenses on my K-10d, my best results came from using manual focus mode and stopped the lens down as far as possible due to lighting conditions. Try bracketing the pics using different f/stops, then you have something to compare. I have a K-50, but haven't used that one with the old lens yet but that doesn't change my method. Don't give up on them, they're still good, and it's still fun. Good luck.

drharveys Loc: Holly Springs, NC

I have a K-50 and have not had any issues with old Pentax lenses- M42 screw mount and manual. I set up to use the green button to stop lens down on non-A manual lenses when the setting in Custom menu 4, #22 Using Aperture Ring is set to option 2

PaulR

Have used this lens for years now on my Pentax K5 and now my Pentax K511s. I use it mainly for photo art. I will never part with this one because of the beautiful creamy boka which has the dreamiest effect in close up photos. I do not find this lens to be good for snapshots, but oh how beautiful for close ups...dont give up on this one..I didnt and have found it very useful for this specific purpose. I had to sun treat mine to remove the yellow in the lens and now it is as clear and beautiful as a new one.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I need to keep at it. I tried the 135mm, 50 mm and 28 mm Takumar lenses (all of these require the M 42 adapter). I find that focus confirmation and focus peaking are not reliable although every now and then the image will be in sharp focus. The only thing I have found to be reliable is the magnified view on Live View. It has been frustrating coming from using these lenses with good results (exposure and focus) on the Sony a6000. Rather ironical.

Kuzano

I have used legacy lenses, and came to the conclusion that digital means of focus, ie the focus screens placed in digital cameras are poorly designed for manual focus lenses.

I started switching to Katz-Eye screens with Opti-brite coating and split image/prism style focus patterns.

Problem solved. Usually come with instructions to change screens, but I sent my first one to Katz-Eye for installation.

Here is their web page for Pentax, make sure yours is listed if you follow up on this.

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/cat--Pentax-DSLRs--cat_pentax.html