Suggestion with Pentax body?

baivab · Jul 4, 2004

Hello,

After doing some research I found that used Pentax K-mount lens one can get for cheap and excellent quality. I don't have a problem with manual focus, but heard that some Pentax bodies actually show a Green LED in view-finder if focusing is correct! My biggest problem is controlling the exposure and thus the model I'm looking at should provide good exposure metering facilities that too with K-mount manual lens.

Thus, can anyone suggest a good Pentax body to support such K-mount lens along with the good features I mentioned?

Any help will be much appreciated. I am new to Photography and thus getting confused.

Regards,

Bob-A virgin photographer.

baivab · Jul 5, 2004

Let's forget the green light. Just thinking of which good Pentax body I should buy that which accepts also K-mount lens. Any known caveats when I use a Pentax body with a K-mount lens?

ksmattfish · Jul 5, 2004

Most Pentax bodies built after 1970 or so use K-mount lenses. All of the auto-focus bodies will have the focus indicator light in the veiwfinder.

tr0gd0o0r · Jul 5, 2004

Well, i'm not real sure what your budget is, and I'm not incredibly familiar with Pentax's camera inbetween the K-series and the ZX series, but here's a great link for ya.

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/bodies/index.html

If you're looking for something cheap, i'd go for an ME F or ME super (make sure ift has manual exposure.) The next tier up (i believe) is the ZX series. Out of this bunch, I'd recommend the ZX-M. It has all manual controls, and a pretty good auto exposure system. The zx-30 is also a good camera if you want one that will wind the film itself (the ZX-60 sucks, don't buy it).

If you're really looking for some good auto exposure modes, some of the cameras have several exposure modes, but they're pretty pricey.

Good luck with you're search. These cameras all take the K-mount lenses btw. You'll ahve to be careful with the zx models (and maybe the Ms also i'm not sure) because they have to have lenses that relay the aperture/ shutter speed information to the body. Most K-mount lenses have this, but some older ones don't

Java · Jul 30, 2004

Sorry to wake up a three week old thread, but I just joined. I had exactly the same question, so I thought I'd tag along on this thread. My ancient, battered K1000 needs a companion. I'm hopng to find something that will be compatable with my old k mount m series lenses.
trOgdOoOr; Why do you say the ZX60 sucks? I was looking at the ZX-M, 'cause I don't need AF, but the volume of sales makes the ZX60 cheaper.
Another dumb question; The link you gave listed the ZX60 as using a "crippled K-af lens" What does that mean?
I'm a decent photographer, but I haven't bought much new gear in about 24 years, so I don't know much about what's currently available out there.

Have Fun,
Tom

tr0gd0o0r · Jul 31, 2004

I've held a zx60 once or twice, and it just didn't feel right. And the meter really got on my nerves. It was way too big. Other than that, its about all i'm going on.

I'm not positive on what "crippled" means, but i have a feeling. I think its talking about the inability to set the aperture using the aperture ring on the lens. Or maybe that the lens has to have a way to communicate the aperture/shutter speed to the camera to function. The 30 has a manual focus, so thats not it. The ZX-M is a good camera. I'd recommend it. have you looked at the ist? I haven't. I'm just offering another suggestion, cuz i really like my istd

Java · Aug 2, 2004

Hey, trOgdOoOr, I finally got out to a brick and morter camera shop, to play with the ZX60, and guess what? It sucks! For any ZX60 fans taking offense, I just mean it doesn't feel right to me.
Also, note to baivab, with my old Kmount M series 50mm/1.4 mounted, I could not trip the shutter on it. Some electrical contact not being made or something. It behaved as if it had no lens at all on it.
It looks like it might be a ZX-L for me......

Have Fun,
Tom

Sash[DSL] · Aug 2, 2004

whAt do you mean by being unable to "trip" the shutter on it?

photobug · Aug 2, 2004

I believe some of the newer Pentax bodies (*istD for sure) have a custom function menu setting that enables older lenses to be used with the camera in different modes.

On the *istD it's called "Aperture Other Than A", and allows you to set the aperture on the lens, instead of on the camera.

And the "crippled" KAF mount does not have the electrical contact required for the older "power zoom" lenses, which worked like P&S zooms (instead of manual zooming), though not very well apparently.

Java · Aug 26, 2004

I've been away for a couple of weeks, but I've been doing some research.
First of all, Sash, sorry about the old school language. I meant when I pushed the shuttle release button, nothing happened. The shutter wouldn't open. Last week, I talked the guy into letting me bring in my old lenses, and shoot a roll with my lenses on a new ZX-L. (I bought the film from him, and I paid him for 1 hour developing.)
The light meter worked, but it defaulted to center-weighted, with the old K-mount lens. Auto focus obviously didn't work, but I DID get an "in focus" light in the view finder, when focused.
One bit of wierdness that Pentax doesn't bother to advertise; Put an old MANUAL lens on it. Set the focus switch on the camera to AUTO. Set the focus ring on the lens to a distance, say, 30 feet. Push and hold down the shutter release button, and when something gets to within that distance, and the infocus light comes on, it takes the shot.
I can't think of much use for it, but it's kind of cool. Maybe if you've got an un-trained trigger finger, you could use it to catch fast cars, birds in flight, etc.
So anyway, I can comfirm that the ZX-L works in manual/manual mode with the old k-mount m-series lenses.
Oh, and phottobug, thanks for the answer to the "crippled" question.

Have Fun,
Tom