The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

DSLR with Pentax K mount?

Rawfa

Active member
Since now I have a bunch of Pentax K lenses I'd like to know if Pentax has any digital cameras that take this mount?
 

trisberg

New member
I'm pretty sure all of their DSLRs use K-mount. I think the new K-7 looks pretty tasty and if I didn't already have a Canon Rebel XSi I would probably buy one.

-Thomas
 

Rawfa

Active member
Hum, I'm not so sure about this. I went to visit Pentax's website and this is what it said regarding for instance the Pentax 7-K:

Lens Mount: Type/construction - PENTAX KAF2 bayonet stainless steel mount; Usable lenses - PENTAX KAF3, KAF2, KAF, and KA (K mount, 35mm screwmount, 645/67 med format lenses useable w/ adapter and/or restrictions); SDM function - Yes; Power zoom function: Yes

http://www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/

I think an adapter is necessary.
 

kevinparis

Member
you can mount k mount lenses on a fourthirds camera with inexpensive adapter. Stop down metering of course.

k
 

Lili

New member
With stopped down metering any of the older Pentax lenses can be used quite happily on any Pentax DSLR.
With an adapter even the screw-mount ones work with the in-body IS.
And Kevin is quite right about using the same lenses on 4/3 and m4/3 bodies.
 

nostatic

New member
"A" lenses will fully work on any Pentax dSLR. "M" lenses you have to manually set aperture, but otherwise meter and work as well.

Currently you can pick up a new K20d for around $600. It is a lot of camera for the money - arguably as good iq as any APS camera and as Lili said you get SR with any lens you use. Plenty of Takamur fans out there that are still using them.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Yes, all the Pentax lenses ever made will work on all the Pentax DSLR bodies, the bayonet mount models just go on, the M42 screw mount models use the same adapter Pentax offered for them in the 1970s (and is still available new). They function with more automation than they do when adapted to FourThirds or micro-FourThirds ... auto-iris works for all K-mount lenses, the K and M-series allow semi-automatic metering in Manual exposure mode, the A-series allows all metering modes, the F and later series are fully functional with AF and all other particulars.

They work well together. I shot with Pentax gear for a few years before moving to FourThirds. If you have a good bunch of Pentax lenses, I recommend their DSLR bodies ... even the oldest makes excellent image quality.

FWIW: I have a Pentax K10D body in excellent+ condition for sale if anyone is interested. Email or message me if you are.
 

m3photo

New member
Re: K10D (Not 4/3rds I know but ...)

FWIW: I have a Pentax K10D body in excellent+ condition for sale if anyone is interested. Email or message me if you are.
Quite right Godfrey. This is why Pentax are well considered for their policy of backwards compatibility. Even the present digital bodies all have a setting in the Menu that allows you to tell it when an old A lens is fitted.
Just to help if anyone wants to see how a K10D fares out in the big wide world may I be so bold as to post a set of links to many pictures taken with this camera and two Pancake lenses: the 21mm (32mm eq.) and the 70mm (105mm eq.), the perfect walkabout kit - excepting the G1 of course;):
http://www.pbase.com/m3photo/florence
http://www.pbase.com/m3photo/capri
http://www.pbase.com/m3photo/rome
http://www.pbase.com/m3photo/malta
http://www.pbase.com/m3photo/tunis
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Re: K10D (Not 4/3rds I know but ...)

...
Just to help if anyone wants to see how a K10D fares out in the big wide world may I be so bold as to post a set of links to many pictures taken with this camera and two Pancake lenses: the 21mm (32mm eq.) and the 70mm (105mm eq.), the perfect walkabout kit - excepting the G1 of course;)
...
Nice work.

My most used and favorite Pentax kit, after running through I can't say how many different lenses and other combinations including all the DA*s and such, was the *ist DS body fitted with either the DA21 or FA43 Limiteds. Add the DA14 for a wider wide occasionally (although it's bulky) and either the DA70 or FA77 for a nice long option, and that did the number.

The K10D is a better performer than the *ist DS in every way, but somehow I never really liked shooting with it as much, which prompted me to try the Panasonic L1 when they all of a sudden went for fire sale prices (less than half the previous street price in Spring/Summer 2007). Within a couple of months I realized that I'd hardly touched the K10D since the L1 arrived and decided to beef up the FourThirds kit and divest myself of the Pentax kit.

Nothing's perfect, but I like shooting with the L1, E-1 and G1 quite a lot. And I look forward now to the GF1, it is approaching my ideal camera, although the L1 remains my standard camera for assignment work still.
 

m3photo

New member
Re: K10D (Not 4/3rds I know but ...)

Nice work.

The K10D is a better performer than the *ist DS in every way, but somehow I never really liked shooting with it as much, which prompted me to try the Panasonic L1 when they all of a sudden went for fire sale prices (less than half the previous street price in Spring/Summer 2007). Within a couple of months I realized that I'd hardly touched the K10D since the L1 arrived and decided to beef up the FourThirds kit and divest myself of the Pentax kit.
Thanks.
I went up to a K20D (when I could still afford swapping and changing) but one thing that niggles me no end with this and the previous one is the "Ka-Chang" sound when you press the shutter. I only use it for aerial work now and up in a helicopter you can't hear it somehow :D. I've listened to the K-7 and it's wonderfully dampened, though unaffordable at present.
I followed a similar pattern with regards to my Canon 5D and lenses and offloaded the lot in exchange for the G1 and like Diane, don't seem to miss it at all! She's still hanging on to hers (for T/S lenses etc.) but for me the quality of this little gem is perfectly adequate even after tasting the full-frame option from Canon.
 

Rawfa

Active member
I've found a great deal here and Spain but I'd like to clarify something before. If I put an older lens on a Pentax *ist DL will I still be able to get the exposure metering?
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I've found a great deal here and Spain but I'd like to clarify something before. If I put an older lens on a Pentax *ist DL will I still be able to get the exposure metering?
As I posted up-thread:

speaking of Pentax lens series from oldest to newest...

Auto-iris works for all K-mount lenses, in all series. The K and M-series allow semi-automatic metering in Manual exposure mode, the A-series allows all metering modes, the F and later series are fully functional with AF and all other particulars.
 
Top