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!

Pentax 67 lenses on MFD SLR system

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Hello all,

Following my earlier (stupid) question, I have a different question! If I want to use my Pentax 67 lenses on a Medium Format digital SLR, what option do I have? The only one I can think of is the Phase system of backs with a Mamiya (or Phase or Leaf) body, and trying to find a mount adaptor to mount the lenses. Is this possible? Does anyone know of such a mount? Would the lenses work properly this way? Would the autofocus system provide focus confirmation if I were to use an adaptor?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

All the best,

Ed
 

kipling

New member
i have a pentax 67 adapter for contax 645 bodies if that is what you're looking for. bought it from zoerk about two years ago and used some pentax glass on my contax. works well for some applications where speed isn't an issue.
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Thanks for that - appreciate it. Does the AF system provide focus confirmation when you are using Pentax 67 lenses on this body?
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Yes, you can use it on the Mamiya 645 AFD, AFDII, or Phase One 645 via an adapter. In each case the AF Focus Confirmation would still work.

Those bodies will accept Hassy 200, Hassy 500 (V), Pentax, and all sorts of other whacky glass while maintaining some degree of aperture-priority metering and AF confirmation.

Doug Peterson, Head of Technical Services
Capture Integration, Phase One Dealer
Personal Portfolio
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Yes, you can use it on the Mamiya 645 AFD, AFDII, or Phase One 645 via an adapter. In each case the AF Focus Confirmation would still work.

Those bodies will accept Hassy 200, Hassy 500 (V), Pentax, and all sorts of other whacky glass while maintaining some degree of aperture-priority metering and AF confirmation.

Doug Peterson, Head of Technical Services
Capture Integration, Phase One Dealer
Personal Portfolio
Doug, what is your experience - if any - of the older non-AF Mamiya lenses on the Phase One/AFDIII? Page 83 of the Instruction Manual says they will not work with stop down metering - which is true of my 80.f1.9 and 200.f2.8. Focus confirmation works but the metering gives nonsense readings.

Yet Jack, elsewhere on this forum, has found that one of his old Mamiya lenses does work. What's your take?

Bill
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Thanks everyone for your help so far on this. It's exciting me, because it's making me think that jumping to medium format digital might be possible for me (it kinda depends on using the P67 lenses I already have, at least in the short-term).

Just one follow-on question. Doug, you said "Those bodies will accept Hassy 200, Hassy 500 (V), Pentax, and all sorts of other whacky glass while maintaining some degree of aperture-priority metering and AF confirmation." The phrase "some degree" is concerning me a little! If I use P67 glass with an adaptor, can I expect to be able to meter with them, or might I have the same problem experienced by some of the manual focus Mamiya lenses?

Many thanks.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Don't know where that info came from...

As I said, MF lenses work on the Phase One 645 (same as AFD III). You'll need to place them in M mode (manual stop down) and metering is locked to center point and is hit-or-miss. The Autofocus Confirmation system works perfectly, so as you focus and the AF-confirmation system will tell you when you are in perfect focus for that subject.

These lenses are not a great replacement for a Sekor D as a main lens. They tend to be less sharp wide open and exhibit more chromatic aberration. But they are still pretty good lenses and are an amazingly inexpensive way to expand your available line of glass. For instance an 55-110mm f/4.5 lens in excellent condition can be had for $199. If you're photography calls for a zoom to be your main lens then this would be a terrible choice compared to one of the new Sekor D zooms, but if you're primarily a landscape shooter you could pick up this zoom lens for that rare occasion when you need something longer.

Here is a sampling of the MF lenses which could ship today from KEH.com

35mm f/3.5 - bargain condition - $159
45mm f/2.8 - excellent condition - $215
55mm f/4.5 - excellent condition - $199
80mm f/4 Macro - excellent condition - $149
110mm f/2.8 - poor condition - $80
145mm f/4 - soft focus - excellent condition - $225
210mm f/4 - excellent condition - $65
300mm f/5.6 - excellent condition - $235

One of the many benefits of an extremely open Phase One system :).

Doug Peterson, Head of Technical Services
Capture Integration, Phase One Dealer | Personal Portfolio
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Don't know where that info came from...

As I said, MF lenses work on the Phase One 645 (same as AFD III). You'll need to place them in M mode (manual stop down) and metering is locked to center point and is hit-or-miss. The Autofocus Confirmation system works perfectly, so as you focus and the AF-confirmation system will tell you when you are in perfect focus for that subject.

These lenses are not a great replacement for a Sekor D as a main lens. They tend to be less sharp wide open and exhibit more chromatic aberration. But they are still pretty good lenses and are an amazingly inexpensive way to expand your available line of glass. For instance an 55-110mm f/4.5 lens in excellent condition can be had for $199. If you're photography calls for a zoom to be your main lens then this would be a terrible choice compared to one of the new Sekor D zooms, but if you're primarily a landscape shooter you could pick up this zoom lens for that rare occasion when you need something longer.

Here is a sampling of the MF lenses which could ship today from KEH.com

35mm f/3.5 - bargain condition - $159
45mm f/2.8 - excellent condition - $215
55mm f/4.5 - excellent condition - $199
80mm f/4 Macro - excellent condition - $149
110mm f/2.8 - poor condition - $80
145mm f/4 - soft focus - excellent condition - $225
210mm f/4 - excellent condition - $65
300mm f/5.6 - excellent condition - $235

One of the many benefits of an extremely open Phase One system :).

Doug Peterson, Head of Technical Services
Capture Integration, Phase One Dealer | Personal Portfolio
There may be a misunderstanding here - perhaps I have not been very clear.

First, the older Mamiya lenses WILL fit the newer cameras.

Second, you CAN get autofocus confirmation - the green dot - of manual focus

Third, in my experience and according to the Phase 645 manual, stop down metering will NOT work. It gives readings that are way underexposed at full aperture, less so as the you approach minimum aperture.

But I agree completely with Doug re lens quality. I use mostly "D" lenses which are all state-of-the-art. I have an old F1.9 "N" lens for things like the northern lights, where the wide aperture is more important than resolution. I also have a 200 mm 2.8 Apo which is just a tad sharper than the already very sharp 210 mm AF lens. But because I can't get stop down metering to work, I'll sell this lens.

I'd love to hear from other Phase/AFDIII users about their experience with the older lenses.

Bill
 
Top