thompsonkirk
Member
Adapting Pentax 645 lenses, and perhaps others, to GFX with Fotodiox:
I've acquired the Pentax 645 35 and 55mm manual focus lenses to use with GFX and find them quite impressive, but I ran into an adapter issue that others might want to know about.
With no Novoflex adapters yet available I'd ordered a Fotodiox, but found it has an unattractive feature: It comes with its own Arca tripod fitting under the adapter, which would be nice if it didn't interfere with L-brackets and some tripod plates. For me it stuck out in a poor place for handling and was in the way of my Kirk L-bracket. So I emailed Fotodiox and they said just undo the screws that attach the Arca plate. I did so, only to find that without the screws, two holes open up between the outer world and the inner lens chamber – the screw holes are bored all the way through. Were you to lose or strip one of these small screws when removing them, you'd be, um, screwed. So for Pentax 645 lenses, I strongly suggest ordering Kipon or something else instead of Fotodiox. I don't know whether all the other Fotodiox adapters have Arca tripod plates attached, but I'd avoid them if they do. Even if you'd like an Arca plate attached to your adapter, you'd find it's in a particularly awkward place when the camera is hand-held.
Kirk
I've acquired the Pentax 645 35 and 55mm manual focus lenses to use with GFX and find them quite impressive, but I ran into an adapter issue that others might want to know about.
With no Novoflex adapters yet available I'd ordered a Fotodiox, but found it has an unattractive feature: It comes with its own Arca tripod fitting under the adapter, which would be nice if it didn't interfere with L-brackets and some tripod plates. For me it stuck out in a poor place for handling and was in the way of my Kirk L-bracket. So I emailed Fotodiox and they said just undo the screws that attach the Arca plate. I did so, only to find that without the screws, two holes open up between the outer world and the inner lens chamber – the screw holes are bored all the way through. Were you to lose or strip one of these small screws when removing them, you'd be, um, screwed. So for Pentax 645 lenses, I strongly suggest ordering Kipon or something else instead of Fotodiox. I don't know whether all the other Fotodiox adapters have Arca tripod plates attached, but I'd avoid them if they do. Even if you'd like an Arca plate attached to your adapter, you'd find it's in a particularly awkward place when the camera is hand-held.
Kirk
