Digital Camera to Accept M42 Lenses?

Newbie here with the dumb quetion of the day.

I have managed to acquire a nice collection of Takumar and SMC screw mount lenses along with some beautiful Spotmatic bodies.

With the inevitable reduction in the availability of 35MM film/prints/processing etc, will there be a future for my lenses - ie: a Digital SLR that will accept them? (I'd keep the bodies as a collector).

As my lenses are all fixed length, manual focus and pretty much manual apature, I wouldn't expect to use them in any "coupled" manner.

As you've probably gleaned, I know absolutely nothing about digital technology - so feel free to ignore this query if I'm totally out to lunch.

Thanks

Pentax makes an adapter which allows 42mm screw-mount lenses to be used on most K-mount bodies, including the DSLRs. They are often sold on Ebay.

However, the overhang on the pentaprism housing (on the *ist D - the other bodies may be different) reduces the headroom above the auto/manual switch on the lens, so if you have big fingers this may be a problem.

George

George, thank's for your kind indulgence - so there is hope afterall - albeit with digital surgury - and I don't mean on the camera!

Off to eBay...

Cheers.....

So if you set the auto/manual switch to manual, the lens will stop down to the set aperture. Does this mean that the digital bodies will then operate quite happily in aperture priority?

OK, focusing would have to be done wide open, then the aperture just turned to whatever you wanted and then the camera would set the shutter speed. That would be easier than using the stop down lever for a bayonet lens, wouldn't it?

Yes John,

fully manual screw lenses (or those with an auto/manual switch) can indeed be used in aperture priority mode in this way. This can be very handy, depending on the available light.

Steve


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If it wasn't for the overhang, which makes operating the auto/manual switch less easy than it might be, using a screw-mount lens is possibly even easier than using an M or K lens.

1 Select Av mode
2 Select aperture (on the lens!)
3 Switch to Auto (on the lens)
4 Compose and focus
5 Switch to Manual (on the lens)
6 Shoot.

Repeat steps 3 til 6 until you fill the card or run out of ideas.

Of course, with enough light, or if you want a wide aperture, you can omit steps 3 and 5.

G

I think I would just open the lens using the aperture ring to focus, and then close it again, rather than using the A/M switch.

That works fine, but unless you are good at counting the clicks you may get an aperture which isn't quite the one you wanted.

G

That works fine, but unless you are good at counting the clicks you may get an aperture which isn't quite the one you wanted.

G

This might seem a dumb question too but I have absolutely no experience of M42 lenses, never even seen one ('til my first one arrives next week).

Assuming I don't have any screw mount bodies, do I fit one adapter per M42 lens, and leave it on it. Or is only one adapter fitted to the body, and when switching M42's, unscrew and refit the next M42 lens?

Screw the adapter on to the back of the lens. Then bayonet the combination onto the camera. When you unscrew the lens the adapter will remain on the body - you have effectively turned a bayonet body into a screw mount one. Lenses can now be screwed on and off as you wish.

When you have finished with the adapter, depress a small spring in the adapter and carefully rotate and remove it from the body.

Wow,

This started as one of my first questions on this wonderful forum, and it's really spooky to be coming back after all these months with input.

As I move into K mount camera bodies, and as I wait for my first real K mount lens to arrive (Just won an SMC Pentax A f4 35 - 70 Zoom on eBay), I've been using my collection of M42 lenses on a K Mount Super Program with an adapter.

I've found that the thickness of the adapter flange (mine's about 3/64" acts like a very short extension tube. This make a huge difference in focusing beyond about 5 feet for my prime lenses. The only lens I can get away with at infinity is my trusty old 500mm Russian mirror lens - which has no fixed infinity point.

Now, the flange extension sure helps you focus CLOSER to your subject.

So far, when shooting beyond 5 feet, I've closed the lens down as much as I possibly can, and hope the greater Depth of Field will compensate.

We'll see. The first films should be developed by tomorrow.

Cheers All!

Mac,

Is your adapter a pukka Pentax one or a third party copy ?

I need to buy one and I'd rather not have the same issue.

Cheers.

The Pentax K mount adapter has no extension, but lies flush within the mount. This is essential so that you can still focus on infinity.

They are less than £15 new, and are still available from your dealer.

See?

No end to what can be learned here.

Thanks John!

I KNEW there had to be a better way!

Well off to - back to - eBay.