Genuine Pentax K/M42 adapter loose.

Hey there all, I decided I'd go ahead and buy an M42 adapter so I could use some old lenses, namely a 400mm I own.

Anyway, it arrived today from SRS Microsystems and generally all is well, but it wobbles. This doesn't seem to be a particularly big issue although on a couple of occasions when it moved right, the camera (K7) failed to recognise that a lens was attached.

I thought I'd upload a clip which I've uploaded to Youtube. Is this normal?

link

The camera won't detect any screw thread lens because there are no electrical contacts, so that is normal.

The technique is to attach the adapter to a lens and then fit the lens to the camera. Then lenses can be unscrewed and scewed in, effectively you have changed the body into a screw mount body.

However, that adapter seems much looser than mine is. I have no rotation at all.

All the ones I have owned had no play either .. they were in there solid.

I notice yours is made in the Philippines, first one I have seen that says that ... mine were all made in Japan

Yeah, Pentax don't manufacture many things in Japan anymore, in fact all of the cameras are currently made in the Philippines aren't they? The camera recognises that something is attached, until the adapter wobbles anti-clockwise (face on).

What I mean to say is, for example when there's no lens on the camera the F stop indicator shows - - - which is obviously the same when you have an old lens attached, however when my adapter wobbles anti-clockwise from face on the other indicators (ISO and shutter speed) go blank and the camera doesn't allow me to take a picture. Doesn't really make sense to me, the only other time I've experienced this was when my 18-55mm kit lens packed in (for unknown reasons), but it was clearly broken as all of my other modern k-mount lenses continued to work perfectly.

I've had a look at the adapter spring/lock and it appears just a fraction short of what would be required to hold it in place. It appears that if this wasn't the case I wouldn't be having this problem, I'm almost having to continually move the lens and consequently the adapter clockwise in order to find a sweet spot.

Interestingly the two other cases of this I managed to dig up on the net were using the older "Asahi Pentax - Japan" adapters which I presume simply predate the company's manufacturing operations in the Philippines.

I'm going to call SRS in the morning, but I hope this can be rectified as the few shots I got off (it was a horrible, hastily darkening afternoon and I was really just looking for clarity on distant objects) said a lot for the hand-me-down Optomax 400mm which I've never been able to use previously. Quite excited by the prospect of taking it out for a proper spin!

Thanks for your comments, hopefully I'll start a thread regarding pictures instead of problems one of these days! Merry Christmas.

I would put a wanted post on the sale section, I have sold quite a few of the old Japan versions on the forum for £25 or so. Unfortunately I sold the last one a few weeks ago when I got rid of my last M42 mount lens.

Did you pay the SRS new price or manage to get a used one?

It was £64.99.

Spoke to SRS, I'm to post it back to them and they'll send out a new one once it's received.

Owch .. I would ask for a refund and wait for a used one, they often come up here or on Ebay.

Depends how badly you want it I suppose.

One went for about £13 on ebay yesterday fell asleep and missed it (old age)
Dave

Well if the replacement doesn't wobble then all is well. Otherwise I'll be getting a second hand one.

Are you sure that the camera contact pins are working? If the lens has black paint on the mount it won't work?... try a piece of alloy foil across the contacts on the camera then screw the lens on top of it.

If the 400mm has a detachable T-Mount (held on by 3/4 grub screws) it's easier to change that to a K mount... costs about £5 off ebay T or T2 Mount will work.

If you get stuck I've a spare genuine Pentax Japanese mount that I bought off a local dealer for £23 and would be happy to sell it to you for the same.

There you go ... bargain.

Ask SRS for a refund and take up Algi's kind offer.