Little Plastic Dot on SMC Lens

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen!

Canada Customs finally coughed up my F4 35-70 SMC Auto Zoom lens, but is still sitting on my instruction manual on CD.

I've matched the lens with the Super Program body I've been fortunate enough to adopt, and all seems to work wonderfully (whacking through a test roll as we speak).

I believe I've figured out most functions and features all by my widdle self, but I have a question.

On my lens, and I believe on all SMC K mount zooms(?) that I've seen pictures of, there is a little dome shaped plastic dot between the aperture ring and the zoom ring. Mine is yellow.

As Pentax engineering is amazing, I can't think that this is purely decorative, so what does it indicate/do?

I know I'll smack my forehead when I hear the answer, but for now I'm flummoxed.

Thanks. Oh, and by the way - y'all are taking beautiful pictures lately.

Cheers

You are asking what I have been thinking for quite a while as well

If you line up the plastic dot with the lens release lever on the camera body, you can orientate the lens correctly for insertion by feel, as opposed to searching for the red dots in perhaps poor light.

It's just there to help when changing lenses.

So it is something from the 'past'. It doesn't line up with anything on my DS.

It should line up with the lens release button to show you the position of the lens before you insert it into the bayonet. Once the lens is clicked home, it won't line up.

It has been dropped from current lenses.

Thanks, John.

I had actually almost thought of that as I gazed at the positioning and realized where it was.

Are all the various dots the same colour? I figure they could use different colours to identify wide, from normal, from telephoto from zoom etc. as these lenses all sort of look alike in dim light (or to myopic old geezers like myself).

Thank's for the info as always,

We're almost chatting in real-time here!

The M series dot is white and the A-series dot is yellow.

Thanks John,

That explains even more - I thought some pictures of the M lenses were overexposed, but the dot is White!

Now George has to get a whole series in white and another whole series in yellow. There's just no respite for that poor man.

There are 15 Snowy Owls reported in my area, so I'm off with my Nikon totin' brother-in-law to shoot some long lenses and high speed film.

Have a great evening!

JR left out lenses with green dots. Any idea what they are?

And Mac, I don't buy lenses any more.

G

Green dots must be the ones we look at with envious thoughts.....

And ... red dots on Leica M lenses, blue on Zeiss ZM, lenses .... what colour will Zeiss use for its proposed Z/M42 lens range etc ... ?

G.L. Said:

1. JR left out lenses with green dots. Any idea what they are?

2. And Mac, I don't buy lenses any more.

George,

1. Bet they come in little leather pouches, eh? And us peasants never see 'em 'cause you've got them all - Bwaa Haa Haa Haaaa.

2. Nowwww, let's see you wriggle out of your last admonishment to me!

Either you've redefined the word "buy" or your wife was looking over your shoulder.

You're still the Potentate of Pentax in my book!

Cheers

Mac,

You are correct about the little leather pouches - and JR was therefore not quite correct to say that dots are not applied to current lenses. They are - to two of them. For some reason the 43 is undotted.

And Mac, my last lens transaction was a sale. So will the next twenty be, probably. Perhaps I can interest you in a nice little M series number?

G

I never noticed, but it's true, the A lenses have yellow dots, the M lenses have white dots, and the Limited lenses have green dots.

Perhaps because they can make people green wih envy?

The FA and DFA lense have no dot. Too bad, it's kind of handy sometimes.

George,

Now you've done it!

I can hear the rumble of the stampede from way over here!

How are you ever going to manage this? One at a time or a listing?

I just hope no-one gets hurt!