ME-Super / P30 which lenses?
The mounts for all pentax lenses are essentially the same (expect for M42 which is a screw mount).
The following prefixes are used to denote certain features:
K - the 'original' bayonet mount, aperture controlled by ring around throat of lens
KA - Very similar to K, 'upgraded' with electrical contacts to provide info regarding lens settings. Includes facilities for camera body to control aperture.
F/FA - both denote autofocus, may be considered as autofocus versions of KA. I'm not sure of differences, I think F might be earlier versions and FA might have improved MTF (essentially the electronics that communicate with the camera body)
FAJ - Similar to FA but with no aperture ring, hence cannot use on vast majority of older cameras (camera body must have facility to control aperture). very recent type.
DA - designed for digital, no ideas, have managed to steer clear of digital so far!
In terms of suitability, all lenses that are K, KA, F and FA will work fine, and these constitute pretty much all of the currently available second-hand lenses. Neither the ME-Super or P30 are autofocus bodes, so there is no point spending extra on AF lenses as they can only be used in manual focus mode anyway. Also, I gather use of K series lenses on the P30 might cause problems as certain information provided by the electrical contacts on KA lenses is needed - the metering can be problematic wthout this. In light of this, I'd suggest , for cheapness and simplicity, go for KA lenses if you can find them, although you can use F and FA lenses in manual focus.
Hope this helps
Matt
john
Add Comment
To leave a comment - Log in to Pentax User or create a new account.
72 posts
19 years
Doncaster
Which are the best (affordable) lenses to use on these cameras, in terms of mount? What is the difference between K bayonet and KA etc?
Thanks in advance for your help.