MZ30 + TOKINA 500MM MIRROR LENS

I purchased today a 500mm tokina mirror lens, PK fit. I have tried it on my MZ30, before putting it on my mz3 or dl2. However, I have put the camera into manual focusing, and set the dial to AV. However, an icon in the bottom left of the lcd screen flashes av with ---- next to it, and I cannot change this ---- to F8. I did set av to f8 before putting the lens on, but it does not seem to register after putting the lens on. F appears in the viewfinder. The camera obviously will not fire. The lens is in mint condition. Any help would be appreciated - not sure if mz30 is just not compatible, or I am just plainly missing something!

Hi Hoofer, and welcome to the forum.

If it's a fully manual lens, which I'm fairly certain it is, then it won't have any electrical contacts to tell the camera what aperture it is. As it's a fixed aperture, there is also no finger to tell the camera either. This means that it will work out how much light is hitting the sensor and that's it. There is no way (or need for that matter) for the camera to know the aperture. Focus and click the shutter.

Hope that helps..

Cheers

Liam

Hi,
Thanks for info - is indeed a completely manual lens, but shutter will just not fire!

No it wont I'm afraid, the MZ30 requires lenses with an A setting on the aperture ring. I don't think there's any way to get around that but the lens will work OK on the MZ3.
It should also be fine on the DL2 but you may have to select "enable aperture ring" - or words to that effect, in one of the custom functions (I don't have access to my DL manual at the moment, so I can't be 100% certain).

Is your lens a fixed mount or does it use a T-mount adapter?
I could be completely wrong but I think it might be possible to get a T-mount with an aperture lever/contact, although I've no idea how it would couple with your mirror lens to indicate F8 ......I bet I'm thinking of something else!

yup unfortunately MZ30 and MZ60 are totally incompatible with non-A lenses. They wont even fire with a non-A lens mounted.

It will work perfectly on your MZ-3 and DL2, provided the custom function to allow shutter firing when not in the A position is set on the DL2.

Thanks for all your help
It certainly works ok on the MZ3, yet to try on DL2.
It has a PK mount, so I don't need any adapter

The T-mount adapter that I was referring to screws onto some lenses (eg. Centon 500mm mirror) and some accesories such as slide zoom copiers.

It's actually not a bad idea, much like Tamron's Adaptall system, because they only need to produce one version of the lens and the owner then buys a mount in the fitting he/she (must be PC) needs.

I know the T adapter is available in K mount but I seem to remember KA or KAF versions being advertised!!

Even if I'm right, it's no use to you if your lens doesn't use the T adapter - I just thought it might

Makes a bit of a mockery of Pentax's backward lens compatability doesn't it?
The MZ50 was the same, and the MZ60 was even worse and wouldn't even work with KA lenses.

Thank god I got into Pentax with the MZ7 or I may well have been a C or N user by now!

I thought the 30 and 60 were both OK with KA onwards but no good with anything with no A position?

Certainly my MZ-50 used to fire with non-A lenses, it just always metered as if the lens was wide open. This made it fine with Mirror lenses but a pain with anything else. MZ-30 and 60 refuse to fire without contacts

Hoofer, it will fire on the DL2 and work fine. If you have trouble getting it to work, PM me and I'll walk you through the custom settings. I used to have a 500mm CAT which I used on my DL2 no problems at all.