The Moon.
Very cinematic. I like it.
You can pick up an adaptor on eBay for £3-4 so it's certainly worth doing that.
I heard that people are inclined to stay away from the cheap ones on eBay?
Many 3rd party older lenses use a T2 mount which can be swapped, so you can replace the M42 with a K mount rather than adding an adapter. A new T2 mount isn't expensive and it'll be much easier to use. Judging by photos I've found of the Optomax 400mm f6.3 I suspect that it is a T2 mount. Just loosen the three screws in the knurled bit next to the mounting thread and unscrew the mount from the lens, the K mount fits on in the same way (but can be rotated to put infinity focus on top).
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Have a look at the mount on your lens before you buy anything else
Many 3rd party older lenses use a T2 mount which can be swapped, so you can replace the M42 with a K mount rather than adding an adapter. A new T2 mount isn't expensive and it'll be much easier to use. Judging by photos I've found of the Optomax 400mm f6.3 I suspect that it is a T2 mount. Just loosen the three screws in the knurled bit next to the mounting thread and unscrew the mount from the lens, the K mount fits on in the same way (but can be rotated to put infinity focus on top).
@Steep could you possibly link me to one?
@Dangermouse I'm not sure I follow, although I do have a spare K mount on a broken lens?
This is the mounting on the Optomax I have:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Macro-M42-Lens-Pentax-PK-camera-adapter-K-7-K-M-KX-/29...
sell it again for more than it cost.
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
T2 mounts are an interchangeable lens mount. The lens is standard but the shop will bundle a different mount according to what camera you buy it for, said mount simply screws onto the back of the lens. I have a 500mm mirror lens with this fitting which came with a K mount, but I could easily swap that to an M42 mount or another brand entirely.
The presence of the silver pin suggests to me that this is a fixed M42 mount, as in my limited experience T2 mounts are only found on mirror lenses (with a fixed aperture) or preset lenses (where you close the aperture manually with a second control ring after preselecting an aperture with the normal click-stop ring).
If you can't swap the mount then you need an adapter like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pentax-M42-42mm-PK-K-Mount-K-Bayonet-Adapter-Ring-/110...
Note that it doesn't have the flange present in the other link, and will therefore allow infinity focus. I would still advise hunting for a genuine Pentax one though as they are far better made than the copies.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Is this a preset lens or does it have an auto/manual switch (with the little silver pin visible on the bottom rim of the lens mount closing the aperture down when pressed)?
T2 mounts are an interchangeable lens mount. The lens is standard but the shop will bundle a different mount according to what camera you buy it for, said mount simply screws onto the back of the lens. I have a 500mm mirror lens with this fitting which came with a K mount, but I could easily swap that to an M42 mount or another brand entirely.
The presence of the silver pin suggests to me that this is a fixed M42 mount, as in my limited experience T2 mounts are only found on mirror lenses (with a fixed aperture) or preset lenses (where you close the aperture manually with a second control ring after preselecting an aperture with the normal click-stop ring).
If you can't swap the mount then you need an adapter like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pentax-M42-42mm-PK-K-Mount-K-Bayonet-Adapter-Ring-/110...
Note that it doesn't have the flange present in the other link, and will therefore allow infinity focus. I would still advise hunting for a genuine Pentax one though as they are far better made than the copies.
It does indeed have the auto/manual switch. I think you're on the money completely.
SRC have a genuine Pentax adapter. The lens is pretty sharp and on my oldest film camera it's taken some fairly nice pictures so I think getting the adapter is worthwhile.
Thanks for your help Matt and everybody else.
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25 posts
13 years
Edinburgh
I'll put it on here if that's ok I've made sure it's not full size. Out of interest, I was considering getting a Pentax adapter for the lens because it's really rather nice, I saw a genuine Pentax model on the SRC Microsystems website. Good spend?
I know it's a bit corny but here it is: [cropped obviously]