Will a Panagor Auto Macro Coverter function on K5, K3 bodies

This was a very nice piece of kit , anybody out there ustilising one on current cameras ( K5, K3 ?

All comments appreciated.

(Nb; Site would not load image )

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Daronl

I'm sure it will, but it wasn't a mega-expensive item in its day and I wouldn't hold out much hope for quality. However, always worth a try.

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Best regards, John

Thanks John,

Tried to use one borrowed from a mate but it would not function; on other external blogs there is much discussion and in many case it seems people are using this on Pentax Digital SLR cameras with some good results. (but comments only relate to older models)

My friend has used his extensively and not only is he getting decent results using a std 50mm but it actually gets seemingly bigger images on a 50mm macro as focus at an even closer minimum focusing distance is possible.

On an older 35mm (Z1P) film camera it is faultless from a functional point of view ?

It is usable on a K20D with limitations (manual mode - not a probleem for 1;1 ) but not (so far) on a K3/K5, where it locks everything including the screens and the camera is not usable until it is dismounted then everything returns to normal.

Regards

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Daronl

I've got one that appears to work happily on my K5. It takes a bit of figuring out though.
You can have it for a tenner + postage if you like, complete with case. Now I have a good collection of dedicated macro lenses I no longer use it.

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link

Hi,

Thanks for your comments but when you say you have to "figure it out" what does that entail.

Regards

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Daronl

Sorry for that !

Firstly, you need to realise that it won't work with your flashy, modern lenses. It works great (on Av) with most old manual ones. Then you have the "problem" of ignoring that lens, having set it at infinity. It's only any use for fine tuning if you are on a tripod. The next thing to sort out is just what is happening with the macro bit. The range is so vast - 1:1 through 1:10 it is easy to think something has gone wrong when you can't see a damn thing (you need to take two paces backwards!).

I've just put it on the K5 and it's happily working with a pentax M 1:2 50mm
I just put an M42 converter ring in the end of it and screwed a Zeiss 50mm on and that is OK too.
I'll have a play with it tomorrow (risky, since I might decide to keep it after all!).

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link

As promised, here are some comparative shots, in pairs:

1st is the Panagor (K fitting) with an M42 Zeiss Tessar 50mm on the front followed by 2nd, Pentax SMC M 100mm macro. There are four pairs, all at f8; K5 set at 400asa and Av; all hand held and all untouched JPGs from the camera RAW data (bar resizing).

There is a fifth Panagor shot (since it goes to 1:1 and the 100mm only does 1:2). I have paired this with the same image post processed in Faststone Viewer just to show that it DOES produce good images, whatever others might say of it! OK, so it's not fantastic but I only spent a couple of seconds doing it.

About 1:10






About 1:5






About 1:3






About 1:2






and a camera RAW (.jpg) with the same image PP at 1:1 from the Panagor/ Zeiss combination






The prime clearly produces the better image, even in its unprocessed state but given all the intervening glass, the Panagor puts on a fair show. The selective focussing between the two is interesting as well.

So, that's your "cheapo" Panagor Auto Macro Converter for you.
Oh, and I nearly forgot - on the K5, and upwards I presume, you have to set the very last custom menu item to permit use of lenses with aperture rings.

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link