Do all Pentax cameras use the same lens?

[Euryale33]

I was given a Pentax K1000 SLR camera with a bunch of lenses. Right now I am using a Fuji FinePix E510 which is a good step-up from your basic point and shoot but I am thinking of buying a DSLR and have looked at the K10 and K100 from Pentax as I know that I would be able to use my lenses with either of those cameras.

So my question is: Do all Pentax cameras use the same lenses or would the K10 and K100 be my only options?

Thanks in advance.

[jdepould]

Legacy glass should work on the newer Pentax DSLRs.

[Scottie137]

I was given a Pentax K1000 SLR camera with a bunch of lenses. Right now I am using a Fuji FinePix E510 which is a good step-up from your basic point and shoot but I am thinking of buying a DSLR and have looked at the K10 and K100 from Pentax as I know that I would be able to use my lenses with either of those cameras.

So my question is: Do all Pentax cameras use the same lenses or would the K10 and K100 be my only options?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, all k mount lenses are compatible with the DSLRs made by Pentax and Samsung. Manual lenses will obviously not autofocus, but do meter and indicate focus correctly. Post up some of the lenses you were given!

[mattdm]

Note, though, that lenses without an A setting on the aperture ring are a bit more annoying to meter with than on older cameras, because the physical linkage which lets the camera know the dial's setting isn't present anymore. You can still do metering with the green button, but it's not as elegant.

[Euryale33]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your help. As a novice, it means a lot to be able to get advice from people who know more.

Scottie137 asked me to post some of the lenses I have so here goes:

Makinon MC f80-200mm
Makinon 2x Converter (there are 2 of these)
Pentax - M 50mm

Thanks again


Scottie137 Quote:

Yes, all k mount lenses are compatible with the DSLRs made by Pentax and Samsung. Manual lenses will obviously not autofocus, but do meter and indicate focus correctly. Post up some of the lenses you were given!

[mattdm]

Pentax - M 50mm

Is it the 50mm f/2, or (more rare) one of the wider-aperture ones?

[Euryale33]

Ok that is a good question. I am not really sure. I am really new to this. The lens has SMC PENTAX-M 1:2 50mm 6867324 ASAHI OPTICAL CO. on it.

Is it the 50mm f/2, or (more rare) one of the wider-aperture ones?

[mattdm]

Ok that is a good question. I am not really sure. I am really new to this. The lens has SMC PENTAX-M 1:2 50mm 6867324 ASAHI OPTICAL CO. on it.

That's the f/2 (represented as 1:2 on the lens). Unfortunately one of the least exciting 50mm lenses Pentax made, but oh well. :)

[Euryale33]

That's the f/2 (represented as 1:2 on the lens). Unfortunately one of the least exciting 50mm lenses Pentax made, but oh well. :)

Ok so now you know what lenses I have, do you think I should stick with a Pentax when buying a DSLR so that I can use the lenses I have? I enjoy taking pictures but am not very knowledable. I really want to learn to take great pictures instead of mediocre pictures. My son plays sports and so far, my pictures of him playing sports suck. I can take decent pictures of nature though but they still aren't what I want. I have a lot to learn but I would rather do it with a digital SLR so that I can scrap my awful pictures while I learn. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks again.

[mattdm]

Welllll, I love my Pentax camera so I want to say "yes, yes, stick with Pentax". But the truth is, the lenses you have aren't super-exciting, and Pentax isn't currently aiming at being an action-shot camera — you certainly can take amazing sports shots with one, but they're not putting a lot of emphasis into autofocus speed or burst rate, so if you plan (like a lot of sports shooters, apparently — not my thing) to push the button and hope for one luckily great shot out of a thousand frames, Pentax is definitely not the system for that.

[Euryale33]

Welllll, I love my Pentax camera so I want to say "yes, yes, stick with Pentax". But the truth is, the lenses you have aren't super-exciting, and Pentax isn't currently aiming at being an action-shot camera — you certainly can take amazing sports shots with one, but they're not putting a lot of emphasis into autofocus speed or burst rate, so if you plan (like a lot of sports shooters, apparently — not my thing) to push the button and hope for one luckily great shot out of a thousand frames, Pentax is definitely not the system for that.

Ok, that isn't what I wanted to hear but I thank you for it. I will definitely do a lot more research before I decide which camera to buy. I may still stick with Pentax as sports shots aren't all I do. I really do appreciate all the help. Thanks so much.

[Scottie137]

On the other hand, Samsung, who is making a major run at Sony right now in terms of competitive products across a range, has picked up the K mount and has indicated they want to be a major (top 3) player in the DSLR world. Currently there is little to differentiate their products from those of Pentax, but with the K20/GX 20, that has begun to change, albeit a little. Most people expect Pentax and Samsung to begin to diverge more from here on out. So, you don't only have Pentax to keep the K mount going. They are still provide, imho, the best "bang for the buck" around and there are over "20 million lenses" that are compatible with Pentax. You can still find great bargains on Pentax glass, though not as often, and again, with Samsung entering the K mount world, there is a new range of lenses from Schneider. I guess it all boils down to the fact that buying into the Pentax system is probably as safe a bet as anything else and you already have a few lenses. The 50mm you have, while not "exciting" per se, is still a fine lens. Decently fast with nice color rendition imo. Also, unlike CANIKON, you get built in image stabilization, which can be a huge benefit to the newb photog....

[Usuqa]

i have the samsung gx10 which is practically the same camera as the pentax k10d.

This is my first DSLR coming from a panasonic fz8 and all i can say is wow. The difference between the to are just amazing. Thats not to say its all good tho :)

With ur point and shoot style cameras you have a much larger DoF, more compact body and with the fz8 i had.. 36-450 (or there about) lens which was quite fast for a zoom and sharp. In good light it can take outstanding photos.

But just the feeling of the gx10 in my hand, the sound of the mirror as it flips up and the shutter firing is worth it alone for me lol. The optical view finder is much better than using live view on the point and shoot although its much harder for doing macro style work :D.

Anyway ive ended up ranting on a bit, you should do some research befor you buy your DSLR as its not just a camera your buying but a system. I did alot of looking around and i went for the gx10.. why?

The ability to use lots of old lens
The weather proof body (i stay in scotland.. it tends to rain alot :P and my camera has been wet a few times without any problem even without a weather sealed lens).
Built in shake reduction (so works on all lens new and old)
The price
Muti-exposure (take upto 9 shots, like rewinding film cameras to shoot over the same part of film.)

I find the 3fps it fires fast enuf, id rather take time and learn from my mistakes and work on my ability to take photographs than to just machine gun my way to a good photo. The auto focus for me seems quite fast but then i come from a point and shoot camera, i sadly haven't had the honor of playing with more DLSR's :)

[GEli]

On the other hand, Samsung, who is making a major run at Sony right now in terms of competitive products across a range, has picked up the K mount and has indicated they want to be a major (top 3) player in the DSLR world. Currently there is little to differentiate their products from those of Pentax, but with the K20/GX 20, that has begun to change, albeit a little. Most people expect Pentax and Samsung to begin to diverge more from here on out. So, you don't only have Pentax to keep the K mount going. They are still provide, imho, the best "bang for the buck" around and there are over "20 million lenses" that are compatible with Pentax. You can still find great bargains on Pentax glass, though not as often, and again, with Samsung entering the K mount world, there is a new range of lenses from Schneider. I guess it all boils down to the fact that buying into the Pentax system is probably as safe a bet as anything else and you already have a few lenses. The 50mm you have, while not "exciting" per se, is still a fine lens. Decently fast with nice color rendition imo. Also, unlike CANIKON, you get built in image stabilization, which can be a huge benefit to the newb photog....

By "little" you meant "none," right? They're the exact same camera with different labels. The K20D didn't actually introduce much new, either - the only big changes were the increased sensitivity options with a new image processor and a big fancy new sensor. Oh, and live view. Still the same old SAFOX VIII AF system, which is fine but not close to class-leading, and still the same old 3FPS shutter.

That isn't to say it isn't a wonderful little camera, but advising it to a budding sports shooter is at best risky. With Canon or Nikon the upgrade path towards the high end, 800fps at ISO2e8 models is already established. With Pentax, there's no saying for sure whether there ever will be such a path. Now, if his primary interest isn't just sports but also, say, landscapes, I'll be the first one running him down at the camera store and thrusting a K20D with some DA* glass in his hands. If it is, I'd probably direct him to the 40Ds (while covering my face to prevent retribution from the diehard Pentaxians,of course ;)).

[Euryale33]

Now, if his primary interest isn't just sports but also, say, landscapes, I'll be the first one running him down at the camera store and thrusting a K20D with some DA* glass in his hands. If it is, I'd probably direct him to the 40Ds (while covering my face to prevent retribution from the diehard Pentaxians,of course ;)).


First, I once again am grateful for all the input. It gives me a lot to think about and a lot of research.

Second, I am a she, not a he. (Euryale is the sister to Medusa. Snake hair, turn men to stone.etc. :))

Now to the meat, I would like to take decent sports pictures of my son but I would like a camera that is more of an all round camera. I enjoy taking pictures of a lot of different things including macros, landscapes, people, etc. I am not going to be photographing professionally, just for myself. I am quite limited on what I can take pictures of with the point and shoot Fuji E510 that I have now, although it does give me more options than a standard point and shoot. It lets me play with settings and try different things. I am still learning but I know I would like a better camera.

Thanks again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11799786@N08/

[view101]

I have a pentax me super with a couple of old lenses and they work just find on my k10. That's one of the reasons I went with the k10 and because its a great camera.

[DAB]

With my limited budget, the K100D was about all I could afford. I can use all my old lenses (granted some are more cumbersome that others, but they all work, including my screw-mount dinosaurs - with appropriate adapter of course), make some great shots, and did not break the bank. I really like my Pentax!

[Euryale33]

I just wanted to thank you all again for helping me with my questions. Yesterday, I was at FutureShop, just looking, when I saw the Pentax K100D Super. I know that that model is getting hard to find because of the new models out. It was on clearance so I could afford it. I am so happy. The camera is great but there is a lot to learn. I am going to read the manual and take a bunch of shots to see what it can do and play with it a bit.

Again, thank you all for your help and support. :)

[mattdm]

You're welcome! Any questions, just ask!

[Mr Guy]

You're welcome! Any questions, just ask!

Well, since someone else bumped it, I'm going to ask my question related to a month old response!


What does "metering with the green button mean"?

The reason I asked is because I just got back from vacation and I took a lot of pictures in my hotel room of my wife and friends as we sat around getting ready. The very best pictures, expression wise, are too dark to be used, or out of focus. They were taken with my manual 50mm f/1.4 and it seemed like I could get them in focus, and got the lighting screwed up, or the exposure right but out of focus, or bored looks when I finally got both right at the same time but the moment for spontaneity had long passed.

My only other lens option for that kind of close range was my kit lens, and it was just too dark in the room, and the on camera flash just made everything look mungy. Besides shopping for a flash, which I'm doing now, I get the feeling there's something I could have done then to make the process faster (practice?), especially with the occasional comment I see about metering with a button. What button!?

[mattdm]

What does "metering with the green button mean"?

With older manual lenses, in order to get an exposure meter reading, you have to press the green button (on K10D/K20D) or (I think — I haven't tried this) on the K100D which lacks the green button you pull the on-off switch to its depth-of-field preview position. This stops down the lens and takes a meter reading.

[Mr Guy]

With older manual lenses, in order to get an exposure meter reading, you have to press the green button (on K10D/K20D) or (I think — I haven't tried this) on the K100D which lacks the green button you pull the on-off switch to its depth-of-field preview position. This stops down the lens and takes a meter reading.

Thanks, that nailed two questions with one great answer!

The unasked question:
I haven't quite made it all the way through the Magic Lantern book I bought, but I was hoping at some point they'd tell me what that third position meant on the on/off switch that seemed to take a picture (but not really). I recognized it appeared to look the aperture fin things, but couldn't figure out what it was for and didn't know how to google "Weird circle symbol". It didn't occur to me that it was a preview.

Thanks once again mattdm, you've been extremely helpful as I've been trying to figure out my new toy.

[mattdm]

Yeah, so in addition to the metering, it also is (mildly) useful for getting a feel for the depth of field of your shot at your selected aperture — the little circle symbol is supposed to represent the aperture blades. A lot of new people see it as the "make the viewfinder darker lever". :)

It can also be set to provide a "digital preview", which is basically an image snapped but not saved. This is mostly useful when you have the LCD set to not display pictures automatically after each shot.