KAF2 mount on a K mount Film body?

[porkchop_express]

Calling all Pentax gurus!

I am in the market for my first DSLR body and I am giving the K-X a serious look. I own a Ricoh KR-5 super II film body and can foresee wanting to shoot film again sometime. Unfortunately I no longer have any lenses for the Ricoh. Will the K-X lenses (KAF2) be compatible with the KR-5 body (K mount)? The KR5 is fully manual so I don't need to worry about autofocus or any of that jazz. Thanks in advance for any insight!

Aaron

[Mr Guy]

Well, tentatively, yes with a "if", or no with a "but". Going the other way is where you can encounter problems. Ricoh cameras use a modified K-mount with an additional pin. The pin is how Ricoh cameras determine if the lens is in automatic aperture mode ("P" mode on Ricoh lenses, "A" mode on other brands). This pin on Ricoh lenses is located in roughly the same spot as the autofocus screw drive mechanism on the K-mount. That means if you find those old lenses, don't use them. They can become physically stuck to your camera and risk damage taking them off.

However, going the other way you won't have that issue, but you'll encounter a different one. Namely, that while the CAMERA is going to fully manual, the lens won't be, and I'm not sure the camera will be able to control it. The camera may not realize the lens is in "A" mode and may not realize it's able to set the aperture on the lens. Since the DA line of Pentax lenses don't have aperture rings to control them, you may not be able to use them at all. That's a big IF though, based on knowing that Ricoh expects that extra little pin to be there. I would expect lenses designed for Pentax film cameras, like the older K, M, A, or F series lenses to work just fine.

Try asking this question on the PentaxForums.com - The Largest Pentax-Dedicated Photography Forum Community- Home and you may find someone that has more direct experience. I'm just conjecturing based on what I know about the two systems.

[porkchop_express]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful answer and advice. I will definitely look into PentaxForums. For me, their compatibility is really not a deal breaker, I just thought it would be nice. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

Aaron

[Mr Guy]

No problem at all. The K-x is a great camera. It'd be an unbelievable camera if they hadn't removed a couple features higher end users want in order to make it more new-user-friendly. It's performance is quickly becoming legendary.

[i speak in math]

I think the main problem is that the DA lenses lack an aperture ring. On a fully manual body, there would be no way to set the aperture.

[porkchop_express]

Originally Posted by Mr Guy

No problem at all. The K-x is a great camera. It'd be an unbelievable camera if they hadn't removed a couple features higher end users want in order to make it more new-user-friendly. It's performance is quickly becoming legendary.

Yes! I was very surprised while reading up on the K-X. I agree that I would easily trade movie mode or live view for better weather sealing, but that's getting picky.

Originally Posted by i speak in math

I think the main problem is that the DA lenses lack an aperture ring. On a fully manual body, there would be no way to set the aperture.

Agreed. No aperture ring means "no can do"!