Big lenses for Pentax (K mount)

[Logan Becker]

Just picked up a Pentax MX and I currently have a 50mm f/1.7 prime, a 28 mm f/2.8 macro, and a 135 mm f/3.5 zoom. I am perfectly content with these and they cover a good range, but I want to know if Pentax makes manual k-mount lenses bigger? Looking for a nice telephoto perhaps. 49mm diameter.

 

[Ian Grant]

Pentax made a lot of longer telephoto lenses, however are you saying you want something sing a 49mm filter mount, that's unlikely over 135mm.

Ian

 

[hashtagquack]

List of lenses available here. https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/
Id look at the M/K/A lenses for the MX although m42 also works with adaptor but without auto aperture function.
Looks like the 150mm f3.5 M lens would be the longest prime with 49mm filter. The 75-150mm Zoom also appears to use 49mm filters

 

[Logan Becker]

I am not looking exclusively at a 49 mm filter mount, just was adding on that all my current lenses are 49.

 

[Pioneer]

There are some very nice telephotos from the Pentax lineup. Check the Pentaxforums lens reviews and it will provide you lots of good information and pictures to compare. The K mount 500mm/4.5 is a particularly sharp lens once stopped down to about f/8. This lens has been around since the M42 screw mount days. The 400/5.6 is not as fast, but every bit as sharp at f8.

EDIT - There is also a 1000mm lens but I have never used one so can't comment on how well it works. They also made a 2000mm mirror reflex telephoto but I suspect that one is likely rare as hens teeth.

 

[Fixcinater]

Depends how exotic you want to go. You could also do something like Tamron's 60B model, a 300mm f/2.8 which is likely on par with anything Pentax put out. With a good 2X (they have a matched one), you get a very usable 600mm and internal focus so much easier/quicker to use on action than anything that's moving the whole front of the lens. Might be same cost as a 500mm Pentax lens and more versatile.

 

[Paul Howell]

The most common long lens in K and M42 are the 200 and 300 600 in FA add the 400. These lens have held their value and are going up now that Pentax has a full frame DSLR. There are some good 3rd party long glass in K and M42, Sigma made lens from 180 to 600, the 600 in mirror, a 400 tele.

 

[Chan Tran]

I have to find the brochure that came with the Pentax KX but I remember they did make 1000mm lens if not even longer. Of course you can't expect a 1000mm lens to have 49mm filter. If I remember correctly Nikon and Pentax had the largest lens line back in the late 70's. More than Canon, Minolta and Olympus.

 

[jim10219]

The 200mm f4 K is pretty cheap and really sharp at short to medium distances. It tends to soften a bit when focused to infinity, but is still acceptable. It's my favorite lens for things like a zoo. Plenty of reach for the distances most of the animals are viewed from and not so long that camera shake makes a tripod necessary.

There are obviously better lenses, but they'll cost quite a bit more.

 

[Logan Becker]

The 200mm f4 K is pretty cheap and really sharp at short to medium distances. It tends to soften a bit when focused to infinity, but is still acceptable. It's my favorite lens for things like a zoo. Plenty of reach for the distances most of the animals are viewed from and not so long that camera shake makes a tripod necessary.

There are obviously better lenses, but they'll cost quite a bit more.

I saw that one on the site above, I was looking also at a 200mm f/2.8, it averaged the price out at $700 or something like that. Birthday present perhaps.

 

[Paul Howell]

Although I don't have the 2.8, just the F4, the 2.8 has an excellent reputation, sharp up and down the pike.