Pentax K1000 ~ M42 Factory Conversion

[Mr.3D]

Greeting.

Came across this K1000 body with a M42 mount. Was curious if Pentax offered a factory M42 conversion or if this was an after market conversion.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Helios 1984]

This is a genuine Pentax K mount to M42 adapter. El cheapo “Made in China “ copies are available on Ebay for a few bucks, there’s also “Made in Japan” copies manufactured by Jessop and a few others. I use one of these on my Pentax K50 to pair with my old m42 lenses.

 

[dmr]

This is a genuine Pentax K mount to M42 adapter. El cheapo “Made in China “ copies are available on Ebay for a few bucks, there’s also “Made in Japan” copies manufactured by Jessop and a few others. I use one of these on my Pentax K50 to pair with my old m42 lenses.

Does this focus to infinity properly?

 

[faberryman]

I can't see any reason to have made a permanent modification. Why not simply use a removable adapter? I had one and it worked fine.

 

[mshchem]

That adapter works perfectly. I never understood why Pentax went away from the screw mount other than the obvious marketing ploy .

 

[Helios 1984]

Does this focus to infinity properly?

This is Pentax craftmanship, it works perfectly.

 

[AgX]

Does this focus to infinity properly?

M42 and Pentax mounts both have the same flange-to-film distance.
If the adapter flange is positioned at same level as the camera flange, all will be right.

 

[MattKing]

Is that adapter removeable by the user, and if so removed, is the camera left with a functioning K mount?

 

[abruzzi]

Is that adapter removeable by the user, and if so removed, is the camera left with a functioning K mount?

Yup. There is supposed to be a tool that goes into the two slots and allows to you pull twist the adapter out. It’s not a permanent modification.

Edit: removed it looks like this:

 

[Helios 1984]

Yup. There is supposed to be a tool that goes into the two slots and allows to you pull twist the adapter out. It’s not a permanent modification.

The original Pentax adapter did not come with a key, you have to use a small flat screwdriver or your fingernail to push down the lock spring.

The 2 keys below came with 3rd party adapters, one with a Chinese no-name & the other with a Made in Japan Jessop.

Is that adapter removable by the user, and if so removed, is the camera left with a functioning K mount?

It takes 5 seconds to install or remove, I use mines all the time to switch between my SMC Pentax-A 50mm and my M42 lenses.

 

[Helios 1984]

Here's a crude video of how it works.

 

[Cholentpot]

That adapter works perfectly. I never understood why Pentax went away from the screw mount other than the obvious marketing ploy .

Because I don't like twisting off my lens and dropping it by accident.

 

[mshchem]

Because I don't like twisting off my lens and dropping it by accident.

I grew into serious photography with screw mount Pentax cameras. I loved those cameras. I had moved on to Nikon by the time the bayonet Pentax came along. I found a SP500 a couple years ago. Mint, I have the famous Super Takumar 8 element non-yellow, non-radioactive 50mm 1.4 . I use it now and again, beautiful camera .

 

[dmr]

I never understood why Pentax went away from the screw mount other than the obvious marketing ploy .

I was annoyed that it took so long to change the lens. Ironically, shortly after I "upgraded" I got a zoom.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have Pentax, Sigma, and Minolta A mount to M42 along with a adaptor for a mirrorless digital body. Although metering is stopped down, all work well if used on a body that that support M42. Some Pentax AF bodies will work others are "crippled and will not work at all, early Minolta A mount bodies will work, later models wont. Still like to use my Spotmatic or on occasion a Chinon ME.

 

[Cholentpot]

I grew into serious photography with screw mount Pentax cameras. I loved those cameras. I had moved on to Nikon by the time the bayonet Pentax came along. I found a SP500 a couple years ago. Mint, I have the famous Super Takumar 8 element non-yellow, non-radioactive 50mm 1.4 . I use it now and again, beautiful camera .

I use a Jupiter 85mm for portraiture. The amount of times I've forgotten to stop down...it's softer than an poached egg wide open.

 

[AgX]

I never understood why Pentax went away from the screw mount other than the obvious marketing ploy .

All cameras series that stayed on the market, finally got a bayonet, even the Zenit...

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

With the adapter, you lose auto-aperture functionality. In all other respects (infinity focus, etc) the screwmount lens on the K-mount body with adapter works perfectly

 

[elcheeco]

The K1000 is essentially a Spotmatic with a K Mount. A "factory conversion" would just be to buy the previous model -- a Pentax Spotmatic.

 

[Mr.3D]

Thank you for all the great information...Bill

 

[1L6E6VHF]

That adapter works perfectly. I never understood why Pentax went away from the screw mount other than the obvious marketing ploy .

In addition to bayonet mounts allowing a quicker lens change (at least to many, if not all, users), the wider K mount facilitated the use of lenses with a larger bore.
In particular, in the mid-seventies, one of the latest fads was f1.2 normal lenses. Other SLRs could take them, but Spotmatics couldn't, so Pentax came out with the larger K series mount that could support a 50mm f1.2 lens.

f1.2 lenses never really caught on. They were bulky and far more expensive than f1.4 lenses that were just as sharp.

 

[Pioneer]

In addition to bayonet mounts allowing a quicker lens change (at least to many, if not all, users), the wider K mount facilitated the use of lenses with a larger bore.
In particular, in the mid-seventies, one of the latest fads was f1.2 normal lenses. Other SLRs could take them, but Spotmatics couldn't, so Pentax came out with the larger K series mount that could support a 50mm f1.2 lens.

f1.2 lenses never really caught on. They were bulky and far more expensive than f1.4 lenses that were just as sharp.

More myths. The M42 mount certainly had limitations but being able to mount an f/1.2 lens wasn't one of them.

I have a Tomioka 55 f1.2 lens in M42 that works just fine. Just because Pentax didn't build one doesn't mean it couldn't be done.

As for catching on, the Canon EF 50/1.2L is a VERY popular lens. A lot of people use high speed lenses for various reasons. From my perspective the very narrow depth of field when the lens is wide open is more of a reason not to use it rather than the size or bulk of the lens. Even a lens with an f/1.4 aperture can be tough to focus close up. Another reasons that there are not as many is the cost. Fortunately Canon's auto focus is quite good so the narrow depth of field of their 50/1.2L isn't as big a detraction as it could be. But it is still expensive.

 

[AgX]

As for catching on, the Canon EF 50/1.2L is a VERY popular lens. A lot of people use high speed lenses for various reasons. From my perspective the very narrow depth of field when the lens is wide open is more of a reason not to use it rather than the size or bulk of the lens. Even a lens with an f/1.4 aperture can be tough to focus close up. Another reasons that there are not as many is the cost. Fortunately Canon's auto focus is quite good so the narrow depth of field of their 50/1.2L isn't as big a detraction as it could be. But it is still expensive.

You should not overlook that the difference between F1.4 and F1.2 is just 1/2 stop.

 

[neilt3]

I have Pentax, Sigma, and Minolta A mount to M42 along with a adaptor for a mirrorless digital body. Although metering is stopped down, all work well if used on a body that that support M42. Some Pentax AF bodies will work others are "crippled and will not work at all, early Minolta A mount bodies will work, later models wont. Still like to use my Spotmatic or on occasion a Chinon ME.

Almost all Minolta SLR's work just fine with M42 lenses .
There's only one or two very basic ( 3 level ) A mount bodies that don't work with M42 lenses .
The later ones are set up by default to not take a shot unless a native (chipped) lens is mounted .
To override this you have to hold one or two buttons while turning the camera on and this will override this setting .The reverse is required if you want to reset the camera to not fire the shutter with non chipped lenses attached .
This information is usually in the manual on the bit about "Release without lens" set up .
Different cameras require a different combination to do this , the latest cameras just have a custom function setting , again , in the user manual.

As an adapter is needed to allow M42 lenses to fit anyway , you might as well get one of the cheap chipped adapters which also allow the focus confirm light in the viewfinder to light up when something is in focus, which can help with manual focus .

 

[oreston]

The K1000 is essentially a Spotmatic with a K Mount. A "factory conversion" would just be to buy the previous model -- a Pentax Spotmatic.

...in which case it really would be an "upgrade" (so far as using M42 lenses was concerned) because a Spotmatic would give you automatic aperture control. A Spotmatic F would also give you open aperture metering with SMC lenses. Neither of which you would get with an adapter on a K mount body.

The adapter was introduced with the K series cameras in the '70s to appease established Pentax users who wanted to continue using their "legacy" Takumar lenses on new bayonet mount bodies. These days, with used film camera prices generally rather low, I don't think it makes sense as a film shooter NOT to have an M42 body with which to use screw mount glass - as long as you're content with a manual, mechanical camera which the majority of M42 bodies are.