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Question about Pentax Lens to k1000

James Thorsen

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May 20, 2019
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58
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Format
35mm
Hello - hope everyone is doing well.

I recently bought a Pentax lens...Pentax Asahi SMC Takumar 50mm 1:1.4
Sorry, I had to cut and paste that. I thought it was going to fit on my Pentax K1000, but I'm trying it now and looks like it isn't going on. I thought I had read somewhere it was great for a Pentax K1000.

Could anyone help shed some light on me? Does it need an adapter? It's a remarkably beautiful lens that has obviously been kept in very pristine condition (with a nice case), so I'd like to keep it if I just need an adapter (depending on the price of adapter).
 
Yeah, the Takumar lenses are M42 screw mount. They'll work with the Pentax K mount bodies, like the K1000, but you'll need an M42 to K adapter. The best ones to get are the original Pentax branded ones, if you can find them. They haven't made them in forever, and they're usually not too cheap. There are newer ones you can find that will also work, but can be a bit more of a hassle to remove from the body once installed.
 
Thank you for your feedback.
 
The vintage lenses for the K1000 are of the K-mount bayonet mount type.

-K "SMC Pentax ...." or or "SMC Pentax-M ...." or "SMC Pentax-A ...." in the name.

K-mount lenses from the original "-K" right up the present models * can be used provided they have
manually adjustable aperture ring and focus ring.

Also Ricoh "XR" and "P" lenses can be used along with 3rd party K-mount lenses.

I wonder if you would be better trying to sell the Tak and get for example a SMC Pentax -M 1:1.4 50mm.

*Edit: and provided they cover the full 35mm frame, as some K-mount lenses for DSLR did/do not/
 
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Will most likely be returning the lens to seller.
 
Bah! I wouldn't worry about it. I have a Pentax SMC-K 50/1.4 and it's one of my favorite lenses (more or less the same as your Takumar, but in a K mount). I also have several M42 lenses that I love and use regularly on my K1000 and Super Program, like the 85/1.8, 35/3.5, and a Helios 44-2 (which is a 58/2 lens with the swirly bokeh). The only downside with using the M42 lenses once you get the mount is messing with the mount itself, and stop down metering. Other than that, they shoot just fine and produce excellent images. And there are many lenses that are only available in the M42 mount, so if you stick with the camera long enough, you'll probably wind up buying an adapter anyway.

P.S., the Pentax SMC-M 50/1.4 is an inferior lens to the Super Takumar 50/1.4 and SMC-K 50/1.4. Don't get me wrong, the SMC-M is not a bad lens, but the K and SMC Takumar have a different formula and in my opinion, are some of the best fast 50's ever made.
 
Once you have the adapter you can use any M42 lens on your K, many really good lens, not just Pentax, Fuji, Yashica, Mamyia, Ziess and old Soviet glass can be had at really good prices. Only down side is metering stopped down.
 
Buying a screw thread adapter to use the lens that you have just bought can be found cheaply enough. Note that the following link is for a UK company but it will give you an idea of cost when compared to other camera brands:

https://www.srb-photographic.co.uk/...2-lens-to-pentax-k-camera-adaptor-11828-p.asp

But personally, looking at the 'problem' long term, I would return the lens and get a bayonet lens to replace it. That way the lenses will be easier to take on and off and will give you metering when the camera allows, which a screw thread lens won't.

I love my Pentax's and that they are generally cheaper than most other camera brands!

Terry S
 
I also have the 50/1.4 SMC Pentax and not the later SMC Pentax-M. The regular SMC Pentax gives the same excellent results as the older screw mount 50/1.4 SMC Takumar. Using the screw mount lens with an adapter in a pinch is fine but having auto diaphragm operation is much more convenient.
 
Paul Howell said:
Once you have the adapter you can use any M42 lens on your K, many really good lens, not just Pentax, Fuji, Yashica, Mamyia, Ziess and old Soviet glass can be had at really good prices. Only down side is metering stopped down.
Click to expand...

Not the only down side:

-) no infinity focusing
-) no automatic diaphragm
 
AgX said:
Not the only down side:

-) no infinity focusing
-) no automatic diaphragm
Click to expand...

No infinity focus ?

Depends which adaptor you buy .

Pentax made one that was inserted into the K mount to convert it to a thread mount , it didn't alter the registration distance , so no loss of infinity focus .
Both M42 and K mount are 45.46 mm ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance )
See here ; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lens-Ada...m=162527123728&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Some cheap adaptors have an external flange which pushes the lens further away , losing infinity focus .
ie , one to avoid here ; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-M4...m=333117047952&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
 
I stand corrected.

I referred to the adapter in post #9, which is described as lacking infinity focus.
Can one built an adapter even shorter? Well, you gave the answer...
(Though the one in post#9 already seems the recessed version.)

But in general: the pure fact that two mount systems have the same flange/focal-plane distance, does not necesarily mean that is possible to bridge the systems by an adapter without loss of infinity focusing.
(The K-bayonet for instance has its connecting flanges inside. The FD-bayonet for instance outside, here an adapter for a mount smaller in diameter must at least pass the front of the camera bayonet. And not apt diameters of the mounts to adapt will hamper a flush solution too.)
 
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Just looked at the one linked to in post #9 , how they describe it doesn't make sense .
It looked the same as the Pentax one , same flush fit .
So the lenses should still focus to infinity .

I have a Pentax one and it works as intended , maintaining infinity focus .

Regarding using m42 lenses on a K mount body , it's best not too .

No auto aperture and stop down metering is a pain .
Your best with an m42 camera such as a Spotmatic .
K mount bodies are best used with K mount lenses .
 

As everybody has said that SMC Takumar is an excellent lens, but desided for the Spotmatic, not the K series.

Another solution would be to get a Spotmatic F that will work with that lens and even offers open metering...personally I like more the combo SPF+ Takumar because they feel slightly smaller than a K body with K lens.

I also agreed the K 50mm f1.4 which is optically speaking similar to the Takumar 1.4 (I think this one is radioactive tough, as slightly sharper) is a better lens than the M50mm f1.4, the M series lenses were designed to be smaller than their predecessors therefore there was a trade-off.

Regarding the Takumar 1.4, the last version with radioactive element and rubber ring is the best 1.4 I have ever had because the CZJ Pancolar 1.4, IMO it's superior to the Canon and Nikon glass available at that time and I like it more than even the modern Nokton 85mm f1.4 AI. This is my SPF with that lens, original Pentax hood and filter.
 
If you got the Takumar at a good price, keep it. It is excellent. As others have noted if you can find a Pentax Spotmatic F you will have a lovely camera body, much nicer in the hand than the K 1000, plus open aperture metering. Or a less-elegant but cheaper alternative, a Praktica LTL or other Praktica of that series. While a stop-down metering body it is the nicest implementation of stop-down metering I've ever used. See this review of the SMC Takumar f1.4 https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-S-M-C-Super-Takumar-50mm-F1.4.html
 
GRHazelton said:
Or a less-elegant but cheaper alternative, a Praktica LTL or other Praktica of that series. While a stop-down metering body it is the nicest implementation of stop-down metering I've ever used.
Click to expand...
The members of the L family with the M42-Electric mount and the respective lenses allow open aperture metering too.
 
AgX said:
The members of the L family with the M42-Electric mount and the respective lenses allow open aperture metering too.
Click to expand...
Right you are! I think Prakticas are underrated. My Hanimex LTL still works perfectly despite having been bounced off a sidewalk. The bridge circuit meter allows use of 1.5 v cells in place of the original mercury cells.
 
AgX said:
The members of the L family with the M42-Electric mount and the respective lenses allow open aperture metering too.
Click to expand...

Yes but the Takumar 1.4 isn't obviously electric, as it has a "fin" to couple the diaphgram, that's the way Pentax implemented the open metering with M42mm lenses. If he's not disturbed by stepping down he can get a M42-K adapter and use it on the K1000.

So, if the OP wants to use the Tak 1.4 at its full capability he needs a SPF, like if you want to open meter with a Sonnar 180mm f2.8 electric you need a PLC, VLC or EE body.
 
Thanks everyone who responded! I appreciate your feedback! I ended up returning it for a full refund. No harm, no foul.
 
James Thorsen said:
Thanks everyone who responded! I appreciate your feedback! I ended up returning it for a full refund. No harm, no foul.
Click to expand...
Does this mean that you returned the K1000 as well as the lens? If so then is your other thread about a meter problem and high ISO now redundant?
If so then best to say that on the other thread asap

pentaxuser
 
No - I was just referring to the lens. If you feel anything I write is redundant, feel free to not respond, ok?
 
No nothing you have said is redundant. Had it been me and I had taken possession of a new camera with meter problems and rightly had started 2 threads on it as you have, then had I returned the camera and lens which you did not then I might have forgotten to close the other thread. In case this was the case I asked the question and got a perfectly clear answer. I was simply trying to help.

You may have noticed that I tried to be helpful on the meter problem with the K1000 and suggested a test to try, the outcome of which I am still interested in. Clearly your reference to a full refund was simply to the lens which I wrongly assumed( my fault I admit) that you had bought at the same time.

With the written word it can be difficult to appear to be helpful without this being read as criticism.

pentaxuser
 
No, I wrote two different threads about two different subjects at two different times with no relation to each other.
 
James Thorsen said:
No, I wrote two different threads about two different subjects at two different times with no relation to each other.
Click to expand...
Quite right, James. The strange thing is that I am usually quite good at spotting if we on Photrio are responding to a thread from which the originator left us several years ago but clearly my powers of observation are not so good in the short timescale when the gap is about two and a half weeks . It may be a sign of my age. Things do get difficult after 30 and the dangers of the looming male menopause. For comfort, I keep playing that old song of a countryman of mine, Sir Harry Lauder. He sang about "Keeping right on to the end of the road( metaphorically speaking) and watching dates of Photrio threads " OK I confess, he didn't mention Photrio thread dates in the song

Anyway to use a U.K phrase: Consider me well told now.

Have you had any success with the K1000 and high ISO film yet? I note that you haven't been able to respond there yet. It will be nice when one of more of us can maybe take some comfort in being able to supply a solution

pentaxuser
 
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