R-K mount lenses on Pentax ME Super

[rjhelms]

I recently acquired a Pentax ME Super which I'm having a good deal of fun with. A co-worker of mine mentioned that she has some Ricoh lenses that seem to be R-K mount which she's looking to part with. I haven't seen the lenses yet, and it's been a long time since she's used them so she can't remember exactly which ones they are, but it's definitely something I'm interested in.

I can't seem to figure out the compatibility of those lenses with the original K mount like on my ME Super. All I've been able to turn up is that there are some compatibility issues with R-K mount lenses and other Pentax mounts which can cause all sorts of horrible things like the lenses getting permanently jammed on the body, which makes me very hesitant to just bring my camera over and try them out.

Anyone have experience with this? Can I use an R-K mount lens on a K-mount camera like my ME Super (obviously in manual focus and in manual and/or aperture priority mode)? Are there any caveats I should look out for?

Thanks,
Rob

 

[nyoung]

Get her to bring the lenses to work and gently try to mount them on your camera. Don't force anything that seems abnormally tight.
Back when the ME was a current camera all the camera store guys tried to sell them based on the idea of being able to use "all" the K mount lenses in the world regardless of manufacturer.

 

[dynachrome]

The basic K mount from 1975 is the same whether from Pentax or Ricoh. Once Pentax and Ricoh started adding extra electrical contacts on the lens mount the problems started. Just trying the combinations out can get a lens stuck on the camera body. I have no problem using plain K mount lenses on my Pentax K-x (I know, digital) but I would not chance trying a later Ricoh lens with the electrical contacts.

 

[Chan Tran]

The basic K mount from 1975 is the same whether from Pentax or Ricoh. Once Pentax and Ricoh started adding extra electrical contacts on the lens mount the problems started. Just trying the combinations out can get a lens stuck on the camera body. I have no problem using plain K mount lenses on my Pentax K-x (I know, digital) but I would not chance trying a later Ricoh lens with the electrical contacts.

And now Ricoh is the owner of Pentax Imaging Company. They should fit shouldn't they?

 

[Griz]

Everything I've read about the Ricoh pin problems only applied to AF bodies. Shouldn't be an issue with the ME Super.

Griz

 

[rjhelms]

Thanks all, I'll definitely get her to bring in the lenses and (very carefully) try mounting them on my Pentax.

I suspected it would be okay on an original K-mount manual focus body, but all the material online that said "This kills the Pentax" gave me pause.

 

[PentaxBronica]

The problem is that Ricoh added a contact pin to their version of the K mount in the same place that Pentax added the AF screwdrive. The pin can jam in the AF drive and make it impossible to remove the lens. You can fix it for AF bodies by taking the mount off the lens, removing the pin and its spring, and reassembling.

ME Supers not having AF, you should be absolutely fine.