Using Pentax AF lens on manual body

MFstooges · Jul 14, 2024

Does anyone have experience of shooting Pentax AF lens on manual body? Can you please share your thoughts of how annoying the manual focusing feel might be.

I am looking at their 35mm lineup and leans towards the 35mm f2.0 K but the size puts me off vs the 35mm f2.0 F-AL. The M version seems to have lower IQ.. I assume the aperture ring works with old manual bodies.

I do shoot with Nikon 50mm AF F1.8. Little bit annoyed by the AF slack but not really big deal for me. I don't have experience with Pentax AF lens.

Disconnekt · Jul 14, 2024

As long as the lens has a aperture ring on it & a mf/af switch, itll work on a manual focus body.

MFstooges · Jul 14, 2024

The motorless AF lenses don't have switch

dynachrome · Jul 14, 2024

I have used the 50/1.7 SMC Pentax-F with manual focus cameras and it works well. I have a 35/2 M lens and it is very good. Did you try one and not like it or just read some test using a non-film camera?

MFstooges · Jul 14, 2024

dynachrome said:
I have used the 50/1.7 SMC Pentax-F with manual focus cameras and it works well. I have a 35/2 M lens and it is very good. Did you try one and not like it or just read some test using a non-film camera?

This is an analog forum. I have never tried shooting Pentax AF lens on Pentax manual body, that's why I am asking.

Paul Howell · Jul 14, 2024

I shoot AF lens on a K1000 and a couple of Chinion Bodies, most for the most part a few short zooms, a 35 to 80 and 18 to 100.

M-88 · Jul 14, 2024

They are all backwards compatible to old bodies, as long as they have a manual aperture ring. If they don't have an aperture ring, then they can only be used at the smallest aperture. However, if you're talking about Pentax-FA 35 mm f/2 AL, then it has such ring and therefore can be used on a manual body with no issues at all.

MFstooges · Jul 14, 2024

Paul Howell said:
I shoot AF lens on a K1000 and a couple of Chinion Bodies, most for the most part a few short zooms, a 35 to 80 and 18 to 100.

M-88 said:
They are all backwards compatible to old bodies, as long as they have a manual aperture ring. If they don't have an aperture ring, then they can only be used at the smallest aperture. However, if you're talking about Pentax-FA 35 mm f/2 AL, then it has such ring and therefore can be used on a manual body with no issues at all.

Does the focus ring slack commonly found on motorless (screw type) lens gives problem acquiring focus manually?

M-88 · Jul 14, 2024

MFstooges said:
Does the focus ring slack commonly found on motorless (screw type) lens gives problem acquiring focus manually?

I personally had no issues with it, although it is true that AF lenses have a "loose" feel to their focus ring compared to dedicated manual focus lenses.

Paul Howell · Jul 14, 2024

I don't have any issues with focus, the reason I shoot zooms is the AF zooms of the 90s are much better than my Pentax K zooms of the 70s and M42 zooms of the 60s.

Using Pentax AF lens on manual body

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