What do you think is the most versatile K-Mount lens?

Howdy, APUG!
I've always been a Nikon guy, shooting a variety of old-to-new Nikkor lenses on my Nikon F3, and I've quite enjoyed them. Lately, I've been experimenting with some other old cameras and lenses, and it has been quite cool to try and see how these lenses render color and sharpness a little differently than Nikkors. The old Auto Yashinon 5cm f/2 is a pretty sharp lens that I've recently tried out, which I noticed renders images with a slightly different look and feel than Nikkors from the same time period. In addition, I've shot a XR Rikenon 50mm f/1.4 with an old beat up Ricoh camera, and it rendered colors fantastically, I think much more warmly than the rather neutral look I've been getting from several of my Nikkors. I have Nikon Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AI-s lens, and this XR Rikenon 50mm f/1.4 lens comes pretty close to it in sharpness, but just feels more warm to me. If you feel I'm mistaken, please inform me.

XR Rikenon 50mm f/1.4 - Fujicolor 100 (Below)


Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 - Fujicolor 100 (Below)



Lately I've been considering trying out a Pentax MX camera, and I've been researching and considering what may be the most versatile 35/40/45/50/55mm K-mount lens that I could get for it. The XR Rikenon 50mm f/1.4 K-mount lens is quite cool, but I'm hoping to obtain some experienced opinions from you all regarding the various branded K-mount lenses available. For example, I'm not very familiar with Pentax lenses at all, and from I've researched, the SMC-A lenses are better than the SMC-M lenses, whereas the Pentax FA lenses appear to be more superior than the SMC-A lenses. Lots of info and opinions out there. I particular like lenses that produce consistent sharpness, but I'm hoping to read what you all honestly think based on your experience using K-mount.

What do you think is the most versatile K-Mount lens?

Your experienced opinions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much. -Paul

Since you are considering a Pentax MX then the 40mm pancake would be a great match.



Since you are Nikon guy, you will appreciate the price of the Pentax pancake when you compare it to the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8 p ais.

BTW, if you didn't already know, the MX is the smallest full frame manual SLR with the largest viewfinder magnification. This makes it very easy to manually focus lenses!

Looks nice!

The 50mm 1.4 Pentax-M lens is pretty incredible. I have one modified to mount on a Leica. Easily a contender for one of the best 50s ever made. The build quality is incredible too. Super smooth focusing.

PGraham3 said:

What do you think is the most versatile K-Mount lens?

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Kiron 28-70mm f/3.5 to f/4.5

Kiron 28-70mm by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Hey, Pat. Yeah, the example photos that I've seen from the 50mm 1.4 Pentax-M look pretty darn good and consistent. Definitely will look into this lens.

Hello, Narsuitus. The Kiron (Kino Precision) looks pretty good, and I saw a few of these back in the late 90's when I first got into film photography. To be honest, I'm a prime-lens-shooter, but if I ever consider a zoom lens, this Kiron looks to be a solid contender.

Can we see the same picture taken with each lens at the same aperture?

Price and sharp, 50mm 1.8 or 2.0. other is Pentax K, 85 1.8. The Sigma 34 1.4 will not work on a MX, needs to be a later model camera that will take a KA lens.

ic-racer said:

Can we see the same picture taken with each lens at the same aperture?

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That was my immediate thought as well. Do some makes of lenses such as Pentax deliver warmer colours than others and is this warmth dependent on the mount such as the K mount or is it simply that all K mount lenses, irrespective of manufacturer, use the same glass or whatever the warmth component is in their lenses.

The two Pentax A primes I have (50 and 28) deliver good quality but also incorporate the green hexagonal symbol that lights when focus is achieved and that a major asset for me

pentaxuser

Some great recommendations! Thanks, guys!
Keep them coming
It appears Pentax lenses appear to be the top-shelf lenses when it comes to K-mount. In your opinion, would any other k-mount brand in equal Pentax glass in 28/35/40/45/50/55mm, etc, such as Ricoh, Chinon, Codina, Carl Zeiss, etc?

Here's another recommendation for the SMC Pentax M 50mm f/1.4. It is an exemplary optic.

In case you aren't aware, the Pentax Forums have a nice section on lens reviews. Find it here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/

In case you're considering a zoom at all, over there at the Pentax Forum lens reviews, the Pentax A 24-50mm f/4 and the 35-105mm f/3.5 get very high marks.

Pentax lenses are great - well I would say that wouldn't I - but I am still unsure what the evidence is that they make pictures warmer, presumably this only works in colour or if it is a function of the P lenses would you see greater warmth or at least some kind of difference in a print of the same scene on the same B&W paper where one was Pentax and the other Nikon?

pentaxuser

PGraham3 said:

<snip>... the SMC-A lenses are better than the SMC-M lenses, whereas the Pentax FA lenses appear to be more superior than the SMC-A lenses.

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This strikes me as pure non-sense. It is not possible to make a universal statement comparing the whole SMC Pentax-A lineup to the whole SMC Pentax M lineup for example. I just don't believe that it is true that every SMC Pentax -A lens is better than its -M sibling (and what do we mean by "better"?)

PGraham3 said:

<snip>....What do you think is the most versatile K-Mount lens?

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For me, the most versatile K-mount normal lens that I have is the 50mm f/1.7 SMC Pentax-M. It is compact, fast enough, and a good performer. I think I might find 35mm f/2 SMC Pentax-M, to be more versatile...but I've never owned one...

I have a Pentax SMC K 50mm f/1.4 and it's probably the best lens I own, in any format. It's extremely sharp, has excellent bokeh, and great contrast and color.

I have Chinon K, 28 2.8, 50 1.9 and 135 2.8, and sort of a K, Ricoh modified K, got them at bargain prices. Although I shoot with either Pentax M42 or K as a matter of habit, I would not have any issues with shooting with Chinon. The Ricoh 50 came with a body and winder, seems very sharp, as sharp as Pentax, but the mount is a little different and does work on my Pentax bodies. You can also find Chinon K rebranded as Sears.

pentaxuser said:

That was my immediate thought as well. Do some makes of lenses such as Pentax deliver warmer colours than others and is this warmth dependent on the mount such as the K mount or is it simply that all K mount lenses, irrespective of manufacturer, use the same glass or whatever the warmth component is in their lenses.

The two Pentax A primes I have (50 and 28) deliver good quality but also incorporate the green hexagonal symbol that lights when focus is achieved and that a major asset for me

pentaxuser

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Yes, you'll find that families of lenses are very well color matched. This is especially true with slides where there's
no intermediate steps like printing.
It's easy to see on a light box, not so much if at all in a print.

John Koehrer said:

It's easy to see on a light box, not so much if at all in a print.

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So the family of K mount lenses might demonstrate warmer colours on slides but with colour negative this disappears? Presumably the same scene shot with the same negative C41 film might however require a different and more warm filtration with a Nikon than a Pentax lens which would substantiate what the OP was referring to?

pentaxuser