WTB K-Mount Very Wide Prime Lens

nighthawkjw · Aug 5, 2008

I have searched hi and lo for a good wide angle K-mount or even a screw mount with adapter. I've contacted many vendors with no luck. I have a 28mm, but want wider. There are 24mm available, but I think the difference is not appreciable. If anyone can point me in the direction of something in the 20mm neighborhood, prefer Pentax glass, about $200 and NOT DIGITAL, I would be so very grateful.

~James C. Williams
PS - Ebay is no longer cool... too many sharks swimming in those waters.

Paul Howell · Aug 5, 2008

In 42mm 15mm, 19mm and 20mm Takumars, In K I think Pentex made a 21mm and another superwide, I dont just recall off the top of my head the widest. Will be somewhat expensive even used.

Ian Grant · Aug 5, 2008

I have a great 17mm Tamron SP, fits my Spotmatics and MX as well as my wife's ME, she'd like to use it as her standard lens

It's as good as if not better than Pentax glass. . . . . .

Ian

srs5694 · Aug 5, 2008

I've got a Mir-47K, which is a Russian-made 20mm lens. They sell for about $200. I bought mine from RuGift, FWIW. Unfortunately, I can't give a wholehearted recommendation for this lens; it's quite soft at the corners when wide open (f/2.5). It needs to be stopped down to about f/5.6 or f/8 to get good corner sharpness. It's also quite prone to flare, although I'm not sure if it's really any worse in that respect than most lenses of this type.

I've also got a Mir-20 in Kiev 10/15 mount, which is a much better lens. I've heard rumors that a few were made in K-mount, but I have yet to see one advertised anywhere. You can get one in M42 mount ("Mir-20M") with an adapter, though. These lenses are a little slower than the Mir-47K (f/3.5), but they focus closer, which is nice (I've even shot insects with mine!), and mine at least produces much sharper photos. I've even toyed with the idea of getting one retrofitted with a K-mount, but I'm sure that would be expensive.

nighthawkjw · Aug 8, 2008

I had been looking into Zenitar - makers of the Mir lens, and yes -- there is a K-mount 20mm! Here is their page on Rugift for Pentax:
http://www.rugift.com/photocameras/pentax_cameras_lenses.htm

The idea of getting an M42 with a K-mount adapter appeals to me since I could also get an adapter to use the lens on my Nikon! Same goes for Tamron with "Adaptall". Please send any opinions on the Mir 20mm and any others in M42. Thanks!

srs5694 · Aug 8, 2008

Note that Zenitar isn't the manufacturer; it's one of the brands of Krasnogorskiy Zavod (KMZ). To the best of my knowledge, there is no Zenitar-branded 20mm lens, although as I noted in my earlier post, there are two Mir (another Russian/FSU brand) 20mm lenses. One of those (the Mir-47K) is made by VOMZ and the other (the Mir-20M) is currently made by KMZ and used to be made by (the makers of the Kiev cameras). My Arsenal-made Mir-20 is very good, but as noted above, I'm not all that thrilled with my Mir-47K.

One disadvantage of an adapter is that you'll lose open-aperture metering. If this isn't a problem for you, then I certainly would recommend a Mir-20M with adapter over a Mir-47K.

srs5694 · Aug 8, 2008

matt miller · Aug 8, 2008

This guy has a 17mm pentax lens listed for $250. I think the only 17mm they made was a mild fish eye, but I'm not positive.

nighthawkjw · Aug 9, 2008

Pentax Lens

matt miller said:
This guy has a 17mm pentax lens listed for $250. I think the only 17mm they made was a mild fish eye, but I'm not positive.

Hi,

Thanks for the link. I emailed him, but it has been a few weeks and he may have sold it. Am hoping for the best as that is a good price!

~James

filmamigo · Aug 16, 2008

Sigma make a 15mm, 20mm, 24mm and 28mm in K-mount. They are full 35mm frame (DG series.)

You might keep your eyes open for one of these.

As for ebay alternatives, I really like KEH. No worries, fair prices.

Ole · Aug 16, 2008

There's a Zenitar fisheye which isn't bad at all. At least mine isn't bad at all. Not quite up to the best Pentax wides, but at a fraction of the price it's well worth playing with.

Bryce Parker · Aug 16, 2008

I went through this a few years back, and ended up with a Mir 47K. The lens is not up to Pentax standards, or even close, optically or mechanically. I had to bend the aperture tab to get it to fit on my camera!
Also, it comes with 3 filters (orange, yellow-green, and UV) that thread on the back of the lens. These filters are the last element in the lens- meaning that images taken without one in place are going to be less than sharp.
Well, only on some Pentax bodies can you use them, but on most the filters will interfere with the mirror. I have had a KX, K1000, ME Super, and Super Program to try the lens on, and only the KX had enough clearance for the mirror with a filter in place.
So it is that or-
•several hundred dollars for a Pentax 20mm (not known for being one of Pentax's better lenses),
•a Pentax 18mm (a little larger and very rare, also several hundred dollars),
•a Pentax 15mm (supposed to be optically excellent, but huge and ≈$800).

There are other aftermarket lenses out there in this range but none have good reputations as far as I know.

I gave up on K-mount for wide angle, and bought a Bessa L and a 15mm Heliar. The results are stunning!

WTB K-Mount Very Wide Prime Lens

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