Old Pentax PK manual focus lenese, which body?

c22w1

c22w1

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Chris
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Hi

I have been sorting out my cupboards today and come across some of my old manual Pentax lenses.
Some have the "A" setting on the aperture ring, which is the best way to go, sell them or buy a digital body to use them?
I have a 35-70mm
70-200mm
50mm F2.8
50mm f1.9
Which, if any, body would be a good, cheap option?
Thanks
 
A Canon crop sensored body (20D/30D are cheap enough nowadays) or maybe a Sony-Alpha would be fine based on the register distance. Canon FF bodies would/may have a mirror interference issue without additional work being done.

Bob
 
I never gave Canon or any other manufacturer a thought. I was thinking along the lines of a Pentax DSLR body with it already having IS built into the body with sensor shift but didn't know which if any Pentax body would give good results? Also, i would assume, that a Pentax body would be made to take the PK lens mount without modification or other accessories?
 
If they're MF lenses then there's no need to limit yourself to a PK body...an adapter is only a few quid.

Bob
 
Pentax K30 if you can get one, or a K50, would give excellent results for excellent money (weather sealed, best in class ISO performance, inbuilt shake reduction).

Also if they are PKA it'll meter correctly and allow camera controlled aperture as well.

Did you have a budget in mind?
 
The Pentax digital bodies do have a function that allows ANY K-mount lens to be used to some extent.. PKA will work with the metering system, whereas PK (No A setting) can be operated with the 'green' button satisfactorily.

An *ist D or DS/DL/DS2/DL2 can be bought very cheaply as can the Samsung variants (GX-1L/GX-1s). For not much more there are the K10D/K100D/GX-10..K10D is weather sealed and the best bang for buck... Or if you have £400 lying around - K-5!
 
If these are Pentax K mount lenses then they will fit all current Pentax DSLRs without any adaptor.

The only ones to be a bit careful of are old Ricoh K mount lenses - have a look at this link

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-99.html

As you know the A lenses are the easiest to use. All you need to do is focus. Manual focus on a DSLR is not a easy as with and SLR but it is far from impossible with a little practice.

Non A lenses are a bit more difficult but this guide to using old K mount lenses covers their use -

http://www.robertsdonovan.com/?p=1181

Without knowing your budget it is difficult to suggest a body but if you can go as far as £419 you can get a K5 body from a well known retailer in Watford. For that money I think you would be hard pushed to get a better specced camera. For £529 you could get a K5 with the WR 18-55mm kit lens.

Given you have these lenses I can't see a reason for buy anything other than a Pentax body.

Dave
 
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