How esy is it to find old Pentax lenses?

I'm looking to get my first DSLR.

I have narrowed it down to the k-r or the Canon 500D.

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Thanks.

I have a cabinet full of them... so it was way too easy to find them.

I will say that the canon can also use as many and maybe even more of the old lenses than the pentax can, so dont let that be your only criteria for choosing one over the other... Nikon is the one that is less compatible with the old lenses.

I will also warn you that the hunt for the old glass is fun and addicting, so be careful. Go to mflenses.com for some expert advice on what lenses to look for. Dont was too much time and money on the random lenses. The folks there know the best ones and why not hunt for the better ones at the focal ranges you want?

As much fun as I have had finding, buying, and using these cheap old lenses, and even with the some of the real gems I have found.... In the end I may have been better off spending some real money up front for a small group of excellent modern lenses.

Jupiter 9 85mm





Tair 11A 135mm



Helios 44M



--
'Nothing is worse than active ignorance'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Aquapanther said:

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Click to expand...

The one's that are plenty are cheap, the one's that you and everyone else wants are few and often quite expensive (for old manual focus lenses). This also depends on the country. For example, I've never seen a used 85 mm Pentax-lens for sale in Finland. Make your decision based on what's available new. Canon allows the use of old M42-lenses as well, without in-body stabilization, though.

--
Mikko

Gus gave you some good advice, but here are some places to look.

Of course, ebay is where everyone goes, but the good stuff gets bid up and you have to deal with some flakey sellers on occasion.

I've bought from KEH.com. They mainly sell used lenses, and their ratings are pretty conservative. Their "bargain" rating is usually just that, a bargain, meaning the lens works just as advertised, and looks pretty good.

You can also check pawn shops or Craigslist for people selling cameras or lenses. A lot of times, you'll find someone selling an entire camera collection for $100 and you can get several good lenses at a time, then sell the remainders.

Finally, you can go to Pentaxforums(dot)com (URL is blocked here for some reason). They have a good buy/sell community, but again, you won't find any steals, just reasonably priced lenses.

My favorite old MF lenses are the SMC 300mm f/4, and any of the many 135mm f/2.8 lenses. I like telephoto, and these are both cheap and fast.

If you go with Pentax, here are a couple of sites for information:

http://stans-photography.info/

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/

Have fun, and enjoy the hunt!
--
Russ
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rfortson/
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/russfortson
Even bad photography can be fun

Do you have an eBay account? If so, do an advanced search for "Pentax SMC" and tick the box "completed listings". This will give you a good impression of the going prices.

Once you get the hang of it, try eBay.de eBay.co.uk and eBay.fr . When you know how the site works in your language it won't be too hard to find your way around the french or german site.

Sean Nelson wrote an excellent pictorial guide on using manual lenses.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&message=24921509

Regards,

Karet

Lots of small camera shops in large cities are stuffed with them, and online has plenty to offer. If you're willing to focus and/or set aperture yourself, the options are incredible. I was about to bid on an early FA 28-105 a few minutes ago; while I thought about it the minimum bid went from $37 to $50!

Several websites have user feedback on the old lenses, read before bidding so you know which side of the auction is making a killing
--
Jim in Oregon.. granitix.blogspot.. A200 veteran, now K-7 + G1

I have quite a few of the pentax super tak/ SMC / M / A lenses... but sadly they are getting a bit too expensive IMO...

I am not a big 'brand' guy and have found some very good german/russian/japanese glass that compares favorably to the Pentax variants.

I prefer for the most part the M42 mounts as there are so many very good lenses available.

gus
--
'Nothing is worse than active ignorance'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Don't forget yard sales.

It is possible at yard sales to pick up an old camera with lens, keep the lens and sell the camera for a profit on ebay.

Sometimes those old K mount an M42 screw mount cameras with lenses can be picked up for $15-$20. I have a Super Takumar 105 2.8 that I got just that way. I think that I sold the camera for $70 or so, the lens is worth even more.

• I do not believe that the backwards compatability of Canon is anything like that of Pentax, you would have to check that out.

I also have a 50mm 1.4 that was $75 on ebay. The seller just quoted it as being used. It was in actual fact immaculate. If he had said that it would have probably gone much higher.

Old Sea Dog
Galleries at http://www.pbase.com/oldseadog/galleries

I bought a few (50/1.7; 200/4, and 300/4) at local camera show (e.g. Pasadena, San Diego, CA). It's like a big themed yard sale. The prices are usually a bit cheaper than on eBay and you can test them before buying. I don't know your location in US, so there is an example-link for you about our local SoCal events: http://www.bargaincamerashows.com/
SG

There are still plenty of Pentax lenses available, though, as others have noted, prices are rising. The cheapest are all manual lenses - some very fine glass but need more care and expertise to use. I prefer manual focus and auto-aperture ("A" lenses), with still plenty of these to choose from. As to where to buy, EBay is riskier, with plenty of "dogs", but occasionally you will find a good bargain. Pentaxforums is a good resource and you will find members there usually will describe used lenses very well. I have found a couple of bargains in Adorama's used store as well as from Henry's of Canada.

Local sources can be good ( I got a good deal on a Pentax k200d through Craigslist) and estate and yard sales are often worth a look. The odd gem is often hidden in a package of old gear. Some of us have almost more fun in searching and collecting than using them!

Good luck, whichever route you take.

--
Mike

There are holes in the sky
Where the rain gets in,
But they're ever so small
That's why rain is thin. ....... Spike Milligan

You can use old lenses with Canon as well. The point is that with Pentax it is easier, you get the ability to trap focus, the SR with all of them and possibility to buy (now discontinued) AF1.7 adaptor to get AF with old lenses.

I found that there are not too many manual lenses worth having, but these worth having are worth having the Pentax to operate them.
--

Through a Pentax Limited prime things may appear sharper than they actually are...
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/jaroslavhoudek

It is fairly easy to find older manual focus lenses for Pentax; but, as with all things, the good ones are not 'cheap' and the 'cheap' ones aren't very good. Most of the Pentax manual focus zooms you will find available are turds (as in, the current kit lenses are better) - I would not waste my money on pre-AF zooms.

The primes tend to be of better quality and are more sought after - and typically a bit more expensive; again, anything of real value will be priced accordingly. The days of roaming a flea market, eBay, or internet forums for 'hidden gems at dirt cheap prices' are over ... those mythical days were just that, myths. Yes, you can pick up a manual focus 50mm f2 for dirt cheap, or a 3rd party 28/2.8 for peanuts, and even an off-brand 85mm on occasion for a reasonable price. In the end, as many of us have experienced, they end up back on ebay, or an internet forum - being resold within a year or two so that you can afford glass that really optimizes your Pentax DSLR. Certainly worth some minor investments to learn the in's and out's of manual focus, composition, what separates good glass from cheap glass, and what focal lengths you'll be looking for in the future.

As a long-time Pentax owner - I'll also drop this 'bombshell': this is not the system to get into if you are picturing yourself owning a set of zoom lenses, with no interest in primes. Canon is the stronger zoom-centric system, I say that without hesitation; and Nikon, despite the silly high prices, is as well.

Best of luck - and welcome aboard if you go the K-r route.

-Andy

Aquapanther said:

I'm looking to get my first DSLR.

I have narrowed it down to the k-r or the Canon 500D.

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

--
My Website
http://www.andrewallenphoto.com

My Pentax Street Gallery - Arranged By Lens Used
http://photobucket.com/andy_allen

Jarda_Houdek said:

You can use old lenses with Canon as well. The point is that with Pentax it is easier, you get the ability to trap focus, the SR with all of them and possibility to buy (now discontinued) AF1.7 adaptor to get AF with old lenses.

Click to expand...

Full disclosure: the AF adapter discussed here is $350. The Pentax K-r is a $600 camera. A wee bit of common sense goes a long way.

Jarda_Houdek said:

I found that there are not too many manual lenses worth having, but these worth having are worth having the Pentax to operate them.
--

Through a Pentax Limited prime things may appear sharper than they actually are...
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/jaroslavhoudek

Click to expand...

--
My Website
http://www.andrewallenphoto.com

My Pentax Street Gallery - Arranged By Lens Used
http://photobucket.com/andy_allen

Britney, please let me know how I can use elder Canon lenses on a new digital Canon DSLR, probably the only ones that can be used are the EF series ?

Miguel J Princz said:

Britney, please let me know how I can use elder Canon lenses on a new digital Canon DSLR, probably the only ones that can be used are the EF series ?

Click to expand...

Aint that a drag that canon killed their own mount? (those lenses were shiet anyway 8^) Yeah you cant use those, but there a ton of other lenses that work on the canons with focus confirmation adaptors...

In fact on the legendary MFlenses forum, my random guess is the canons dominate.

Dont get me wrong, love the backwards compat that pentax gives us...(it is why I ended up here) I have just found that the M42/m39 etc lenses that I love, would work on the canons too... So I dont want the OP ruling out canon just to use old lenses. Now if he really wants Pentax M / A mf lenses then yes, but I dont use those all that often.

--
'Nothing is worse than active ignorance'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Aquapanther said:

I'm looking to get my first DSLR.

I have narrowed it down to the k-r or the Canon 500D.

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Hi

Have you asked family and friends if they have an old Pentax film camera lying around?

They are getting more expensive but that is because they work so well on Pentax.

yes, there is a lot of rubbish (mostly zooms), then again I do not know of ANY 50mm primes that are not at least good.

They are stabilized, will meter (stop down with older ones but that is just hitting a button) and you can even use the auto fcous system to focus them (you just turn the focus ring)...the best thing about Pentax (well other than the auto focus adapter that you can get to REALLY auto focus them....expensive though it is).

I use Nikon as well and have more af lenses for Nikon but I find I love using manual focus lenses with a K-x (using the auto focus system for catch in focus or trap focus).

I would suggest if you get the K-r, get the kits lens(es), ask family and friends about older lenses and just get a cheap 50mm K mount lens...even an 50 f2 (get a A lens if possible) and see if you enjoy it...if not, the K-r will be fine with modern auto focus lenses as well.....that lowly 50mm f2 stabilized is something not possible with Canon.

Cost is relative for some of them but I love using a Tamron 300 2.8 adaptall lens (Tamron adaptalls work well with Pentax ....the A adaptall gets expensive....the K ones work well but again, stop down meter)....the cheapest way of getting a stabilized 300 2.8 with ANY system...i have a few 50mm lenses from a 50 1.2 through a Ricoh 50 1.7, Vivitar 28 f2, Topcon 55 1.7...some were expensive most not....55 Topcon 1.7 was under $20 and is very sharp, works a treat stop down metering and stabilized and trap focusing.....heaps of others.

One thing be careful if you see a Ricoh K mount manual focus lens....most are fine but a few will mount ok but get stuck.

M42 screwmount lenses can be a Joy to use as well.....Britney Elvis does very well with them as do a few others....works with either a flange or non flange adapter ...simple and without glass.

Good luck.

neil
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26884588@N00/

Aquapanther said:

I'm looking to get my first DSLR.

I have narrowed it down to the k-r or the Canon 500D.

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

IMO, there are primarily two types of lenses for which you can get good performance at a bargain price, fast 50mm and 135mm primes. You do not have to pay much more than 50-80$ to get a great lens in these focal lengths.

There are also great 85mm lenses, but these tend to be very expensive. Old zooms and retrofocus lenses (anything under 40mm, roughly) tend to be weak optically. Anything quirky or rare has its price inflated by collectors now. Even the DAL50-200/DAL55-300 bundled with a K-x/K-r are superior to or competitive with old tele lenses.

Just reading about, looking for and using old lenses has a charm though, they are built differently, and manually focus smoothly. All brands have their advantages, Canon can adapt lots of mounts without corrective optics due to their short flange distance (M42, Nikon F, Leica R, Leica Visoflex, Olympus OM, Contax/Yashica RTS, Rollei, Contax MF). Nikon has the best compatibility with old non-adapted lenses, any lens from 1959 forward can be used with full real time metering and aperture control (not on the cheapest bodies, D7000 can do it though). Pentax are not quite as good, real time metering and aperture control on lenses from 1983 forward, and stop down metering on lenses from 1977-1983. Pentax has the advantage of SR, and unlike Nikon, ability to adapt M42.

--
My Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36164047@N06/

Miguel J Princz said:

Britney, please let me know how I can use elder Canon lenses on a new digital Canon DSLR, probably the only ones that can be used are the EF series ?

Click to expand...

You can use FD and FL lenses on EOS but I don't know how well these adapters work.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=canon+eos+fd&_sacat=See-All-Categories

You can also use a Canon FD on Pentax with an adapter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/CANON-FD-Lens-Pentax-PK-Mount-Adapter-Infinity-focus-/270572995312?pt=Lens_Accessories&hash=item3eff6842f0

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx

godfrog said:

Aquapanther said:

I'm looking to get my first DSLR.

I have narrowed it down to the k-r or the Canon 500D.

One big plus for me is the ability to use old manual lenses on the k-r that you can pick up for cheap as I will not have a lot of money to expand my collection if I find myself getting into photography.

How easy is it to find these lenses, and are they actually that cheap and worth it?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

IMO, there are primarily two types of lenses for which you can get good performance at a bargain price, fast 50mm and 135mm primes. You do not have to pay much more than 50-80$ to get a great lens in these focal lengths.

There are also great 85mm lenses, but these tend to be very expensive. Old zooms and retrofocus lenses (anything under 40mm, roughly) tend to be weak optically. Anything quirky or rare has its price inflated by collectors now. Even the DAL50-200/DAL55-300 bundled with a K-x/K-r are superior to or competitive with old tele lenses.

Click to expand...

Some of the 28mm lenses are not bad 2.8 can be cheap and ok and Vivitar 28 f2 (can be pricey or you can get lucky)

godfrog said:

Just reading about, looking for and using old lenses has a charm though, they are built differently, and manually focus smoothly. All brands have their advantages, Canon can adapt lots of mounts without corrective optics due to their short flange distance (M42, Nikon F, Leica R, Leica Visoflex, Olympus OM, Contax/Yashica RTS, Rollei, Contax MF). Nikon has the best compatibility with old non-adapted lenses, any lens from 1959 forward can be used with full real time metering and aperture control (not on the cheapest bodies, D7000 can do it though). Pentax are not quite as good, real time metering and aperture control on lenses from 1983 forward, and stop down metering on lenses from 1977-1983. Pentax has the advantage of SR, and unlike Nikon, ability to adapt M42.

--
My Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36164047@N06/

Click to expand...

Nikon lens MOUNT goes back to 1959 but Nikon has a lot of different types(F, AI, AIS, AF, AFS and others), some will mount but not meter some cameras and others will break some cameras....Nikon lenses can be a nightmare if you are not careful ....even older auto focus lenses will not work (auto focus) on the newer lower cameras BUT the same newer lower cameras will take just about any Nikon lens back to 1959 (a few fisheyes excepted) but not meter them....mid range cameras will work better (meter ETC) with most old lenses but not the oldest....a D7000 works with AI (1977) and later lenses but can be damaged by earlier ones.

You can modify pre AI lenses though for Nikon DSLRs.

Many Pre AI lenses actually work better bare on any newer Pentax than any Nikon (mount, meter..stop down, can use the af system to focus and stabilized)....do this at your own risk....AI ones and others also work on Pentax.

neil
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26884588@N00/

neil holmes said:

Nikon lens MOUNT goes back to 1959 but Nikon has a lot of different types(F, AI, AIS, AF, AFS and others), some will mount but not meter some cameras and others will break some cameras....Nikon lenses can be a nightmare if you are not careful ....even older auto focus lenses will not work (auto focus) on the newer lower cameras BUT the same newer lower cameras will take just about any Nikon lens back to 1959 (a few fisheyes excepted) but not meter them....mid range cameras will work better (meter ETC) with most old lenses but not the oldest....a D7000 works with AI (1977) and later lenses but can be damaged by earlier ones.

You can modify pre AI lenses though for Nikon DSLRs.

Many Pre AI lenses actually work better bare on any newer Pentax than any Nikon (mount, meter..stop down, can use the af system to focus and stabilized)....do this at your own risk....AI ones and others also work on Pentax.

Click to expand...

With low end bodies, Nikon is not so attractive (as I included in my post). But the D7000 can use nearly all F mount lenses. Lenses from 1959-1977 need AI conversion, which you can do yourself, or have done for 25-35$. Some odd lenses can not be mounted, such as old fisheyes and reflex lenses.

Even excluding those pre-AI lenses, a Nikon D7000 will mount and full-time meter any lens from 1977 and forward. Pentax will do the same only for lenses built 1983 and later. Lenses 1975-1983 need stop down metering (and disable P-TTL, TAv mode etc.). Nikon also does AF confirmation with manual lenses.

Anyway, for the original poster of this thread, a D7000 is beyond the budget so Nikon is not a good option for using old lenses.

--
My Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36164047@N06/