other adapters TO pentax mount?

[jano]

A few weeks ago, I walked into a used camera store and dsicovered the tiny pentax SLR (forget which model it was, but very small!). Wow.. viewfinder was incredible, easy to focus, easy to use, rugged, durable, and rather portable. I've got some Leica R glass here, does a mount exist to put R lenses or maybe even our rangefinder M-mount lenses on that camera? 🙂

 

[Bryce]

jano-
I cut my teeth on Pentax gear and still use it heavily. As far as I know, the only common adapters are for M42 thread lenses and Pentax's 6X4.5 and 6X7 lenses. Leica screw and M lenses can't work because of film plane to mount distance. I believe this to be true for Nikon and Canon lenses too.
That said, Pentax primes are inexpensive in most common lengths and directly comparable to the best out there for both image and build quality. Especially nice is that all lenses that possibly can use a common filter size (49mm). For a very complete overview of the system, see here-
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/
I have a few items for sale from the system if you're interested- I don't need 3bodies...

 

[ampguy]

Auto 110?

Auto 110?

If it's this one:

http://www.cameraquest.com/pentx110.htm

there are only about 6 lenses for it. Looks very cool.

A few weeks ago, I walked into a used camera store and dsicovered the tiny pentax SLR (forget which model it was, but very small!). Wow.. viewfinder was incredible, easy to focus, easy to use, rugged, durable, and rather portable. I've got some Leica R glass here, does a mount exist to put R lenses or maybe even our rangefinder M-mount lenses on that camera? 🙂

 

[jano]

Darnit, okay. Thanks for the offer, I'm not really interested in more systems, was just looking to use what I had! 🙂 Which body was the really small one? I think it was an asashi or something like that.

 

[jano]

If it's this one:

http://www.cameraquest.com/pentx110.htm

there are only about 6 lenses for it. Looks very cool.

No, not that one. Regular 35mm.

 

[Bryce]

Jano-
The "M" series bodies (and lenses) were the compact models. They were designed to compete with Olympus's OM series for size. They're all nicely made, though I'd avoid the ME and MG- they are AE only. In this series, only the MX has a mechanical cloth shutter, the rest being metal leaf electronically controlled units.
Asahi Optical Company is the company name, the first Pentax being the model in which Asahi introduced the prism to the SLR world. It was a success (copied widely within a year!) and became a brand name. The Asahi name disappeared from Pentax cameras in approximately 1978.
Hope this proves useful!

 

[jano]

Thanks 🙂 What about these olympus OM.. can I mount the R or M lenses on it? I know I can get the R lenses over to EOS EF.. but.. *shrug*

I was born in 1978, haha

 

[TimBonzi]

I use a Pentax M 28mm f2.8 lens on a Voigtlander VSL43. The Pentax lenses (M series) are very compact and have great optics. This makes for a very compact SLR outfit, and not so expensive that I worry about where I take it.

 

[jano]

Yah, cool. I think what I really want is to find a better slr body for my leica R glass.. I don't like the R4.

 

[Seele]

Asahi Optical Company is the company name, the first Pentax being the model in which Asahi introduced the prism to the SLR world. It was a success (copied widely within a year!) and became a brand name. The Asahi name disappeared from Pentax cameras in approximately 1978.

Not quite:

The pentaprism was first used on the Contax S of 1948/1949 by the original Zeiss Ikon works at Dresden, designed by Wilhelm Winzenberg; that's way before Pentax came along. Zeiss Ikon (Dresden) merged with KW, who used trademarks starting with P a lot. In fact Pentax was a KW trademark which was used on its movie projectors; Asahi had to licence the Pentax name from KW.

One wonders if Asahi had a mole at KW: the Asahiflex was closely modelled on KW's Praktiflex which used a 40mm screw mount; the Praktiflex acquired the Contax S' M42 mount and became the Praktica. It could be the advertising agencies' fault but many of Pentax' "firsts" turned out to be second to KW's.