> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 04:28:29 GMT > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Screw mount lens to K-mount body > Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain > > I recently bought a late model SMC Takumar 50mm lens and adapter and > mounted it to my ZX-5n. It seems for focussing you move the switch to >open the lens and for metering and shooting you have move the switch on >the lens to the stop down mode? It seems very akward and slow. Anyone >care to comment or share some advice? > > Jim
Unless you are shooting at wide apertures and can see well enough to focus at working aperture your description is correct. On the earlier screw-mount cameras, the aperture was held open and you had to push a switch on the camera to stop it down and thus meter at working aperture, which was a little more convenient but not much. Late screw-mount cameras (ES, ESII, SP F) had a form of full-aperture metering system like modern cameras and lenses do, but it isn't compatible with the system in modern pentax cameras (different connections and such). My advice would be either to buy a Spotmatic F which could use the lens in a convenient way, or to buy a cheap M 50mm f/2.0 which is a fine lens and will work in a convenient way on the ZX-5n. The new lens is probably the better and cheaper solution. While some Pentax optics may have slipped a little since the screw-mount era, the 50mm lenses have remained good. DJE
