Pentax *ist DS Compatibility with Older Pentax Lenses

I was told by my mother that she is giving me some of her new husband's
older Pentax 35mm equipment to me for Christmas. I do not know what the
models are, whether it's something back in the ME Super/Super Program days
or newer equipment. I just don't know.

I am curious--what is the *ist DS's (and *ist D) compatibility with older
Pentax lenses? I realize I don't know what year/designation these lenses
are, but if anyone has a table of the types and how compatible they are with
the *ist DS, that would help a lot.

By compatibility, I mean--does it meter at all, meter but only in
classic-center-weighted mode, or what exactly.

If there is enough compatibility, I MIGHT consider an *ist DS when I get
this equipment if it's nice and compatible enough. So I'm curious what the
compatibility is with the different types (and model years).

LRH

 

Generally they will work if they are electronically automatic. Just remember
the x1.6 conversion factor. That aside suitable Sigma lenses are reasonabley
priced anyway.

I also have been looking at the *ist DS and they are very nice, I really
like the slightly smaller size compared with the D70, 20D, etc.

 

Pete D responds:

The camera accepts ALL K mount Pentax lenses, but doesn't work full auto with
all of them.

The Pentax web site has more info, but it seems to be down right now.

By the way, the conversion factor is 1.5, not 1.6.

Charlie Self
"Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy."
Edgar Bergen, (Charlie McCarthy)

 

Check here. Perhaps the best Pentax site around.
http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/

AFAIK, you need at least A series lenses (introduced in the early 80's) for
automatic exposure. The A series has a contact pin that allows the aperture
to be read electronically from it. The previous M series lenses and older
don't have the pin. These older lenses relied on a mechanical coupling to
the camera to read the aperture. The digital SLRs don't have it as most
(all?) of the newer film bodies as well.

Of course the F series autofocus lenses and newer will provide the best
compatibility (all metering modes and such)
John

 

All autofocus lenses are fully compatible (obviously).

The "A" series lenses will meter in all modes and allow all forms of
autoexposure, but the (again obviously, I hope) won't autofocus. If you
want the camera to take photos with the lens off the "A" setting you
need to activate a special setting via a submenu (and this stays in
memory after the camera is shut off so it's a one-time-only change).

The "M" and "K" series lenses will work as manual focus lenses if you
activate the aforementioned submenu setting to permit the shutter to
fire when the lens isn't set to "A" (since these lenses don't *have* an
"A" setting). Metering is centerweighted only and is accomplished by
pressing the green button on the ist-D or the AE-lock button on the
ist-DS.

I use my K-series 15mm f/3.5 frequently on my ist-D.

 

The Sony CCD used in Pentax, Nikon D100, D70 and the Maxxum 7D all have a
1.5x FOV crop. I am using Pentax M lenses some as old as 1980 on my *ist D.
These work on M in a stop down metering mode.

 

Personally I would not use the older lenses unless it was something like a
fixed 400 or 500 like I had for my very old now KM that I bought new a long
time ago.

Are you sure, the DS uses a new CCD doesn't it, have to go and check now!
Cheers.

 

Pete D asks:

Well, that's a choice, not a limitation in the camera system.

Yeah, I'm sure. At least on mine.


Charlie Self
"Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy."
Edgar Bergen, (Charlie McCarthy)

 

I was really making the comment that a good camera like these should be used
with lenses that will keep up with the high perferomance of the camera and I
don't think the manual lenses do that.

Yeah they are both 1.5 and they use the same CCD.

 

That's a strange thing to say. Other than the obvious fact that there's no
AF available to a manual lens, what other aspects of performance do you
think it's likely to lack?

 

Nothing! Many of the old manual focus lenses are superb. I know of
someone who's modified several of them to work with his Canon 1D-II:
http://www.cottysnaps.com/snaps/mods/eoskmount.html

 

most of the Af lenses also got a very poor or no indication of hyperfocal
distance, smth wich makes it more difficult to maz calculate dept of view