 C. Brent Smith |
Lenses for Vivitar SLR using PK Mount Hi, I am looking for lenses for this camera from Vivitar model v3800N it is a totally manual everything camera (I was getting spoiled by AF APS Nikon Pronea 6i and wanted to learn how to do it all again myself). But I am having the dickens of a time locating lenses that use what appears to be a rather specific "mount" I can use any lens so long as it uses either a "Pentax PK Mount" or is just "PK Mount". Problem is when searching on the web at various online camera resellers they don't seem to tell me anything about the mount and some don't even know what I am talking about when I either call or email them. So does anyone here know of either good lens company or online store that carries large assortment of "PK Mount" lenses? Thank you
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Jon Close |
The P in PK mount stands for Pentax. You need only look for lenses in K Mount. Though K mount autofocus lenses will mount and work (mostly) with your manual V3800N, I'd just look at manual focus K mount lenses (Unless you plan to add a Pentax autofocus camera at some time).
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Jon Close |
P.S. There are some sublties and a few incompatibilities within the K mount line of bodies and lenses as Pentax has updated it over time to add features like autofocus. Still, there is a high degree of compatibility between lenses and bodies of different eras. For more information see the extensive information at Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K Mount Page: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/
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C. Brent Smith |
Hi Jon, First thank you for the wondefully fast turnaround on what I thought was going to be a hard question. I just wish my Vivitar owners manual had spelled it out as clearly as you have done, it might have saved me dollars in the Tums I have been taking to control heartburn over thinking I got a camera that I'd never find any lenses for. Do you know if all Pentax lenses use the K mount? Thanks again, C. Brent Smith p.s. the website is wonderful (yours and the one you sent for Pentax info).
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Jon Close |
Hi C. Brent, Glad I could help, but BetterPhoto is not my site. Jim Miotke runs it. (thumbs up!) I'm just a visitor who likes to help if I can. Early Pentax 35mm SLRs used a threaded screw mount, commonly called M or M42 (for 42mm diameter). In 1975 they introduced the bayonet K mount and have used variations of it since.
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BetterPhotoJim.com - Jim Miotke  Contact Jim Miotke Jim Miotke's Gallery |
This sounds like a good opportunity to say thanks to BetterPhoto members like Jon Close, John Lind, Jeff Kennedy, and Doug Nelson, just to name a few, who generously give their time and knowledge to helpfully answer so many questions week after week. We all really appreciate it!
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C. Brent Smith |
Hi, Very true! I am sending a big thank you to all that have answered my questions with first amazing speed, then with complete concise information (I even called Vivitar and they [or at least the poorly trained rep] didn't know about the "P" in the manual meaning "Pentax" in relation to to the "PK" mount, they referred me to another website where I could place an order with them then they would order the part from Vivitar! So to Jon Close and all the others, thank you!
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