Adapters for Alpa lenses and Pentax K10D body wanted

[donz]

I have a K10D, the 18-55 kit lens and a Sigma 70 -300. I'm not very happy about a certain softness I'm experiencing. I just picked up a pile of Alpa goodies (3 bodies/9 lenses). I'd like to try the lenses on the Pentax. Can anyone tell me what adapters I need? I'll list the items here:


1 Alpa 6 body
schneider 1:2.8/35
2 Alpa 8b
Switar 1:1.8/50 macro
========
3 Alpa 8b
Switar 1:1.8/50 macro

4 Schneider 1:4/35
5 Angenieux f 28 retrofocus type 11
6 Angenieux f 1:2,5/90
7 Angenieux f 135 1: 3,5 type y2 with adapter
8 Schneider tele-xenar 1:3.5/ 200
9 Schneider tele xenar 1:5.5/ 360

[Attila]

Please contact to Alex, (hk300) he is our adapter maker.

[hk300]

what mount is the ALPA using?
any pics of the lenses, and bodies, especially the mount?

Also ... what is the reg distance for the ALPA lenses?

[Farside]

[hk300]

[donz]

I did a bit more reading and it seems like most of the lenses sold for use on Alpas were made for Exakta and sold with adapter rings to mount onto the Alpa body. So I guess I could use exakta to pentax k adapters. Unfortunately it seems like thats not doable either based on other posts so it seems likes I'm SOL.

[luisalegria]

Exakta lenses can in fact be made to go on PK bodies, I do it all the time.

There are two problems here though -

1. You will have to make your own adapter, which is not really that difficult.

2. You will lose infinity focus, though some lenses can be adjusted to fix that. Generally longer tele's retain useful maximum focus, wide angles can be mostly useless, as their "infinity" will be too short.

I don't think your Alpa lenses are actually Exakta mounts with adapters. I think they are probably just plain Alpa mounts. I also think they can be adapted to whatever mount you want, with a bit of analysis and some machining. That may reduce their value considerably though.

Your Alpa lens collection is full of lovely, illustrious glass, which should go for high prices on ebay. The mere mention of "Angenieux" attracts collectors like flies. The Schnieders are also generally solid and valuable. I can vouch for the big Tele-Xenar 360/5.5, that is one fine piece.

Alpa bodies also fetch high prices, there are lots of collectors and there weren't a lot of Alpas made.

Sell that aristocratic lot and you will have the funds to buy lots of more plebian but more functional lenses.

[donz]

Well most of the lenses have adapters to allow them to mount on the alpas. If they aren't Exakta I don't know what they are. The tele photos all need adapters to fit the alphas.

If alpa lenses can't be focused on the pentax, could the exakta (if my guess is right) lens fit the pentax k-mount?

I'm enjoying shooting with a completely manual camera again, Nice not to have to worry about batteries. My first camera was an argus c-3. Then I shot with an OM-1n for a long time- only the meter runs off batteries. Now I'm using the pentax k10D - I miss the simplicity of the older cameras.

Maybe I'll sell some of the pieces down the road.

[luisalegria]

You should verify what the "native" mount is for your Schneiders. A picture of one with the adapter removed would be helpful.

Here are some of my experiences with making Exakta-PK adapters -

http://forum.mflenses.com/exakta-pentax-k-adapter-t9009,highlight,exakta++adapter.html

You generally are 2mm short of "infinity" with this type of rig. The significance of that varies depending on the lens.

I have successfully used these with

Zeiss Biotar 75/1.5 - focus mechanism adjusted to give infinity
Meyer Telemegor 400/5.5 - focus mechanism adjusted to give infinity
Zeiss Triotar 135/4 - focus mechanism adjusted to give infinity
Meyer Telemegor 300/4.5 - Gives @ 70m "infinity", still very useful
Zeiss Pancolar 50/2 - gives @6m "infinity"

plus many others, Meyer, Zeiss, Piesker, Steinheil, Sun, Soligor, etc.

135mm lenses without adjustment give about 10m "infinity", so they are useful for many things. 50mm are useful for portrait work and close-up.
Wide-angles are nearly useless for anything but macro, unless you can modify the focus mechanism.

[donz]

Ok here are some images:

adapter
lens without adapter


lens type

Lens maker


Bottom of lens with adapter removed

[SVP]

Clear, lens mount is Exakta, adapter is Alpa Exabag.

[luisalegria]

Yes, I concur, definitely Exakta.

Just an idea - It looks like the Exakta mount is attached to a knurled portion of the lens ?

Would that be removable ? I would check that, there may be a simple way of putting in a mount in this case. I have often used a T-mount (PK or M42) in this way.

[hk300]

so ... our initial assumption that the reg distance = 37.8mm is not correct.

If this is a 'standard' exakta mount, Luis has experience in creating a mount.

[donz]

It looks like I can get exakta to m42 and m42 to pentax k adapters off the shelf cheaply, What happens if I just screw them together?.

[luisalegria]

There aren't really any commercially available general-purpose Exakta->M42 adapters that you are thinking of.

Its not possible to do while preserving infinity focus, and to get the back-focus problem down even to to 1mm-2mm excess you have to remove the locking lug on the Exakta lens. Thats what I do with my Exakta->PK adaptations.

I have an idea for an Exakta->M42 adapter, which will have just a 1mm excess in back focus, but I haven't made one yet, I need the help of a machinist.

If you find an Exakta->M42 adapter it is usually meant to mount M42 lenses on the once very common Exakta-mount macro bellows and other such devices. The Exakta was once the macro/scientific camera of choice. These things will add 5mm+ to the mount, hopeless for normal use of any lens. That, or they are meant to mount Exakta-mount lenses (which included many excellent macro optics of the day) on M42 bellows.

An adapter like the ones I make is actually very cheap. All you need is a metal rear lens cap for an Exakta lens and an M42->PK adapter. The rest are typical hobby shop items - small brass screws and matching tap and drill bit, pin-vice (a hand-drill), and some regular drill bits. Home shop tools like a Dremel and vice are also very helpful.

[morggan]

Hello,
I would like to use a Macro Switar 50mm/1.9 Lens in a Nikon D200 body. Does anybody know if such an adapter exists or it can be made?
Thank you