Gigantic Pentax news!https://news.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/rim_info2/2026/20260909_042557.htmlShortened takeaways from the pentaxforums summary:1) More Pentax DSLRs are coming. Ricoh is committing to "a new series of digital SLR cameras based on an entirely new concept," built on the K-mount legacy.2) Current K-series production is ending.3) It may be a while.
>>4526873Strange, I took the absolute opposite from the Ricoh statement. Discontinuation of all their current DSLR lineup, no new DSLR coming most likely closing down the DSLR development. The statement talks about a transition stage and discontinuation of the K series SLRs. This can also mean no more K-mount lens development.Yet there is a pledge on continuing the "SLR style shooting".There might be an ongoing development, we know about a FF unit development but the farewell from the "K series" and "transition stage" hints at bringing the development into a proper mirrorless line, new mount, new camera might be FF, on what kind of AF system is too early to specualte but personally I would like to see the Canon style dual pixel AF but the Sony/Nikon style integrated PDAF array is already on the market and basically off the shelf unit. The big question is the new non-K lens mount and what its implications will be. Might be L-mount since it is already out and shared in a group of cameras.
>>4526928>we will leverage the K-mount legacy we have accumulated over more than half a century to develop a new series of digital SLR cameras based on an entirely new conceptThey're literally saying they will develop new DSLRs, how could you read that as>no new DSLR coming most likely closing down the DSLR development?
>>4526932Not him, but I look it as them realizing they're printing money with the Ricoh GRs and the practical reason of discontinuing DSLR production to do a 3rd or 4th shift building GRs. That and maybe the K1 parts were getting hard to source, that 36mp FF sensor is from what? D800/D810 and A7R/A99II?They either ran out or can't get more from Sony. GRIV and K3 Mark III use the same sensor as the Sony a6700/ZVE10-II but that got discontinued firstMaybe they're trying to figure out a way to adapt the K Mount to mirrorless, but they're a blip in terms of sales vs even their GR line. Either way I'm gonna get started listing my K1 for $1000, I want to pick up a K3-3. I think it will be a net benefit for my photography experience + I don't get the most out of FF anyways. I'd rather have better/more accurate autofocus = more keepers and better photos.
Maybe they're just being cheeky and ending the "K series" and changing their naming scheme but not dropping the K mount. If they're still making SLRs which they seem to imply I don't see the technical point in making a new mount, unless they go APS-C only with a smaller mirror box.
>>4526932They are not saying anywhere that DSLRs are in development or will be developed, only the discontinuation of DSLRs and the "K-series"They only going to "pursue the shooting style of SLRs" that can mean a GR with an OVF attached or perhaps maybe a mirrorless with a detachable EVF and some kind of hybrid OVF. I know a kind of hybrid OVF was on the table for a long time, before the K-1 was introduced and Fuji has been doing it with the X-Pro series with great success. But it needs a mirrorless arrangement.What is certain is the end of the DSLR and K-series line.
>>4526939Let's be real being the only producer of DSLRs you can't get cheap off the shelf parts for DSLR specific assembly. No precise mirror mechanism means no camera. There are no other big companies to get parts on the off side.The realistic path is abandoning the classic DSLR and going with the mainstream mirrorless and build on top of that. It can be a good thing too.
>>4526954>we will leverage the K-mount legacy we have accumulated over more than half a century to develop a new series of digital SLR cameras based on an entirely new concept
Inb4 they transition to film SLRs.> B-but they said digitalYeah, it becomes digital after you scan it.
>>4526959In the best case scenario I could see them making a film counterpart to a new digital body to share development costs but no way they can make a new film SLR from scratch at a viable price. An MZ-style camera with their current AF system and a KAF4 mount would be pretty dope especially compared to the "whoops, all plastic" era of Pentax bodies but most people who drool over the idea of a new film SLR seem to want a silver-and-fake-leather MF body.
I for one hope they're going for a modular technical SLR with replaceable digital/film backs. I don't believe it's the case but a man can dream.
>>4526984maybe one day you'll have a cameraone day!
>>4526873>wait 4-5 years until me make something
>>4526873okay so they’re just reworking their dslr lineupshame there won’t be a k-1 3 after all but doesn’t sound like there won’t be a spiritual successor
>>4526942the strange part is reports from reputable sources like Asahi Man that a new Pentax camera is in production.maybe with the crazy chip prices they canceled and decided to focus on product that certainly sells like GR.
>>4526955Precise Mirror Mechanism = Expensive and Difficult to Make, K3 Mark III was a $1800 APSC DSLR which barely sold (look how many move on eBay vs the K1, its like 3:1) = discontinued to build more GRs which sell out as soon as they go back in stock. Mirrorless is cheaper + easier to make for most brands (less moving parts, can build more at once).No Sensors = No Camera = No K1. K1 sensor is from 2012-15 and the D810 was discontinued 2019; A99 Mk2 in 2021. I really think they either ran out or Sony won't make more for them. At least the K3-3 shared sensors with the a6700/ZVE10-2 which are at least still being made. >>4526954I mean, the GRs are technically mirrorless. Maybe, just maybe they found a way to integrate the long flange distance of the K Mount to mirrorless. I know that was the issue with the K01 which is why it was so thick.
>>4527015The new FF sensor was confirmed to be ~50-60MP which is in line with the Canon R5II and Nikon Z7II-Z8 range. With sensors you can always get whatever is available, just don't need the integrated AF arrays to be active. But if nobody is making readily available mirror flip mechanisms or DSLR PDAF units, but this can be more readily manufactured by Ricoh/Pentax themselves since it is optics+sensor both fixed. Pentaprism is also optics and are manufactured by Pentax. the only thing that needs a specific precision mechanics is the mirror. Pentax and Ricoh are not precision mechanics manufacturers, they buy the shutter mech from readily available stock from suppliers. No mirror mech, no DSLR. Simple as.Everything for a mirrorless configuration is available and at this point much easier to develop, even from scratch, but they already have an almost developed FF unit and there is the GR line. All of this points towards a new path, mirrorless.They did mention transition and new path or something like that. Any deviation from DSLR means not a DSLR. Hopefully my lenses will be compatible with the new line.
They're 100% killing K mount, but Pentax will never go mirrorless, that's their whole thing.
>>4527087There's no reason to kill the K mount unless they revive the 645 or give up on full frame like Fuji. The physical dimensions have no reason to change if they still need to accommodate a full frame sensor and OVF and that's only real reason you'd want to switch mount. They pretty obviously stick to talking about the "K series" too, which is just the naming scheme for their current K mount bodies (as opposed to the *ist series, the MZ series, the Z series, etc.).I think this whole "new series" stunt is just a way to be public about postponing all ILC development until further notice without being too open about how fucked things are right now. To me in boils down to "stop hoping a K-1 III, maybe we'll come back to DSLRs in a few years".
>>4527114>>4527087Yeah half the appeal of Pentax is interchangability with K-Mount lenses as far back as 1975 + M42. If you take that away I think there's less of a incentive to stay with Pentax than dedication to the pentaprism/OVF. Anyways here's some rumormilling and some bullshit I can genuinely see them doing (removing the AF module to force you to manually focus, going to a electronic shutter, APSC sensor shared w/GRIV since its commercially available from Sony). I think the funniest thing is that it'll probably be like $1000 and not sell, lol. Maybe if they get packaging right but I doubt it, its gonna be too niche.
>>4527114What if they wanted to make use of EF mount basically becoming open source as it has and ditch screw drive?
>>4527116To add, Pentax sells aftermarket K Mount Adapters on their Pentax Shop on Rakuten and has been for a while, I think they realize not everyone is going to want to switch to their DSLRs but still want to try their lenses. I would love if they somehow were open to making their own for Z or E Mount with integrated autofocus, the Monster K Mount Adapter is $450. If I can get my hands on one I'll replace my K1ii with a A7IV and have one single FF that takes 3 Lens Formats (A, K, and E). I'll keep a K70/K3 for when I want to use a OVF. https://item.rakuten.co.jp/ricohimagingstore/s0020800-set01/https://item.rakuten.co.jp/ricohimagingstore/s0020800-set02/
>>4527114If they kill the K-mount they 100% going into mirrorless. There is no point in inventing a new mount, new flange distance etc... if you already have a fully functional mount system. If they stay with the DSLRs they don't want to kill the K-mount. If they end the K-mount or K-system there is no point in developing a new mount for DSLR flange distance, at that point it is easier to go with mirrorless.I am thinking Ricoh is abandoning the K-system and with that DSLRs and will give some SLR style shooting experience with a mirrorless system like Fuji GFX with the funky flippy EVF or some kind of hybrid OVF/EVF like the XPRO or some kind of mix. That could be fun.
>>4527117They can 100% do that with their current K-mount, just release the old lenses with at least a DC motor or PLM. They will get a bit chunkier but not that much. The only problem I see is with the pancake lenses like the DA 40/2.8 but adding a bit more girth it can house the AF motor.Like I said if they ditch the K-mount then it is bye-bye DSLR, the two are very much connected here.
>>4527120>>4527119I think it would be funny if they managed to buy up the rights to the old Samsung NX mount
>>4527122That would be chef's kissJust imagine, a new NX with the K-3 MkIII sensor or something like the R7 sensor and quick AF array, with monochrome option
>>4527070> they buy the shutter mech from readily available stock from suppliers. >source: my assnot that I’m saying they do all the manufacturing in housebut even at pentax production scales they’re not kitbashing their products, the mechanics are purpose-designed
>>4527116> a relatively small DSLR for a fag who only shoots mirrorless, but wants to larp.Yeah, I know that fag. That's me.
>>4527146The mechanics are supplied by a supplier, as was the case with the K-30/50/70/S1/S2 aperture block issue. It was a manufacturer out of spec issue, byt the supplier. Why would you think they buy their parts from Tesco? Suppliers are specific precision manufacturers you might not ever heard of them before but they exist. All camera manufacturers buy their shutter assembly for example, from a supplier who manufactures those. It is not kitbashing, it is normal operation. A Lamborghini or a Maserati is much more kitbashed with their Vauxhall Astra mirrors and Renault Clio pedals.
>>4527245To add, Pentax/Ricoh is a tiny company. They also discontinued the K70 into the KF over their supplier for the flippy screen discontinuing production (the new screen went from having a plastic frame to frameless)The aperture block solenoid issue was purely Ricoh trying to save a few pennies. K3/K1 used different mechanism (stepper motor) and Canon/Nikon used in-lens aperture motors or stepper motors (Nikon). They switch suppliers from Alps Electric/Matsushita (Panasonic) to Shinmei in China and they started to crap outFrom asking Gemini the mirror mechanisms + optics are made entirely in-house. However:>The complexity of the pentaprism assembly remains a significant cost factor in the manufacturing process. Engineers at the Tokyo headquarters explained that the glass prism must be polished to exacting tolerances to ensure the 100 percent field of view promised in the technical specifications. These manufacturing requirements lead to a higher retail price point compared to entry-level mirrorless cameras that utilize electronic displays instead of physical glass.Mechanical Shutters come from Seiko Opto or Nidec (I imagine they also supply to OM, Sony, Nikon, etc). PDAF modules come from Hanamatsu Electronics or Sony. Maybe the PDAF module was discontinued? Not too many companies making new DSLRs. I imagine its just Canon and their stuff is likely all in house. Again why I think they discontinued them one by one to build more GRIVs. Especially with the low sales of new K1/K3s in the last 2 years. The whole "passion project" thing is nonsense when they're still a corporate company that doesn't even move volumes in Japan and repairs are notoriously difficult outside of Asia (often the official repair shops are butchers). Mirrorless is cheaper/faster/more profitable, GRIV sells extremely well, and *MAYBE* a core component like PDAF modules became impossible to get like >>4527116 was hinting at the "future" having no autofocus.
So is it pronounced pen-tax or penta-x?
>>4527381the p is silent
>>4527254>hinting at the "future" having no autofocus.Man I so do not want to buy a damn Sony but so far only the E mount has an autofocus K-mount adapter. Why can't Canon or Nikon have a K-mount adapter?
>>4527476I wonder if the K-E adapter would work on the E-Z adapter.
>>4527477I would need to drive my D-FA 150-450 so fast AF is a must. Reports say the Monster adapter for the Sony plays well with it, I don't know how much speed and precision is lost with the Nikon adapter. Plus Nikon is known to nuke adapted things and getting a new supertele lens is not exactly like buying a nifty fifty.Plus if I had to buy everything all over I would go with the Canon R7 and RF 100-500 and 1.4x TC
>>4527476>no autofocusI've seen a lot of discussion about this, but I still find it hard to believe that the new concept will be a dslr with a huge regression that will alienate a large portion of what's left of their fanbase. And then they'd be assuming this would attract a large new base that would buy into a manual only ecosystem.
>>4527495I could see Pentax releasing something something along the lines of a Pentax 17, a film SLR with modern parts, electronics, light meter.Would it be mindblowing? Yes. Would it be foolish? Also yes. I know I would not be interested but I also know some people that would be more interested in that than tracking AF improvements and burst speed. They are weird people and only present on weird obscure online forums where they post once every few months. There are conversations there going back a few years with one of the participants passing away at one point.
>>4527496>a film SLR with modern parts, electronics, light meterOh no, it could be that. Here's your "digital" SLR, enjoy!
>>4527500I sure won't
Seems like Ricoh is building up a big user base with their successful GR cameras. Some of those users will want to upgrade to a big boy camera. I think Ricoh should make a mirrorless L-mount camera for those users, along with an official Pentax adapter for K-mount lenses.
>>4527547L-mount is really nice if you want a big selection of cameras with none of them having any remotely good fast tracking AF
>K-Mount 'Legacy'k mount is kill
I'd like to see them do another monochrome DSLR or even mirrorless, but if they price it like the GR IV Monochrome then forget it.
>>4527724Either new mount coming or no mount coming.
>>4527810Why the FUCK would someone buy a black and white digital sensor. Just shoot film or desaturate your normal image jfc. Imagine paying for a digital sensor that is incapable of recording color information.
>>4527818more brighter since RBG filters block light.more detail since it's not doing demosaicing.no moire problems caused by the distance between color photosites.desaturating an image taken on a color sensor can't get you those advantages.I agree though, I would never buy a monochrome camera.
>>4527818The tone transitions are super smooth and the perceived resolution is much higher than on the same MP with bayer color filters. And the noise performance and dynamic range is much higher, again on same sensor.
>>4527818Yeah, uhm, sensors do not record colour data. Just black and white... Which is why I don't understand why the monochrome versions are so expensive.
>>4527954removing a feature doesn’t result in a cheaper product when it involves making changes to the standard production pipeline
>>4527954>>4527966The bayer color filter is directly on the sensor, it is not like you can just remove it from the sensor stack. The sensor is produced with the color filter and microlenses applied so you need to modify the sensor and have the supplier produce new ones. The projected demand will be lower than the color sensor so it will be a much lower volume and like many other things mass produced, having them produced in lower numbers will actually increase its price. In the end you get a higher priced product for a simple moidification
>>4526873So when are the prices on used K-3 IIIs and K-1 IIs going to budge from just shy of their MRSP?
>>4527818>Why the FUCK would someone buy a black and white digital sensor.Calm down, anon. People doing things you don’t understand is not a good reason to be upset.
>>4527818>is incapable of recording color information.You can always make trichromes with it
>>4528285if you think about it, color sensors are really just single-frame trichromes
>>4528289Only foveon. SD1 is arguably the best camera ever made btw. And by arguably, I mean objectively)))
>>4528295I suppose you’ve never used one.
>>4528283In this economy? They could actually increase. Who knows?
>>4528343It’s kinda fucked because now there’s no new Pentax DSLR on the horizon. For thousands? hundreds? of people with Pentax lenses, they’ll probably all be looking to upgrade to the latest, greatest and last Pentax DSLRs probably ever to be made. I fear you’re right, not to mention the price of bloody everything going up month-on-month.
>>4528295did you mean except for foveon?because that’s what I meant
lol remember that gay half frame film camera and now everyone is selling them for 300 bucks. what a shit show that was. pentax is dead
>>4528350We don't know what is next, what kind of continuation we will get, if there will be any, adapter for the new mount, if there is a new mount. I highly doubt there will be any new DSLR like PentaxForums seems to believe, I think it is just their way of trying to stay a float till the definitive last moment.What the statement was good for, and this is where I admire the genius semantics, is its statement of closure and discontinuation of the old era while not hinting anything specific for the future, not even ending camera production or anything. Complete murky fog, we don';t even see a sliver of direction.So as far as I am concerned I keep shooting my K-3III and see where this is all going, if not good then I'll just get a Snoy 6700 and a Monster adapter next year. If there will be a world to live in next year.
>>4528373How do you like your K3-III? I'm considering selling my K1II for one or a a7iv + Monster Adapter. I don't think Pentax has the money to develop new lenses personally. I'll still keep my K70 and K3, the K3 I can't get more than $250 used and the K-70 probably $350 used. Maybe I'll sell one to a friend/family member for $100 to get them into the hobby (or just give them my K10D/K200D).>>4528283I mean, the K1 was $1800 brand new and the K3-III $2000. From monitoring prices you can get a K1 for $900-1000 and a K3 for $1200-1400. I'm probably gonna sell my K1 for $1100 with 2 batteries + grip + charger. I've said it before but I don't get enough out of FF for my shooting situations (run and gun during vacations in auto/program mode, usually daytime, I feel like I'd get more out of better AF + more reach). a7iv would be an upgrade in every way with the adapter (better sensor, autofocus, size/formfactor)
>>4528384I like it a lot, finally modern day functions and fast AF, accurate as well. Something along the lines of a D500 if Pentax had lenses like Nikon has. The D-FA 150-450 was a good big stride and works very-very well with the K-3 III, it tracks fast AF and keeps steady focus. Only hesitated with lots of branches around a far small subject. The new menu system took some time to get used to but it is decent. After this news though I would not have got into it and just went with the snoy+adapter. Only get it if you already have a good lens lineup for it and you are a die hard Pentax fan.It is a very decent camera though, one of the last good all out DSLRs next to the D500. If only K-1II had its AF and speed...
>>4528391I see, yeah honestly if they weren't so god damn expensive I would've bought one earlier. I really dislike my K1's metering (I've complained about it before, maybe even ITT: It sets apertures/ISOs too wide open/too high too early even with primes) and the AF always leaves me with soft focus when I have any movement or worse I have to manual focus it. I have a bunch of Pentax lenses so I don't think I'm leaving the ecosystem anytime soon. Zooms: 18-135mm DA, 28-70mm f4 FA, A 35-105mm f3.5, F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5, *Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, *80-320mm FA, 70-200mm Takumar F, *Tamron 80-210mm f4-5.6, Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 A017, Tamron SP 70-200mm f2.8 A001Primes: 28mm f2.8 A, 35mm f2 HD, 35mm DA f2.4, 50mm f1.8 DA, 50mm f1.7 F, *50mm f1.7 A, 50mm f1.4 FA, 55mm f1.4 SDM DA*, 135mm f2.8 Samyang with auto apertureM42 Primes: 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar, *4x Super Takumar 55mm f1.8s Bodies: *K1ii, K70, K3, *K200D 2x, K10D (one working one that's completely dead I need to rip the aperture solenoid out of), SF1, MZ-5, SF10I'm gonna sell what I put * next to. I don't know how I ended up with 4 55mm f1.8 Takumars. I probably have <$1500 minus the K1 which is why I love the Pentax ecosystem. I also love the ability to swap lenses with film and use both. Like the K3 I bought for $225 with a 28-75mm Tamron f2.8 I sold for $100 and the K70 I bought for $140 with a broken screen ($40 Aliexpress Screen). The only thing as cheap is A-Mount which shares those shelves (I paid $80 for a 1990s 70-210mm f2.8 Tamron last night...the 70-200mm f2.8 A001 Tamron for Pentax cost me $200)https://www.ebay.com/itm/33679884563870-200mm f2.8 Sigma APO EX (will not work on K1/K3iii) for $250
>>4528473Yup just added it up, all the Pentax stuff on that bookcase is $2000-2200 minus the K1ii ($1100). I have 3 strobes too (Metz 58 + Pentax AF540FGZ + Yongnuo...the Pentax one has more accurate TTL)I really gotta get rid of some stuff lol.
>>4528473I have no idea what you mean with your K-1 metering, mine meters perfectly. maybe try setting the program line to normal and auto iso to normal. Otherwise I'm suspecting you have something interfering with your metering. Maybe linking the AF point to metering, it weighs the metering towards the AF point. If these or factory reset and firmware update does not help you might want to get it serviced because it might have some problem. As I said my K-1 exposes perfectly, no complaints there.
>>4528473>70-200mm f2.8 Sigma APO EXWhat do you mean it doesn't work with K-1/K-3 III? Looking it up I can see plenty of examples taken with K-1. If it doesn't work for you it might be really something with the optical path in your K-1 affecting your AF and metering performance.If you try unlinking metering weight from AF in the settings and you see more consistent results it might actually be your AF misaligned.
>>4528391>>4528384Ooh, I almost forgot one thing about the K-3 III, the viewfinder. Compared with the K-1 I can see no difference between the size, the viewfinder image is just as big as the K-1 and just as bright. For the EVF kids it might not sound special but with a DSLR it needs some optical black magic to pull this off. I think the pentaprism is made out of some very special optical glass cooked up just for the K-3 III. It contributes a lot to its price but using it I would say it is worth it. You get the FF optical immersion on APS-C.
>>4528528>reset program line/auto iso to normali did thati think its just how these cameras are vs other brands, the exposing isnt the problem as much as the iso/aperture being too conservative (too high/too wide open) indoors or low lightat one point it got stuck on iso 100 but i did a factory reset and it helped >>4528529autofocus issues on the newer bodies, i have the tamron but its a decent dealin my case i think my focus issues are me asking too much out of the camera, ive done backfocus adjustents and its sharp enough when held still. >>4528531i actually really like how clear/bright the ovf is on the k1, it feels like i can see right through with it
>>4528546I'm still thinking something is wrong with your unit. Metering and AF are highly sensitive for the optical paths and if something is off slightly you will have inconsistencies.I looked more into that Sigma lens, yep, it is a firmware issue and looks like Sigma is no longer upgrading the older units. Sucks, but the Tamron is highly superior optically so there is that. I also have one :)If you like the K-1 OVF you would love the K-3III. I think it is more of a flagship than the K-1.My lens collection is much more conservative than yours but enough to make me stick to the bodies, plus it feels like switching to an A6700 from the K-3III would be a downgrade.Zooms: DA 10-17 Fisheye, DA 16-45/4, DA* 16-50/2.8 with a failing SDM, Tamron 70-200/2.8 IF Macro, D-FA 150-450 bazookaPrimes: DA 35/2.4, FA 43/1.9, Tamron 90/2.8 1:1 Macro, DA* 300/4 with slightly chirping SDM
>>4528562Oh, the FA 43/1.9 is an MIJ version. It's chef's kiss. I also have an MX-1, in black/brass.
>>4528562I think its partially me. I thought there would be more of an incremental upgrade from my K3/K-70. Its a stop better at best for the $1000-1100 I paid. There are some pictures where FF would've helped but not enough. The AF isn't terrible but when I shoot out of it I get more misses/soft focus than I like. The metering is similar to my K70 (K3 is better honestly with being slower in terms of ISOs and apertures).Which is the other issue, I don't think I can repair/check it outside of like Japan and China. a6700 is definitely a lateral at best, 90% sure its the same sensor, that's why I'd personally go for a a7ivLook into the vintage lenses:If you stay K Mount I suggest:Sears/JCPenney/Focal/Albinar 135mm f2.8 (if you look hard enough you'll find this with a auto-aperture pin like I did). Very sharp with classic warm colors. I paid a whole $30 for mine. There's a bunch of reviews if you look up that focal length/aperture...majority were made by Samyang in Korea with some by Komine/Kiron in Japan. Mine is Made in Korea (Samyang) JC Penney w/Auto Aperture. Tons of reviews since they were relabeled for like 8 different sellers. https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/jc-penney-135mm-f2-8-multi-coated.html35mm f3.5 SMC-K Pentax: Great sharp little fisheye even wide open. I paid $42 because the seller had it listed as a 135mm f3.5 If you get a M42 Adapter (I have the official Pentax one I got from the Ricoh store on Rakuten/buyee pre-tarriffs for like $30):55mm f1.8 Takumar: I like them, gives a nice piss filter but you definitely have to take your time (manual aperture/focus + radioactive rear element so you might have to hook up a UV light to it for a few hours to detint it...don't leave it on the camera for more than a few weeks). Its not a sharp lens. Pic Rel was 55mm f1.8 (left) vs the 35mm f2.4 DA on a K70. I paid $23 and $33 for mine, with a 3rd coming across at a Goodwill for $10. Comes in K but no radioactive rear element.
>>4529082I think I'll have to cover the basics properly first, I have a good deal on an HD DA 20-40 Limited to replace the failing SDM 16-50. For anything else I am more than happy, I actually have a Helios 44 and a Pentacon 125/2.8, both M42 but I have the adapter ring.
>>4529109Keep a eye out for the Takumar primes. I found a 55mm as cheap as $9.99 + tax at a Goodwill in Orlando, FL on vacation. I recently picked up a 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar for $40 + tax/ship ($55). I haven't tried the Helios because they're like $80-100 when I see them on eBay.The radioactive glass gives a nice warm tinge I like to call the piss filter. I took this with a 55mm f1.8 Takumar + K1ii. Not having auto aperture makes it challenging and requires a few shots before I get something nice.Also would recommend the 18-135mm as a walkaround/only lens for travel, but APSC. 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 F is nice too if you find it cheap (can often find it <$30, sometimes with a free SF1/SF10/SFx film camera, it was kit lens for those 2). I like how it renders and it's a pancake in sizing + FF.
>>4529127It doesn't work like that, it might be cheap for you but here in the EU some of these pieces are hard to come by and have a bigger price. My country also has no trade agreement with Japan (soon maybe) so outside of EU it will be the Japanese used market. Plus I don't exactly like the 50mm and 35mm focal lengths and the 43mm falls right in the sweet spot, it is the best lens I could ask for and I already have it.Maybe I could look into the quirky ones, I have always liked the bubble bokeh ones, Trioplan 100 or Fujinon 55. I also heard good things about the F or FA 50/1.4Man I should post photos as well but I have 3 years backlog of shitty snapshits
>>4529157USA is the inverse. Pentax/Takumar sold extremely well in the 1960s-70s-80s with boomers so its very inexpensive if you buy from film era and mirrorless depressed prices further. I cannot find the E.Euro glass like Helios, Zeiss Jena, and Trioplan without paying actual money ($80-100+)...Helios in particular is being made popular with influencers. UK is a good source for vintage lenses if you have a trade agreement w/them, I noticed their prices are very cheap and Pentax/Takumar sold well there. I want to try the Fujinon M42s next. F 50/1.4 is rare. I haven't found one under $120 if/when they come up for sale. Currently there is one for $130. I have FA 1.4 so no point unless I find it extremely cheap. I actually really like 55mm focal length. I usually either reach for 35mm or 55mm when I shoot, only settling for 50mm f1.4 when I need the combination of fast aperture + compact size (easy to keep in pocket for when it gets dark out). I think that's my other complaint about the K1...editing files is a pain when the raws are 50-70mb...
