will this lens work for my Pentax K20D?
Posted by admin | Under Pentax K20D Monday Jul 6, 2009i just won this on ebay for $10 i am hoping i can use it, does anybody know if it will work for the Pentax K20D
TOKINA Pentax 35-135mm 1:4-4.5 RMC
Hi Rainey,
Yes, you can use the Pentax-mount Tokina 35-135/4-4.5 on your Pentax K20D (or any other Pentax DSLR).
You will have to focus manually, and set the aperture manually on the lens, and you will also have to use Pentax’s special feature for metering with lenses that do not have an A or AE on the aperture ring (and this is one of those lenses).
Pentax’s feature for metering with lenses that do not have an A or AE on the aperture ring sounds complicated, but it doesn’t take long at all to get used to, and once you’ve tried it a few times, it is about as quick and easy as using aperture-priority ("Av") exposure mode.
For details on how to use that feature, see this thoroughly detailed pictorial tutorial in a series of posts by Sean Nelson in DPReview. These steps are written for the Pentax K100D Super, but the steps are similar for the K20D, except that you press the K20D’s "Green Button" instead of the AE-L button. Also, the menu setting might be named a bit differently and the way to get there might be a bit different, so you might want to consult your K20D’s owner’s manual about using old manual lenses too. Even with those differences, though, this should be very helpful:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921509
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921558
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921563
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921571
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=25048510
If you still have questions after trying that, you might find it helpful to read through the rest of that thread, where Sean and others answered many, many related questions.
Also —
Focusing manually with a focusing screen designed only for auto-focus lenses can sometimes be somewhat of a challenge. Here are two things that can make it easier:
1) The K20D can give you an indicator in the viewfinder when it detects correct focus. You’ll need to consult your K20D’s owner’s manual about how to enable that feature, if it is not enabled by default.
2) A focusing screen with a traditional split-image makes it much easier to manually focus. I recommend Katz-Eye focusing screens. I’ve been using one for a few years in my Pentax DSLR and I like it very much. In addition to having the split image, it’s also just more clear, making it easier to see the subject clearly, even with modern lenses:
http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item–Pentax-K10D-K20D-Focusing-Screen–prod_K10D.html
Good luck and have fun!
Greg
As long as it has the Pentax K-mount it will mount to your K20D. There should be a section in your Owner’s Manual on how to set up your camera if the Tokina lens is manual focus.
References :
Hi Rainey,
Yes, you can use the Pentax-mount Tokina 35-135/4-4.5 on your Pentax K20D (or any other Pentax DSLR).
You will have to focus manually, and set the aperture manually on the lens, and you will also have to use Pentax’s special feature for metering with lenses that do not have an A or AE on the aperture ring (and this is one of those lenses).
Pentax’s feature for metering with lenses that do not have an A or AE on the aperture ring sounds complicated, but it doesn’t take long at all to get used to, and once you’ve tried it a few times, it is about as quick and easy as using aperture-priority ("Av") exposure mode.
For details on how to use that feature, see this thoroughly detailed pictorial tutorial in a series of posts by Sean Nelson in DPReview. These steps are written for the Pentax K100D Super, but the steps are similar for the K20D, except that you press the K20D’s "Green Button" instead of the AE-L button. Also, the menu setting might be named a bit differently and the way to get there might be a bit different, so you might want to consult your K20D’s owner’s manual about using old manual lenses too. Even with those differences, though, this should be very helpful:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921509
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921558
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921563
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=24921571
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=25048510
If you still have questions after trying that, you might find it helpful to read through the rest of that thread, where Sean and others answered many, many related questions.
Also —
Focusing manually with a focusing screen designed only for auto-focus lenses can sometimes be somewhat of a challenge. Here are two things that can make it easier:
1) The K20D can give you an indicator in the viewfinder when it detects correct focus. You’ll need to consult your K20D’s owner’s manual about how to enable that feature, if it is not enabled by default.
2) A focusing screen with a traditional split-image makes it much easier to manually focus. I recommend Katz-Eye focusing screens. I’ve been using one for a few years in my Pentax DSLR and I like it very much. In addition to having the split image, it’s also just more clear, making it easier to see the subject clearly, even with modern lenses:
http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/item–Pentax-K10D-K20D-Focusing-Screen–prod_K10D.html
Good luck and have fun!
Greg
References :