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Prntax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Stopped-Down Metering On The Pentax K-m

CCD Resurgence: Executing stopped-down metering on manual exposure mode with MF legacy lenses on the Pentax K-m / K2000.

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The Pentax K-m (K2000 in the US), a compact digital SLR camera with a 10.2MP CCD APS-C image sensor, was introduced on September 22, 2008. The entry-level camera was fitted with a K_AF2 lens-mount system and was supplied, for the twin lens kit, with the lightweight and KAF2-specific SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 AL and SMC Pentax-DA L 50-200mm 1:4-5.6 ED lenses.

The K_AF2-mount, a follow-up from the K_F, K_A, and K_AF mounts, was Pentax's development sequence for adding auto-focus features to its lenses. The first K_A-mount, for example, allows the lens's aperture opening to be set by the camera body. This enables shutter priority and program auto exposure modes.

The KAF2-mount, however, does not have the aperture coupling lever to tell the camera what aperture the lens is set to, which means that the older generation of manual focus lenses, when fitted to the camera, will not be able to communicate their aperture setting to the camera. Vice versa, the camera cannot put the lens into auto-aperture mode either.

A legacy Pentax-K lens, say the SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4, can still be used on the Pentax K-m digital SLR, both in fully manual mode and stopped-down manual mode, with the proviso of a couple of caveats. First, for image stabilization functionality, the lens's focal length must be indexed to the camera's lens registry, done on power-up where the 'Input Focal length' menu is displayed and the focal length (from 8 to 800mm) is selected from the display bar.

Second, for the stopped-down manual mode, the metering function of the camera needs to be activated to measure the scene and record the aperture setting for the lens before releasing the shutter, and when the shutter is released, set the lens aperture to the reading automatically.

Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

This is done by first pressing the 'Green' button, or in the case of the Pentax K-m, the 'Exposure Compensation' button, before releasing the shutter button. When observing the scene through the camera's viewfinder, you will notice a slight darkening of the viewfinder when you press the 'Exposure Compensation' button as the camera runs the metering option for the correct lens aperture opening.

The steps may sound rather complex initially, but once you get the hang of the routine, getting the correct exposure for your shots with the stopped-down metering method is all but a breeze. All the best!

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm 1:1.4, Start Of Day

CCD Resurgence: Fantastic colors, superb images, on a sunny and bright start-of-day street shoot at and around Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur.

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The SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4, a first-generation K-mount SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4 (1975 to 1977) manual focus prime, is more often wrongly misrepresented as the later version SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 (1977 to 1984). The later Pentax-M version is lighter, more compact, and has almost similar image characteristics.

The lens series, just as well, was not officially referred to as a K-series lens by Pentax; the designation was given to later K-mount lenses (such as the M, A, F, FA, and DA series) produced in tandem with later models of cameras.

Introduced by Pentax with the launch of Pentax K-series 35mm SLR film cameras, the lens was in production from 1975 to 1977. It is an all-metal and glass 7 elements in 6 groups (with SMC coating) 35mm full frame lens, has an automatic 8-blade diaphragm, and an aperture ring with a range from f1.4 to f22.

The lens has a compact dimension of 63mm (diameter) x 43 mm (length), a minimum focusing distance of 45cm, weighs 265 grams, and takes 52mm filters. The lens is rated for Sharpness at 9.0, Aberrations at 8.6, Bokeh at 9.4, Handling at 9.5, and Value at 9.1 on PentaxForums.

Despite its age, the SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4 I tested was still in excellent overall condition. Seen here mounted on the 10MP CCD Pentax K-m, the lens is a joy to handle and use. A nice and compact fit on the Pentax K-m, which in turn, makes the camera a snug fit in the hand. With soft images at wider apertures, the lens is not a contender for a sharp lens award. Bokeh is interesting and the colors are bright (typical of Pentax glass), though, and stopping down to smaller aperture openings improves sharpness significantly.

Pentax K-m, SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4

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