Nikkor Lens Adapted for use on Pentax K1 camera

[BruceSD]

These days I mainly shoot Pentax K1 cameras.

I have adapted 18 Zeiss ZF (Nikon F Mount)  "Classic" and "Milvus" lens to the Pentax K mount using Leitax adapters.

Yesterday I adapted my first Nikkor lens (105mm f/2.5 Ai) lens for use on my Pentax K1 full frame digital camera.

Click here (https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/190-pentax-k-1/345247-adapted-nikkor-lens-pentax-k1-howd-do.html ) to see the results.

In the next few weeks I plan to adapt other Nikkors to see how they work on my K1.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

You might also post the test images here on NG. I'm sure many members would love to see what the K1 could do with their Nikkors.

The K1 did fade quickly away from the limelight as it were. Thus any news are welcomed.

[BruceSD]

You might also post the test images here on NG. I'm sure many members would love to see what the K1 could do with their Nikkors.

The K1 did fade quickly away from the limelight as it were. Thus any news are welcomed.

I don't choose my camera bodies because they are popular.  I shoot the camera that gives me the best I.Q.

One well regarded reviewer (Diglloyd) earlier this week stated that the "Pentax K1 in SuperRes pixel shift mode matches or exceeds the I.Q. of the new Fuji GFX medium format camera."

My Pentax K1 with my adapted Zeiss Milvus lenses offers medium format image quality, and the K1 is $700 USD cheaper than the Nikon D810. 

In the next few days I'll be adapting a 300mm Nikkor lens for use on one of my Pentax K1 bodies.  I'll try to post some test images from that combination.
 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I agree with your first sentence. However still curious why the attention died so quickly away.

[BruceSD]

They are still selling strongly at the major USA retailers.  In fact, sales were strong enough that they increased the price of a K1 a few months ago.

Pentax does absolutely no advertizing here in the USA.  Once the initial reviews were out, there has been no effort at all by Pentax to promote the camera. 

The Pentax lens road-map promises a couple of new, fast, prime lenses each year for the next few years.  If they receive positive reviews from the main reviewers these new lenses just might re-kindle the interest and "Internet buzz" on the K1. 

The other thing about the K1 is that it has a very long learning curve.  Coming from Nikon/Canon/Fuji it took me about a year before I felt 100% comfortable with my K1.  I think some photographers shot the K1 for a month, didn't care for it (probably because that's not enough time to master it's many features) and returned it to the retailer for a full refund ( provided that's done in the first 30 days that you have it ).  Some of the photographers who did not take the time to master the K1 have been quite vocal about their displeasure with the camera.

[Mongo]

Mongo is always interested in modifications of this type. Have some Pentax cameras as well as Nikons and have modified medium format Pentax 645 lenses for use on  Nikon. Not all lenses can be easily adapted. Some require intermediate lenses in the adaptors and these, Mongo finds unsatisfactory. In short - very interested in what you have posted but would like to see the how and the whats of doing this specifically rather than just the resulting images. Are you happy to provide details of this aspect ?? would be appreciated if possible.

[Tristin]

I would love to give the K1 a whirl, but having to permanently modify my Nikkors is too high a cost. 

[BruceSD]

Mongo is always interested in modifications of this type. Have some Pentax cameras as well as Nikons and have modified medium format Pentax 645 lenses for use on  Nikon. Not all lenses can be easily adapted. Some require intermediate lenses in the adaptors and these, Mongo finds unsatisfactory. In short - very interested in what you have posted but would like to see the how and the whats of doing this specifically rather than just the resulting images. Are you happy to provide details of this aspect ?? would be appreciated if possible.

Many lenses from Nikon and Zeiss are quite different from other lenses by that same manufacturer.  Far too complex a subject for me to address on the Internet.  Check out the many good tutorials on http://www.leitax.com/ .  They are good, but sometimes don't address all of the individual differences between lenses.

[BruceSD]

I would love to give the K1 a whirl, but having to permanently modify my Nikkors is too high a cost.

I have now Leitax converted over 20 Nikon F mount lenses to Pentax K mount.  In each and every case, the process was fully reversable and the adapted lenses can be very easily returned to Nikon F mount!!

[BruceSD]

Some require intermediate lenses in the adaptors.

In the last 5 years I've adapted over 50 lenses.   NONE of them use "intermediate lenses in the adaptors".  I am 100% against using any glass in my adapters.  There are work arounds, and other options available to one who has a well equipped lens shop in their basement.

[Hugh_3170]

When using the modified Nikon/Nikkor and Zeiss lenses on the K1, does one have to manually stop the lens down to the taking aperture?

I am unfamiliar with the Pentax bayonet and its K mount system and I cannot see from the Leitax photos on their web site as to whether the K1 can work the lens apertures of the converted lenses.  The changeover process does not seem to be too difficult and its is nice that it is reversible.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Mongo]

Big thanks Bruce - your advice is much appreciated. Worth a closer look

[Michael Erlewine]

I agree with your first sentence. However still curious why the attention died so quickly away.

I can only speak for myself. I had the K3 and the K1, both of which have the pixel-shift technology. There were two main reasons for my not keeping the Pentax K1,

(1) the Pentax lenses available (in general) were no up to what I require for my work. I made a point of hunting down and testing various better lenses, like the Voiglander 90mm and Voigtlancer CV-125 in Pentax format and testing these, as well. But they, as nice as they are, finally fitted into the second reason, below.

(2) The Pentax K1 made it difficult to used adapted lenses on the body. Ultimately, the results I was getting were not worth (for me) the effort it took to get them. And the pixel-shift technology on the K1 (while good as a proof-of-concept) was not ready for Prime Time. It only worked with no movement, which was OK with me, and even then there were all kinds of smears, blurs, etc. that muddied the waters. So, I applaud the concept of pixel-shifting, but not this iteration of it... IMO. Others will obviously disagree, but what's new?

[richardHaw]

i love pentax very much. it is the best underdog in the industry, i love it more than fuji 

the "intermediate lens" is for lenses with shorter flange distance, I assume that K and F mounts aren't too different.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I got some RAW files from Michael's K1 and frankly wasn't that impressed either. The less than expected result  made me lose any future interest in this model.

I*d like to add that while it might be possible to adapt Nikkors to Pentax, all kinds of automation are lost. Thus one is thrown back to the '50s as far as aperture control etc. is concerned. Stop-down metering also has the inherent disadvantage of being less accurate because the metered light levels through a stopped-down lens are lower. Somewhat akin to the issue of mirrorless and their EVFs, when the non-automatic lens is stopped down the finder is filled with static and noise instead of a crystal-clear image. I encounter this problem a lot with my Panasonics for UV work.