Inexperienced Pentax Owners; you NEED TO KNOW THIS!!!
Please do not read any more into this thread than I am trying to express. I absolutely LOVE my Pentax K-X DSLR. For the money, I still think it destroys Canon, and Minolta for a starter DSLR with some of the best features on an entry level camera.
One of the selling points to me was the ability to use ANY Pentax lens ever created on my new camera. It was like "Hey, you can buy up old film camera lots and use the lenses!" So that is EXACTLY what I have been doing. And I have acquired quite a collection in less than a year!
This issue hasn't been addressed here yet, so here goes:
If you use certain Sears brand lenses, you might regret it. Certain models have a ricoh pin that once the lens is mounted onto the camera the pin LOCKS into place before you can even get it fully on!
Not only is the lens LOCKED ON, but your camera is dead in the water, and can not be used.
There is a chill of regret that sweeps your heart when your new $500 plus camera is suddenly useless.
This happened to me yesterday.
There are many Google accounts of people doing the same thing, and I experienced it first hand yesterday.
I found this sweet little lens. I never even noticed it was Sears. I got both at a yard sale for $10. It was already mounted on a PENTAX camera. I had no idea it was even a sears lens. I guess I should have looked. The numbers on the end of the lens looked great, so I attempted to twist it on, and it froze. I panicked like a deer in headlights. I spent almost 2 hours trying to get it off. An hour at the inlaws house (no internet) and then another hour at my house reading horror stories of hacksaws and hammers.
I'm the impatient type on matters such as this, so here is exactly how I got mine off, and how I even managed to preserve my nice lens' usability.
I had a piece of a tape measure that had broken. I cut a 5" - 6" piece off, and began trying to squeeze it between the lens and camera body. I could tell quite quickly that it was making a huge mess with yellow paint. So I took it to my trusty grinder wheel, and I polished the 1" long tip of the tape measure scrap till both sides were shiny metal. I even sharpened the edges as best I could. I dipped it in water to cool it, dried it off, and worked from directly under the lens (Pentax K-x) and worked the blade improvised "feeler" towards the AF MF switch. As I did so I twisted the lens while holding doen the switch. Be sure it is in AF mode.
Once I had made my new tool it took me mere minutes. About 3 or 4 tops.
The lens popped right off. I then disassembled the lens and removed the pin by simply pushing it out the back of the mount. It took mere seconds. I now have a nice lens and a still "like new" non-damaged camera.
The moral of the story:
1) These references seem to focus around old Sears Lenses. So always check them thoroughly.
2) The ricoh pin in reference is probably NOT what your mind is picturing. Its a super TINY, (I mean EXTREMELY SMALL) ball bearing looking brass thing that don't really resemble a pin. So wipe that mental image of a pin out of your mind. This thing looks more like a microscopic ball-bearing. If you are inexperienced, you'd NEVER EVER know it was there.
Now that I have experienced this, I will search out similar lenses. Because of this pin, many buyers will avoid these altogether. They are great lenses, and as long as you de-pin it BEFORE you stick it on your camera, they work flawlessly! And for much less.
(Also Green, B, M and X). I primarily shoot in Av. When I'm shooting auto racing, then its Tv. Once in a while these modes just won't work and then its time to switch to a manual mode. For me, the key is to know when to switch. It sounds like you are taking the right path in getting to know your camera and its capabilities. This also extends to each of your lenses. Each lens has its capabilities and sweet spots. Learn these and it will be difficult to go wrong. I know this is a simplified viewpoint, but it works for me. Once you know your equipment (and the theory of shutter speed, aperture and ISO), solutions to difficult shooting situations just seem to pop into your head. Good luck and keep practicing!
(Besides being a Sears.)
