350D/pk lenses and focus dots

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Gandy

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Hello all. I acquired a 350D from a friend with the 18-55 lens it came with, but I've got few pentax lenses that I much prefer so I bought an adapter (for £6). It works great except the 350's focus dots won't flash (or seem to be disabled) when I use a pentax lens. I've swapped between EF and K lenses and the dots work with the EF, so it's not the camera. I know the K lenses are good. Adapter adds about 1/16" between lens and body, is metal (probably zinc), doesn't come near any of the EF contacts and the lenses are full manual. Is this the lenses/adapter in some combination actually preventing good sharps? Or is it just a quirk that the dots won't work when not using an EF lens?

Many thanks!

(the 35-70 looks as sharp on the 350D as it did on my K1000):


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Using this kind of lens will be manual only, ie: you will have to choose all the settings yourself, as there is no electrical contact between lens and camera.
You can buy adapters for some lenses with the contacts that will give you focus confirm, but not AF (auto focus)
Still, you can get some good results with these lenses, and it's a good way to learn your camera settings etc.
 
I've always used my cameras in full manual. I just have no indication of focus if the dots won't work, other than my eye. Are the focus dots entirely within the camera? Or does the lens play a part in telling the camera when an image is sharp?
 
Have a read of THIS I found it useful.
The focus indicators work from both the camera and the lens.
They are 'within the camera' as you put it, but only show when the camera focuses the lens via the contacts, which are not there on these lenses.
Have a look at the back (the bit that fixes into your camera) lens and you will see these contacts. They correspond with others just inside the camera body where your lens fixes to.
These enable the lens to 'talk' to the camera and visa versa, thus showing when focus is achieved.
 
Good stuff – thanks very much. Do you think it's worth bothering to install a split focus screen into the 350?
 
grab something like this adaptor - the little black "chip with contacts" is the bit that basically "lies" to the camera body and tells it there's a EF lens mounted, which then allows the MF Focus indicators to flash...

ETA: Haven't actually used that particular one - I've used the same or very similar chipped adaptors to mount Yashica MF lenses on my old EOS450D, and the EOS7D.
 
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Gandy said:
Good stuff – thanks very much. Do you think it's worth bothering to install a split focus screen into the 350?
Click to expand...
No, def not!
Better spending the cash on a better lens for the 350d.
Have a look at the 'nifty 50' a really cheap 50mm prime lens that performs well above it's price.
Also, the 'nifty 250' a 55-250mm tele lens that also churns out super images for a low price.
Both work very well on the 350d.
 
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