How to Use Pentax Screw Lens Adapters

1. Choose the lenses and camera bodies you want to use. If you have an older, screw-mount camera, you can get an adapter that attaches newer lenses from Pentax and other companies. Conversely, if you have older, screw-mount lenses and want to attach them to a newer camera, there is an adapter for that, too.

2. Attach the screw-mount adapter to newer lenses to fit them to an older Pentax. The newer lenses have a bayonet connection. This means you line up the red dot on the lens with the red dot on the adapter, insert the lens to the adapter and turn clockwise until it locks. Now screw the lens into the older camera body. Such features of newer lenses like auto-focus and auto aperture will not work on the older camera.

3. Use older lenses on a new camera body. Attach the screw-mount adapter to the old lens by screwing it on. When it is secure, line up the red dot on the adapter to the red dot on the camera body, insert the lens and twist clockwise until the lens locks. The lens still will be a fully manual lens, meaning you will need to focus by hand and stop-down the aperture manually.

4. Use the full range of the older, more solid lenses to give yourself added range of wide-angle and telephoto without having to buy all new lenses. Some older screw-mount lenses may be heavy in contrast to today's lenses, but you may already have them or you may buy them much less expensively than new lenses.