5 Inexpensive Pentax MV Lenses

The Pentax MV is a great 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera. This post is going to go over the 5 best lenses for the Pentax MV, and also a small number of substitute lenses.

The following is the 5 best lenses for the MV:

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  1. Kit Lens - SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
  2. Wide Angle Lens - SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
  3. Portrait Lens - SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
  4. Zoom Lens - Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
  5. Macro Lens - SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro

The best Pentax K mount lenses are grouped by type of photography and pricing. There are many suggested alternatives to select from that have a wide range of prices suitable for the value of the camera.

This is an assortment of 50mm focal lengths that can be used with the MV. At the time when the camera was available for sale as new, there was oftentimes an offer including a 50mm lens as kit for a discount.

The 50mm is regarded as a standard lens because the angle of view is close to what the human eye sees.

SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 Standard Prime Lens
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
  • “Kit” lens for the MV.
  • Terrific value.
  • Light, small, and compact.
  • 49mm filter threads.

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If you do not currently own it, a solid first lens to get a hold of for the MV is the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7. The 50mm f1.7 is easy to find, is cheap, has fantastic photo output, lightweight, and compact . It is the most used lens on the camera.

{You can also buy the second version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7|The 2nd version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, is also a good choice}.

SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 Fast Prime Lens
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
  • Exceptional optics.
  • Improved output because of optical multi-coatings.
  • Easy to find.
  • Comparatively economical.

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The SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 is nearly a stop faster than the f/1.7, at the added cost of additional size and weight. Expect to pay more than you would for an f/1.7 or f/2 lens. The subsequent version, the SMC Pentax-A, and earlier version, SMC Pentax, are both compatible with the MV.

SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2
SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2

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Just like other camera manufactures, Pentax made a 50mm halo lens. The resulting SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2 is a high-priced, fast, and very large hunk of glass.

The lens can be difficult to find because it can be used on Pentax DSLRs so the desirability includes more than usage with film cameras. If you want to locate one you’ll need to check and track what’s available for purchase through weeks or months.

SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8 Prime Wide Angle Lens
SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
  • Great combination with a 50mm lens.
  • Super Multi Coating (SMC) to improve performance.
  • Many copies can be found.
  • Relatively low cost.

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The SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8 isn’t the best option. In fact, many might not consider it to be a wide angle lens. However, it is significantly more affordable than any wider option.

There are many of wider focal lengths to pick from, but they are frequently way more expensive or third-party options have visible amounts of barrel distortion. On top of that, it is easy to see chromatic aberrations and other optical flaws in third-party offerings.

With regards to cost, the correlation is clear. As the field of view gets wider, the lens will cost more. Fast lenses will also be more expensive.

Be aware that vintage wide angle lenses do not have all the corrections that modern lenses have. The issue you’re most likely to see with vintage wide angles is going to be obvious barrel distortion.

  • SMC Pentax-M 20mm f/4
  • SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2
  • SMC Pentax 18mm f/3.5
  • SMC Pentax 24mm f/2.8
SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5 Telephoto Prime Portrait Lens
SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
  • 85mm substitute.
  • Excellent value.
  • Relatively inexpensive.
  • Widely available.

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The 85mm focal length was not as frequently used as they are currently compared to when the Pentax MV was released in 1979. Thanks to being more affordable, 100mm and 135mm focal lengths were more widely used.

The difference in price can be seen when looking at what’s available online.

There is an abundance of additional telephoto lenses to choose from. Focal lengths longer than 135mm and 85mm lenses are going to be higher priced.

  • SMC Pentax 85mm f/1.8
  • SMC Pentax 85mm f/2.2 Soft
  • SMC Pentax 105mm f/2.8
  • SMC Pentax 120mm f/2.8

Before the introduction of autofocus, in the 1980s, there were a few lenses made by third-party manufacturers that performed better than what Pentax was offering.

A large number of these top performers were released with the Vivitar brand name. Any zoom lens with the Vivitar Series 1 branding on it is going to have the best optics you can expect to see from a vintage zoom.

Unfortunately, obtaining one of these lenses in usable condition can be rather challenging. In addition to that, no vintage zooms offer outstanding performance. If you see one available for purchase that is cheap enough, it may be worth purchasing.

Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5 Zoom Lens
Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5

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Here are a few more options that you can consider if you would like a zoom lens for your MV. None of them are going to be spectacular, and you would most likely be better off buying a couple of primes instead.

  • SMC Pentax 85-210mm f/3.5
  • Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5
  • SMC Pentax 45-125mm f/4

Macro lens options for the Pentax MV suffer from problems with availability. The available supply of Pentax K mount choices is tiny, which pushes prices higher than you’ll pay for comparable Nikon F mount or Canon FD mount lenses.

SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro Lens
SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro
  • Ideal focal length for 1x magnification.
  • Widely available.
  • Mediocre value.

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A small number of people online have encountered balsam separation of the front doublet. This is worrying because even a little separation will increase over time and make it unusable. If you think you see this, avoid that copy and continue looking.

Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 Macro
  • The second best vintage macro lens I’ve used.
  • An outstanding lens for close-up photography.
  • Can achieve life-size magnification without needing an extension tube.

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My favorite vintange macro lens I have used, the 90mm Vivitar, was manufactured for a variety of mounts. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get a copy that’s got a Pentax K mount.

The Vivitar 55mm is my second favorite vintange macro. Take into account that it does have a smaller working distance than the 90mm. It is an ideal choice for close-up and table top photography, but it is not the ideal choice if you want to take macro shots at 1:1 magnification.

Both of the Vivitar macros were produced by Komine and were marketed under several brand names. If you decide to search for a copy also look under the Quantaray, Elicar, Rokunar, Spirateone, and Panagor brand names.

There is a Vivitar 90mm Macro Review and a [/vivitar-55mm-f-2-8-macro-lens-review](Vivitar 55mm Macro Review).

For shooting photos at macro magnification (1x), focal lengths in the 90mm-105mm range are going to be the most desirable option. You will have a large enough working distance to be able to use flash, while staying away from excessive weight and increased costs that come with longer focal lengths.

Interest and supply will set the cost of vintage manual focus lenses. Over the last few years, shooting film has risen in popularity, which has caused prices to go up.

Additional pricing pressure comes from Pentax DSLR users buying and collecting lenses. Third party producers tend not to manufacture products for the K-mount, unlike the Canon EF or Nikon F lens mounts.

Marketing conditions are constantly changing, and sudden events can quickly lead to price movements. However, the relative prices between options should be the same.

Taking a look at several websites is a very good way to get reliable market information. If you’re fortunate enough to come across a fantastic deal, purchase it because the best deals usually do not last very long.

The Pentax MV uses the Pentax K lens mount.

Released in 1975, the Pentax K mount is still used in cameras. It’s a replacement for the M42 screw mount that was used by previous cameras like the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic. Over the years alterations have been made to add electronically controlled apertures, CPU contacts, autofocus, and metering information.

Provided that a lens has a physical aperture ring, it will be compatible with Pentax film cameras. Keep in mind, it is not a good idea to spend money on pricey features that can not be able to be used by the camera. An exception would be if you already use a Pentax DSLR.

It is also possible to use the older M42 screw mount with an adapter. The older Takumar lenses are the the best to use. However, I would not advise doing this as finding them without tight focus rings can be annoying.

The standard filter ring thread and lens cap diameter used on most older manual focus Pentax K mount lenses is 49mm. Lenses were originally sold with slip on caps, not the more common center-pinch design found today. Shopping around at what’s available, you’ll see a small number of lenses sold with original lens caps.

Bear in mind big front elements will need to use bigger caps and filters.

The advantage of using a standard thread size is that you only need one set of filters.

SMC Pentax and Pentax-M lenses are made with a stop-down coupler that provides a linkage to the camera. The stop-down coupler enables the camera to know the aperture is set to so that the light meter will meter properly without needing to rely on stop-down metering.

The Pentax-A series introduced the capability for the aperture in the lens to be set by the camera. This means that cameras that support the Pentax-A changes have the capability to do aperture priority and shutter priority modes.

Having said that, due to the fact that that capability isn’t compatible with the camera, it doesn’t make financial sense to spend money on features that the camera can’t use.

That’s it for advice regarding the best lenses for the MV. Here’s further information that will provide you with more info about the camera can be found down below: