MonsterAdapter Pentax Adapter LA KE1 (439) bridges two very different camera systems. This adapter works with most (but not all) Pentax autofocusing SLR lenses and is compatible with Sony mirrorless cameras. This adapter is especially useful for those photographers who have moved to the Sony mirrorless system but still own a collection of Pentax glass. It is a niche-oriented product, so it can be a bit expensive. However, I found the LA-KE1 to be incredibly practical for using Pentax's FA* and Limited lenses on my Sony mirrorless cameras.
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Pentax to Sony with Autofocus
MonsterAdapter, a brand new company in the world of photography, is the LA-KE1 my first experience with. However, this is not Monster's first product. Similar adapters have been made to allow you to use your Sony E mirrorless camera with Minolta/Sony A SLR lenses and Nikon F lenses.
Pentax lenses are the focus of attention with the LA-KE1, one the very few brands that doesn't have its own adapter or mirrorless system. This is especially attractive for those photographers who have preserved some Pentax classic lenses such as the FA31mm Limited and the FA*24mm F2.
The adapter itself is a pretty basic concept. Lenses are designed to be mounted at a set distance from an image sensor. Since that distance is pretty short on a mirrorless camera, an adapter is essentially a light-proof spacer. MonsterAdapter recommends you take care when using the adapter with heavier lenses, especially those that weigh more than about 2.2 pounds (1kg). You'll want to make sure to cradle a big lens to support its weight when working handheld, and to use a tripod collar when mounting it.
There's a cottage industry of purely mechanical "dumb" adapters for mirrorless cameras—you can read about them in our guide to adapting lenses. MonsterAdapter adds autofocus to screw-driven lenses as well as electronic aperture control. The premium price is $439, which compares to $30 for manual alternatives. It may be worth it, particularly if your Pentax glasses are still in use and you want the ease of autofocus.
However, not all lenses can be supported. The adapter's current firmware only supports lenses with a screw drive. This type of focus is used by Pentax's autofocus lenses from the film era. If you're using more recent made-for-digital glass with a DC, PLM, or SDM focus motor, you won't be able to use autofocus, at least not yet—MonsterAdapter promises to update the firmware to expand support to these types of lenses. You can only use it for lenses in the following list.
This is not the best fit for lenses older than ten years. They can be mounted and used at open apertures, however they won't stop down. The LA-KE1 was designed for use with open apertures only. It's not something I see as a real negative, though—a manual Fotodiox(Opens in new window adapter works perfectly with older SMC K and M series lenses and costs just $25.
It is important to choose the right Sony camera. For the LA-KE1 to function well, it needs a camera that can support phase detection focus. Full-frame requires an a7 II, or newer. APS-C supports the a6100 to a6600, however, the a6000 and NEX generations are not supported.
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Real-World Performance
The MonsterAdapter LA-KE1 was tested with the Sony a7R III and Pentax lenses of the FA and DA Limited series. The screw-driven lenses performed mostly as expected. Some lenses had some issues, so I was unable to use them properly.
As an example, the HD FA 31mm takes about a second to drive focus from infinity to close-up with the LA-KE1 versus the K-1 Mark II's 0.5-second and the K-3 Mark II's 0.3-second. The adapter's focus motor doesn't drive the lens with quite the same level of power as native SLRs. There's very little delay when focus is set closer to start, though—if the lens just needs to make a small adjustment there's a slight lag.
Although focus speed is slower than with an SLR camera, the adapter lets you take advantage Sony's subject-tracking and eye detection focus modes. This allows for E-mount lenses to be used as well. But focus speed matters for certain types of photography—if you're thinking about using your old Pentax lenses to snap fast-moving action with your quick-firing Sony mirrorless camera, think again. This adapter can be used for portraits and family photos, as well as landscapes and wildlife photography.
I experienced some issues and lockups and overexposure when working at very narrow f-stops with select lenses, but nothing deal breaking. If you're using the lens with its v01 firmware, you might run into some problems working in aperture priority with certain lenses when the f-stop is set to f/16 or smaller—my copy of the SMC FA 43mm Limited had issues with overexposure at very narrow apertures. It's been fixed with the v02 firmware (more on that in the next section), but if your adapter is loaded with v01, you can sidestep the issue by using your camera's manual mode.
One small quirk is that some lenses report the maximum aperture wrongly. The FA 43mm F1.9 Limited HD and SMC models are listed as F2.0 lenses when using the adapter. In contrast, the HD DA 21mm F3.2 Limited is shown as an F3.5 lens. Sony does not make F1.9 and F3.2 lenses so these rare f-stops are unlikely to be recognized by its cameras.
EXIF data can be translated as expected. You'll also know which lens was used in order to create an image. In-camera IBIS is flawless. Stabilized image sensors are used by many Sony cameras, just as Pentax's SLRs.
Manual focus is supported, too. There's an AF/MF toggle switch on the side of the LA-KE1, and it's necessary to use it to swap focus modes; the option is grayed out in camera menus. Quick Shift lenses like the HD DA 40mm Limited support full-time manual focus override with Pentax SLRs, but the feature doesn't translate to the adapter.
Although the LA-KE1 can only be used to focus video manually, electronic aperture control is possible.
Full-frame Sony cameras can be set to use all of the sensor or you can switch to a cropped view if APS-C lens are attached. This information is passed to the camera by an adapter.
When I added the DA 15mm Limited lens and other DA series lenses, my a7R IV switched to 26MP APSC mode. There are exceptions—for example, the HD DA 70mm F2.4 Limited and DA* 60-250mm F4 cover full-frame sensors, and the adapter is smart enough to tag them as full-frame lenses. The menu allows you to switch between full-frame and cropped APSC modes.
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Future Updates: A Sneak Peek
MonsterAdapter gave me an exclusive look at the v02 firmware. This firmware adds support to loads of lenses, many including those with DC and internal SDM focus motors. It doesn't include support for PLM lens focus motors.
The update works as promised, fixes some bugs from v01, and adds support for a wider array of lenses—I tried a few with the adapter. All lenses worked flawlessly, including the DA* 60-250mm F4, D FA150-450mm and DA-20-40mm Limited.
The focus motors of these lenses are independent, and they don't have to be limited by speed of the LAKE1's motor. What's really important is the adapter's ability for converting focus commands from a Pentax lens to a Sony camera. These lenses had a little hesitation in focus acquisition, but it didn't stop me getting my shot.
The v02 firmware is on pace for release before the end of this year. You'll need to have access to a Windows system to run the required software, though. It works with operating systems as old as Windows 7 and a compatible Sony camera; only the very old NEX-C3, NEX-5, and NEX-5N aren't supported.
The firmware was updated using my Sony a7RIV and a Windows 10 laptop. It's a quick update to run—the whole process took about five minutes, including some time fumbling around the a7R IV menu to set the camera to USB Mass Storage mode, a requirement for the update. Windows Defender warns you that firmware updates are not being recognized by your computer. However, the firmware was loaded perfectly and the camera worked properly.
It is cumbersome to plug a USB cable into your camcorder to perform updates. Creatives who use macOS for their work are not affected. MonsterAdapter informs me it has not yet developed a plan to support Apple users. A firmware update that runs from an in-camera memory card is the ideal situation. However, I would be shocked if such a solution could technically work with a third party adapter.
A little rough around the edges, but worth it for some
MonsterAdapter Pentax Adapter LA–KE1 is a unique piece of equipment. It's a boutique-quality item. This adapter was made for those who love Pentax glasses and want to make use of Sony's mirrorless camera system. It's currently the only one of its kind.
The appeal may be narrow, but is welcome for those who fall under its scope. I've been clinging to a couple of my favorite Pentax FA Limiteds for years and often use them with a Sony mirrorless with an adapter. Adding autofocus is a big deal—it turns a lens that I'd use for still-life and tripod work into one that's better suited for handheld photography.
The focus speed with the Pentax SLR is slower than with the Pentax SLR and it's not as fast as the Sony lenses with Sony cameras. I wouldn't recommend using this adapter to take continuous action photos or use the adapter for quick-action photography. The adapter is capable of taking candids or snapshots.
I ran into a couple of operational issues with the v01 firmware. But, the coming v02 has them squashed and supports more lenses. The total number is now over fifty. Public release of the v02 firmware is expected later in the year.
At $439, the pricing verges on premium—if you've got relatively low-end Pentax lenses, it's worthwhile to think about swapping them out for one made for E-mount cameras. The LA-KE1 isn't meant for kit lenses or bargain bin finds. It's a better fit for photographers who've held onto some unmatched Pentax classics and have an itch to use them with a Sony mirrorless camera. If you fall under that umbrella, and don't mind a splurge, it can give you good reason to dust off your favorite K-mount lens.
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