> Here's a prime example of that by Adorama, > who should know better:
> http://www.adorama.com/US%20%20%20%20146759.html Yes, Adorama should know better - <g>. I think that, to some sellers, if it's a manual focus Pentax K-mount lens and it has electrical contacts, then it's an A lens, but if it has no contacts, then it's an M lens. Part of the problem is that the commonly used PDML - but unofficial - designation of a "K" lens is not as well known "in the outside world" - the guy at Adorama is presented with a 55/1.8 lens to describe, and it doesn't say "M" or "A" on it, or anything other than the usual (and thank God it is indeed "usual") "SMC" designation (which is also found on the "M" and "A" lenses, of course), and he/she really doesn't want to just call it an "SMC Pentax" lens (which is, of course, exactly what it is). Part of the problem goes back to 1975, when Pentax came out with the K-mount bodies and lenses. Pentax made a switch in nomenclature from "SMC Takumar" to "SMC Pentax" (as if all future Pentax lenses could simply be called "SMC Pentax" - as if there would be only one lens series in the future), without envisioning that there might very soon - 1976 or 1977 - be a reason to be more descriptive in describing SMC Pentax lens series). Fred
