View Full Version : OT: Pentax screwmount SLRs
You wanna have a short break from RF cameras?
Look at this site:
http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Pentax_MX.html
I just got this Pentax H2 from 1960. Seriously, it costs me 82 GBP..! If you ever thought SLRs i.e. Pentax are ugly and heavy you are on the wrong side! It weights 568g like my Canon P! Not to speak about the MX. The lens is 170g like a dual color 60's Canon lens too!
And look at this camera!
cheers, and a nice weekend to all of you... Sorry most of my pages are in German, maybe I translate a few sometime...
Frank
They are fantastic SLRs :) My first SLR was and is a KM, which is what they made after the K1000. Its a fantastic camera and is doing better than my Dad's(now mine) MX, which needs new light seals. Cant go wrong with em :)
Penguin_101
06-11-2005, 07:11
Make the site into English: http://world.altavista.com/babelfish/tr
COpy the URL and then select German to whatever you need.
..translation sounds quite stupido.. :-)) even not good enough to start with for a real translation .. well, if 5 people complain, I do it :-)
Jan Brittenson
06-11-2005, 07:31
Some of my favorite lenses are M42! The SMC Tak 50/1.4, MC Flektogon 35/2.4 (CZJ), Helios 44-2... I even just bought a brand spanking new Bessaflex to use with my M42 lenses.
The Pentax Spotmatic in it's various models is an excellent choice in SLR's. There are also numerous other brands available with the M42 screw mount; Mamiya-Sekor, Fuji, Vivitar, Praktica and others. It's been estimated that more lenses in M42 mount have been made than any other and excellent lenses are available at good prices.
IMO, one of the best buys in an M42 mount camera is the Praktica L series. They all have a vertical metal focal plane shutter with X-sync at 1/125. Even is the meter doesn't work, they are fine mechanical cameras.
Walker
Joe Brugger
06-11-2005, 07:38
Made money for years shooting with Spotmatic F bodies plus an ES and mostly the 28/3.5 and the 85/1.8 lenses. Excellent quality, excellent build. The meters tended to drift over time (the ES was always very accurate) and the screwmounts never really had an easy-to-use and reliable motor drive. But the bodies were compact and reliable and well-made. Some of the good fast lenses are hard to find. I never thought their wide angles were quite as good as the rest of the line.
bmattock
06-11-2005, 07:41
Some of my favorite lenses are M42! The SMC Tak 50/1.4, MC Flektogon 35/2.4 (CZJ), Helios 44-2... I even just bought a brand spanking new Bessaflex to use with my M42 lenses.
I've got a Bessaflex TM as well - the "Topcon" looking one. Love it.
I just bought a Pentax *ist DS and a M42 adapter for it. I'm sitting here right now, getting ready to go out with a Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.8, a Helios 44-M 58mm f2, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 80mm f2.8, Meyer Optik Gorliz Trioplan 100mm f2.8, and a Pentax Super Takumar 35mm f2.
Of course, I am also bringing a Zeiss Ikon Contina III and a roll of B&W film. Foot in both worlds.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Count me in as another screwmount fan. Also my first SLR. How can you resist? Elegant mechanical cameras, and a sea of great lenses, often at bargain prices - Takumar, CZ Jena, Pentacon, EBC Fujinon, Zenitars, Jupiters.... :)
BTW, Sonnar2, you page on how to tell if a sonnar's a fake was very useful to me a month or two ago. Thanks!!
Duncan Ross
06-11-2005, 08:02
You wanna have a short break from RF cameras?
Look at this site:
http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Pentax_MX.html
I just got this Pentax H2 from 1960. Seriously, it costs me 82 GBP..! If you ever thought SLRs i.e. Pentax are ugly and heavy you are on the wrong side! It weights 568g like my Canon P! Not to speak about the MX. The lens is 170g like a dual color 60's Canon lens too!
And look at this camera!
cheers, and a nice weekend to all of you... Sorry most of my pages are in German, maybe I translate a few sometime...
Frank
Yep, some of the M42 SLRs are superb! My wife's Praktica MTL5 will probably last longer than I will and for me the Fujica ST605N is the best kept secret of M42 SLRs - it is so beautiful to use, cheap as chips and takes the Pentax 50mm f1.4. As always with SLRs from this period do check the mirror cushion at the front of the mirror box isn't turning into gunge.
Hope you get some good shots!
nikon_sam
06-11-2005, 10:47
Back in 1976 my parents bought me my first real camera...a Vivitar 400/SL. It came with a normal 50mm, a 200mm tele and a 2x teleconverter. I loved that camera and still have it (it's been retired). It too used M42 lenses and even by today's standards these are very sharp lenses.
Just the other day I was looking through my drawers and pulled out that oldie and though "You know...it would be fun shooting with this old boy", but then quickly I wrapped it up and put it away.
Again...hurray for the oldies!!!
I have a Takumar 50mm f1.4 that I use on a Canon Rebel TI with an adapter of course.
Incredibly sharp! Last year I found a Spotmatic witha Takumar 55mm f2 at a garage sale and took it home for thirty bucks. Works perfectly, and would you believe I put in a 392 watch battery with a little shifting around and I get perfect exposures with color print film. I wouldn't try Kodachrome, though.
Kurt M.
One of my first SLRs was an H2 with the meter that clipped on over the pentaprism. It was a great camera and I still regret selling it. You are correct, it was very small compared to later SLRs and was very nicely finished. I got it and normal plus a 200 and 35mm Takumars used but like new (Every lens was sharp). Think I paid about $300 around 1968.
A super Takumar was the 17mm. They now fetch fairly high prices. What a hunk of Glass. Another in the long list of equipment I wish I hadn't sold. Attached is a shot I too about 1978 of our kids with the 17mm.
I've got a Bessaflex TM as well - the "Topcon" looking one. Love it.
I just bought a Pentax *ist DS and a M42 adapter for it. I'm sitting here right now, getting ready to go out with a Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.8, a Helios 44-M 58mm f2, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 80mm f2.8, Meyer Optik Gorliz Trioplan 100mm f2.8, and a Pentax Super Takumar 35mm f2. Best Regards, Bill Mattocks
Bill, I'd like to know how the Oreston, Tessar and Trioplan perform. The Orestons I've used - and I have several - are great lenses and about as inexpensive as can be found in 50mm. They also focus to about 13".
The attached picture was taken with a 135mm Pentacon on a Praktica LTL. She won't see it until next month when there's another match at the gun club but I think she'll like it.
Walker
bmattock
06-11-2005, 19:20
Bill, I'd like to know how the Oreston, Tessar and Trioplan perform. The Orestons I've used - and I have several - are great lenses and about as inexpensive as can be found in 50mm. They also focus to about 13".
The attached picture was taken with a 135mm Pentacon on a Praktica LTL. She won't see it until next month when there's another match at the gun club but I think she'll like it.
Walker
Walker,
I didn't get the shots in that I hoped today - maybe tomorrow. But I took a few on the lawn this evening as the sun was setting with the Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.9, just for you! I shot wide-open, say about 1/250 second. These were the best of ten or so...
Oh yes, remember these were shot with the *ist DS, so 1.5 cropping factor applies - this would act like a severe center crop or a lens of 75mm instead of a 50mm.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
One of my first SLRs was an H2 with the meter that clipped on over the pentaprism.
My brother had a Pentax screw mount with the meter over the prism, but H2 wasn't it. I want to say HV or XV or something. The meter was coupled to the shutter speed but not to the aperture. His did go to 1/1000.
My second "Real Camera" was a Spotmatic. Original Spotmatic "black press" model. Got it up at the old Minifilm shop on 8th Av. and 30-something. I eventually got the real Pentax Takumar 135 and the Vivitar 28mm wide, which I very much preferred over the regular wide angle of 35mm, and still do. My only real gripe about this camera was the time and hassle of changing lenses. That was the real reason I sold it many years later and got the K1000, which is still my main camera for serious stuff. Ironically, before I got any lenses other than the normal one for the K1000 I got a 28-135 zoom, so changing lenses is a moot point. If I had to do it over, I would have probably kept the Spotmatic and just got a zoom. So much for 20/20 hindsight. :) I do love the K1000, since I've had it for about 20 years now. :)
But anyway, the Spotmatic was a great camera. Back in those days (early 70's) the holy grail of SLRs was the Nikon F series but nobody my age (my age then) could afford one. Several people I knew got the Nikkormat as a second choice, but I chose the Spotmatic, mainly because my brother had a Pentax, and I had used it and liked it.
I'm receptive enough in Deutsch to understand most of that page, but I know I'm missing many of the nuances. If you look around on the site, they also have a very good English language page covering some of the early Canon rangefinders too. Lots of information about the Canon lenses, including the f.095 normal lens. I've always been fascinated with fast lenses like that, but never got to play with one. :)
Walker, I took a few on the lawn this evening as the sun was setting with the Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.9, just for you! I shot wide-open, say about 1/250 second. These were the best of ten or so... Best Regards, Bill Mattocks
Bill, I'd say that the Oreston acquitted itself very nicely. The color looks to be accurate and they're certainly sharp enough. Nice-looking puppies too! :)
Walker
Compact SLR? Don't forget the old Oly OM10 - my first serious camera bought new when they first came out. Cheap as chips now and good lenses available too.
Chris, I believe the Olympus OM10 was made for them by Cosina, so is a very close cousin to Jan's and Bill's Bessaflexes. :)
I have four screw-mount Pentaxes, including the motor-drive Spotmatic and an H3 just like my first good camera back when. These are very elegantly designed cameras, and well made too. Here's a pic of my Pentax K... (long way from that one to the K2!)
Here's a pic of my Pentax K... (long way from that one to the K2!)
Doug, does that lens have the semi-auto diaphram that requires setting it to full open after each exposure? I just received a 105mm f/2.8 Takumar "Auto" lens with the pre-set knob. Advertised as "never used", after examining it, I can believe it. It's pristine. Now to take some pictures with it........ :)
Walker
My avatar was taken with a Pentax H1a with S-T 55/2 lens. Excellent camera (pre-Spotmatic) but I traded up to Olympus OM-1 and still prefer the Oly.
Gene
bmattock
06-12-2005, 03:12
Bill, I'd say that the Oreston acquitted itself very nicely. The color looks to be accurate and they're certainly sharp enough. Nice-looking puppies too! :)
Walker
Looking at those photos again this morning, I think they have a 'old time' look to them. I don't know how to describe what I see, but these photos just look 'old' even though I took them last night with a digital SLR body and the old lens. I notice that the bokeh is weird and swirly - I see something somewhat similar with my Mamiya/Sekor Super Deluxe rangefinder when shooting wide-open (f1.5 in that case).
Ann-Marie is going to the beach today - I'm not a beach fan, so I'll try to get some sample shots with different lenses of the same focal length on the same camera and see if there really is any difference in them.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks :(
Walker, yes; you can see in the picture the lever/knob on the lens that is used to crank the diaphragm back open after the exposure. This semi-auto diaphragm lens carried the "Auto-Takumar" name, but confusingly the first full-auto diaphragm lenses were also called "Auto"... Thereafter, "Super Takumar" meant a full-auto diaphragm lens.
One drawback to the full-auto diaphragm is that there's a practical limit to the stiffness of the spring that pops the diaphragm blades back open, and this led to lowering the weight of the assembly by reducing the number of blades. The 55mm f/2.2 Auto-Takumar has 10 aperture blades!
If your 105mm is an Auto-Takumar with the aperture reopening lever, then it has a semi-auto diaphragm... I wouldn't use the "pre-set" term here, as that's for a more primitive aperture control method! The first step away from a plain manual diaphragm was adding a second aperture ring that could move freely between wide open and whatever the main ring was set to. This aided focusing wide open, then quickly stopping down to the f/stop that you had pre-set on the main aperture ring. I had a 105mm Spiratone lens with this feature; it was cheap, but it was a pain to use once spoiled by full-auto lens convenience! In the heat of the moment I would sometimes forget to stop the lens down, ruining the picture. But no such problem with the Auto-Takumars of course. One doesn't necessarily have to reopen the lens for subsequent shots with the same subject distance.
There were some pre-set Pentax lenses, and these were lumped with manual lenses under the "Takumar" name.
These older Auto-Takumars were excellent in their time, and surprisingly good even now. Hope you enjoy your "new" 105mm and get some great pics!
dominicLF
06-12-2005, 09:36
My avatar was taken with a Pentax H1a with S-T 55/2 lens. Excellent camera (pre-Spotmatic) but I traded up to Olympus OM-1 and still prefer the Oly.
Gene
That's funny because I did the opposite and traded (down?) to Pentax SV. I love the the two SVs that I have. Since I recently bought a Gossen digi-flash light meter (which is the greatest invention since rollfilm/sliced bread) I don't use any cameras with TTL anymore.
Does anyone here have an appriciation of the difference between the 35/3.5 and the 35/2.8 Super Takumars? I recently bought the 2.8 but was wondering what the differences were.
Hi Doug,
I was very surprised about the excellent build quality and compactness of the Auto-Takumar 2/55 from 1960... level with the best Canon RF lenses but cheaper! I love the black-chrome look as well! In my feel the "Semi-Automatic" is more comfortable than the dual-aperture ring Canon FL system of the same vintage - let aside their big size! So I look forward at a small telephoto, maybe a 2.8/105. I also hear that the 3.5/35 Takumar was a sharp lens, but best Pentax lenses seem to be "standards". Maybe the primary 2.4/55 is also an interesting lens - very early (ceased 1957) and 5 elements in 3 groups, which sound like a "Heliar" type lens..
cheers, Frank
Brian Sweeney
06-12-2005, 10:09
I had an Argus/Cosina STL1000 for my first SLR.
Bought one off of Ebay not long ago, here with a Pentax 85mm F4.5 Super-Achromat
back alley
06-12-2005, 10:42
hey brian, how ya doin'?
love the colours in that shot and dare i say it, the out of focus areas too.
joe
I wouldn't use the "pre-set" term here, as that's for a more primitive aperture control method! These older Auto-Takumars were excellent in their time, and surprisingly good even now. Hope you enjoy your "new" 105mm and get some great pics!
I hestitated before typing "pre-set" and probably should have said "re-set" instead. I have two Vivitar pre-set lenses for my Exaktas that I bought new back in the late 1960's; a 135 & a 200, both f/3.5's. I also have a 500mm f/6.3 Vivitar that's a pre-set and a pretty sharp lens. They are slower to operate but optically very good.
The surprising thing about the semi-auto Takumar 105mm is it's small size. It's pretty much on par with my 100mm Zuiko lens for the OM's. It has good weight for it's size too so I'd say the quality material is there and it has 8 diaphram blades.
Walker
Kim Coxon
06-12-2005, 14:04
Hi,
Your brother's camera was probably an H3v, this is the US badged version of the SV. It would have had a self itmer around the base of the rewind knob.
I never knew there were so many "closet Pentaphiles" in the group :eek: I was almost afraid to admit thatI am a Pentaphile at heart!! If anyone needs any info on the Pentax line, you might find my website helpful www.pentax-manuals.com
Regards
Kim
My brother had a Pentax screw mount with the meter over the prism, but H2 wasn't it. I want to say HV or XV or something. The meter was coupled to the shutter speed but not to the aperture. His did go to 1/1000.
My second "Real Camera" was a Spotmatic. Original Spotmatic "black press" model. Got it up at the old Minifilm shop on 8th Av. and 30-something. I eventually got the real Pentax Takumar 135 and the Vivitar 28mm wide, which I very much preferred over the regular wide angle of 35mm, and still do. My only real gripe about this camera was the time and hassle of changing lenses. That was the real reason I sold it many years later and got the K1000, which is still my main camera for serious stuff. Ironically, before I got any lenses other than the normal one for the K1000 I got a 28-135 zoom, so changing lenses is a moot point. If I had to do it over, I would have probably kept the Spotmatic and just got a zoom. So much for 20/20 hindsight. :) I do love the K1000, since I've had it for about 20 years now. :)
But anyway, the Spotmatic was a great camera. Back in those days (early 70's) the holy grail of SLRs was the Nikon F series but nobody my age (my age then) could afford one. Several people I knew got the Nikkormat as a second choice, but I chose the Spotmatic, mainly because my brother had a Pentax, and I had used it and liked it.
I'm receptive enough in Deutsch to understand most of that page, but I know I'm missing many of the nuances. If you look around on the site, they also have a very good English language page covering some of the early Canon rangefinders too. Lots of information about the Canon lenses, including the f.095 normal lens. I've always been fascinated with fast lenses like that, but never got to play with one. :)
Well, if it's outing-time for closet Pentaphiles, I have to admit to really liking my MX (and the MZ5n, too) - the MZ-M was my first SLR, and I also own a K2; the only Pentax I did not like that much was the Super A.
Roman
Kim Coxon
06-12-2005, 14:20
Hi,
As far as I know, there are 2 versions of the 35/F2 and the 35/F3.5 Super Takumars and a 2.3 Auto Tak but the only 35/F2.8's were bayonet mount. Check here http://www.aohc.it/tak02e.htm If you really have a 2.8 Super Takumar, there woul be a lot of Pentaphiles very interested in it! The link to the table will give you the major differences between the models and I can supply more if required. There were all very good performers.
Regards
Kim
That's funny because I did the opposite and traded (down?) to Pentax SV. I love the the two SVs that I have. Since I recently bought a Gossen digi-flash light meter (which is the greatest invention since rollfilm/sliced bread) I don't use any cameras with TTL anymore.
Does anyone here have an appriciation of the difference between the 35/3.5 and the 35/2.8 Super Takumars? I recently bought the 2.8 but was wondering what the differences were.
I never knew there were so many "closet Pentaphiles" in the group :eek: I was almost afraid to admit thatI am a Pentaphile at heart!!I am as well, Kim! I've had only Pentax SLRs since 1964, except an anomaly a couple years ago when I got a 3rd-party lens thinking I could change the mount to fit Pentax, but ended up buying an OM-G just to use the lens! Besides the 4 screw-mount bodies, I have 9 other Pentaxes in three film formats, the most recent addition a few weeks ago being a black K2DMD. The K2 is just back from CLA along with repair to my 1.8/85mm SMCP, and a test roll finished at the Farmers Market yesterday. Pentax has made good gear that I'm comfortable relying upon.
Well, if it's outing-time for closet Pentaphiles, I have to admit to really liking my MX ...
Closet Pentaphiles. :) LOL
I admit being a Pentaphile. I know this is a rangefinder group here, but I still use (and prefer) the K1000 for most of my semi-serious work. I really see the GIII as my primary low-light camera.
There are really 2 things that I see as advantages to the Pentax SLR over the GIII rangefinder:
1. Zoom lens. I'm spoiled by it.
Question to the Teeming Millions here, do any rangefinders have anything like a coupled viewfinder to a zoom lens like many of the point-and-shoot cameras do?
2. Polarizer. I don't see any practical way of using it on a RF. Anybody use one on a RF?
Joe Brugger
06-12-2005, 15:30
Leica has the Tri-Elmar verifocal that's supposed to click in the right finder frame. Optical quality is supposed to be good but some of the early ones supposedly had problems bringing up the right frame. There's also a very rare Konica varifocal for M-mount.
The Contax G2 finder zooms with the focal length of their varifocal; some people love the lens.
I've used polarizers a couple times with RFs but it isn't very convenient. Either you hold the polo up to your eye, rotate it for effect, note the position and then screw it on the lens .... or you leave it on the lens, note the meter readings at various positions, and then pick the degree of polarization you want.
Neither way is very satisfactory.
Leica and some aftermarket suppliers have made polos that swing over the finder for composition and over the lens for taking. Never used one.
Back before the Spotmatic Pentax made a 105 preset lens (or maybe it 100mm--I can't remember) I borrowed one from a guy at the office and shot a portrait of my father-in-law with it. Every wrinkle, spot and hair was crystal clear. I don't think I've used any lens since that was sharper. My early Pentax was a Asahi -- as were the lenses -- probebly was purchased in Japan by a serviceman.
bmattock
06-12-2005, 16:11
Thought a few of you might like to see this.
I went on a trip today over to the Wilson Rose Garden with the specific purpose in mind of shooting all my 50mm (roughly) M42 mount prime lenses. Turned out to be a bit of a bust, because it was so bright out - I could not shoot wide-open, even though the camera (Pentax *ist DS) will do 1/4000 at ISO 200. So, I settled for a wide-open shot of a sundial art thing there - with the roses in the background. I wanted to see color, sharpness in the focus point, and how the lenses handled the out-of-focus areas.
The point of sharpest focus on all the following shots should be the Roman number VII. In some cases, it appears I was off a scosh, not sure why.
For those of you who have thought of putting an M42 lens on a DSLR, here's how it is done on a Pentax P/K mount:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/pentax_camera.jpg
Up first, we have the Pentax Super Takumar 55mm f1.8 at f1.8:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_pentax_super_tak_1_8.jpg
Next, we have the Former USSR Helios 55M 58mm f2 at f2:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_helios_44m_2.jpg
It is very nice, but look how the OOF areas go all swirly! Interesting...
Next, we have classic Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f2 at f2:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_carl_zeiss_jena_tessar_2.jpg
I think I am seeing the same swirly OOF areas in the Biotar. By the way, the Biotar is a preset lens - it has no click stops for the aperture, and it has no 'pin' for the camera to automatically stop the camera down to take the photo. You must stop it down manually on all cameras, not just a Franken-Pentax like my *ist DS. Also, FYI - the body goes into the camera a ways - I discovered that I cannot use it at all on my Bessaflex TM - the 'shoulder' of the back of the lens gets in the way of the 'kicker' that normally depresses the stop-down pin. So when you try to take a shot with the Bessaflex TM, the kicker can't, so the mirror does not pop up, and no photo is taken. Hmph!
Next up, we have the Isco Westenar 50mm f2.8. It's a funny little thing. Shaped kinda funny, and it has a spring-loaded button on the side of the lens that you're supposed to pre-load before each shot - the usual M42 pin-kicker would then kick the pin, which would stop the lens down using the sspring tension you wound up in it before. However, the lens then stays stopped down until you rewind the spring. Since my Franken-Pentax has no pin-kicker, I just don't cock the lever and it works fine as a pre-set lens. Here it is, bear in mind it is wide-open at f2.8, so it looks a bit different than the others:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_isco_westenar_1_8.jpg
Next we have the Pentax Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f1.4. A classic in every way, it is well-made, heavy, like a jewel in mechanism, it just feels good. Shot at f1.4, so bear that in mind - it is a tad bit faster than the others, so has a shorter DOF:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_pentax_super_multi_coated_tak_1_4.jpg
This is the final lens, a Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.8. This lens has the classic zebra-stripe pattern, and it has a pin, but there is no auto/manual switch to do manual stop-down. Instead, it has a push-button on the side of the lens that stops the lens down while the button is held down. Pretty convenient, if you remember to do it. I kept forgetting. Here it is at f1.8:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/rose_garden_meyer_gorlitz_oreston_1_8.jpg
Here is what the lenses themselves look like:
http://www.cameramentor.com/images/m42_50mm_primes/lenses_001.jpg
My conclusions? Hard to say. I did find out some interesting things while out shooting today.
1) The Biotar has a reputation of being a shot-focus king. Not so, the Oreston can focus down much closer. The Pentax Super Takumar 1.8 nearly as close as the Biotar.
2) The Pentax Super-Multi-Takumar 50mm f1.4 is a sweet lens, just like everybody says. I found it surprisingly sharper at f5.6 than I did at f8 or f16. Interesting! Also, it had the best color rendition to my color-blind eyes, anyway.
3) The Isco Westenar is a better lens than I gave it credit for. Not bad at all.
4) The Helios is a fine lens - subject to a bit of lens flare, but overall, not bad. Not in the same league with the Pentaxes, IMHO. It requires does not allow for close focusing, the worst in that regard. Build quality is okay - feels solid, but not as smooth as a Pentax.
My overall favorite lens from this test today is a bit of a surprise to me - the Pentax Super Takumar 55mm f1.8! I like the bokeh, I like the short-focus. It is a physically small and light lens, very transportable, but it feels as well-made as it's big brother the SMC Tak 1.4. Second favorite, based on image quality alone - the Meyer Gorliz Oreston, but tied with the Pentax SMC 1.4. I didn't like the Biotar best for anything, I'm surprised, it is a cult classic.
Keep in mind that this was a very subjective test, so your milage may vary. I used a tripod on all the lenses, tried not to move things around, and tried to keep the conditions the same for each lens tested. I am only showing the 'fast' or wide-open tests with one subject in the interest of brevity - I have lots of other images if anyone wants them. I can also supply full-size images if anyone wants them to do in-depth analysis. But otherwise, this is pretty much it.
It was fun - and I found it useful. Hope you enjoyed it too.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Brian Sweeney
06-12-2005, 16:24
Hey Joe!
Been doing pretty good! I have to hook my other machine up to the net to upload some more pictures.
This particular lens, the "Super-Achromat" used all Calcium Fluorite. It can shoot from UV through Midwave Infrared. In visible, it gives color like nothing else that I have ever seen.
wierdcollector
06-12-2005, 16:36
Pentaphile thru and thru. I have 2 Slll, a Spotmatic, Spotmatic F, SP 500, H1a, P3, 3 K1000's, a Super Program, and even a dealer's limited edition Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SPll wall display that is approx. 16x10 inches with a camera above a suspended Asahi Pentax logo board.
Liked the shots Bill, good work as usual. Great info on the various lenses as well. I have all except the Biotar. Had one on an Exakta before but long gone now, stupid me. I've got 2 of the semi-auto 55 but also have 2 Yashica 50 f2 semi autos. Didn't even know they'd made such a critter till lately. The Pentax are smoother with the Yashicas tending to have a slow aperture occasionally.
Interesting comparson, Bill!
Bill, I'd have to see those pictures in a side-by-side comparison to even think about making a choice as to which I'd prefer. They all look pretty darned good to me!
Pentaphile? I have a Spotmatic II that is a really nice camera and takes great pictures. It's smooth and a pleasure to use. However (isn't there always a "however"?) I also have about seven Prakticas, all but one having the vertical-running metal focal plane shutter. If the Spotmatic is a Crown Victoria, the Prakticas are a Taurus; real workhorses.
I suppose I belong to the M42 Club which has lots of options and they are all pretty good ones IMO.
Walker
Jan Brittenson
06-12-2005, 22:49
I just bought a Pentax *ist DS and a M42 adapter for it. I'm sitting here right now, getting ready to go out with a Meyer Gorlitz Oreston 50mm f1.8, a Helios 44-M 58mm f2, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 80mm f2.8, Meyer Optik Gorliz Trioplan 100mm f2.8, and a Pentax Super Takumar 35mm f2.
Ooh, you've got some neat stuff there I've only read about. How is the Meyer 100? Been considering a Pentax 35/2 also... but they're not that cheap on ebay.
Jan Brittenson
06-12-2005, 22:55
for me the Fujica ST605N is the best kept secret of M42 SLRs
A very nice camera... I got one on ebay (ST605) for $20, but it turned out the meter is dead, the prism is full of crud, self timer doesn't work, and the first time I blew canned air into the mirror box all the foam came flying out. Looks nice though.
A very nice camera... I got one on ebay (ST605) for $20, but it turned out the meter is dead, the prism is full of crud, self timer doesn't work, and the first time I blew canned air into the mirror box all the foam came flying out. Looks nice though.So, uhh, got any pics from it? :D
Jan Brittenson
06-12-2005, 23:24
So, uhh, got any pics from it? :D
No, and I probably won't use it. It's just too decrepit. Would like to find one in working condition though.
I have a nice little M42 mount kit. All up I have probably spent less that $100 to build this kit (not including the 500mm reflex lens). This is what it consists of:
Bodies;
Praktica MTL-5
Praktica LB
Fujica ST605N
Lenses;
Yashica Auto Yashinon DS-M 50mm 1:1.7
Hanimex Automatic MC 35mm 1:2.8
Hanimex Auto "s" 135mm 1:2.8
Hanimex Automatic 135mm 1:2.8
Auto Makinon 28mm 1:2.8
RMC Tokina 70-105mm 1:3.8
Soligor 105mm 1:2.8
Hanimex 500mm 1:8 Reflex (mirror) Lens
Meyer-Optic Gorlitz Primotar 180mm 1:3.5
Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Domiplan 50mm 1:2.8
Tele Convereters;
Kent-Sankor 2x Converer
Argus Auto 2x TelXtender
Hanimex Auto 3x Converter
I am still running the first rolls through the Prakticas and the Fujica needs new light seals. The meters are working in all 3 cameras and the MTL-5 is in absolutely wonderful condition. The leather is like new on this baby.
Heath
oftheherd
06-13-2005, 06:14
Heath - Sounds like a nice kit! None of those lenses should be slouches. I know from personal experience that the screw mount Yashinons were great. The Yashikors would be a different story. Optically the Yashikors weren't so bad, but they didn't have the multicoating the Yashinons had. How do you like the Meyer-Optics? Were the Hanimaxs made by Tokina also?
titrisol
06-13-2005, 06:16
YES, spotmatics work with 392 or 395 [the 395 fits best] batteries perfectly. The batteries last years and yes you can expose Ektachrome !
The metering circuit is a bridge so the .15V difference is compensated and exposures are perfect.
I've compared mine to a Minolta Spotmeter and there was less 1/3 stop difference or less in shadows, highlights, etc.
....snip..... and would you believe I put in a 392 watch battery with a little shifting around and I get perfect exposures with color print film. I wouldn't try Kodachrome, though.
Kurt M.
Heath - Sounds like a nice kit! None of those lenses should be slouches. I know from personal experience that the screw mount Yashinons were great. The Yashikors would be a different story. Optically the Yashikors weren't so bad, but they didn't have the multicoating the Yashinons had. How do you like the Meyer-Optics? Were the Hanimaxs made by Tokina also?
I believe that the Hanimex lenses would have been made by CZJ or Pentacon in many cases. The "Auto-S" 135mm is almost certainly a "Sonnar". The E. German optics are generally above average and compare favorably to the better Japanese lenses.
My "normal" kit when I take out one of my Prakticas includes some combination of these lenses:
28mm f/2.5 Auto Vivitar
29mm f/2.8 MC Pentacon Electric
55mm f/1.4 Mamiya-Sekor
50mm f/1.8 MC Pentacon
50mm f/1.8 Pancolar
50mm f/1.8 Meyer-Gorlitz Oreston (I have four or five of them)
135mm f/2.8 MC Pentacon Electric
200mm f/4 Jupiter-21A (Pre-set) I also have the 21M auto but it's much larger & heavier.)
300mm f/3.5 Tair-3S Semi-auto
500mm f/6.3 Vivitar T2 Pre-set
I've recently added a 105mm f/2.8 Takumar "Auto" (semi-auto, really) and a 105mm f/2.8 Vivitar T4 auto. A Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 T4 lens should be here soon.
In general, I load the Prakticas with B&W while I use the Spotmatic II for color film. The Spotmatic meter is accurate but I use a hand held meter for the Prakticas.
IMO, the M42 cameras are one of the best buys/bargains on the market today. The Fuji and Prakticas in particular.
Walker
Thanks for bringing up another camera kit I should not have sold!
Pentax Spotmatic F (mint from Ebay $80)
Pentax 28mm F3.5 SMC with hood and case (flea market $10 mint)
Pentax 50mm F1.4 SMC with hood and case (flea market $10 mint)
Pentax 135mm F3.5 SMC with hood and case (flea market $10 mint)
Pentax 55mm F2.0 SMC (very sharp,like it better than F1.4 lens)
Pentax 85mm F1.8 tak (bought cheap from pawnshop, sold for a bunch on Ebay)
Duncan Ross
06-13-2005, 10:51
I am still running the first rolls through the Prakticas and the Fujica needs new light seals. The meters are working in all 3 cameras and the MTL-5 is in absolutely wonderful condition. The leather is like new on this baby.
Heath
If you haven't used a Fujica ST605N before be ready for the brief oh-my-god-I-forgot-to-put-film-in sensation when you rewind.
Kim Coxon
06-13-2005, 11:17
Hi,
The prices on Fleabay are getting silly for Pentax M42. I was in London today and as luck would have it picked up a very nice 32/2 Super Tak, One of the earlier ones with 67mm filter for a lot less than they go for on the net and it has a 6 month warranty. In fact most of the Pentax stuff, I have bought recently has come from dealers rather than the net.
For a long time, the prices on the net were tumbling and the dealers were asking silly prices. Now that the prices have gone up again, they have woken up to the fact that they weren't selling anything and have dropped their prices. No doubt in another 6 months they will catch up again. In the meantime, I am looking in every shop I pass before they do!
Regards
Kim
Ooh, you've got some neat stuff there I've only read about. How is the Meyer 100? Been considering a Pentax 35/2 also... but they're not that cheap on ebay.
Hi,
The prices on Fleabay are getting silly for Pentax M42. I was in London today and as luck would have it picked up a very nice 32/2 Super Tak, One of the earlier ones with 67mm filter for a lot less than they go for on the net and it has a 6 month warranty. In fact most of the Pentax stuff, I have bought recently has come from dealers rather than the net. Regards Kim
Prices do seem to be on the rise but being watchful can land a bargain still. I recently bought a 105mm f/2.8 Auto Takumar (semi-auto, really) in mint condition for $59, shipping included. Then I found a pristine Vivitar 105mm f/2.8 T4 mount lens in my local shop for $30. I can use it on my M42 cameras or my Exaktas or my OM as I choose by swapping adapters. Today I received an "Aus Jena S" 135mm f/4 lens in Exakta mount and in perfect condition for $50. The Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 lens in T4 mount I'm waiting on was $13.49...... shipped!
While the first three may not have been "steals", they're all excellent buys IMO and certainly worth more than I paid.
My list of lenses that I really want has gotten pretty short. About the only thing I'm missing is an 85 or 90mm and I'd like to find a T4 mount Vivitar or Soligor so I can swap it between cameras. IMO, the jump from 50mm to 105mm is just a bit too much and I'd like a lens that falls between them.
Walker
I forgot to mention another M-42 mount camera I have in my collection. It is a Yashica TL-Electro. It is in full working condition. The only problem with it is the focusing screen is in bad condition, so I have relegated it to my display shelf.
The Meyer-Optics seem to be great lenses, with the 180mm being a preset lens. It is HUGE but very easy to use. The Soligor is also a preset and is quite small in size.
All 3 Hanimex lenses were made in Japan, but I suspect that their designs were 'borrowed' from German designs. Hanmex was also the main distributor of the Praktica range for many years, so it is no wonder that their name appears on a range of M-42 mount lenses. They also released their own cameras that were 'badge engineered' for them. In other words they just put their name on cameras made by other companies, usually ones they had the distribution rights to.
The biggest bargain of my M-42 kit was the MTL-5. I paid less than $20 AUD for the body, including postage. I was prepaired for a camera that was in need of a major overhaul, but when it arrived I was pleasently shocked. This thing was in close to mint condition. The leather was perfect, the chromework was not marked, except for some slight marks on the base you would have thought this body just came out of the factory. Best part was the light meter works and I suspect it is quite accurate. It looks boxy but I just love the feel of it.
Duncan, I have to ask why you get that feeling with the ST605N? I can't wait to get a light seal kit (one of Jon Goodmans, of course) so I can give this body a run. I like the rather compact feel of it as well as the larger Prakticas.
Talking of small SLR's, I bought a Ricoh KR-5 Super II for a friend to replace her Pentax K1000 which had died. The Ricoh is a very small camera. I think it would be great for a young teen or anyone with small hands.
Heath
See new English version of my page: http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Pentax_MX_e.html
no need to babblefish it any longer :-)
cheers, Frank
oftheherd
06-14-2005, 04:48
I forgot to mention another M-42 mount camera I have in my collection. It is a Yashica TL-Electro. It is in full working condition. The only problem with it is the focusing screen is in bad condition, so I have relegated it to my display shelf.
...
Yep, those are good too. I don't like the plastic lever that activates the meter, but then they seem to hold up. I remember seeing them when they came out, and comparing them to my TL Super, which I thought seemed sturdier. Still, when I had a chance to get a couple Electro-X's on fleabay at something like $15 or so I jumped. On one the film counter didn't work as advertised, but it was a simple fix to glue the counter window back in place and all worked well. I have always believed the Yashica TL line was much better than it got credit for.
I agree, the TL is a great camera. It feels good in the hands (unless you have very small hands). The body is just a fraction larger than the Praktica LB and quite a bit larger than the ST605N. One thing I have noticed about this model is if you happen to have a flash synch cable attached the plug is in the way of the meter switch. Just wish the focusing screen on mine wasn't scratched to buggery. I wonder how easy they are to get and replace?
Heath
jorisbens
06-15-2005, 05:01
Does someone have a takumar 85mm 1.8 or 1.9? How does it perform? Is it as good or almost as good as the 50 and 55mm takumars? I'm very interested in the 85mm takumar, but they are rather "expensive" on the bay, so I tought I'd first ask about its performance.
Joris Bens :cool:
There are 3 versions: SMC 85/1.8 has 6-lens whereas the Auto 1.8- and Super 1.9- has 5 lenses. All quite compact (ca.350g)
According to this test: http://www.takinami.com/yoshihiko/photo/lens_test/pentax_tele.html
the last SMC-T 1.8/85 was superior to the later SMC-M 2/85. But also the older lenses received high credits.
cheers, Frank
jorisbens
06-15-2005, 06:01
Thanks Frank for your comments and the URL, so I'll be getting on the lookout for one with a reasonable price. ;)
Joris Bens :cool:
Wayne R. Scott
06-15-2005, 06:24
One of my favorite screw mount lens is a Vivitar Series 1 135mm f2.3. It is heavy and solid, focuses closer than any other telephoto that I own with out extention tubes. Very sharp. I like to use it for portraits.
Wayne
Kim Coxon
06-15-2005, 06:27
Hi, I have used both versions and although the 6 element has a slight edge, they are both excellent.
Kim
There are 3 versions: SMC 85/1.8 has 6-lens whereas the Auto 1.8- and Super 1.9- has 5 lenses. All quite compact (ca.350g)
According to this test: http://www.takinami.com/yoshihiko/photo/lens_test/pentax_tele.html
the last SMC-T 1.8/85 was superior to the later SMC-M 2/85. But also the older lenses received high credits.
cheers, Frank
Jon Goodman
06-15-2005, 06:34
Don't forget the Chinon 1.4 and 1.7. Nice stuff. Also, if you want a brand new screwmount wide angle lens for $25....you can look here:
http://www.apogeeinc.com/product.asp?itemid=421
I have one, and it has been very nice. I bought mine about 6 years ago. It was $22 back then. Inflation.
Jon
Duncan Ross
06-15-2005, 08:55
Duncan, I have to ask why you get that feeling with the ST605N? I can't wait to get a light seal kit (one of Jon Goodmans, of course) so I can give this body a run. I like the rather compact feel of it as well as the larger Prakticas.
Heath
Hi Heath!
It's something about the Fujica that I haven't noticed with other SLRs I've tried. The rewind is so completely frictionless that it feels at first as if you are winding thin air. As I said a bit disconcerting for a few seconds!
I've had several Pentax 85mm lenses, though that fact isn't likely to be of help because It's been some years since using them and I don't have a firm recollection of comparitive quality.
I had the Auto-Takumar 85mm f/1.8 in the 60's and used it quite a lot for street photography on a Spotmatic or H3v in combination with a 35mm on a Leica M2. I'd carry both around the neck on different length straps as I wandered the streets looking for subjects. By early 1972 I had gotten fed up with cranking the diaphragm back open after each shot and traded it on a Super-Takumar 85mm f/1.9 which I still have. Later that year when I got a new Pentax ES (Electro Spotmatic) I regretted that it wasn't a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar compatible with the ES's open-aperture metering.
The 85 has long been a favorite focal length, so when we got K-mount Pentaxes in '83, the SMC-Pentax 85mm f/1.8 was an early addition. My wife found it very useful for her theatre photography. I recently got it out and noticed the whole front ring with the filter threads was loose, and allowing the protective filter to contact the front element! Must have been some impact damage, so I got that repaired, and just finished a roll with it in my "new" K2 DMD. So we shall soon see some results, but my impression is that all these Pentax 85's are excellent.
Jan Brittenson
06-15-2005, 13:30
I recently got it out and noticed the whole front ring with the filter threads was loose, and allowing the protective filter to contact the front element!
My SMC Tak 50/1.4 just did that. I used it this morning, and when I got back home it was in pieces. The filter thread front piece seems like it's held down with three screws, they were nowhere to be found on mine of course, so I can't put it together again. Blech. Sucks after only a week's use.
My SMC Tak 50/1.4 just did that. I used it this morning, and when I got back home it was in pieces. The filter thread front piece seems like it's held down with three screws...Interesting! So it could have simply been vibration backing the screws out... And maybe a rather easy repair once one has the screws on hand!
Hi Joris,
you can throw me dead with short-telephotos for RF and SLR's; I think I gained 8 pieces with f/1.4, 1.8 and f/2 in the last couple of years.
About prices: Compared with RF equipment Pentax is still really cheap! And I the perfomance isn't much lower (if ever) ...think the price:performance ratio speaks for Pentax. I wonder why "portait telephotos" (f/2 or faster) are expensive compared to others in virtually every mount.
Last night I hunted a early Auto-Takumar black-chrome 2.8/105mm matching my 1959' H2 with case and caps from a collector for 41 USD, plus shipping. Not fast, but 49mm filter, 280g weight, more compact than a "portrait lens"... if I really need "speed".. well than there are 8 others in my cabinet waiting for me to use, incl. a Zeiss 1.4/85...
cheers, Frank
Jan Brittenson
06-16-2005, 13:00
Interesting! So it could have simply been vibration backing the screws out... And maybe a rather easy repair once one has the screws on hand!
That was exactly my thought as well. Couldn't find the screws though. :( Anyway, dropped it off for service at Adolph Gasser today. Had been procrastinating on some other gear as well; a Pentax 67 400mmEDIF that needs a new mount flange, aperture adjustment, and CLA (it's going for sale and I want to get top dollar for it). So it was a good time to bring both in for some TLC. I expect fixing the smc-tak will be really inexpensive, if I had the screws I think I could have done it myself in ten minutes.
Lens screws loosening is something of a problem in my experience. My first encounter was a Soligor 135mm auto lens for Exakta in 1972 when it disassembled during a return flight on a C-130 from Germany to Kansas. It went into the trash when I couldn't figure out how to fix it.
A few months ago I bought a 135mm f/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor lens on ebay and the mount portion was wobbly. I was able to slide a collar down that allowed me to tighten three loose screws and it's perfect now. It must have a lot of brass in it's construction judging by it's weight.
There have been a few more recently but fixing them has been relatively easy.
Walker
titrisol
06-17-2005, 18:52
those 135/2.8 sekors are pretty. Portraits with those are awesome!
I bought a couple of Sekor lenses under the Sears brand (cheap) and have been pleasantly surprosed
However, and as it has been pointed out, the construction is not in the takumar level.
Uncle Bill
06-28-2005, 13:46
I picked up a Pentax Spotmatic with a 50/1.4 lens at a Toronto area camera show for $40 Cdn with a 28mm wideangle lens thrown in for good.measure. Now to make things even better I also got at Henry's clearance centre a Takumar 55/1.8 and 135 F ( I can't remember off hand) for $35 for both lenses. I love shooting rangefinder, I also love shooting with my SLR's the spotmatic is for when I don't want to take out my Nikon or Nikkormat.
Bill
I've got an F and an SP with a cache of excellent lenses (and several so-so ones). I really love my Spotties. The focusing ring on both my 50 f1.4 and 55 f1.8 moves so smoooooothly I find myself purring. I also got a Helios 85 f1.5 because I need to build some upper body strength.
I turn up for "serious jobs" (on the rare occasion I get them) with my Spotmatics and a Rolleicord. I get laughed at for using my "old" gear, but smiled at when I show them the results. I swear, one day I'll go to a commercial gig with a Box Brownie.
bmattock
06-28-2005, 14:17
I've got an F and an SP with a cache of excellent lenses (and several so-so ones). I really love my Spotties. The focusing ring on both my 50 f1.4 and 55 f1.8 moves so smoooooothly I find myself purring. I also got a Helios 85 f1.5 because I need to build some upper body strength.
I turn up for "serious jobs" (on the rare occasion I get them) with my Spotmatics and a Rolleicord. I get laughed at for using my "old" gear, but smiled at when I show them the results. I swear, one day I'll go to a commercial gig with a Box Brownie.
I took a series of photos of a house fire recently with a Brownie Hawkeye and the local newspaper published one of them. I was amazed, but the old Brownie was still up to doing the job.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
In a couple of days I should receive a package containing a Praktica Super-TL andsome accessories. One of the accessories is a 105mm lens that appeared in the picture to be a Super Takumar. If I'm correct, the lens alone normally sells on ebay for 2 or 3 times what I paid for everything.
If an inexpensive SLR is desired, the M42 mount cameras are plentiful and cheap. The lenses have also been inexpensive with some exceptions. Pro-grade equipment can be had for a small fraction of the cost when new even 35 years ago. We may look back on this time as being the "Golden Days" for inexpensive film cameras.
Walker
ErnestoJL
06-28-2005, 18:12
The first SLR I had in my hands was Spotmatic, back in 1969. Unfortunately, I was too young to afford one of those, and some time later I bought a Miranda Sensomat RE. Not an M42 x 1 , but... some years later it got an adapter fitted on the lens mount. Undoubtedly, M42 lenses were far cheaper and there were lots of them new or used.
Now I have:
Miranda Sensomat RE (with M42 mount) Normal in use is Carenar 1.8 /50
Fujica ST 801 - EBC Fujinon 50/1.8
Praktica Nova Ib PL - Meyer Oreston 50/1.8 (zebra striped)
Carena Micro RSD (not working) (waiting for repair)
Zenit 12 XP - Helios 103 58/2
At the time I bought the Praktica, the vendor offered another normal, but he said "This one goes for $10, but is not as good as the one in the camera"... it was a CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (zebra stripes). No regrets, of course!
I´m in doubt if today´s plastic and light alloy made lens barrels will be (mechanically) alive trhirty of forty years in the future. Those old Takumars, Soligors, Tamron, Fujinons, Mamiya/Sekor and others are still alive. They are heavy, made to last, ´feel that´s worth the extra weight!
Pro-grade equipment can be had for a small fraction of the cost when new even 35 years ago. We may look back on this time as being the "Golden Days" for inexpensive film cameras.
As I look back and remember the countless competing systems that were available at that time, it seems like only the Nikon/Nikkormat and the Pentax screw mount systems have really survived. Well, at least those seem to be far more common in this day and age than the others.
The Nikons, I admit, seem to have held their value a bit more.
I chose the Spotmatic mainly 'cuz my brother had an earlier Pentax and liked it. Some of my friends went, however, for such things as the Minolta 101, the Bessler Topcon (which you don't even seem to see anymore) and of course the Nikkormat. These seemed to be the ones my friends got or wanted badly. (The "real" Nikon F and the Leica were out of our league!)
There were countless others, Mamiya, Miranda, Kowa, Konica, Petri. Those you don't really see too much of anymore.
But those Pentax screw-mount and compatible cameras still seem to be popular, and very affordable.
These old Pentaxes may be long "obsolete" but we can still appreciate their quality and elegant designs. I'm happy to occasionally use my H3, which I treated to a full CLA service last year...
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