Pentax Super Takumar 50mm 1.4

[Patriot]

Have anyone on this forum used this lens before?

 

[BrianV]

The Pentax Super-Takumar 50/1.4 is the classic 1960s M42 mount lens, single-coated, stop-down metering. The "Super-Multi-Coated" Takumar replaced it.

It's a very good performer BUT: it used "Thorium glass" for a couple of inner elements. This is "Hot Glass", and after decades the glass yellows. It can be treated with UV light to clear most of the yellowing. Sunlight also works, but you run the risk of drying the grease on it.





I ended up converting one to Leica mount, test-shots wide-open on the Leica M8.

Looking at your equipment line-up, looks like you are a Nikon user. This lens will work well with mirrorless cameras, K-Mount, and a few others. It will have problems on a Nikon.

 

[Patriot]

You have some really nice shots there! I went out yesterday to test my copy out but realized that I couldn't shoot wide open. Maybe because of the Nikon's flang focal distance or because of the adapter that I used.


psychedelic by Jarrett_Hunt, on Flickr

Above is what I got when trying to shoot wide open.

Stopping it down offered better results. I like the bokeh.


Wheat? by Jarrett_Hunt, on Flickr


Sway by Jarrett_Hunt, on Flickr


Hanging on by Jarrett_Hunt, on Flickr


As of now I'm waiting on the light I ordered so I can de-yellow the lens. I will try to take it back out to get some better shots going with this lens.

 

[irfan.in.tx]

I have the Super Multi Coated version. Its an excellent vintage lens, with a unique, creamy bokeh. If you can get the focus right, it is a very rewarding lens.

 

[Patriot]

Do you have the 8 element or the 7 element version? I found out that the 8 element version is sharper and isn't radioactive like the 7 element version because they use the Thorium glass so they wouldn't have to use 8 elements. Do you know if this is true?

 

[BrianV]

Flange focal distance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Nikon flange distance is "A silly millimeter longer". Someone could probably modify the infinity stop on the lens, but would require disassembling it and making a mod. Sometimes works, somtimes does not. I modified a Russian Industar-69 lens to focus to infinity on a Leica: filed down part of the inside of the mount and allowed the helical to turn 1mm deeper into the lens.

The 8-element version is rare, and was quickly replaced. I've never used one, but have never heard of any claims that it was sharper than the 7-element lens. After getting rid of the yellowing, the colors will shift towards normal. The rear optics module simply unscrews from the lens, you will need a spanner. That will expose the inner thoriated glass, allow more direct exposure to light.

 

[Patriot]

BrianV are you a member of the MRlensforum? Everyone on there uses them, from m39, m42, to whatever other mount you can think of. I think you should join if your not already a member. That site got me to start hunting down Manual focus lens.

I read about the 8 vs 7 element version here:
Difference between 8-element Super Takumar 1.4/50 and 7?

 

[BrianV]

BrianV are you a member of the MRlensforum? Everyone on there uses them, from m39, m42, to whatever other mount you can think of. I think you should join if your not already a member. That site got me to start hunting down Manual focus lens.

I read about the 8 vs 7 element version here:
Difference between 8-element Super Takumar 1.4/50 and 7?

I was- the thread linked to has one of my posts in it from 2008. I do not post there anymore.

 

[ak_]

[...] isn't radioactive like the 7 element version because they use the Thorium glass so they wouldn't have to use 8 elements. Do you know if this is true?

This is true. 'So they say', in the first year of production the lens was marketed as a rival to Zeiss's Planar and the various other top-tier Double Gauss lenses. The cost of an 8 in 7 design was accepted as a loss-leader to establish its place. Then the 7 in 6 was produced with the rare earth glass. The Super Takumar was a hybrid of Taylor & Hobson's Super Speed Panchro and Schneider's Xenon. (The G Zuiko on the SP35 rangefinder is maybe also 8 in 7?) Anyway they are all good/all closely related - and the Leitz Summicron 50 f/2 is supposedly similar to the Xenon 50 f/1.9).