I'm new to this website and photography in general.

[MilkCantrell]

Hi, my name is Mike Cantrell. I was recently going through my grandparent's attic and I happened to stumble upon a Pentax Spotmatic, as well as three different lenses: a Super-Takumar 1:3.5/28, a Super-Takumar 1:1.4/50, and a longer lense (Higon?), that says 1:2.8 f= 135mm. Could a veteran photographer explain to me what these things mean, and how they would be used? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[CycleDog]

Hello, Mike. If I recall right, Spotmatics are all-manual camera bodies with fabric shutters. They take screw mount lenses. If the shutter still works, the camera may still be useable if you replace the light seals. Look along the edges of the film loading door and you'll probably find gummy, crumbling black seals. You can replace them yourself. Look on YouTube for some tutorials. Be aware, though, that if you take it to a repair shop the cost will very likely exceed the camera value. Still, if it's something your grandfather treasured, it's a nice memento.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[lennon33x]

Hi, my name is Mike Cantrell. I was recently going through my grandparent's attic and I happened to stumble upon a Pentax Spotmatic, as well as three different lenses: a Super-Takumar 1:3.5/28, a Super-Takumar 1:1.4/50, and a longer lense (Higon?), that says 1:2.8 f= 135mm. Could a veteran photographer explain to me what these things mean, and how they would be used? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

The numbers on the lenses give you two types of information based on what you provided - the maximum aperture and the focal length.
Super-Takumar 1:3.5/28 - this is a 28 mm lens (a wide angle lens) with a maximum aperture of 3.5
Super-Takumar 1:1.4/50 - this is a 50 mm lens (standard lens) with a maximum aperture of 1.4
1:2.8 f= 135mm - this is a 135 mm lens (medium telephoto lens) with a maximum aperture of 2.8

These are all prime lenses (you cannot zoom). So in order to get closer to the subject, you physically have to move your body.

 

[MilkCantrell]

Thank you, you two. My friends dad is a photographer, so I took it to him, and he said it's all in working condition. Now, i'm just going to have to go through a bunch of film for practice!

 

[Bob01721]

You'll get the hang of it quickly. I use Minolta cameras from the same era (manual focus, mechanical cameras).

You've got a real nice kit there. Fast normal lens, a moderate telephoto, and a wide angle. The Takumars are great lenses! Have fun!

 

[lennon33x]

Thank you, you two. My friends dad is a photographer, so I took it to him, and he said it's all in working condition. Now, i'm just going to have to go through a bunch of film for practice!

Do you know anything about exposure?

If not, buy this book:

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
http://amzn.com/0817439390

Read it before you start taking pictures. You'll be sad if you burn a bunch of rolls and then none of them turn out

 

[vintagesnaps]

The Spotmatics were popular and the Takumars were always considered to be good lenses. Good that you were able to have someone check it out for you. You could try out the camera without film to get the hang of using it, look thru the viewfinder with each lens on the camera and see what the view of a scene looks like with the different length lenses.

My starting point is usually f8 aperture since it's midrange and I can turn the lens a couple of stops either way from there to open or close the lens. I usually start at 1/125 shutter speed and go to a faster speed to freeze action or to adjust the amount of light especially on a sunny day. I usually use 100 ISO outdoors and 400 indoors (although in existing light that might not be enough without a flash). I use the meter to let me know if I have the amount of light needed for a proper exposure.

You could post more questions under the Film Photography section and probably get comments from other film photographers. Also you might enjoy Film Photography Project | An Internet Radio Show & On-Line Resource for Film Shooters Worldwide , they have videos on how to load film and other basics for anyone who's totally new to film.