M42 --post your shots

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Spotmatic. Takumar f2 55mm
 
the super Takumar 55/2 is not my favourite lens, I prefer the 1,8 version..... but this shots is really nice!
They are the same lens. They have a aperture limiter that opens up to f2. They were made to be sold with the cheaper SP500 and instead of establishing a new production line to produce a budget lens, they added a limiter to the f/1.8.
 
They are the same lens. They have a aperture limiter that opens up to f2. They were made to be sold with the cheaper SP500 and instead of establishing a new production line to produce a budget lens, they added a limiter to the f/1.8.
Yes I believe that's the case too. It was a bit like what they did with one of their early pre-Spotmatic cameras - they "deleted" the 1/1000th of a second shutter speed leaving the top speed as 1/500th then sold that camera as a cheaper alternative for the lower end of the market. But they did this by the simple expedient of swapping out the shutter speed dial with 1/500th as the apparent top speed. But for those in the know, you could in any event, move the shutter setting one more click to an (unmarked) position of 1/1000th and use that speed as the internals were still intact (It was much cheaper to do it this way than to re-engineer the guts of the camera). :)

A lens I really enjoy using is the early auto Takumar 55mm f 2.2. Its images have a very vintage look and I believe I have read that these did have a different design to their later cousins such as the f1.8 /f2. These early 55mm lens also make a nice partner with the early preset and auto Takumar 105mm f2.8 lenses which also have a very vintage look to their images.
 
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For a Leica user I really enjoy this lens and that extra 5mm focal length. The Spotmatic is a terrific camera inside and out. Such a beautiful camera.
 
I can't remember it this lens was Pentax's copy of the Biotar or the Sonnar. One or the other.
There was an early Sonnar but not the one I am referring to. I am pretty sure that was manual stop down whereas mine is an auto Takumar and has a different design. I have a feeling I read somewhere that it was Biotar though but I have not done enough research to find out to my satisfaction. I have read posts with people stating its identical to the f2 lens but I still am unsure.

Here is an article with some test images that show what it is like in use. Nice bokeh (which I think is pretty characteristic of a Biotar!)

 
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