35mm lens options for bodies I own

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Carriage

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Not that I actually need one but I've been toying with the idea of getting a 35mm lens to see what the fuss is for street photography. I've currently got a pentax spotmatic as well as a Fed 5B and I keep coming back to the SLR option as it seems to be better as well as cheaper. Looking at ebay I can get an f3.5 35mm super takumar to my door for about 110AUD. A jupiter 12 is more like 130AUD and is about a stop faster but I would expect the build quality (and optics?) of the pentax lens would be better. I would also need an accessory viewfinder for another ~85AUD and if it's anything like the one on the Fed it won't be impressive, the spotmatic's is so much larger and clearer. It will also be slower to use separate focus and framing finders.

What are the advantages of sticking with my rangefinder in this case? Are the pentax lenses not as good as I think they are or are they just really good value? How would other more expensive LTM lenses compare to the pentax lenses?
 
The Super Takumar 35mm and Jupiter-12 are both excellent lenses if you intend to use them for street. They won't come close to more modern 35mm lenses in edge/corner sharpness so not as hot for landscapes.

As for build quality, you can't beat Takumar lenses. I have seen a precious few of them that were badly abused but the great majority were solid with smooth focusing and aperture action.

I have had three Jupiter-12 lenses, two in LTM and one in Contax mount. All three were well built and in excellent operating condition.

A note of caution, the J-12 has a rear element that extends deeply into the camera. It interferes with the shutter and/or mirror in some cameras so do your research before spending money.
 
I think Pentax lenses are plenty good! And I agree they may well beat the Jupiters for build quality. Rangefinders are quieter for street photography, where stealth is important. I would consider whether the mirror clatter of the Pentax is within acceptable limits for you. The f/3.5 lens is probably fine for street work, where you need depth of field anyhow. A faster lens might be easier to focus, but you would probably stop down to f/5.6 or more anyhow.
 
The Jupiter 12 is a very good lens, you just have to stop down to get corner sharpness. It has a build in hood and is actually small. An external 35mm finder should be way brighter than your Fed 5B's and brighter than the spotmatic with a f 3.5 lens. The aperture ring is a bit fiddly and you have to be careful mounting the lens. In terms of image quality a good J12 (it depends on sample) is a stunning performer (there's a comparison to other 35 lenses like the Summicron somewhere on the forums).
 
An external 35mm finder should be way brighter than your Fed 5B's
Click to expand...

I've been looking at the FSU turret finders. Is this the case for these too or do I need to be looking at other ones?

Thanks for the input everyone.
 
I recently acquired some Pentax gear to try out the Takumar lenses. I haven't been disappointed. I don't think you "need" a 35 focal length lens for street photography; it's really more a personal preference. The Tak 50s will give you more options in terms of lens speed, if that matters to you. This was shot with the 8 element Super Takumar 50/1.4, using a Pentax ME Super, on XP2:

California Street by bingley0522, on Flickr
 
I do have the Tak 35/3.5 but I haven't used it much yet. The results I've seen on flickr from it are impressive. If you want a 35 lens for your spotmatic, it may be your best bet. For street photography with a pentax, I think I'd prefer the smaller, K-mount SLRs from the 1970s (e.g. ME Super or MX), which are quieter, and allow you to use the K-mount as well as screw mount lenses. But if you're looking for a lens for the camera you have....
 
Yeah, I'm not convinced I need one either. I've been using my 55 f2 that the pentax came with and the industar 53 f2.8 the Fed came with. I've also got a 28 for the pentax I don't use much.

It's more a thing of some people prefer 35mm and I was seeing how much it would cost to try it out and assumed that the FSU option would be cheaper as anecdotally it's not as reliable/good. However, the pentax option seems better to me.
 
Carriage said:
Not that I actually need one but I've been toying with the idea of getting a 35mm lens to see what the fuss is for street photography. I've currently got a pentax spotmatic as well as a Fed 5B and I keep coming back to the SLR option as it seems to be better as well as cheaper. Looking at ebay I can get an f3.5 35mm super takumar to my door for about 110AUD. A jupiter 12 is more like 130AUD and is about a stop faster but I would expect the build quality (and optics?) of the pentax lens would be better. I would also need an accessory viewfinder for another ~85AUD and if it's anything like the one on the Fed it won't be impressive, the spotmatic's is so much larger and clearer. It will also be slower to use separate focus and framing finders.

What are the advantages of sticking with my rangefinder in this case? Are the pentax lenses not as good as I think they are or are they just really good value? How would other more expensive LTM lenses compare to the pentax lenses?
Click to expand...
The 35mm f/3.5 Super Takumar has certainly gone up in price since I bought my own some years ago. But I still wouldn't pay AUD 110.00. Here's one that sold locally (you mentioned AUD, so you're in Australia, right?) just a few weeks ago for less than half that which looked like a decent prospect.
Cheers
Brett
 
Yeah, in Melbourne. Gee, that's alright. I've just been looking at the ones that are sold by a few guys in Japan that you dont have to hunt around for. It still fits with feeling that I'm getting better results for less money getting a Takumar.
 
I have many Pentax lenses, all as good as any other Japanese camera companies of the same era. But the ones I like best are the Super Takumars. Superior build, excellent optics, but I don't have a 35mm Super Takumar. My 35mm K mount, the last one they built, flawless. So if it is picking which camera you want to use: get the 35mm for that one. I still think a SM Super Takumar is an excellent choice.

1971; with a 200mm Super Takumar:

H&W Copy Film; H&W developer by John Carter, on Flickr

H&W Copy Film; H&W developer by John Carter, on Flickr
 
The first time you try to set the Jupiter's aperture in poor light, or while wearing gloves, you'll wish you chose the Takumar instead.

The J-12 is a great lens for photographing your fingertips, though. 😉
 
You might look at a fixed lens RF. Lots of great ones that are quiet, sharp and priced close enough you might look into it as an option.

IMHO there's not a lot of difference between a 5B and a Spotmatic size-wise. Both lenses are fine, but I think you will find a wider range of variation in optical quality in the J12s.

I would not shy away from the Spotmatic because it's an SLR. I had luck with SLRs as have many of the folks here have.

Think about the fixed lens option. Lots of good reading on the Cameraquest.com site under classic cameras.

B2 (;->
 
SLR on the street is good if you like to take it slow. Check John Free on youtube for how to take pictures on the street with SLR and his photography. Some if it is on his FB page.
He doesn't bother with 35mm lens, just 50 and it is slow one.

Rangefinders are for different photography on the street. For fast and intuitive. Your FED isn't going to help with J-12. Too clunky. J-8 with focus tab will do better.

My breakthrough in street photography was with Oly XA. Cheap, small, relatively fast to operate. Lens is good. You don't really need RF for the street, but clean VF (which none of SLR have). Clean means not how bright, but simply because you could see everything in VF, while SLR has to be focused first. This is why SLR is slow for the street and RF/Scale VF is fast.

Almost any old RF with AE and build-in lens will do.

Honestly, you could try true street photography with simple PS, which has turn off switch for the flash and two auto focus modes, close and else. 5$ PS will give you what none of SLRs will ever give.

And my respect to you for thinking of the street on the film.
 
Yeah, the rangefinder is another "trying to see what the fuss is" thing; also this is RFF. So far I prefer the SLR. Though it may just be the Fed isn't a particuarly good RF camera.

In terms of speed with the SLR, if you prefocus it's not too bad to look through and then you dont even need to use the microprism if rushed, if it looks okay at f2 its usually fine at f5.6-8.
 
the 3.5/35 Takumar is an excellent lens in every respect. I agree that 110 AUD is a bit expensive and that you could get it cheaper.
There often is some confusion about versions of Takumars, see the above link to Pentaxforums. The S-M-C or Super Multi Coated were released after the Super Takumar, have the same body but superior coating ( some Super Takumars may already have the S-M-C coating without saying so )
 
Hi,

As RF's go the FEDs are OK but the external view-finder adds another layer to the job and you'll be moving your eye from one to another and getting hot under the collar at times. So stick to 50mm with FEDs.

The external KMZ "universal" VF is good, make sure you get the right version as there are two of them, right and left handed to miss the shutter speed dial. I don't have a 5B so can't comment further.

As for the old Pentax lenses, I agree with the others, in a class of their own compared with later stuff but big and heavy.

One point I'll make, street photography, to me, means not carrying much equipment, just the camera. So I'd always go for a P&S, which are small, have good prime lenses and dirt cheap: well, mine were. That's what I'd go for and most/lots of them have 35mm lenses on them or else 28, 30, 32, 38, 40 or 42mm. But that's just my 2d worth.

Also I think that three camera types, meaning SLR, CRF and P&S, will cover almost everything. The P&S being especially good for slipping in the pocket and getting pictures in the pub or park without attracting attention. It's just a matter of getting one of the good ones.

Regards, David
 
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