Keep Spotmatic F and Takumars, or sell

[filmtime]

I have a Spotmatic F in pretty mint condition (with case, strap, manual, and brochure), as well as a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm 1.4 (radioactive champion lens) and 35mm 3.5. It actually just got back from a CLA by Eric Hendrickson (www.pentaxs.com).

I recently acquired a minty Olympus OM-1, which came with a 24mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 (made in Japan), and 135mm 2.8 OM Zuiko lenses (all mint). The OM-1 works perfectly, and though functionally it doesn't seem to need any work, I do want to send it in for a CLA.

Basically, I am in love with the OM-1, and particularly the 24mm lens.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep the Spotmatic F. I'm considering just using the OM-1, and getting a back up OM body for traveling. I can't really see myself bringing both the Spotmatic and the OM-1 traveling, with both lens sets.

The SMC Takumar lenses I have are of course stunning. I love the 35mm, it's crazy sharp. And the 50mm needs no introduction.

But I can't help but think it would make more sense to just pick one of the two systems, sell the other and use the funds for a CLA and/or more glass (I have my eye on a 21mm f2 OM...).

Thoughts?

 

[jarski]

are you good to selling stuff, so you can get back the money you put in? or willing to take the hit (can easily happen with Spotmatics, even if mint) to clear shelf space and get peace in mind?

am in similar two system limbo with Nikkors and Takumars, and chose the third option: keep both 🙂

 

[sebastel]

give the 35 to me.

😀

 

[oftheherd]

Only you can decide what works best for you. No doubt the Olympus line had good quality cameras and lenses. Personally I just never bonded with their placement of the shutter 'dial.' But I certainly agree a 24mm is a good choice if you like wide. I do, and have an 18mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm(which I don't use) since I like wide as much as I do (pluse a set of zooms from 18mm to 150mm for a Contax system). But the Takumar lenses are known to be great and the Spotmatic as well. An advantage to it is that there are a lot of good M42 lenses out there for not too much money if you want to add to its capabilities, and/or test other lens focal lengths before you try and get one for your Olympus.

Just some thoughts, but again, only you can decide.

 

[mfogiel]

Not to sound provocative, but a Spotmatic will not fetch you more than you pay for a pizza. Having said this, from my perspective Pentax lenses are much nicer than Olympus lenses, at least for portraits, which is what SLR's are mainly for. OM1 is an OK camera, but I much prefer a Pentax MX or KX. I would sell the Spotmatic with the 35mm and get a better body, like one of the two mentioned above, for the 50/1.4 - you can use it with an adapter.

 

[mwoenv]

A lot of the time selling nice equipment that you like leads to regret in the future. To keep both, you might try to reduce the cost of what you want to do. I recently had Garry's Camera do a CLA on an OM-1 that had no problems for $50 and am happy; certainly not a complete tear-down for that money, but if the camera is in very good condition, do you really need a more complete and expensive CLA? And do you really need a 21mm lens vs. your 24mm (or even a 28mm)? Maybe think a little more about creating photos than the gear and keep both of these nice systems that you apparently like.

 

[mike rosenlof]

They're both fine cameras, and I think the choice is more personal preference than technical. I would give an edge to the Pentax lenses, but the Zuiko 50/1.8 is awfully good too. If you're shooting handheld, you're probably not going to see a difference in image quality.

 

[nikon_sam]

The only drawback to the Spotmatic (for me) is the dim viewfinder when using the 35mm 3.5 lens or similar slow lenses...
Like others have said, the money you get for selling it won't be all that much and you might regret selling it later...
I mainly shoot Nikon but I do have Pentax, Canon and Spotmatic kits that I can grab if I want to shoot something different...these other kits have maybe 3 or 4 lenses each...

 

[Thomas78]

I would keep the Spotmatic.
First you might regret selling it and second you would not get much money for it. And I like the Spotmatic and its lenses much. They are my second SLR system beside the Canon FD system.


But if you insist on selling: I am looking for a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm f/3.5 right now...

 

[Pioneer]

Camera system preferences are very personal decisions based more on "feel" than anything.

My advice is to keep both and use them alternatively for two or three months
before you make this decision. As others have said, it is unlikely you will get your money back selling the Spottie and you may regret it later on. Better to take a little time working with both before making the decision.

Of course that can also make it harder since you may find that you like both. But, there are probably worse things in life. 🙂

 

[raid]

The Pentax 35/3.5 is an undervalued very sharp lens, and the 50/1.4 is a champ. I would keep the Spotmatic since you will not get much money for it. I have never used an OM-1, so I cannot advise on it.

 

[f16sunshine]

Everyone should have an M42 mount camera. There are so many interesting high quality lenses in that mount.
If you just had your spotty F tuned up don't even consider selling it.

 

[raid]

I paid a good amount to have the F CLA'd, and then it came to back me better than before.
There are great Pentax lenses, such as the 85/1.8. It is a superb lens.
I have used it also with an adapter on Canon FD cameras.
My 28/3,5 came to me from KEH for $6 plus reduced shipping!

 

[titrisol]

If you are not cashed strapped why not keep both?
Just take the battery out of the Spottie, and make a choice of switching cameras once or twice a year.....

from personal experience I know that you'll miss the Spottie a lot

 

[kxl]

The Spotmatic F body and lenses won't fetch much $$$; however, I do know that some people (me included) are bothered by looking at gear that is just sitting unused in a bag or closet.

If it's the former, keep it; if it's the latter, then I'd say sell it (or use it occasionally) for your own peace of mind.

Unless of course you plan to get a mirrorless digi body at some point, in which case, keep all your lenses and buy adapters. This is what I have done; I have Pentax and M42 lenses with adapters for my NEX6.

 

[Anthony Harvey]

I very much agree with Marek Fogiel. I spent many happy years between 1973 and 1983 with a Pentax SP1000 and 28/3.5 and 55/2 Super Takumars but since then and apart from rangefinders I’ve acquired and still use an OM1n with Olympus 50/1.4, 50/1.8, 28/2.8 and 35/2.8 lenses; and a Pentax MX with 28/3.5, 50/1.4 and 50/1.7 Pentax-M SMC lenses. It's all of the same type of equipment for size, weight, style and handling. I love the Olympus but I love the Pentax that little bit more. There's something special about those Pentax lenses at the qualitative level, especially for black and white prints, even though the Olympus lenses are faultless and very good. There's something Leica-ish to that generation of Pentax lenses. But in any event, ignoring the lens question, the MX body feels entirely different to the Spotmatic (except for the shutter) so if you tried an MX body you might find that like me you actually prefer it to the OM1.

Anthony

 

[Ranchu]

I see no reason to give up those Pentax lenses. Why do you need to stick to one or two brands? Get bodies for the lenses you want to keep. Take one or the other when traveling. Or both.

 

[redisburning]

the OM21 is spectacular (either one).

I mean we all have preferences and everyone has opinions on lenses especially I don't personally feel most of these Japanese lenses are really different enough from each other in quality to split hairs over. You pick the best ones from each system and the later you get, at least typically, the better the lenses get. Do I personally rate Canon and Olympus over Nikon and Pentax? Absolutely. Do other people feel it's the exact opposite? Absolutely.

Choose the lenses whose family look you like best. I like Olympus out of the Japanese makers but I use different lenses than others.

The screwmount lenses were built very well but they are old lenses. If you like nice old lenses, keep them. If you want modern Japanese manual focus lenses, the last generation of OM lenses cant be beat IMO unless you go Contax by Kyocera or Zeiss ZF/ZE made by Cosina and there you will face a LARGE weight and size penalty for marginally better performance.

I shoot Olympus because it's my family's brand and I like the macro group. Id have gone straight to ZF if not. In fact, my next lens will probably be something like the 135/2 APO Sonnar rather than OM 90/2 or 25/2 Distagon (a near APO) instead of Zuiko 21/2. But youll pry my OM 50/3.5 macro from my cold dead hands.

 

[aizan]

keep the pentax gear. i'm still kicking myself in the butt for not picking up a black voigtlander bessaflex.

 

[Doug]

The Spotmatic F is not your common Spotmatic, as it was the final screw-mount Pentax body, made only a few years in the 70's. Perhaps potential buyers would need to be told that it has open-aperture metering when used with SMC Takumars rather than the older stop-down metering.

A durable sturdy body, too, I think very like the immediately following K2, KX, KM, and K1000 series except for the lens mount.

Well, I like Pentaxes, and I would keep the F! I have an Olympus OM-G too, and as mentioned the placement of the shutter speed control around the lens mount takes some getting used-to.