OT: Pentax 300's

[XAos]

Sorry to ask this here - I thought about asking at DSLRexchange, but all 4 of you from there are already here too. I've been looking for affordable but still good long primes. I got my eye set on a Jupiter-6 180/2.8, but I'm wanting something to fill the 300 range too. 300/4 is in the same price range, and there seem to be two options. The K-mount Pentax K 300 / 4, and the older screw mount 300 / 4 Takumar's. Both seem to have a solid reputation. The screw mount is cheaper, if you factor in the fact that they have a tripod mounting ring vs the K300 doesn't - they're MUCH cheaper.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses? Are there optical differences between the Takumar and the K300? Google gets kinda bogged down looking for short words with a lot of numbers.

 

[Kim Coxon]

I have both the K version "large" 300 and the A*300. The latter is a superb lens. No bush but it is not much different from using a 200. As to the screwmount ones, there are 4 versions. The earlier 2 are not great performers. The last 2 are the Super Tak and SMC Tak. Same optical formula but the multicoating on the second. This is the same as the K version with a different mount and without the bush. I haven't found it a problem not having the bush but I do have a sturdy tripod.

Kim

 

[XAos]

There's a screw mount SMC Takumar w/o the ring at KEH right now for $120. With the ring it puts you in the same price range as the later K300 ($230ish) hence the question. I wasn't sure if this was a "someone please buy this" or a true screaming deal. Or if the screw mount era lenses were so much heavier that you really needed the tripod mount.

 

[Kim Coxon]

There is also an SMC version with ring for $190 ish. The M42 lenses are heavy (K version is as well but not quite so much. I wouldn't use an M42 one on a tripod without the collar especialy as you are going to have to use a convertor.

Kim

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

I find myself wanting a forum for fully manual SLR's. I enjoy my old Canon FD's and have been eyeing old spotmatics and FSU M42 lenses.

Seems like the only other site out there is PNET.

Is anyone here brave enough to create such a site? I'm not sure I could start one alone the way Jorge had done.

 

[Kim Coxon]

You could try nelsonphoto http://www.nelsonfoto.com/phpBB2/index.php. There are some names there you will recognize 😉 or there is APUG.

Kim

I find myself wanting a forum for fully manual SLR's. I enjoy my old Canon FD's and have been eyeing old spotmatics and FSU M42 lenses.

Seems like the only other site out there is PNET.

Is anyone here brave enough to create such a site? I'm not sure I could start one alone the way Jorge had done.

 

[Kin Lau]

Like Kim says, there's Nelsonfoto, also Brian Sweeney's Cosina-Voightlander site http://www.cosina-voigtlander.com which discusses CV based SLR's as well and another one called "Camera Collectors" http://cameracollector.proboards30.com/index.cgi

 

[Kin Lau]

and I forgot. I use a Pentacon 300/4. _Very_ heavy... it's heavier than my 500mm lenses. There's also the photo-sniper Tair 300/4.5 which is suppose to have a good rep.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

You could try nelsonphoto http://www.nelsonfoto.com/phpBB2/index.php. There are some names there you will recognize 😉 or there is APUG.

Kim

Thanks fellas- I'm an APUG member but haven't subscribed yet. Very freindly bunch over there - and knowledgeable.

Thanks for the heads up for Nelsonphoto and Brian Sweeny site.

 

[XAos]

and I forgot. I use a Pentacon 300/4. _Very_ heavy... it's heavier than my 500mm lenses. There's also the photo-sniper Tair 300/4.5 which is suppose to have a good rep.

Yeah, they got one of them too (with the rifle stock) at KEH right now too. It actually looks like a quite respectable lens if a bit clunky. The other reason I asked here was that RFF is home to lots of Russian glass aficianados and other people up on cool but inexpensive lenses. That and most online communities are far more like Cheers than they are a library. If I went somewhere else, I'd have to learn everybody's name before asking the stupid question for the 347th time in the last 6 months. I've said it before of IRC, but it applies to most forums too. "Where people with a common interest gather to talk about everything else."

Zenitar came in today, and the metering is already driving me batty. Evidently my PZ-20 doesn't work in the only way you can meter with a screw->K mount converter. That or I just don't have the trick down yet.

 

[David Murphy]

Sorry to ask this here - I thought about asking at DSLRexchange, but all 4 of you from there are already here too. I've been looking for affordable but still good long primes. I got my eye set on a Jupiter-6 180/2.8, but I'm wanting something to fill the 300 range too. 300/4 is in the same price range, and there seem to be two options. The K-mount Pentax K 300 / 4, and the older screw mount 300 / 4 Takumar's. Both seem to have a solid reputation. The screw mount is cheaper, if you factor in the fact that they have a tripod mounting ring vs the K300 doesn't - they're MUCH cheaper.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses? Are there optical differences between the Takumar and the K300? Google gets kinda bogged down looking for short words with a lot of numbers.

I once owned a 300/4 Takumar which had fungus. I film tested it and sold it. It is a outstanding optic (like every other Takumar). The Super Multi Coated ones are probably the best. Attached is a photo taken with it.