hap
Well-known
thank you. It seems I have a very late SMC Takumar. Not certain if there is some thorium in the glass though. At this time I don't see any tint. What Pentax film cameras are compatible with this lens (only with true open aperture metering)?Aha, then it should be in the 1971-2 production date.
Those lenses are top notch and can be used wide open in any Spotmatic (only light metering closed)
Check this:
and Gerjan Van Oosten book (The Ultimate Asahi Pentax Screw Mount Guide 1952 - 1977)
1 : 1.4 / 50 (37902)
S u p e r - M u l t i - C o a t e d T A K U M A R 1 : 1.4 / 50 Produced 1971 to 1972. Serial Numbers 4328xxx - 6482xxx. AOCo Product No. 37902 . Updated March 2025takumarguide.weebly.com
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
Just to be clear, the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar is the lens produced from 1971–72 (product code 37902). These have the scalloped metal focusing ring. "Super-Multi-Coated" is sometimes abbreviated "S-M-C."
"SMC Takumar" (no hyphens) is the name of the last version produced from 1972–75 with the rubberized focus ring (product code 37908) and open-aperture metering on the Spotmatic F, ES and ES II.
See SMC/S-M-C/Super Takumar 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Normal Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database.
As far as I know all of the seven-element 50mm f/1.4 Takumar lenses had the thorium coating (which I believe also carried over into at least the first K-mount 50mm f/1.4 SMC Pentax lens).
One thing I am confused about is when the open aperture metering feature was added to these lenses. My lens is an S-M-C Takumar, but has open-aperture metering. The Pentax forum page I linked above indicates that only the SMC lens had open aperture metering.
"SMC Takumar" (no hyphens) is the name of the last version produced from 1972–75 with the rubberized focus ring (product code 37908) and open-aperture metering on the Spotmatic F, ES and ES II.
See SMC/S-M-C/Super Takumar 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Normal Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database.
As far as I know all of the seven-element 50mm f/1.4 Takumar lenses had the thorium coating (which I believe also carried over into at least the first K-mount 50mm f/1.4 SMC Pentax lens).
One thing I am confused about is when the open aperture metering feature was added to these lenses. My lens is an S-M-C Takumar, but has open-aperture metering. The Pentax forum page I linked above indicates that only the SMC lens had open aperture metering.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
The S-M-C takumars (scalloped metal) allow for full open metering in the Electro Spotmatics (1971) and the Sp-F (1973)
Yes thorium glass is present in this generation
Fuly open metering only in the SPF and the Electro Spotmatic (ES and ES-II)
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Isn't there a compatibility issue with some of the S-M-Cs and SMCs and the pre-open metering Spotmatics? Namely, that the lenses won't screw on all the way?
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
No, not with the open aperture metering lenses. There is an issue with the 50mm f/1.4 lenses fitting the earlier pre-Spotmatic bodies. I'm not sure if that only applies to the legendary original eight element 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar or all of the f/1.4 lenses.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
OK, just the pre-Spotmatics (S1a/H1a, SV et al.)? Those have no metering capability at all, so that makes sense. Thanks.
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
It doesn't have anything to do with the metering capability. It has to do with the rear lens element contacting the mirror.
As I understand it, cameras made prior to the SV and earlier SVs (with a green R on the rewind crank) CANNOT use at least the original eight-element 50mm f/1.4 Super Takumar. I think this also applies to the later seven-element 50mm f/1.4 Super, Super-Multi-Coated, and SMC Takumars, but I'm not sure.
Later SVs with a red R on the rewind knob and all Spotmatics and later bodies are OK to use with all Pentax M42 lenses including all 50mm f/1.4 variants.
As far as I know, all later 1972–75 Super-Multi-Coated and SMC lenses with the additional hardware to allow for open aperture metering work fine on all earlier Pentax M42 bodies. My open-aperture metering lenses work perfectly on my earlier bodies (original Spotmatic and SL).
Earlier lenses also work on the Spotmatic F, ES, and ES II with stop-down metering.
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KoNickon
Nick Merritt
Thanks, of course you're correct. But I seem to recall from my own experience that the small stud on the back of the open aperture lenses (the 50s anyway) would sometimes bind on the lens mount.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
I don't think so, any Pentax from the S and K onwards is compatible and the lenses until the change to K mount were back compatible
The only exception as mentioned before was the 50/1.4 which touched the square push-plate to activate thh metering in the K/S1/S2/S3 Later versions of the S series were modified to a crescent style and marked with a red/orange R
Nut a few were modified by small shops so check the shape of the plate.
hap
Well-known
From what I can glean...is that Spot F is the last of the Spotmatics and had open aperture TTL metering.
CMur12
Veteran
agentlossing
Well-known
I think I'm getting a HD DA 15mm f4 Ltd. Waiting for the PayPal invoice. Will be nice to experiment with this on the Monochrome.
vitaly66
slightly tilted
Terrific lens, lots of fun, you will like it ;>
wlewisiii
Just another hotel clerk
I was considering that one next. Now it's a toss up between that and the SMC DA 14/2.8. Lot bigger but also much faster.
Freakscene
Obscure member
I really like this lens on the K-3 iii Monochrome, better than the 14mm. The HD lenses fit very nicely as a set, and have a really consistent familial look.
bjolester
Well-known
I believe the SMC DA 14/2.8 was one of the very first Pentax aps-c lenses, and judging from what I have read on forums, it is a rather middle-of-the-road lens. The DA 15/4 (SMC and HD versions) on the other hand is very very good. It has beautiful rendering. It is very sharp in the center of the image circle at f4, and when stopping down to f11 it is sharp also in the corners of the image circle. I have even used my HD 15/4 for northern lights photography, stopped down to f5.6 with good results.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
technologically yes, the SPF together with the ESII are the ultimate M42 cameras from Asahi (1973)
chronologically the SP1000 is the last Spotmatic (1974)
S-M-C lenses predate the SPF and were launched with the SPII in preparation for the ElectroSpotmatic (1971) family which took a bit longer than initially planned.
The open aperture metering was only available in the ElectroSpotmatic, ES, ESII, and SPF
It's all explained in detial in Gerjan's book.
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titrisol
Bottom Feeder
Freakscene
Obscure member
This is beautiful.
I am really fearful that the night sky will be invisible to my grandchildren.
agentlossing
Well-known
Shockingly, I have realized that I only have Pentax cameras now. My list: K-1 Mark II, K-3 Mark III Monochrome, Z-1p, MX. This might be more Pentaxes (and SLRs) than I need, but I don't really want to part with any of them currently. I'm toying with giving up the MX in favor of a Spotmatic of some sort. Could keep both, of course, but it becomes even less likely to get used.