p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I recently got hold of this - it is in good working order and the price was right (£50) so i got it.
Now i regret selling my two favourite M42 lenses...
I hope i will get hold of some Takumar glass at some point....
Now i regret selling my two favourite M42 lenses...
I hope i will get hold of some Takumar glass at some point....
lxmike
M2 fan.
very very nice combo
FloridaGhostPhoto
Established
Thanks everybody...Now I'm going to put them to use and shoot the pier. Again. I wanted a Miskatonic Medical School mug, but couldn't find one. :-/
Dayrell bishop
Well-known
Very nice Pan , that f1.4 Takumar would have been great with that , they have a very good reputation.
Dayrell bishop
Well-known
Look forward to that Scott
Shafovaloff1
Well-known
Previously posted Rectaflex. Not only an Italian beauty but the engineering is impressive.. 
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
p.giannakis—I have a couple of the 7 element 50mm f/1.4 Takumars and am very happy with their performance (especially since I got both of them for next to nothing). I just bought a 55mm f/1.8 S-M-C Takumar, but haven't got any shots from it developed yet. How do the 55mms compare to the 50mms?
BTW, congrats on the "new" Spottie. I think the Spotmatic is about the best looking SLR ever made, and I especially like a nicely brassed black one. Great photos of your gear as well.
BTW, congrats on the "new" Spottie. I think the Spotmatic is about the best looking SLR ever made, and I especially like a nicely brassed black one. Great photos of your gear as well.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I will scan some pictures later on taken will those lenses and i will write a proper reply.
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
that’s very kind of you. Thank you!
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I had two Tak 50f/1.4 - both 7 elements. The one on the post above was the first one i got - bought from a reputable shop in Scotland. I liked it a lot - i didn't have any other lens to compare it against but all negatives i have seem very good to my eye. Here is a pic taken with that lens - wide open.
The second Tak 50f/1.4 was.... meh.. Not sharp wide open, not particularly sharp at f/2.8 either. It had some oil on the aperture blades - i suspect soemone got in there to clean it and maybe didn't pay too much attention in putting it back together. I don't know.
Here is a sample with that lens.
A few years ago i got hold of the Spotmatic i posted above with the 55f/1.8. Personally i liked it better that the 50f/1.4. More sharp wide open and i liked the bokeh better despite the visible hit that it had (notice the filter ring). Here is a picture i took with that camera/lens. I regret selling the lens.
nickthetasmaniac
Veteran
I've used several different versions of both the Takumar 50/f1.4 (both 7 and 8 element) and 55/f1.8. In my experience there's very little difference between the 50mm and 55mm at all the apertures they share. Likewise the build quality (a real Takumar highlight) is identical.
The biggest difference I've found with Takumar's is down to the coatings. The SMC coatings (found on 'Super-Multi-Coated' and 'SMC' lenses) were very, very good. Earlier single-coated Super Takumars noticeably struggle with flare (and associated loss of contrast and colour castes) if the light is in the wrong place.
IMO the SMC Takumar 55/f1.8 (and later SMC Pentax 55/f1.8, which is the same lens with a bayonet) is one of the best Nifty Fifty bargains around. Exceptional lens that can easily be found for less than $50...
Pentax SV, Super Takumar 55/f1.8 and Portra400
Disappointed_Horse
Well-known
p.giannakis and nickthetasmaniac—Thanks for the replies and for posting the photos. Very nice shots! I picked up my first Pentax a few years ago after using only Nikon SLRs for years, and have been very impressed with the quality of the Pentax lenses. Amazed, actually, considering how inexpensive they were. When I have some time, I'll post some photos in another thread to prevent a Pentaxian takeover of this thread.
Dayrell bishop
Well-known
Cosina CSM ,still m42 but semi electronic shutter , speeds down to 4 sec. 
Dayrell bishop
Well-known
Old hi tech 
Nokton48
Veteran
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on FlickrHere I've quickly adapted the Arca Swiss 4x5 Reflex Magnifying Hood to the Automatic Makiflex. Hollywood Gaffer's Tape and razor blade (many layers) makes a semi-permanent installation.
I love it! No wonder Geoff Berliner at Penumbra modded his and sent me phone pix. What I like about is that it is uber high-eyepoint, there is a one inch wide black border around the 9x9 framing. All my other finders work better with 6x9cm. Geoff told me I am nuts to shoot 6x9 with this camera, square is it. It's rather unique in that aspect. Anyways I have a another of these finders coming from KEH, with the rubber eyecup
For 9x9 shooting the groundglass grain is sharp to my eye and I always compose from the edges and move in. So this finder is wonderful to me and my square uses.These are my shorter automatic iris lenses. On the camera the 150mm Maki Schneider barrel Symmar auto iris, in the center the 150mm Maki f4.5 Schneider Xenar auto iris. Then on the right, the 180mm Maki f4.5 Schneider Xenar auto iris. I have not used these shorter lenses much and am looking forward to this seasons work
Dayrell bishop
Well-known
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr
Here I've quickly adapted the Arca Swiss 4x5 Reflex Magnifying Hood to the Automatic Makiflex. Hollywood Gaffer's Tape and razor blade (many layers) makes a semi-permanent installation.
I love it! No wonder Geoff Berliner at Penumbra modded his and sent me phone pix. What I like about is that it is uber high-eyepoint, there is a one inch wide black border around the 9x9 framing. All my other finders work better with 6x9cm. Geoff told me I am nuts to shoot 6x9 with this camera, square is it. It's rather unique in that aspect. Anyways I have a another of these finders coming from KEH, with the rubber eyecup
These are my shorter automatic iris lenses. On the camera the 150mm Maki Schneider barrel Symmar auto iris, in the center the 150mm Maki f4.5 Schneider Xenar auto iris. Then on the right, the 180mm Maki f4.5 Schneider Xenar auto iris. I have not used these shorter lenses much and am looking forward to this seasons work
Very impressive and quite rare I believe.
JohnWolf
Well-known
After many years of film and digital RFs, I'm considering an AF SLR. To get a sense of how I might like the experience, I unearthed a Maxxum 7000i that I have not used since the late 1980s (actually have two of them). A new battery and it came to life. Then off for a photo drive.
I really enjoyed the experience and think I'll go ahead. A friend who's no longer into photography offered me a box of Nikon AF lenses, so I'm considering an F100 but still not sure. I mainly shoot 50 and 35 and don't feel a need for more that that.
Anyway, I'll share what I decide in this thread. In the meantime, a few from the Maxxum (HP5+ in DD-X).
John
I really enjoyed the experience and think I'll go ahead. A friend who's no longer into photography offered me a box of Nikon AF lenses, so I'm considering an F100 but still not sure. I mainly shoot 50 and 35 and don't feel a need for more that that.
Anyway, I'll share what I decide in this thread. In the meantime, a few from the Maxxum (HP5+ in DD-X).
John
Yokosuka Mike
Abstract Clarity
^ John Wolf, that open gate shot is outstanding! I'm going out today in search of a similar gate. I'm not above plagiarism when the image is that good. Well done!
All the best,
Mike
All the best,
Mike
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
Agree - that gate photo is wonderful.