Takumar 500 f5

[FrankS]

Who's got an idea to help me decide whether to buy?

 

[Michael Markey]

Well used 500/4.5 Takumars go for £499 ($799) in the UK.

http://www.ffordes.com/product/10090618080081

 

[it'sawhat?]

on ebay one just sold for $610 . Supposedly NOS.

 

[raid]

I once bought such a lens for about $600, and then traded it for the much better Canon 500/4.5L plus $1800 or so. The Pentax lens is way to big and heavy and difficult to focus due to the slow moving focus barrel.

I would not buy it.


Edited: I hadthe 500/4.5

 

[raid]

The only saved photo that was taken with this lens. Sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico at the beach. Exposure was for the sun. Fujichrome 100. This brings back memories from old times. I then was a perfectionist; cable release, heavy Gitzo tripod, spotmeter; be on location before dawn, hang heavy bag on tripod to miiimize shake ... etc.

 

[FrankS]

Iconic picture Raid. I'm just going to flip this lens. Its $125 at a flea market, in very good shape, and I'll keep the linhof ball head.

 

[raid]

Go for it. You will work out each time you will carry it. It is good for muscle build up.

 

[FrankS]

So, I got this lens home. Have not found much info on the Internet, but found out that it was made around 1960, and it has just one lens group, a doublet. It is much lighter than the later f4.5 version and its rack and pinion focusing makes it easier and faster to focus than the f4.5 version.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Takumar-500mm-F5.html

It came with a small vintage Linhoff tripod with a larger Linhoff ball head which I'll keep.

I'll put some film through it this week and post some scans.
Does anyone here have one of these?

 

[raid]

So, I got this lens home. Have not found much info on the Internet, but found out that it was made around 1960, and it has just one lens group, a doublet. It is much lighter than the later f4.5 version and its rack and pinion focusing makes it easier and faster to focus than the f4.5 version.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Takumar-500mm-F5.html

It came with a small vintage Linhoff tripod with a larger Linhoff ball head which I'll keep.

I'll put some film through it this week and post some scans.
Does anyone here have one of these?

I had the heavy 500/4.5, Frank.

 

[FrankS]

Here she is!

 

[LKeithR]

Yeah, they just don't make 'em like that anymore. Thank God! A buddy of mine had one--decades ago. Probably the heavy version because it was a real beast. Not one of Pentax's better efforts, IMHO anyway...

 

[FrankS]

So I just came in from my back yard trying out this lens. A 500mm lens is quite a handful. First thing that I noticed is that my medium tripod and head were not up to the task and that a cable release was going to have to be used. Focusing with the rack and pinion gear was easy but minimum focus distance is 10 meters. I could use a bigger back yard. I'm hoping for a sunnier and warmer weekend next and ill go for a drive to search out some photogenic vistas for this lens.

 

[Nokton48]

I think you did very well at $125, considering how useful it is. Preset, right?

The Linhof Ball Head is definately worth some of that $$$, too.

 

[FrankS]

Yes preset. When I first looked through it today to try to focus on an object, I was disappointed in the dimness of the viewfinder (Pentax SV) but then realized the aperture was set to f8.

Rather than flip it I just may keep it and pay back the bank account with a pet portrait planned for the holidays. No other lens can do what a 500mm lens can. The Linhof ball head looks good on my baby Linhof tripod that I was using a 3rd party cheap ball head on.