Tell me about m42 lenses

[CliveC]

I currently have a Pentax ME Super that I would like to supplement with more lenses. As I understand it, I can easily adapt m42 lenses for PK use. Should I do this or should I look for a dedicated m42 SLR like a Spotmatic?

What are some suggestions for high performance/value m42 glass? I'm looking for something that's 28mm or wider and maybe a 135mm (or a good portrait lens). I would not say no to an another 50mm, but it has to be significantly better than the Pentax M 50mm f/1.7

Edit: Bonus if these lenses will work great on either my Ricoh GXR or Canon 60D.

 

[peterm1]

I used to collect Pentax Takumar lenses and at one time owned most focal lengths between 24mm and 300mm plus in some cases multiple variants of lenses (e.g. manual aperture, semi auto and fully auto aperture variants). I no longer do this actively although I still own about 20 lenses. I am yet to find a Takumar M42 that is less than very good or excellent in both build and optical qualify. They really are superb lenses that perform well and give a nice look to images. They are prone to only one failing - the lube in the aperture mechanism can become stiff making the aperture sluggish. This is very easily fixed by a technician cleaning the lens but is something you need to factor in. You can buy a small ring adapter that will allow the M42 lens to be used on a Pentax bayonet camera. But everything is manual - you need to manually stop the lens down to the working aperture when you are ready to make the image. If you are not comfortable with this stick with original Pentax bayonet mount lenses.

But if you are interested here are some M42 recommendations. The 24mm f3.5 is a very good lens as is the 28mm f3.5. The latter has at least a couple of variants - one takes a 58mm filter. The later one uses a 49mm filter. I think the later is supposed to be better. The 35mm f3.5 is likewise a very good lens. The 50mm f1.8 (many variants) are sharp as all getout and have nice out of focus "bokeh". The king of 50s though is the f1.4 which has superb bokeh. You will pay more for this lens though (But like all Takumars they are still reasonably priced by comparison with other lens marques as they are just so common). I cant honestly say either are better than the f1.7 you mention which itself has an excellent reputation. If you are serious about a longer lens either the f3.5 or the f2.8 135mm lenses are very good. (One variant of the f2.8 has a special design which is regarded as the very best of these.) May I suggest however that you consider buying a 105mm f2.5 lens. This little dude is one of Pentax's best lenses. Its a gem. I was made in variants from manual aperture right though to the last variants which were multi coated and had fully auto apertures.

Oh that is one other thing to consider. The last lenses in this range were marked SMC. The early Takumars were single coated. Later they became multi coated and you will see these lenses marked " Special Multi Coated". Then in the very last range of lenses before they started making them in bayonet mount they started to abbreviate these to just "SMC". Many say these are the best - but its a matter of degree. The earlier ones are fine as long as you don't shoot them with the sun in frame which produces more flaring.

These lenses and many more are excellent. You have lots to chose from and I would not hesitate to recommend any of them.

For more research try this forum. These folk love manual focus lenses and they have often reviewed various Pentax lenses

http://forum.mflenses.com/manual-focus-lenses-f3.html

Here is a photo taken with the 105mm lens. Its super for portraits and I cannot sing its praises enough........................

 

[CliveC]

Thanks Peter, I will certainly be on the lookout for the lenses mentioned.

I'd like to say that I'm also open to more unconventional glass, such as Russian. I was pleasantly surprised by the Jupiter 8 and 12 on my GXR and would not hesitate to use other Soviet hardware.

 

[Godfrey]

For an ME Super, you're better off sticking with Pentax K mount lenses to obtain the auto-diaphragm operation and open aperture metering. Either M42 or K-mount work fine on the Ricoh GXR with an adapter. Either is possible to use on a Canon EOS mount, but it's easier to use M42 there.

G

 

[den_sh]

I currently have a Pentax ME Super that I would like to supplement with more lenses. As I understand it, I can easily adapt m42 lenses for PK use. Should I do this or should I look for a dedicated m42 SLR like a Spotmatic?

What are some suggestions for high performance/value m42 glass? I'm looking for something that's 28mm or wider and maybe a 135mm (or a good portrait lens). I would not say no to an another 50mm, but it has to be significantly better than the Pentax M 50mm f/1.7

Edit: Bonus if these lenses will work great on either my Ricoh GXR or Canon 60D.

If money is not the problem you should definitely have a look at Zeiss ZS lens: 50mm f/1.4, 35mm f/2, 25mm f/2.8. As far as I understand these are the only modern lens made for m42. The lens design seems to be the same as recent ZF and ZE lens. (50mm is currently available used on ebay.co.uk)

If you want the best m42 SLR body you might want to have a look at Bessaflex which has gorgeous huge viewfinder and modern body with 1/2000 shutter speed and 1/125 flash sync. But at the same time they are a bit expensive ($400-500) if you compare them to other m42 SLRs.

 

[CliveC]

Money is of concern. Not that I'm dirt poor, but I want to sample the maximum number of lenses as possible. Even so, I'm reluctant to set a price ceiling because if there's a "must-have" lens, I don't mind saving a little to get one or to keep an eye out for a deal.

 

[peterm1]

I meant to post this image as well......(click for full sized version). It was shot with the 105mm lens I mentioned. It gives a good idea of what that lens is capable of.



Also I suggest you go here (below)to find out more. These guys are nuts about MF lenses and have reviewed many Pentax ones.

http://forum.mflenses.com/manual-focus-lenses-f3.html

If you want to consider Russian glass the guys at the MF lens forum will be able to help as they are mainly from Europe and many of them make extensive use of these lenses. One very good one that just about everyone loves is the Jupiter 9 (85mm f2) which is a Sonnar design. Its available in both Leica screw mount and M42 mount and can be bought cheaply on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/jupiter-9-lens-m42

 

[Greyscale]

I am a fan of the Yashica Yashinon DX lenses. You can usually find a DX 50/1.7 or 50/2 for $40 or less. They do have mirror clearance issues on some non Yashica M42 bodies, but that shouldn't be an issue with a K mount and a converter.

I have found that M42 primes are almost universally very good. Don't shy away from Chinon, or Revue, or Mamiya Sekor, or even department-store branded lenses, like Sears, JCPenney, or Focal (KMart), as they can be quite good. The Pentacon 50/1.8 lens (under whatever name it is sold, there are several) is a great bargain. And I have seen excellent photos taken with the Russian Helios lenses, although I have never owned one myself.

This great variety of very good lenses is part of the joy of the M42 mount.

 

[jammcat]

Most of the takumars are fantastic lenses, tbh. I really love the 28mm f3.5, 35mm f2, 50mm f1.4, 55mm f1.8, and 85mm f1.8. The 105mm f2.8 is nice for portraits and whatever.
The zeiss jena lenses are also great, but will fetch a premium.
The multicoated k-mount taks are also amazing, and you may even be able to find them for cheaper now than their older m42 counterparts.
There are also Russian lenses that come in funky focal lengths and have unique character-- they can be picked up for a song.

 

[nikon_sam]

You can get the M42 to Pentax K adapter and then use them on any Pentax K mount body but to meter you still have to switch the lens to Manual to get a proper reading...it works but it's slow...I've done it with my Pentax MX.
Or you can get a dedicated M42 body...One that comes to mind is the Vivitar 400SL (my first real camera)...It's made by Cosina (same company that made the Bessaflex) The Vivitar has a great viewfinder and is definitely brighter than the Spotmatic when using the slower 3.5 lenses...when metering you just push the shutter button half way down, this activates an arm that pushes in the aperture pin which then closes the blades to whatever they are set to, therefore metering the amount of light entering the lens...holding the button down keeps the meter on allowing you to make the proper adjustments for a good exposure...to turn everything off you press in an Aperture reset button located towards the bottom of the camera...this turns off the meter and resets the aperture to it widest opening...
The Bessaflex uses a switch like what's on the old Spotmatic bodies...
The Vivitars are very affordable but can be hard to find in very good condition...top speed is 1/1000 and flash sync at 1/125...they take one EPX76 battery...ASA range of 25 to 3200...they are pretty basic cameras but work just fine with any M42 lens...they only came in black paint and when using the self-timer the mirror locks up when the shutter button is tripped...
I have several of the Takumar lenses and all of mine are great performers...The Takumar 50mm 1.4 is super sharp...the Takumar 85mm 1.8 is said to have cult status and is very expensive...they also made a real nice 105mm lens too...
My list of M42 lenses would include...
Vivitar 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.9, 135mm 2.8 & 200mm 3.5 (very sharp)
Takumar 28mm 3.5, 35mm 3.5, 50mm 1.4 (super sharp)

Just saw Greyscale's post on the Yashinon lens...if I were to look for another M42 lens this is the one...

 

[raid]

I recommend any Pentax 50/1.4 as a prime lens. For portraits, the 85/1.8 is hard to beat.
As Peter said, the 28/3.5 is a bargain.

 

[Dan Daniel]

For user reviews, you can go here-
http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/
and look through the m42 section. As with most user reviews the ratings will be to the high end (who wants to admit they bought a dog?), but helpful.

For 50mm, it's going to be hard to find a lens significantly better than the f/1.7 M (or A/F/FA- same optics). Different, sure, but not better; it's a great lens. I recently sold a Sony NEX setup and included one in the package. The buyer did a quick test shot, pulled it up on his screen, and his face lit up- probably the cheapest path to great optics out there.

 

[tunalegs]

K mount lenses are at this point generally cheaper than M42 lenses. However there is a huge variety of M42 lenses that are worth owning.

I would steer clear of department store wideangles in M42 - the majority of which are mediocre to awful. However just about anything with a real brand name on it is good. The 35mm Takumar and the 28mm Mamiya Sekor are both pretty good wide angles. The Yashinons are also commonly overlooked - the 2/50 Yashinon is excellent.

 

[Ronald M]

Every time I dropped one , even a foot onto a bed, the diaphragm would start to hang.

I had them all from 21 to 300 including macros.

Nikon lenses image better. Any German lens is better still. I do not miss the Takumars and Spotmatics one bit.

 

[rodinal]

I used to collect Pentax Takumar lenses and at one time owned most focal lengths between 24mm and 300mm plus in some cases multiple variants of lenses

Peter, did you own and try the "mythical" 50mm f1.4 8-elements. In your experience, is it significantly superior to its siblings ? Worth today's price (around US$250 in eBay) ?

Cheers,

Marcelo

 

[peterm1]

Peter, did you own and try the "mythical" 50mm f1.4 8-elements. In your experience, is it significantly superior to its siblings ? Worth today's price (around US$250 in eBay) ?

Cheers,

Marcelo

Marcelo, no I never did own one of these. Most of my avid days of collecting were back prior to eBay in the 1980s and 1990s. So it was much harder to find lenses of any rarity back then. But in those days I travelled a bit on business so when interstate I haunted the camera stores in search of interesting lenses that I wanted to try. I never managed to find one of those 50s and so have never managed to try one.

I would only say this. The 8 element version would have to be darned good to be better than the 7 element version which itself is excellent.

Same goes for the 135mm f2.5. There is a version of this with an extra element (or one fewer - I can't immediately recall) which is said to be better than the other variant. I never found one of these either but was always satisfied that the more common version was in any event an excellent lens that was hard to beat.

I would say my favourite lenses were the 28mm f3.5, the 35mm f3.5, the 50mm f1.8 (and f 1.4), the 85mm f1.8 (and 1.9) and 105mm f2.8 but the others were very good too although I used them a little less. Mostly I shot them on a Spotmatic then later (after discovering their beauty) an S1, Sv and S1a. These were all earlier cameras in the Pentax lineup that did not have a light meter built in but I loved their feel which is very similar in my view to the Leica thread mount cameras in their handling. More lately of course they can be used nicely on digital cameras with adapters and that is something I occasionally still do with my remaining lenses.

 

[jarski]

sad to see J9 prices skyrocketed past years so much. 200USD for 40 year old Soviet lens sounds crazy if knowing what the prices used to be 🙁

IMO Takumar's build and feel equals or even surpasses Nikkor's from the same era.

M42 can be adapted (without glass elements) easily to Sony dSLR too, not just Canon. mirror hitting wide lens rear element is smaller (or non-existent) issue with Sony than Canon.

 

[peterm1]

sad to see J9 prices skyrocketed past years so much. 200USD for 40 year old Soviet lens sounds crazy if knowing what the prices used to be 🙁

IMO Takumar's build and feel equals or even surpasses Nikkor's from the same era.

M42 can be adapted (without glass elements) easily to Sony dSLR too, not just Canon. mirror hitting wide lens rear element is smaller (or non-existent) issue with Sony than Canon.

I have noticed the same. When I checked e Bay I was shocked. Only a couple of years back they were about half of what they are presently asking on B.I.N. in ebay.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

My 2d worth is to say that I think the Pentax ME's lenses are under-priced and under-appreciated. And I'll add that most of the M42 (Praktice thread) lenses I see on ebay are the standard 53mm from the Helios stable. Not much variety there although it is an OK lens.

The only expensive Pentax K mount lenses I've noticed is the excellent portrait one; although "expensive" as applied to Pentax ones is not the same as "expensive" when talking other about makes. But one of them and a 28mm to go with the standard lens, or their 40mm, would be an excellent and versatile outfit. Not much more would be needed.

Regards, David

 

[k__43]

I love my Helios 44M for it's quirky rendition. It's quite sharp stopped down and a very short tele so not bad for portraits. got it for 5€!
I have yet to see a good ultra wide, the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm is supposed to be ok.
A meyer lydith / pentacon 30mm is different, maybe not everyones taste.
A zeiss sonnar 135/3.5 is great! sharp and has the sonnar look