The Beautiful Spotmatics

I picked up a virtually mint, black Spotmatic with a 50/1.4 lens for $35.00 USD last year at an local antiques show. Beautiful camera. Shutter doesn't cap and the meter works, but as others have mentioned, the on/off switch is a pain.

Jim B.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
The 35mm f3.5 Pentax screwmount lens is INCREDIBLY sharp.
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Agreed. It's hard to beat many of the Takumars for sharpness, especially at the price one can have them for now. I think my M42s have a slight edge over my K-mounts, but I cannot complain about any of my Takumars. My scanner lens is even a Tak -- the 50mm Macro-Takumar.
 
I bought a Spotmatic at a flea market a while ago for all of $40. Works perfectly and came with 35/3.5, 50/1.4, 135/3.5 and some off-brand zoom. Had to clean up the 50 a little but now it's fine. The camera smelled bad but a generous soak in Febreeze helped that...

Anyway, I am fascinated by the 35mm f/3.5 results in B&W. I am a die-hard Nikon fan but this lens is something special wrt contrast...

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You guys know that there is now going to be a huge rush on Pentax 35/3.5 lenses on EBay after all this gushing praise.

I am glad I have mine.
 
I got my first Spottie and Pre-Spottie pretty recently. I bought three lenses from someone who included an SP-II and an SV - both in need of servicing - as rear lens caps. These are two of the nicest rear lens caps I've ever seen! They're currently with Eric Hendrickson getting CLA'd.

Just a couple of months before that there was a black S1a listed locally on Craigslist but the seller turned out to be flaky and I wasn't able to get it. I was bummed but the SP-II and SV more than make up for it as consolation prizes, though.

As far as lenses go, I haven't gathered any Takumars yet but I have several other M42 lenses that will keep me occupied until I start to build a Pentax lens arsenal. Truthfully, I doubt I'll look for more than a 35, 50 and 105. I say that now....
 
raid said:
I know. I have such a lens since many years. It has excellent resistance to flare, too.
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I like them so much I have a few..... the early Auto Takumar 35mm f3.5 (Not quite up to the build quality of other Auto Takumars but optically good), the Super Takumar 35mm f3.5 and the SMC Takumar 35mm f3.5. The latter two are a but superfluous but that's what happens when you like lenses - you tend to like to compare them. At least I do.

And I also have the SMC Takumar 35mm f2 and the Auto Takumar 35mm f2.3. All very good lenses though the f2 is a little too soft for me when wide open but fine when stopped down a little.
 
The SMC 85/1.8 is an amazingly good lens, Peter. Have you tried it? I used to use it on a Canon T90 with an adapter. The SMC 35/2 is also a very good lens. Of course, the 50/1.4 is a classic.
 
raid said:
The SMC 85/1.8 is an amazingly good lens, Peter. Have you tried it? I used to use it on a Canon T90 with an adapter. The SMC 35/2 is also a very good lens. Of course, the 50/1.4 is a classic.
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Yes Raid I have. I presently own the Auto Takumar version of the 85mm f1.8 and previously owned the later SMC version as well. When I wanted to buy an M8 I ended up selling the SMC version as I thought it was a luxury to own two of what are essentially the same lenses and I felt I need to make at least a token effort to fund that purchase from existing assets. Of course I now regret it as I recall how good it was and is and wish I still had it. Though this does not detract from the auto Tak version which is also beautifully made and beautiful optically. (I am just greedy :^) ) I elected to keep that lens as it seemed the rarer of the two lenses and as it happens reviews over at Pentax Forums rate it slightly higher optically though this may just be due to people's preferences rather than anything objective.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Super-Multi-Coated-TAKUMAR-Auto-Takumar-85mm-F1.8.html

EDIT: Or was the later SMC Tak which I no longer have, the 85mm f1.9? I cannot recall right now..........
 
Hm. Is it 85/1.8 or is it 85/1.9? I may be mixing up the Canon 85/1.8 and 85/1.9 (where I used to own the less costly 85/1.9). My SMC lens is a 85/1.8. I am sure of it now.
 
One of the beauties of the Spotmatic that was not apparent when I got mine in '69 is the 4-5 million lenses that fit it. I was given a 135mm f 2.8 that says SEARS SX 135MM 1:2.8.

I looked for it on the IN and it is made by Mamiya It really is sharp and high quality build. A nice surprise for a focal length I've never used.
 
raid said:
Hm. Is it 85/1.8 or is it 85/1.9? I may be mixing up the Canon 85/1.8 and 85/1.9 (where I used to own the less costly 85/1.9). My SMC lens is a 85/1.8. I am sure of it now.
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I know that Pentax also did make an 85mm f1.9 at one time but if you confirm that you have an SMC 85mm f1.8 then I am inclined to think that both of my lenses were this specification. I just could not see a reference at Pentax Forums to the SMC f1.8 - only the auto Takumar 85mm f1.8 and the SMC f1.9 and this made me doubt my memories.

While I have your attention............because I know you are a lens lover like me I will mention that I recently bought a Vivitar 135mm f2.8 close focussing lens (not sure why they called it this rather than macro). If you see one it is s superb lens and was made by Komine for Vivitar (Komine apparently being a top shelf maker though I know little about them). I happened to get mine extraordinarily cheaply in a bin outside a camera store with a bunch of other after market brand lenses selling for $20 each but even if you pay market price it is worth it. Perhaps mine was so cheap because it was in Minolta mount rather than M42 or because someone in the store did not know of its reputation (it is too early I believe to be one of Vivitar's Series 1 hotshot lenses but is every bit as good as these.) In any event, for me an MD to M43 adapter soon fixed its mount "problem".

Boy is it good! Rated even more highly at Pentax Forums than the Pentax 85mm f1.8 and well worth grabbing if you find one.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/vivitar-135mm-f-2-8-1-2-close-focusing.html
 
Here's more fuel for the rush on 35mm f/3.5 Takumars ;).

Not sure what makes it such a nice lens, or maybe it's placebo affect. Should shoot some side-by-side shots.

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The highlights just seem to be tamped down and not blowout on this lens. Less contrast in the upper values basically.
 
peterm1 said:
I like them so much I have a few..... the early Auto Takumar 35mm f3.5 (Not quite up to the build quality of other Auto Takumars but optically good), the Super Takumar 35mm f3.5 and the SMC Takumar 35mm f3.5. The latter two are a but superfluous but that's what happens when you like lenses - you tend to like to compare them. At least I do.

And I also have the SMC Takumar 35mm f2 and the Auto Takumar 35mm f2.3. All very good lenses though the f2 is a little too soft for me when wide open but fine when stopped down a little.
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The only SLR 35mm lens I have is the SMC Pentax FA 35mm f 2.0 which is impossible on a Spotmatic, but what a dream.

Peterson's Paint by John Carter, on Flickr
 
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