[hjoseph7]

I never thought I would be going back to Manual lenses, but ever since I purchased my first Takumar lens (50mm f1.4), I have been hooked. So far I have a total of 6 lenses with one coming in the mail. I have the 35mm f3.5, 50mm f1.4 (7 element), 50mm f1.4(8 element) , 55mm f1.8, 50mm f4 Macro, 135mm f2.5, and a 24mm f3.5 I just ordered.


The only problem I have with these lenses is focusing in dim light and fast moving objects, but these are not major issues. For some reason I get more of a sense of accomplishment shooting with manual lenses plus I have more control. I will probably try to round out my collection with an 85 f1.8 or maybe a 105mm sometime in the future.


Although very good, I stay away from the A-mount and K-mount manual lenses, because they are too modern and boring looking. The Takumars look more and act more like a poor-man's Leica which is what I like !

[pathdoc]

I have three: 28mm f/3.5, 55mm f/2.0, 135mm f/3.5; all SMC Taks with the open-aperture metering arm.

In dim light, I set the desired aperture in Auto mode, focus, flick the clutch over to manual and shoot. Aperture priority does the rest.

In bright light, there's almost always enough light to focus in manual mode.

The only thing I don't like about the 55/2.0 is that the focusing ring is different from the others; it's that rubberised fine-knurled K mount-like appearance, rather than the classical appearance like my other Taks have.

I keep telling myself I have a well-balanced "classical" three-prime set and I don't need any more. But I also know that if I stumble across a different one at a garage sale or something, going cheap, I will not be able to resist picking it up.

[gofour3]

have three: 28mm f/3.5, 55mm f/2.0, 135mm f/3.5; all SMC Taks with the open-aperture metering arm.

Woo almost the same three I have: 28/3.5, 55/1.8 and the 135/3.5. All are Super Taks.

I just duplicated the same "K" Series kit that I originally started with 40 years ago.

Takumars are OK, but I'll take a K Series lens any day. No messing with those M42 adapters.

Phil.

[jatrax]

[sergysergy]

too many. more than 50 for sure.

I did a quick count. 92. Most of them in working order and clean. It is a shame I cannot use all of them. Shame on me.

[ChatMechant]

I was lucky enough to get my dad's old taks- the 50 macro, the 135 3.5 and an 8 element 50 1.4 along with his spotmatic (complete with an old shoestring for a strap). Especially love the macro. I've bought the 28 3.5 since and hope to keep them coming. Going to try and keep it all Supers. I love them, but dad doesn't quite understand why I'd want some old beat-up lenses.
I dunno, but when there's a tak on the camera I feel more like a 'real' photographer.

[boriscleto]

2 Super Tak 50s (1 7 element, 1 8 element), S-M-C 50, Auto 55/1.8, SMC 55/1.8, Super 55/2, Super 35/3.5, S-M-C 35/3.5, Super 35/2 (67 mm filter ring), S-M-C 135/3.5.

[lytrytyr]

Just the two, 20/4.5 and 55/1.8.

The only problem I have with these lenses is focusing in dim light and fast moving objects, but these are not major issues.

I usually use a K-01 as my dedicated M42 camera,
where the focus peaking works fine for me,
and you can frame your picture at the taking aperture,
since the LCD screen brightens up when the lens is stopped down.

For fast-moving objects, you can either anticipate and pre-focus,
or use these lenses' excellent and reliable distance scales.

The 20/4.5 is usually set for hyperfocal anyway,
with the right hand "butt cheek" of the infinity sign against the diamond mark.

[wtlwdwgn]

Only 10 from 24 to 135.

[blackcloudbrew]

Funny, I really don't think too much about the Tak's I have because while I like them, they are just part of the lens mix I own. But as you asked, a review of my lens spreadsheet (I do have one by the way). I currently have:

35mm
Fish-Eye-Takumar 18mm f11, Macro-Takumar 50mm f4, Takumar 55 f2

6x7
Takumar 75 f4.5, Takumar 105 f2.4, Macro Takumar 135 f4

The 6x7 tak lenses are truly wonders.

Used to have some more but I did a spring cleaning last year and their gone now.

[tim60]

I got started on the idea of collecting the Taks when I was given an adapter and a Rubinar 1000/10 mirror.

The first I got was a 55/2. Then the collecting and using began. now they are almost my exclusive choice of lens, and the only lenses I took with, except the Rubinar when I moved recently.

The collection grew out to:
20/4.5 - absolutely love it, including the distortion. That is part of the appeal.
24/3.5
28/3.5
35/2 which gets a lot of use.
35/3.5 SMC
35/3.5 AutoTak which I do not like - reflection from the rear structure of the lens.
50/1.4 which I find hard to use
50/4 macro. My first dedicated macro lens.
55/1.8 which is brilliant.
55/2 now made redundant by the 55/1.8
85/1.9
100/4 macro which I prefer to the 50/4 macro
105/2.8
120/2.8 which is really good
135/2.5 which gets quite a few outtings
135/3.5 (two of them with no discernable difference) pretty good lenses.
150/4 - not very different to the 135 and slower, but very sharp
200/3.5 preset. Quite like this one.
200/4 which is also very nice.
300/4 which I did some work around repairs o (totally non-destructive) to overcome a missing A/M switch. Does pretty well.
300/6.3 preset which is either soft or hard to focus. The 300/4 gets the work.

In summary, I like these guys and they are part of the pleasure of photography. And friends are astonished at the notion of using antiques on a modern camera.

[Dartmoor Dave]

I've got the Super 20mm/4.5, SMC 24mm/3.5, SMC 28mm/3.5, SMC 35mm/3.5, Super 35mm/2.0 (first version), and Super 55mm/2.0. The next one I'd like to get is the 17mm fisheye, and the one I suffer hopeless dreams about is the 15mm.

[cgchang]

28/3.5
55/1.8
150/4 - my focus ring is a bit stiff, feels like I could accidentally start to unscrew the lens while focusing

[chuck_c]

I don't have the beautiful family portrait (yet) like jatrax has provided, but as blackcloudbrew does, I also have a spreadsheet. I have 17 Takumars altogether, including two exactly the same.
They are as follows:

17mm f4 Fisheye
SMC 28mm f3.5
Auto 35mm f3.5
Super 35mm f3.5 (2 of this one)
SMC 50mm f1.4
SMC 50mm f4 Macro
SMC 55mm f1.8
SMC 85 f1.9 (with bug)
Super 85mm f1.9
SMC105 f2.8
SMC 135mm f2.
Auto 135mm f3.5
SMC 135mm f3.5
Super 135mm f3.5
200mm f3.5 Pre set
SMC 300mm f4

They are all fully functional and in excellent condition (except for the SMC 85/1.9 which has a very small bug inside it, so I got a really good deal on it, but it does not affect image quality in any way). In all 3 were purchased from craigslist, 4 from eBay, 2 from the PF Marketplace and the rest from local camera shops.

I never had any intention of getting this deep into Taks. It all started, quite innocently, as I was scrolling through the Takumar club thread, in Lens Clubs here on the Forum a few years ago. I really like the images that I was seeing rendered from these old gems with their saturated colors, creamy bokehs an tack sharp details. So I thought that if I was to stumble across a reasonable deal on a Takumar lens I just may have to experiment with it. Not long after that I found a listing on craigslist for a Spotmatic F and two lenses (which turned out to be the Tak SMC 55mm f1.8 and SMC 135mm f3.5) for $100. I went to look at them and found them all to be in excellent condition and the deal was done. I picked up a Pentax M42 Adapter put it on my K10D and was hooked from the first round of test shots. That M42 Adapter now has a permanent home on my K-5 (with a KatzEye split prism focus screen) and another on my K5 II, and the Takumar collection continues to grow. Some times I like to go out to shoot and take only just the Taks.

[Moe49]

"Too many, a valid answer?"
Forty one Takumars.

From my own spread sheet (a sure sign of a compulsive disorder ? ):
---- m37 presets
Takumar 50mm f/3.5 [ came with Asahiflex-I ]
Takumar 58mm f/2.4 [ came with Asahiflex-IIa ]
Takumar 58mm f/2.4 [ came with Asahiflex-IIa ]
---- m42 presets
Tele-Takumar 400/5.6
Takumar 300mm f/4.0
Takumar 200mm f/3.5
Takumar 58mm f/2.0 chrome [ Sonnar design, mtd on chrome 'AP' ]
Takumar 58mm f/2.0 black [ Sonnar design, came with black 'AP' ]
Takumar 55mm f/2.2 [ came with chrome 'S' ]
Takumar 55mm f/2.2 [ came with black 'S' ]
Takumar 35mm f/4.0 [ Japan's 1st WA lens ? ]
---------------
Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.0 [ 2 silver rings, mtg on S1 ]
Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ Zebra, came with chrome 'K' ]
Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ Zebra, came with black 'K' ]
Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ Ver.2, 1st full auto-aperture lens, mtd on S3 ]
Auto-Takumar 35mm f/2.3
Auto-Takumar 35mm f/3.5
---------------
Super Takumar-Zoom 70-150mm f/4.5 [ Asahi Optical's 1st zoom ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/2.0 [ came with chrome S1a ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/2.0 [ came with black S1a ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/2.0 [ came with black Super S2 ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ came with black SV ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ came with black SL ]
Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ came with gold SV ]
Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ mtd on chrome SV ]
---------------
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 85-210mm f/4.5
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 45-125mm f/4.0
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 400mm f/5.6
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 300mm f/4.0
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm f/4.0
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 135mm f/3.5
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm f/2.8
SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8
SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8 [ came with chrome ESII ]
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ came with black Spotmatic ]
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ came with black Spotmatic-F ]
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ came with chrome ES ]
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ new, came with NoS Electro Spotmatic ]
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 [ mtd on black ESII motor drive ]
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm f/3.5 [ came with chrome ESII ]
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f/3.5

I'm a bit of a Collector it seems

I shoot with the following Takumars quite often, mounted on my SV or ESII:
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 28mm f/3.5
SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 300mm f/4.0