Super-Takumar 1:4/200

[mysterick]

I just came into posession of this 200mm M42/screw mount. Has anyone used this lens before? I can't find info for sure on bdimitrov's site or Steve's. This one has one of those "auto-manual" swithches. Nice, solid metal and glass! Can't wait to try it out. Oh yeah, how about with a 2x converter? Thanks for now.

I also got a "MC Hanimex AUTOMATIC ZOOM C-MACRO 1:4.5 80-200" for my nephew who is beginning to get all excited about photography. Know anything about the Hanimex lenses? I'm breaking him in good with an old K1000 body.

[Mike Cash]

I just got that very lens off of Yahoo Japan Auctions for about $25 three days ago and have been "testing" it out extensively at work over the last two days.

I'm very pleased with it so far. It isn't the excellent performer that the M42 S-M-C 105/2.8 I also recently purchased is, but it still does a very respectable job. I am finding the screwmount lenses much easier to use than a regular K-mount "M" lens, simply because of the ergonomics. Manually metering on the K100D with the AE-L buttin is a bit awkward, but leaving the camera in Av mode and just twisting the aperture down (while keeping an eye on the adjusted shutter speed value in the viewfinder) is a snap, plus I get ongoing instantaneous feedback on DOF.

I also got the 55/1.8, which I gather was a kit lens back in the old days, judging by the great number of them available on the market. For general photography I'm not overly impressed with it, finding instead my A50/2 or the kit lens to give better results. Since I bought it primarily to see what sort of results it would give for portraits (and to slake my LBA lust) I don't find that to be a negative, though. I haven't had a chance to try it out on portraits yet, so I can't say anything about it in that role.

I have a S-M-C 135/3.5 en route from the U.S. via slow boat and am eager to see how it will perform. From my experiences with the greatly underappreciated and much maligned SMC Takumar (Bayonet) 135/2.5 I already know that 135 is a focal length that is very useful for the type of day-to-day shooting I do I'm really hoping that it will be a good performer.

Based on my few days experience with the screwmount lenses thus far, I am very happy and look forward to expanding my collection of them. I have to keep my kit lens in the bag in case of emergencies. (I may have to take photos of any sort of accident or mishap at work and I need something I know will easily and reliably work with my flash unit even in pitch-black situations). But other than that, I would be perfectly happy to fill my bag with M42s and leave the modern stuff at home.

[MikeH]

I'm afraid that I may have been bitten by the Tak-bug. I received a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/4 macro yesterday (with matching extension tubes). I'm in love. I should have the Pentax adapter arriving today, along with the SMC Takumar 200 f/4.