| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: December, 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Posts: 1,852 | | Review Date: March 26, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $75.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, great handling | | Cons: | Purple fringing in DSLR | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3-iii
| |
Picked one marked Super-Multi-Coated (43501) but doesnt have the S-M-C mechanism in the back, according to Gerjan vanOosten is a transition example between 5 and 6.
.
Like all other Takumar lenses, the mechanical construction makes using this lens a pleasure
At 2.8 it is soft, but useable; from f/4 onwards is very sharp.
It shows purple fringing in the DSLR at f/2.8 and 4 but is almost gone at 5.6
I like, it and would recommend this short tele for portraits
Dogwood (Cornus florida)
PS It is much better than my 105/2.8 K version, which is very soft wide open
PS2 Portraits with this lens are really good, they have a different "feel"
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: February, 2019 Location: Florida Posts: 187
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 29, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Outstanding Images, Buttery Smooth, Portraits | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-50
| |
This review is for Version 6: Super-Multi-Coated with half stops.
A complete and absolute delight of a lens. I was not at all expecting this level of performance. And the quality for the price is fantastic.
Super sharp (ok, well maybe not at f/2.8, but not bad either). The focus is absolute butter, but there is no slop, no movement once focused. Once an image is in focus it can be shot at a variety of f/stops without having to make any adjustments. The half f/stops make it even more pleasant.
Two things bring together this wonderful surprise. First, the color rendition. I'm shooting in Florida in bright sunshine (try to get a copy of the lens that has a hood, keeps flare away!) and rendition across the spectrum is fantastic. Second, the handling. This is the best balanced short telephoto I've ever used. It just feels so natural on the camera. Handheld at slow speeds is super easy given the balance.
If you find one, get one!
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3 | | Review Date: December 23, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Primarily Portrait | | Cons: | N/A | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3II K-01 GFX 50R
| |
I have two versions. Designated here as Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8 (early) and Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8 (late).
Optics & focus throw are the same, but there are differences. (early) version has a shorter focus ring with coarse rib aperture ring that includes 4 half stops.
The (late) version has longer focus ring with fine rib aperture ring that includes 5 half stops.
Build is very high quality, but I have worn an early version out to the point of being unrepairable, using it extensively in high production, portrait studio environment.
This Super-Takumar was one of my first lens purchases and has been invaluable for portrait, but also as utility travel & walk-around.
It takes stopping down to achieve best sharpness, and there are sharper lenses, but that is not always necessary for best image.
The low elements make this lens very efficient and also beautiful for B&W. I think the color rendering is superb. I prefer using the lens on full frame.
The lens reaches unmatched for smooth focus and aperture operation.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2019 Location: Beautiful British Columbia Posts: 78
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 29, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $65.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp, good contrast, nice Bokeh, small for focal lenth | | Cons: | needs M42 adaptor, manual focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K-s2
| |
This review is for the Super-Takumar version of this lens (#4 or 5 on the chart).
I received this lens in a bulk lot of lenses I purchased all at once. As a prime lens, it is super sharp. It renders detail, contrast and color well. Even wide open the plane of focus is very sharp and there does not appear to be much, if any, softening fully stopped down. The aperture tested as follows:
F/2.8
 log f28 by Sean O'Connell, on Flickr
F/8
 log f8 by Sean O'Connell, on Flickr
f/22
 log f22 by Sean O'Connell, on Flickr
Color renders well. Best shot I have taken with this lens so far is when it was was on a set of m42 bellows:
 flower by Sean O'Connell, on Flickr
The lens is solid and well build, and small in size compared to modern primes of similar focal lengths. The aperture can be set to fully manual mode with a switch on the lens, making it completely compatible with digital cameras on manual mode.
Thank you for reading.
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,894
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 25, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $130.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Beautiful build, silky smooth focusing and aperture ring, superb rendering, beautiful bokeh | | Cons: | Not very sharp wide open | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: K200D, K3, M42 film cameras
| |
I bought this lens to cover the short telephoto gap in my M42-mount lenses (between 55mm and 135mm) but I haven't used it that much (as I use M42 gear in general much less than I use bayonet-mount gear).
Of all my lenses this is probably the most pleasurable to use - the focus and aperture rings are butter-smooth. Build quality is superb.
On film I've found no problems in sharpness even wide open, but film is far more forgiving in this regard than digital is. On digital I've found it quite soft wide open and doesn't get really sharp until f/5.6. Even so, the wonderful rendering of this lens makes up for a good part of what it lacks in sharpness. The bokeh is beautiful - far and away the best of all the lenses I've used. I've used it quite a bit with extension tubes to photograph flowers and given the bokeh and how well it does these photos, I really should give it more use for portraits.
All-in-all I like this lens a lot and should use it more. As long as you're not looking for extreme sharpness wide open, this lens is wonderful, especially for those who appreciate using beautifully designed and built tools.
Film:
Yashica Electro AX, Fuji Acros, Summer 033a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Chinchon 028a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Digital, with extension tubes:
IMGP1882a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMGP2178a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMGP7766a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMGP2201a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Digital, no extension tubes:
IMGP7751a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMGP0430a Tak_105 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: September, 2013 Location: Cuenca Posts: 644
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 24, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, good contrast and color rendition | | Cons: | none though a closer MFD would've been nice | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony a7
| |
This is a high quality lens as one would expect of an m42 Takumar. I have an all-black preset version with five elements, eight aperture blades, and a 49mm filter size (so a different version to those listed here). I like the lens and think it has some advantages over the 135mm Takumars, i.e. it's smaller, is half a stop faster, and has a minimum focus distance of four feet as opposed to six or seven. I also think the focal length is a bit more versatile with its somewhat wider angle of view. I don't find the lens soft wide-open but the plane of focus for an object close to the camera might be shallow and require careful focusing. It would be interesting to see a comparison of photos taken with the five element and photos taken with the four element versions. No doubt there's improvement with the change of the lens formula and the addition of another element, else they wouldn't have changed it.
The first photo was taken at f2.8 and MFD for the light colored leaves. The second was taken hand-held hanging out of a window at f9 or f11. The amount of detail visible in the RAW files is amazing.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 11, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $34.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Light, small, 49mm thread, sharp, good focus grip, fast, great length for portraits | | Cons: | Really, none | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-3, Minolta Alpha 9, Canon EOS 3, MZ-S
| |
Wow. What a lens. This is up there with the 77mm in terms of sharpness and color quality. The first digital shots I took with this simply blew me away with pixel-level sharpness and exceptional micro contrast. The only category I marked down from 10 was Bokeh, which I gave an 8. Here are two images, wide open and at f/5.6. These were taken on film with a Minolta Alpha 9.
At f/2.8, the lens is a bit softer than I'd really like, but at f/4.5, 5.6, and even 8 the lens is staggering. The bokeh wide-open is beautiful. Stopped down, it's very nice. In terms of portrait lenses, you can do a lot worse for the price. I managed a great deal on mine, at $34, but the typical price of these (in mid-2016) is $120-160. Even at $160, it's a great bargain. The lens performs well, isolates subjects well, is sharper than a Groucho Marx insult, and takes great photos.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2016 Location: Florida Posts: 75 | | Review Date: February 7, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $149.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great all-round portrait and mid-tele lens | | Cons: | soft a most open ... but it is supposed to be! | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-5, SpotMatic II
| |
I bought this SMC Takumar lens when I first started Black & White portraiture in 1974-1975 while doing theatrical work: actor portfolios, resume headshots, stage set documentation, etc., basically for the price of the film and processing, just to get the work. I used it quite a bit with film and was never dissatisfied with the fact that I wanted an 85mm or 135mm but had to settle for the 105mm as it cost less - but that was BIG money for me in those days.
Now, with my used K-5 and pro cleaned sensor and mirrors, it again has new life after sitting in my gadget bag for about 20 years. I am still not disappointed, particularly as I can now easily preview the manual focus/stop down metered shots I have been taking. I started off documenting Occoquan, VA about 40 years ago; all the evidence of which has long ago evaporated. Am back doing it again, off and on. And I can say this lenses does not disappoint. Only the 85mm is likely to give better results. I PP a little here and there but mostly for my mood or atmosphere vice “to fix” the shot.
This legacy era glass IS AT LEAST the rating average given here, if not more.
| | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 20, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | color, build, focusing | | Cons: | sharpness in wide open | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5, A7
| |
same as many Super/SMC Takumar lenses, it has metal body, good build quality, relatively fast focusing, the lens also produced good color rendering, it' takumar tonal!
for me the lens is not heavy, so it's good for travelling, mine has many scratches on front element, but it's no effect for any taking some photos
as mentioned from previous reviewer the SMC Takumar 105mm F2.8 has no interesting sharpness in wide open, but in one stop down it's starting very sharp!
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Location: Berlin Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 17, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Small, fun to use. | | Cons: | optically so-so | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 7
| |
For some reason I ended up with 2 of these; a super-tak and an s-m-c tak. They both seemed pretty similar in terms of contrast, flare resistance etc.
Neither was so sharp, especially wide open where its soft and glows a lot. Stopped down its decent, but the whole look and feel of the lens was always a bit so-so to me, and I sold both of my copies. I wish I kept one, because its a nice lens to travel with, really compact and fun to use. I think this one, along with the Tak 35/ƒ2 are the weakest and most overrated in the Takumar line-up.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2015 Posts: 4
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 22, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $109.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Canon 6D
| |
I love this lens, I have 2 50's one is a super tak, the other is the rubber ring smc. I also have the early version of the 135 2.5, this one has become my favorite, I see some people stating on here that it is not very sharp wide open, well I find it to be plenty sharp, but two things to consider, I shoot people, and I could have a good one of the bunch.
I would have to agree with a another guy down the page, this is the first lens that made me want to write a review, and I do like my other lenses.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2014 Posts: 85
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 4, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | build quality, little aberrations on APS-C | | Cons: | not so sharp as other Asahi telephoto lenses | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 8
| |
The Asahi Super-Takumar 1:2.8/105 is very interesting manual focus telephoto lens when used with APS-C sensor. It is reasonably priced and for the money you receive the compact lens with the focal length of 105 mm, narrow depth of field and good bokeh. The 105 mm model is more suitable for the APS-C cameras in comparision with 135 mm models due to lower weight and smaller minimim focusing distance.
My review of my copy of the lens with shots at different apertures:
http://aflenses.net/reviews/a-subjective-look-at-asahi-super-takumar-12-8105...ujifilm-x-pro1 | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2014 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: September 15, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great lens. | | Cons: | Nothing. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Canon 60D
| |
 | | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2013 Posts: 23 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2011 Location: near Berlin Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 18, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | build, compactness, easy to focus, overall IQ | | Cons: | non to mention | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: Praktica Super TL
| |
I rate that lens with a 10 for some reason.
I watched out for smth between 85 and 120mm for my Super TL. Most lenses with M42 in that range are pretty expensive and that lens came in A+ condition for 150 euros. I did not regret.
It has everything a good lens needs to have. It is tack sharp stopped down by 1 stop, sharp wide open, has good contrast, is easy to focus and build to last decades.
I use it on film only and as a M42-lens not adapted to digital or other mounts.
I can clearly recommend this gem!
| | |
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
