I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $37.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Solid build, Good sharpness, contrast, and bokeh.
Cons:
Heavy, Long focus throw (but smooth)
The Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm f/4 lens is solidly built, like almost all the older Pentax lenses. It's a bit heavy, but you get use to it after a while and it's not really a walkaround lens anyway. Photos are sharp and color contrast is there as well. Wide open, there is some "glow" around high light areas and occasionally purple fringing under certain lighting conditions - nothing extreme and hardly noticeable. Bokeh is nice and smooth (subjective). Focusing is good, but the ring feels a bit heavier compared to my A50mm 1.7 which is smooth but quick - not too big of an issue. Overall a great prime and recommended if you can find one cheap.
My sample photos from this lens can be found in this thread.
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $50.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Beautiful Super Takumar Colour/Contrast, stunning bokeh, razor sharp (stopped down ) built solid enough for time travel!!
Cons:
It is pretty heavy, I'd cut off a finger to make this an 'A'
I bought this lens at a 'Cash Converters' ( aka pawn shop ), which is a great place to satisfy my L.B.A., and mine is MINT, the glass is perfect.....must have come out of someones collection.
It came with both original caps, and the screw mount sun shade.....AND the original Leather case!
Its a beautiful prime for taking pics of 'things'.....tough to keep up with my 6 and 4 year old girls though ( manual focus is very smooth, but I agree with the other review....it is a long throw from infinity to 8' ) .
Super Takumars just seem to 'pop' ( colour, contrast, sharpness, warmth ) The images print almost seem 3-D? I waited a long time for my K100D and my ever growing collection of SMC Super Tak's never let me down.
Highly recommended for the right price ( I got mine for $60 Cnd and the guy threw in a Vivitar m42 135mm f2.8 !! )
I'd pay $100 in a minute again and again and again.
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $45.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
All around good IQ, long focus throw, X factor
Cons:
Slight fringing with high contrast and wide open apterture
Surprisingly nice lens for the money. Mine is the Super Takumar version and I'm very impressed with it on my K10D.
I personally like the longer focus throw of older lenses as it makes things so much easier to really hone in on the subject. Hyperfocusing is much easier with a longer throw as well (the lens of course includes hyperfocal markings from f4-22).
IQ is terrific for a ~$40 piece of glass, with a lens hood it is easy to avoid the fringing/glow by stopping down 2-3 stops, f8-11 are of course optimal all around, but the IQ at even f4 in full sun is marvelous if proper care is taken in composing.
Giving this a 9 for the X factor and because the lens is really worth much much more than I paid for it. Puts other photographers on tilt when I mention the price too
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $28.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Bult like the proverbial Brick Outhouse, Sharpness
Cons:
Weight
I have the Super Takumar version and to date have only used it with film bodies. (Spotmatic and Ricoh KR5-Super II fitted with a Screwmount converter.)
Results on film have been very pleasing. AN excellent lens for long range outdoor events.
I have no doubt that it will be a very good lens with my new K200D.
This link is to a photo taken with the Spotmatic body. Fuji Superia200 film. f4 setting.
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $50.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
sharpness, colour rendition, built quality
Cons:
weight
My copy is the Super Takumar version, and I use it on my K20d. I am very much surprised by the optical quality of this lens. I find it sharp even wide open, and the colours are rich and natural. As expected from a long lens, DOF is very little, and this might cause the report of 'soft' wide open shots. However, the long focus throw makes exact focussing easy.
The built quality of this lens is old fashioned: built like a tank, all metal - and thus not very light -, and a pleasure to use (although I have no experience with tanks in this last respect...). Probably the max aperture of f/4.0 is a little slow, but SR of my K20 will quarantee tack sharp shots, even with slower shutter speeds.
All in all, I would highly recommend this lens. Optically it can't be beaten very easilly, and it's worth a multitude of it's money if you'd ask me. Buy it if you find one, and if you don't bother MF!
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $54.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
sharp, easy to focus, cost
Cons:
none
This Lens was awesome, It took beautiful shots. I only hand fringing on one The bellagio pic. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomshue first 2 pages or so are for all with the lens on a OLY e-620 (sorry pentax people) I love 4thirds. I like this lens so much I have 2 more on the the, the 85-210 a 28mm and 55mm
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 10
Pros:
superb sharpness and resolution, extremely natural color, excellent build quality
Cons:
none
This is the best lens I have ever used. I own the Super-Takumar version, and I use the lens with the Takumar screw-in metal hood. I find no faults with my photographs taken with this lens. I have owned and used lenses from all of the major Japanese manufacturers--Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax. The S-T 200/4 is my favorite.
I can recommend the S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $70.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
build, cost, image quality
Cons:
none unless you need automation
All Takumar lenses are exceptionally well built with strong optics. The M42 lenses stay in their adapters and work quite well. The lens is made for manual focus and has a large focus ring and a long throw for focus that works. I sold a Zeiss 200 3.5 in a C/Y mount and held onto this lens. Smaller, less expensive and a great way to get this focal length.
;)
;)
, and mine is MINT, the glass is perfect.....must have come out of someones collection.