Impulse Buy - Takunar 135mm f/3.5

Nick Siebers · 08-26-2010, 10:42 PM

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I know I overpaid. But look how pretty it is!

VINTAGE PENTAX M42 SCREW MOUNT 135MM F3.5 TELE LENS - eBay (item 270624542554 end time Aug-26-10 20:29:26 PDT)

Hoping it looks like that when it arrives! Anyone else have one?

Last edited by Nick Siebers; 03-30-2012 at 11:53 AM.

Ira · 08-27-2010, 04:40 AM

Congrats! But you know what you bought, right?

This is a very early model, which is cool. But I'm 99% sure it's a preset with a stop-down ring.

And with today's prices for Taks, $65 is not all that much.

Nick Siebers · 08-27-2010, 05:06 AM

Thanks Ira! The preset function is intriguing, since I will be using it mostly on digital. I find my other preset lenses to be fairly convenient. I was thinking to use it on a bellows for gentle bug-hunting. It looks a lot smaller than my 135/2.5, easier to handle. We'll see how the simpler coating works out.

Ira · 08-27-2010, 10:09 AM

Your plan is real sound. If the original Tak focusing is anywhere near as rock solid/precise as the later ones, this should work great.

At 135 and for bugs, you're probably going to be using either 5.6 or 8 all the time anyway, so preset is no big deal at all.

Oro · 08-28-2010, 01:41 AM

OK, I can add two things:

1) I'm not sure what "pre-set" means? I'm only from the K/M era forward and never had a screw mount that old. Is that where you twist one ring to the desired aperture, but then another to actually set it?

2) That is damn pretty. It is actually one of the prettiest lenses I've ever seen. I am the kind of guy who will pay a little bit more for "pretty" and that seems a fine price to me (have been shopping another fixed 135 myself).

Nick Siebers · 08-28-2010, 07:41 AM

Thanks Oro! I am excited to see it in person. There have been cases where lenses showed up looking less pretty than in the eBay ads, hard as that may be to believe, but I have high hopes for this one.

You have the gist of pre-set. There are two rings - one actually stops the aperture down, the other sets the smallest size to which the first can turn. So if you want a shot at f/8 you set the second to f/8, focus with the first ring wide open and then twist the first ring to stop down. You don't have to take your eye away from the camera and you know it is stopped down to f/8.

If you have ever used auto/manual M42 lenses on a DSLR, it is similar to focusing on auto and then shifting to manual via the switch to stop down. There is very little functionality lost on a DSLR using pre-set lenses, and maybe a little gain.

RioRico · 08-28-2010, 06:59 PM

I spent the day wandering around a nearby town with a big silver Jupiter-9 85/2 (with black lens hood) hanging from my K20D. On the street, in shops, etc. This J9 is the fat silver M39-mount version, a classic preset lens with two aperture rings. I had a specific reason for this lens today -- a guy on another forum says the M39 version can't reach infinity focus sitting on M39-M42 and M42-PK adapters, and I gathered evidence otherwise.

Anyway, the aperture rings run from f/2 to f/16, and I set the limiting ring to f/8. I set the camera to one of the auto modes, so it defaults to Av (not Manual -- no Green-button-pushing today). Looking at any subject, I press the shutter halfway and get a shutter-speed reading, then tweak the preset ring to somewhere between f/2-f/8 to where both shutter and DOF are satisfactory. It's a little more involved than using an A-type lens, much less involving than being in Manual mode with an M-type lens, and rather less involving than having to grab and spin an aperture ring -- that preset ring can be tweaked with fingertip pressure.

Pros and cons. Pro: Presets work fast and easy, and usage quickly becomes automatic. Con: You can't tell immediately what f-stop you're at unless you disengage eye from viewfinder and peer at the lens -- which with the adapter chain, means flipping the camera upside down. So, don't worry about the aperture, just concentrate on framing and DOF and shutter speed instead.

xjjohnno · 08-28-2010, 07:18 PM

A very pretty lens there Nick. I quite like the preset aperture operation for the old M42 lenses. RioRico, some folk confuse the Leica M39 mount with the Zenit M39 mount. I have lenses with both mounts. I tend to use P mode,adjust the exposure setting to suit the aperture and then leave as is for the day keeping to that one aperture setting for the day. Otherwise when changing aperture is adjust exposure to suit with a couple of test shots. The narrower aperture settings have a tendency to over expose.

RioRico · 08-28-2010, 10:38 PM

Originally posted by xjjohnno

RioRico, some folk confuse the Leica M39 mount with the Zenit M39 mount. I have lenses with both mounts.

Yeah, the discussion on the other forum involves that. As it happens, the Jupiter-9 seems to have been made with FIVE (5) different registry's: "Operating distance: 28.8 mm 34.85 mm 44 mm 45,2 mm 45,5 mm" (from this page, translated). I have a pile of lenses I can't use, bought under the misapprehension that they were M39 and not L39/LTM. Grrr...

Anyway, I just invoked the J9 as an example of 2-ring preset usage. The J9 and my MacroTakumar 50/4 (1:1) and TeleTakumar 200/5.6 all have numbered twin aperture rings; the Taks are a bit stiffer than the J9. My newer Hanimar Preset 135/3.5 has numbered detents on the main ring, but the loose ring just points to O <---> C (open or closed). This latter shows that it can be unnecessary to fret over the exact f-stop. Don't worry, just shoot, eh?

Laurentiu Cristofor · 08-28-2010, 11:03 PM

AFAIK, preset only refers to the fact that the aperture doesn't stop down automatically when you press the shutter - you have to, well - "pre-set" it. Some preset lenses have the two rings with one limiting the other that actually does the stopping down - I find these the most convenient to use because you can quickly stop down with a flick of the ring. Other preset lenses only have one ring (Industar 50-2 for example) and it's hard to stop down to the desired aperture.

ducdao · 08-28-2010, 11:19 PM

I got two of those. They are really nice. I like them better than the newer version of Takumar 135/3.5 for the look and size. The one that you got looks pristine. Congrats!

Also, I just love all the Auto-Takumar version. They look so cool and take great pictures!

Nick Siebers · 08-31-2010, 01:40 PM

Well, it came, and some glue in the case had crumbled and the entire lens was covered in a fine blue powder. Yuck! But it cleaned up nice, and seems to work well on extension.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 08-31-2010, 08:34 PM

You have to be careful with the dust so it doesn't get blown inside the lens. I've received some lenses in this condition too and I hate it because I'm pretty sure some of it eventually makes it inside.

Nick Siebers · 09-02-2010, 08:15 PM

Alright, here's a picture (with a friend) and a sample shot. I had a 46mm cap in my bin of odds and ends, just waiting. Seems nice so far! So much so that I bought a 200mm f/5.6 tonight. Ugh, I am supposed to be cutting back my lens collection! So it goes. Think how nice a light 200mm will be on a bellows, though!

rhodopsin · 09-03-2010, 12:29 AM

Those are nice lenses. Congratulations. The 5.6/200 may be slow but it is small and lightweight; image quality is great. Here's hoping it comes with hood, as the coatings are not S-M-C; it will flare, though not as easily as some older lenses...

08-26-2010, 10:42 PM	#1
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165	Impulse Buy - Takumar 135mm f/3.5 Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. I know I overpaid. But look how pretty it is! VINTAGE PENTAX M42 SCREW MOUNT 135MM F3.5 TELE LENS - eBay (item 270624542554 end time Aug-26-10 20:29:26 PDT) Hoping it looks like that when it arrives! Anyone else have one? Last edited by Nick Siebers; 03-30-2012 at 11:53 AM.

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08-27-2010, 04:40 AM	#2
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Congrats! But you know what you bought, right? This is a very early model, which is cool. But I'm 99% sure it's a preset with a stop-down ring. And with today's prices for Taks, $65 is not all that much.

08-27-2010, 05:06 AM	#3
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165 Original Poster	Thanks Ira! The preset function is intriguing, since I will be using it mostly on digital. I find my other preset lenses to be fairly convenient. I was thinking to use it on a bellows for gentle bug-hunting. It looks a lot smaller than my 135/2.5, easier to handle. We'll see how the simpler coating works out.

08-27-2010, 10:09 AM	#4
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Your plan is real sound. If the original Tak focusing is anywhere near as rock solid/precise as the later ones, this should work great. At 135 and for bugs, you're probably going to be using either 5.6 or 8 all the time anyway, so preset is no big deal at all.

08-28-2010, 01:41 AM	#5
Oro Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle-ish, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41	OK, I can add two things: 1) I'm not sure what "pre-set" means? I'm only from the K/M era forward and never had a screw mount that old. Is that where you twist one ring to the desired aperture, but then another to actually set it? 2) That is damn pretty. It is actually one of the prettiest lenses I've ever seen. I am the kind of guy who will pay a little bit more for "pretty" and that seems a fine price to me (have been shopping another fixed 135 myself).

08-28-2010, 07:41 AM	#6
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165 Original Poster	Thanks Oro! I am excited to see it in person. There have been cases where lenses showed up looking less pretty than in the eBay ads, hard as that may be to believe, but I have high hopes for this one. You have the gist of pre-set. There are two rings - one actually stops the aperture down, the other sets the smallest size to which the first can turn. So if you want a shot at f/8 you set the second to f/8, focus with the first ring wide open and then twist the first ring to stop down. You don't have to take your eye away from the camera and you know it is stopped down to f/8. If you have ever used auto/manual M42 lenses on a DSLR, it is similar to focusing on auto and then shifting to manual via the switch to stop down. There is very little functionality lost on a DSLR using pre-set lenses, and maybe a little gain.

08-28-2010, 06:59 PM	#7
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	I spent the day wandering around a nearby town with a big silver Jupiter-9 85/2 (with black lens hood) hanging from my K20D. On the street, in shops, etc. This J9 is the fat silver M39-mount version, a classic preset lens with two aperture rings. I had a specific reason for this lens today -- a guy on another forum says the M39 version can't reach infinity focus sitting on M39-M42 and M42-PK adapters, and I gathered evidence otherwise. Anyway, the aperture rings run from f/2 to f/16, and I set the limiting ring to f/8. I set the camera to one of the auto modes, so it defaults to Av (not Manual -- no Green-button-pushing today). Looking at any subject, I press the shutter halfway and get a shutter-speed reading, then tweak the preset ring to somewhere between f/2-f/8 to where both shutter and DOF are satisfactory. It's a little more involved than using an A-type lens, much less involving than being in Manual mode with an M-type lens, and rather less involving than having to grab and spin an aperture ring -- that preset ring can be tweaked with fingertip pressure. Pros and cons. Pro: Presets work fast and easy, and usage quickly becomes automatic. Con: You can't tell immediately what f-stop you're at unless you disengage eye from viewfinder and peer at the lens -- which with the adapter chain, means flipping the camera upside down. So, don't worry about the aperture, just concentrate on framing and DOF and shutter speed instead.

08-28-2010, 07:18 PM	#8
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	A very pretty lens there Nick. I quite like the preset aperture operation for the old M42 lenses. RioRico, some folk confuse the Leica M39 mount with the Zenit M39 mount. I have lenses with both mounts. I tend to use P mode,adjust the exposure setting to suit the aperture and then leave as is for the day keeping to that one aperture setting for the day. Otherwise when changing aperture is adjust exposure to suit with a couple of test shots. The narrower aperture settings have a tendency to over expose.

08-28-2010, 10:38 PM	#9
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by xjjohnno RioRico, some folk confuse the Leica M39 mount with the Zenit M39 mount. I have lenses with both mounts. Yeah, the discussion on the other forum involves that. As it happens, the Jupiter-9 seems to have been made with FIVE (5) different registry's: "Operating distance: 28.8 mm 34.85 mm 44 mm 45,2 mm 45,5 mm" (from this page, translated). I have a pile of lenses I can't use, bought under the misapprehension that they were M39 and not L39/LTM. Grrr... Anyway, I just invoked the J9 as an example of 2-ring preset usage. The J9 and my MacroTakumar 50/4 (1:1) and TeleTakumar 200/5.6 all have numbered twin aperture rings; the Taks are a bit stiffer than the J9. My newer Hanimar Preset 135/3.5 has numbered detents on the main ring, but the loose ring just points to O <---> C (open or closed). This latter shows that it can be unnecessary to fret over the exact f-stop. Don't worry, just shoot, eh?

08-28-2010, 11:03 PM	#10
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	AFAIK, preset only refers to the fact that the aperture doesn't stop down automatically when you press the shutter - you have to, well - "pre-set" it. Some preset lenses have the two rings with one limiting the other that actually does the stopping down - I find these the most convenient to use because you can quickly stop down with a flick of the ring. Other preset lenses only have one ring (Industar 50-2 for example) and it's hard to stop down to the desired aperture.

08-28-2010, 11:19 PM	#11
ducdao Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Montreal/Vermont Posts: 2,160	I got two of those. They are really nice. I like them better than the newer version of Takumar 135/3.5 for the look and size. The one that you got looks pristine. Congrats! Also, I just love all the Auto-Takumar version. They look so cool and take great pictures!

08-31-2010, 01:40 PM	#12
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165 Original Poster	Well, it came, and some glue in the case had crumbled and the entire lens was covered in a fine blue powder. Yuck! But it cleaned up nice, and seems to work well on extension.

08-31-2010, 08:34 PM	#13
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	You have to be careful with the dust so it doesn't get blown inside the lens. I've received some lenses in this condition too and I hate it because I'm pretty sure some of it eventually makes it inside.

09-03-2010, 12:29 AM	#15
rhodopsin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Deep Forest Posts: 643	Those are nice lenses. Congratulations. The 5.6/200 may be slow but it is small and lightweight; image quality is great. Here's hoping it comes with hood, as the coatings are not S-M-C; it will flare, though not as easily as some older lenses...