[Ira]

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.

---

This is how I got both my S-M-C- 35/2 and Super 85/1.9 at well below regular prices. I think you take a bit more of a risk with this route, because those sellers tend to be less knowledgable about what they have and have therefore also generally not taken as good care of it (I mean the lens has probably been attached to the camera sitting in the garage for 30 years). Of all my Taks the 85/1.9 definitely came in the worst condition, though the 35/2 was perfectly fine.

What happened to your camera!?

But it's still extremely rare what happened to you. 99.9% of Spotties are going to have the 1.8 mounted, and in a separate bag you may find Great Granddaddy's 85, 35 and other lenses. But to find the bodies with those lenses attached as the primary lenses?

I never have such luck.

[ducdao]

Also remember that with APS-C, the correct hoods aren't correct anyway. You can use longer ones.

And those new 85 1.4s are very, very impressive. But the vintage quality of the Taks always wins out for most of us, even if not always for valid, logical reasons.

I paid $260 for my S-Tak 85 1.9, and $240 for my S-Tak 35 2--when you had to be a total nut to pay those prices.

Now, you would be happy to get those prices, although still, from time to time, they're out there.

Talking about the Super Tak 35/2 I just got one infested with fungus for $25 Good news is the fungus is easily cleanable for $5 here in VN. The glasses now look really neat and take great pictures.

[Ira]

Talking about the Super Tak 35/2 I just got one infested with fungus for $25 Good news is the fungus is easily cleanable for $5 here in VN. The glasses now look really neat and take great pictures.

Now THAT'S a freaking bargain!

Where did you find it?

[macTak]

What happened to your camera!?
99.9% of Spotties are going to have the 1.8 mounted, and in a separate bag you may find Great Granddaddy's 85, 35 and other lenses.

From my observations on ebay, it actually differs depending on the specific Spotmatic model, but for the SP and SPII, I'd say the percentages are about:
55/2 25%
55/1.8 25%
50/1.4 25%
35/3.5 8%
28/3.8 8%
135/3.5 4%
Others 5%

One can still get some great deals this way--I got my S-M-C Takumar 50mm f1.4 for $35 shipped with a "broken" SPII. Also, for 10 shipped I got a SP with the Super-Tak 105mm, as well as 35/3.5, 50/1.4, and Tele-Takumar 200/5.6 in the bag (in case you hate me several of these had some fugus)

[v5planet]

What happened to your camera!?

But it's still extremely rare what happened to you. 99.9% of Spotties are going to have the 1.8 mounted, and in a separate bag you may find Great Granddaddy's 85, 35 and other lenses. But to find the bodies with those lenses attached as the primary lenses?

I never have such luck.

You know, maybe I was just lucky both times. I was in the market for the 35/2 and someone on the Takumar Club thread mentioned looking for bodies with lenses... Spent 15 minutes looking and there an ESII with the 35/2 in great condition...won it for $140.

A few weeks later I was looking for the 85/1.9 -- spent 20 minutes looking through cameras with lenses attached and there it was. Not as much of a bargain on that one though. I got it for a little over $200, but there are some cleaning marks on the elements and the outer surface of the rear element had some fungus growing on it... easy clean, not etching and hasn't come back... but then again, I live in the desert. I'm not sure I would go that route with such an expensive lens again.

(As to my camera, I noticed last year when I started the Appalachian Trail that my DA 35/2.8 seemed to backfocus a lot, beyond the AF Adjustment settings' ability to correct. At the time I couldn't send anything in because I was in the woods and needed my camera, but I just bought another AF lens and it shows the exact same degree of BF. So my camera is now sitting at the C.R.I.S. repair center in Arizona... they've had the thing for a week and still haven't given me a friggin' repair quote!)

[dude163]

I got all of my Takumars for 60 or less , and 3 of them were under 30!

The zeiss stuff I bought however .........

[hoanpham]

Now THAT'S a freaking bargain!

Where did you find it?

Mr ducdao had been vacuum cleaning the whole Vietnam market for lenses lately ;-)

I though I can find something there in my next trip, but I don't think there is any left.

[boriscleto]

The last two Taks I bought were both 50/1.4s and both were with a body.

The Super Tak 8-element was attached to a Honeywell Spot. Cost me $88 + shipping. Minor condition problems only, few scratches in the finish and focusing ring is slightly loose. Not bad for a 45 year old lens. 8 Element Super-Tak - a set on Flickr

The Super-Multi-Coated Tak was attached to a broken Zenit E. Cost me $41 + shipping. The S-M-C has more issues. The filter ring is bent, the focusing ring is stiff (sticks), and it has a large spot in the rear element (dust or scratch). I might send it to Eric to see if he can do anything with it. After 5 months in the window the yellow is finally gone.

Both of these were in September.

[ducdao]

Now THAT'S a freaking bargain!

Where did you find it?

eBay It was listed as "as is non working/for repair" I took risk and it pays off. It doesn't always turn out like that though

[ducdao]

Mr ducdao had been vacuum cleaning the whole Vietnam market for lenses lately ;-)

I though I can find something there in my next trip, but I don't think there is any left.

Well, you can find a lot of MF lenses that are in really bad condition such as fungus, haze, scratched, dent, stiff focus, etc.. at a good price then have someone reputable to perform a CLA at a very decent price ($2 - $5, yes!). But when it comes to lenses that are in anywhere near mint condition the prices are crazy, way more than eBay.

[pickles]

It's amazing how values "change".
Probably in the mid nineties when the Nikon F4 was"top of the tree"....at which time they cost about $2k....at the same time an M42 Takumar 85 1.8 was worth about $100!!!..... Today, that F4 body is worth about $150, but the Takumar is worth $4/500!
Cheers, Pickles.

[ducdao]

It's amazing how values "change".
Probably in the mid nineties when the Nikon F4 was"top of the tree"....at which time they cost about $2k....at the same time an M42 Takumar 85 1.8 was worth about $100!!!..... Today, that F4 body is worth about $150, but the Takumar is worth $4/500!
Cheers, Pickles.

Well it's not a fair comparison. Bodies never keep values as much as lenses.

[monochrome]

$325 is a good price for an S-M-C 105/2.8 now? What the heck happened in the past three months? I got mine mint with all accessories for <150 in Novemberish.

I stand corrected. The price on this auction went from $66.50 to $162.50 in the final 4 seconds. The final 2 bids were at an identical time to the second.

The lucky winner, who I hear had a hole in his M42 FL around 100mm, placed his bid approximately 24 hours before the end of the auction. I heard a story that the winner's max bid was about $7 higher than the final bid, and was arrived at based on information gained in this thread.

S-M-C Takumar 105/2.8, case, hood and caps

Nevertheless that lens was under $100 within the last year.

[v5planet]

I heard a story that the winner's max bid was about $7 higher than the final bid, and was arrived at based on information gained in this thread.

S-M-C Takumar 105/2.8, case, hood and caps

Nevertheless that lens was under $100 within the last year.

Gosh, I wonder who this mystery bidder could be

I expect to see some photos over the in the Takumar Club thread pretty soon with this new toy!

[pickles]

Well it's not a fair comparison. Bodies never keep values as much as lenses.

Fair enough, but I haven't seen any Nikon Lenses of that era going up in value 4-5 times either.
And look, I'm not saying that this sort of thing doesn't happen with other "old" Canon or Nikon lenses either....I don't know anything about them....only what I've seen with Taks, particularly SMCs.
Cheers, Pickles.