I was researching which one of 50mm 1.4 to get - finally I found a good copy of SMC-A and got it. But still willing to get a Super Takumar version since I like the bokeh it produced for my friend. so this is getting very interesting ..
I am aware that there are two versions of Super Takumar - one 7-element and 8- element , but I wasn't aware of that among 7-element ones there are differences in their physical appearance and coating applied.
I did talk to my friends and ..It turned that two of my friends has got a super takumar 50mm 1.7 7-element version ( no protruding rear element ) , and I had a chance to see them both - so I was little bit puzzled that they both had slightly different physical appearance. Most evident difference is in the coating of rear elements - for comparison below there is a photo of them both side by side - you can clearly see that one has got more purplish and other one more bluish coating applied to the rear element. Front elements both are having goldish coating with no apparent differences.
The serial numbers are both different , with bluish one starting at 196 XXXX, and purplish one at 306 XXXX.
Also the one with bluish coating has got different auto manual switch scale - described only by A M - unlike the regular 7-element one : AUTO MAN. ( sadly the bluish one has auto manual switch missing so he has glued the pin as you could see in the photo above.
So my question is - does the color of the coating applied has any particular implications whatsoever or is rather unimportant cosmetic fact ?
I am asking as the one with bluish coating can be mine
- he is going to part with it and I would like to know what am I going to buy before I shell out a hard cash on it.
Thanks --manntax