[dooku]

Hello,
After reading about these lenses and looking at a lot of them I thought it's best to register here for some user advise and info.
I want to purchase a Super Takumar 85mm lens for my Canon 6D(I hope this is not blasphemy here!) but have some questions:

1. Should I get the 85mm 1.8 or the 1.9?
2. What is the actual difference between the two(besides the obvious) in build and use or options?
3. The 1.8 is reviewed slightly better then the 1.9. But is this really obvious in real life usage?
4. Anyone using these M42 lenses on other modern brand camera's, what is the best mounting adapter available?
5. Where is the best place to search and buy these lenses, besides Ebay with overinflated prices for these lenses.

Any help is really appreciated.

[Blue]

The Super-Multi-Coated or SMC version was built in 1.9. Asahi Optical never made a 1.8 in the Super Tak. The Auto-Tak was an earlier design than the Super Tak.

These 2 links have some info and reviews:

Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR/Auto-Takumar 85mm F1.8 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Telephoto Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database


Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR/Super-Takumar 85mm F1.9 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Telephoto Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[DeadJohn]

@dooku, in your search for 85mm lenses, also consider the Samyang/Rokinon/Bower 85/1.4. You may be able to find that brand new with a Canon mount for less than a used Takumar. The only Samyang I own is the 14/2.8 and it's a great value. The 85mm is reportedly just as good.

Anyone here directly compare the Samyang to old Pentax 85mm?

[interested_observer]

Hello,
After reading about these lenses and looking at a lot of them I thought it's best to register here for some user advise and info.
I want to purchase a Super Takumar 85mm lens for my Canon 6D(I hope this is not blasphemy here!) but have some questions:

1. Should I get the 85mm 1.8 or the 1.9? - I have the Auto f1.8 version. I would think that either one would work very well. To see a specific difference it would probably depend on how you plan to use the lens.
2. What is the actual difference between the two(besides the obvious) in build and use or options? Here is a comparison
   • Super-Tak 85/1.9 against SMC Tak 85/1.8
3. The 1.8 is reviewed slightly better then the 1.9. But is this really obvious in real life usage? - It appears that the difference is really small.
4. Anyone using these M42 lenses on other modern brand camera's, what is the best mounting adapter available? - I use the Original Genuine Pentax M42 / K mount adapter. Ok - I know that is a problem on a Canon. - I don't have an answer. On some of the Taks there is a problem with the mirror hitting the rear of the lens.
   • Takumar 135 meets 6d: Canon EOS-1D / 5D / 6D Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
5. Where is the best place to search and buy these lenses, besides Ebay with overinflated prices for these lenses. - There is a marketplace here. You put up a post in the wanted area of the Marketplace.

OK, now after the answers, let me put in a plug. If you like old legacy glass, have you considered a Pentax body? There are several advantages that you might not be aware of:

• Green Button metering - You can meter with old glass on any Pentax body. You can also use AV as well as M modes.
• Image Stabilization - Any lens mounted is stabilized using the Pentax in body stabilization - i.e., SR.
• Focus Notification - When you are manual focusing automatically, the camera will indicate focus (viewfinder or liveview) with any lens mounted.
• Catch in Focus - You can set this up and when an object comes into focus, it will take the image, automagically.
• Focus Peaking - When in live view on some models (K30/K50/K3) the body will highlight the area in focus.

In addition to the Auto Tak 85/f1.8 I have converted a Contax Zeiss 85/f2.8 Sonnar. They are both stunning in operation. There is a slight difference - one is slightly wider than the other. Off hand I can't remember which one is wider - but its apparent that one is an 85 and the other is say an 87.

[dooku]

@DeadJohn, I intend to get the 14mm SamYang for landscapes. However from all sample images I have seen I do want to purchase the Super Takumar 85mm mainly for portraits. It's the overall rendering of the images and the bokeh characteristics I like from this lens.

@ Interested_Observer, Thanks for the detailed information and links regarding these lenses. You do make good arguments with the Pentax bodies in regards to these lenses, however I really need to keep my "gear acquisition syndrome" in check!

[abacus07]

The downside to using a Pentax body is that he wouldn't be using a FF camera then and he would still need an adapter.

dooku - The Takumars are beautiful lenses that have their own style. Imo you shouldn't stop at just one... At least most of them are still relatively cheap.

[nater]

The downside to using a Pentax body is that he wouldn't be using a FF camera then and he would still need an adapter.

dooku - The Takumars are beautiful lenses that have their own style. Imo you shouldn't stop at just one... At least most of them are still relatively cheap.

The downside of using FF Pentax lenses on a Canon body is that he is likely to have to butcher them to prevent mirror lock-up:

Minor Surgery to fit a Pentax K mount lens to a Canon Full Frame camera | Phil's Blog

If you encourage Canon users to use old Pentax lenses on their FF Canon bodies, those lenses are likely to be truly crippled forevermore. I'm really not sure how I feel about that.

[abacus07]

He's using M42 lenses. They don't have the aperture lever.

[nater]

He's using M42 lenses. They don't have the aperture lever.

Good point, silly of me to miss that! (For some reason when I saw Takumar I was thinking of the K-mount lenses with that branding, which is not what's being talked about.)