Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
11-29-2015, 10:47 AM   #1
New Member




Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 20
SMC Takumar 50mm F1.4 screw mount M42 vs XR Rikenon 1:1.7 50mm vs Smc pentax-A 1:2. 5

I have a k 50 with 18-55 and 50-200 and would like to expand my sphere in manual focus photography with a 50 mm prime. What would be the most reasonable option? The obvious choice would be the Takumar 50 mm F 1.4 with an adapter but it's price is exceeding Pentax 50mm SMC DA f1.8. Would appreciate any wise counsel

11-29-2015, 10:58 AM   #2
Pentaxian
Asahiflex's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Netherlands
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,795
Go for the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7 instead. Manual focus, but still a gem and easy to use thanks to its "A" setting on the diaphragm ring. The SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2 is not bad either so grab it if it's cheap enough.

...But the 50mm f/1.4 SMC Takumar will outlast all of them because it's the best built of the bunch.
11-29-2015, 11:02 AM   #3
Pentaxian




Join Date: Mar 2015
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 6,381
My advice to you would be to forego the Takumar for a while and find a corresponding Pentax A lens as your stepping stone towards Takumar territory. With the Takumar, you have to deal with two things - the manual focus, and the fact that your viewfinder gets ever dimmer as you stop down. In my mind, that's trying to run before you can walk. Get a Pentax A lens and you can still control aperture through the camera body and meter wide-open; this will make your first steps in MF much smaller and easier to handle. The Rikenon is also good, but metering requires use of the Green button, which is not a hassle once you get used to it. That being said, if you get a good copy the build quality of the Rikenons is absolutely beautiful; my 50/1.7 is a bit loose and sloppy on the focusing ring but my 28/2.8 and my 55/1.2P are mechanical works of art and show what is possible.

If you want more or less full control of the lens through the camera, but just want to focus manually, get the Pentax A; if you want to use the aperture ring yourself, get the Rikenon. Let the Takumar go for now. Remember also that some of the Takumars had thorium elements and are mildly radioactive, with yellow discoloration of the affected elements that will require exposure to UV light to remove. The radioactivity may or may not be an issue for you; the yellowing almost certainly will be unless the previous owner has recently got rid of it.
11-29-2015, 11:05 AM   #4
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Quartermaster James's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 653
The K mount version will save you the cost of an adapter.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

11-29-2015, 11:12 AM   #5
New Member




Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 20
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Quartermaster James Quote
The K mount version will save you the cost of an adapter.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
Thanks, all but the Takumar are K mounts.

---------- Post added 11-29-15 at 06:15 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Asahiflex Quote
Go for the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7 instead. Manual focus, but still a gem and easy to use thanks to its "A" setting on the diaphragm ring. The SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2 is not bad either so grab it if it's cheap enough.

...But the 50mm f/1.4 SMC Takumar will outlast all of them because it's the best built of the bunch.
Thanks, Pentax A 50mm f1.7 is not an option.
11-29-2015, 11:22 AM   #6
KDD
Veteran Member




Join Date: Sep 2013
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 403
I have FA/DA 50MM. I prefer DA 50 1.8. MF 50MM os boring for adjust focus!!
11-29-2015, 11:24 AM   #7
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Quartermaster James's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 653
QuoteOriginally posted by pgaikwad Quote
Thanks, all but the Takumar are K mounts.

---------- Post added 11-29-15 at 06:15 PM ----------

Okay. My mistake. From your first post "The obvious choice would be the Takumar 50 mm F 1.4 with an adapter but it's price is exceeding Pentax 50mm SMC DA f1.8" and thread title "SMC Takumar 50mm F1.4 screw mount M42 vs XR Rikenon 1:1.7 50mm vs Smc pentax-A 1:2. 5" I assumed you were looking at an M42 version. Like this Takumar: SMC/S-M-C/Super Takumar 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Normal Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

11-29-2015, 11:47 AM   #8
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
monochrome's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Working From Home
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 26,276
Of those three, I would choose the Rikenon and use Green Button / Stop Down Lever metering.
11-29-2015, 11:48 AM   #9
New Member




Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 20
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
My advice to you would be to forego the Takumar for a while and find a corresponding Pentax A lens as your stepping stone towards Takumar territory. With the Takumar, you have to deal with two things - the manual focus, and the fact that your viewfinder gets ever dimmer as you stop down. In my mind, that's trying to run before you can walk. Get a Pentax A lens and you can still control aperture through the camera body and meter wide-open; this will make your first steps in MF much smaller and easier to handle. The Rikenon is also good, but metering requires use of the Green button, which is not a hassle once you get used to it. That being said, if you get a good copy the build quality of the Rikenons is absolutely beautiful; my 50/1.7 is a bit loose and sloppy on the focusing ring but my 28/2.8 and my 55/1.2P are mechanical works of art and show what is possible.

If you want more or less full control of the lens through the camera, but just want to focus manually, get the Pentax A; if you want to use the aperture ring yourself, get the Rikenon. Let the Takumar go for now. Remember also that some of the Takumars had thorium elements and are mildly radioactive, with yellow discoloration of the affected elements that will require exposure to UV light to remove. The radioactivity may or may not be an issue for you; the yellowing almost certainly will be unless the previous owner has recently got rid of it.
Thanks, I get the drift. Perhaps Takumar will have to wait for another day and that Thorium thing seems to be giving some creeps ...I have no experience with MF lenses so, is it very complex to adjust the aperture through the ring rather than a dial on the camera while trying to set other exposure settings? What would you say on the glass quality of XR Rikenon 50 mm F 1.7 vs Pentax A 50 mm f2?

---------- Post added 11-29-15 at 06:49 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Quartermaster James Quote
Okay. My mistake. From your first post "The obvious choice would be the Takumar 50 mm F 1.4 with an adapter but it's price is exceeding Pentax 50mm SMC DA f1.8" and thread title "SMC Takumar 50mm F1.4 screw mount M42 vs XR Rikenon 1:1.7 50mm vs Smc pentax-A 1:2. 5" I assumed you were looking at an M42 version. Like this Takumar: SMC/S-M-C/Super Takumar 50mm F1.4 Reviews - M42 Screwmount Normal Primes - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
No worries.

---------- Post added 11-29-15 at 06:55 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Of those three, I would choose the Rikenon and use Green Button / Stop Down Lever metering.
Thanks, after some positive responses, Rikenon is a serious contender.
11-29-2015, 12:10 PM   #10
Pentaxian




Join Date: Mar 2015
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 6,381
QuoteOriginally posted by pgaikwad Quote
that Thorium thing seems to be giving some creeps
Consider that the rear element was sitting much closer to the film than it was to the user, and film is significantly more sensitive to ionising radiation. Unless you cradle it tightly against your gonads or use it constantly every day dawn-to-dusk, it's probably not going to harm you or anyone else. I own one and have no problems with it, scientifically or philosophically, but others may not be so cool, calm and collected about these things.
11-29-2015, 12:27 PM   #11
New Member




Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 20
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
Consider that the rear element was sitting much closer to the film than it was to the user, and film is significantly more sensitive to ionising radiation. Unless you cradle it tightly against your gonads or use it constantly every day dawn-to-dusk, it's probably not going to harm you or anyone else. I own one and have no problems with it, scientifically or philosophically, but others may not be so cool, calm and collected about these things.
Well, the gonads have lived past their utility but now the closest thing to the lens will be my other ball (right eye with an already deteriorating vision)! I do get work related radiation exposure which I have occasionally brazened out. Surely, a little dash of Thorium will not harm as much as some people around us.
11-29-2015, 12:56 PM   #12
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
monochrome's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Working From Home
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 26,276
QuoteOriginally posted by pgaikwad Quote
Well, the gonads have lived past their utility but now the closest thing to the lens will be my other ball (right eye with an already deteriorating vision)! I do get work related radiation exposure which I have occasionally brazened out. Surely, a little dash of Thorium will not harm as much as some people around us.
I believe the considered wisdom is you receive more 'harmful' radiation in one airline flight than you get from a year of holding the camera and lens to your face daily.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
50mm, 50mm vs smc, aperture, camera, k-mount, lens, m42, m42 vs xr, mm, pentax, pentax lens, pentax-a, post, reviews, rikenon, rikenon 1:1.7 50mm, screw mount m42, slr lens, smc, takumar, takumar 50mm f1.4, thanks, vs, vs smc pentax-a, vs xr rikenon
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
43mm Pentax Ltd vs 50mm Pentax M (1.4) vs 50mm Pentax M (1.7) vs 50mm Sears MC (1.7) easyreeder Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 15 11-10-2014 08:44 AM
Pentax A 50mm 1.7 vs M 50mm 1.2 vs 1.4 KirstenH Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 10 12-09-2009 09:40 AM
For Sale - Sold: Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4 M42 Screw Mount Lens wallyb Sold Items 4 12-29-2008 11:18 AM
SMC F 50mm 1.7 VS SMC A 50mm 1.4 tasha_22 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 07-10-2007 04:42 AM
SMC Pentax-F 1:1.7 50mm vs. SMC Takumar 1:2 55mm carpents Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 6 06-18-2007 04:44 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:57 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top