[WuzzupSD]

I'm picking up a spotmatic f today.
I'd like to buy a zoom lens.
For a basic learning camera user, do I want SMC or super takumar.
I'm so confused reading about the aperture meter pin etc etc.
I just want a basic easy learning shooter.
Please help.

[Adam]

There are only 4 M42 zoom lenses from Pentax.

If you want open-aperture metering, go for the 45-125mm. That's the closest there is to a walkaround lens, too

If you want something easy to learn with, I'd recommend a prime for the compactness and faster aperture.

[UncleVanya]

There are also 3rd party zooms in m42, but zoom lens quality has drastically improved over the years...


There is at least one 45-125 in the marketplace...

[furryurry]

Tamron Adaptall SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 maybe.

[pathdoc]

For a basic learning camera user, do I want SMC or super takumar.

You want lenses marked SMC or super-multi-coated, the rear face of which looks like this:



The arm in the curved slot is to tell the camera's meter how much light the film will actually receive when the aperture closes down for the shot. There are, I'm told, a VERY few late Super Takumars that managed to have this feature incorporated (possibly because they were late production and incorporated some SMC parts). But the SMC/Super-multi-coated lenses had it built in from the start.* Go for them and you can't go wrong.

Flip the half moon-shaped A/M or Auto-Manual switch (however it's labelled) to "Auto" and leave it there. Mount the lens. You are now ready to start taking pictures. Load your film, set the ASA on the dial on the shutter speed knob, and away you go.


* Ain't necessarily so, I am informed. See below. But the mount face picture tells the story.

[TaoMaas]

Congratulations on your Spotmatic F. Those were about the best of the M42 mount Pentax cameras.

[John Poirier]

I'm picking up a spotmatic f today.
I'd like to buy a zoom lens.
For a basic learning camera user, do I want SMC or super takumar.
I'm so confused reading about the aperture meter pin etc etc.
I just want a basic easy learning shooter.
Please help.

First of all, there are two key differences between Super Takumar and SMC lenses. One is that SMC stands for Super Multi Coated. Super Multi Coated lenses have much better flare resistance and light transmission than Super Takumar lenses. The other difference Is that SMC lenses have a coupling mechanism in the lens mount that enables full-aperture metering with certain Pentax bodies, those being the Spotmatic F, ES, and ESII.

Super Takumar lenses allow only stop-down metering, which means that you have to close the diaphram to the working aperture to obtain an exposure reading. This is inconvenient because it makes the viewfinder darker. Stop-down metering is used on Pentax cameras such as the Spotmatic, Spotmatic II, SP 500, SP1000. It is also the usual metering mode on most other screw-mount cameras.

The only Pentax screw-mount zoom that has the full aperture coupling mechanism is the 45-125 as recommended by Adam. With Pentax's usual quirkiness, their other SMC zooms have SMC coatings, but do not have the full aperture coupling mechanism.

Super Takumar lenses are very fine in many ways, so if you can live with stop-down metering they are a very good value. The Spotmatic F works fine in stop-down mode with these lenses.

In terms of third-party zooms, Tamron Adaptall lenses are probably the best bet. In particular the SP series are very good. You will need a Tamron adapter specifically made for full aperture metering. The one I have is stamped "ES" to indicate that. These adapters also have a small gear visible on the edge of the adapter that is not present on plain screw-mount adapters.

You may have difficulties finding other third-party screw mount zooms that have the necessary mechanics for full aperture metering.

I find the old Pentax screw mount gear very enjoyable to use. I'm in the middle of a roll of black and white on my ESII and will be using a Spotmatic F next.

Have fun!

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Last edited by John Poirier; 04-29-2016 at 10:43 AM.

[pathdoc]

With Pentax's usual quirkiness, their other SMC zooms have SMC coatings, but do not have the full aperture coupling mechanism.

I didn't know that. It's just as well I advised him what to look for on the lens mount face!

I must therefore retract my statement that:

the SMC/Super-multi-coated lenses had it built in from the start.

...as a statement of universal fact.

[gofour3]

If you want open-aperture metering, go for the 45-125mm. That's the closest there is to a walkaround lens, too

The only Pentax screw-mount zoom that has the full aperture coupling mechanism is the 45-125 as recommended by Adam

+1

I have the K Series version and the zoom is pretty good. Though the two piece lens hood/step-up ring is a bit odd.

Phil.