[RR84]

I own quite a few examples of the 8 element 50/1.4 Takumar, but I've never seen a red dot distance marker like this one before. Anyone familiar with this oddity? Serial number is 978***.

[BigDave]

Some of my older Taks are like this (105, 135). My 50 1.8 uses a Red diamond. Some look orange now, but I figure that is due to age, so if it is still red then maybe is was well cared for and hardly used!

[D1N0]

I have one on my super takumar 135mm F3.5, but not on all super taks. Must be age related.

[sergysergy]

early sample of the lens

[freddyisaac]

probably got this completely wrong but here is a pdf that shows the Honeywell Pentax Takumars. The photo of the 35mm f/3.5 seems to have a dot on it, the 50mm is not so clear but it doesn't look like a diamond either. Maybe it was used by Honeywell ? just guessing don't know much about the history of these lenses back then

http://pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00072/00072.pdf

Don't think it solves the why but at it might get someone a little closer

cheers

[RR84]

probably got this completely wrong but here is a pdf that shows the Honeywell Pentax Takumars. The photo of the 35mm f/3.5 seems to have a dot on it, the 50mm is not so clear but it doesn't look like a diamond either. Maybe it was used by Honeywell ? just guessing don't know much about the history of these lenses back then

Yes, you right. The 35mm f3.5 has a dot, but it seems the 50mm f1.4 has a diamond.

As others have pointed out above, there are many Takumar lenses with the red dot distance marker (35mm, 105mm etc). However, this is the first time I've seen it on a 50mm f1.4 8 element lens.

[freddyisaac]

This chap mentions that the v.1 Number 766.135 does not have a diamond but a right mark (?) and a little red dot and says that it has 8 elements

---------- Post added 06-09-16 at 06:42 AM ----------

oops link

takumar 1,4/50 M42 versions (Page 1) - Manual Lens: Usage - Manual Focus Forum

[tvdtvdtvd]

That's the first one I've seen with a "R" at the infrared mark, most just have the red line.

[goatsNdonkey]

My m42 Super-Tak 55mm f/1.8 has a long, stretched red diamond marking the regular focus point and a short red line (similar to yours) with a red R (similar to yours) to the left of it for the infrared focus point. I've owned the lens since the 1970s and never paid attention to the mark being a diamond before.

[droo]

Hi,

The initial Japanese Spotmatic operating manual contains illustrations of two (early and later) cosmetic forms of the 8 element 1.4/50mm Super-Takumar (358) which were available at the launch of this camera in 1964. The first type followed the cosmetic styles of earlier lenses. The early form has an orange "lollipop" as the centre of the depth of field (DOF) gauge and a short orange bar ending next to the orange letter "R" between this central marker and the f4 position marker ; the first white bar, on the LHS of the lollipop. Around 120,000 copies of this lens were made over it's production period in 55 batches and all except those from the initial 3 batches are principally the same, cosmetically. This main form has no orange letter R (through abbreviation after the fourth batch) and the orange "lollipop" is replaced with an orange trapezoid in the centre of the DOF scale (even in some copies in the first batches). The trapezoid is colloquially known as a "diamond" shape. The serial numbers on lenses in the first three batches run approximately 765xxx-766xxx, 967xxx-968xxx, 977xxx-978xxx.

Other differences mark this transition. In the first 3 batches a few lenses were given an early diamond or are missing the letter R and even fewer retained the continuous fine knurling of earlier aperture rings, but most lenses in these initial batches have coarse knurls ( finger grips with grooves ) on their aperture rings with11 grooves in each finger grip, which is also an earlier cosmetic style. Another transition to change print lettering and arrangement of names on the front bezel took place after serial number 13396xx, approximately, but all later lenses have 9 grooves in their aperture ring finger grips.

At the other end of the production period transitional change occurs between serial numbers 1418729 and 15914478 when the final 8 batches produced are adjacent to batches of the successive model (378, or 37800) of the 1.4/50mm (with 7 glass elements) that began production around serial number 1419660. Apparent aberrations in copies of each model there are few and result from combining parts from the two models rather that generic cosmetic change alone.

Some may also find interest in the the changing finger grip formulae characteristic of this Takumar model (358) which eventually settled to become F10/12 and A9/11 as discussed at the "Takumar Field Guide" . viz. Focus ring grips (12 ) with 10 grooves in each and Aperture ring grips (11) with 9 grooves. https://www.weebly.com/editor/main.php

Cheers

Droo

[sergysergy]

Hi,

The initial Japanese Spotmatic operating manual contains illustrations of two (early and later) cosmetic forms of the 8 element 1.4/50mm Super-Takumar (358) which were available at the launch of this camera in 1964. The first type followed the cosmetic styles of earlier lenses. The early form has an orange "lollipop" as the centre of the depth of field (DOF) gauge and a short orange bar ending next to the orange letter "R" between this central marker and the f4 position marker ; the first white bar, on the LHS of the lollipop. Around 120,000 copies of this lens were made over it's production period in 55 batches and all except those from the initial 3 batches are principally the same, cosmetically. This main form has no orange letter R (through abbreviation after the fourth batch) and the orange "lollipop" is replaced with an orange trapezoid in the centre of the DOF scale (even in some copies in the first batches). The trapezoid is colloquially known as a "diamond" shape. The serial numbers on lenses in the first three batches run approximately 765xxx-766xxx, 967xxx-968xxx, 977xxx-978xxx.

Other differences mark this transition. In the first 3 batches a few lenses were given an early diamond or are missing the letter R and even fewer retained the continuous fine knurling of earlier aperture rings, but most lenses in these initial batches have coarse knurls ( finger grips with grooves ) on their aperture rings with11 grooves in each finger grip, which is also an earlier cosmetic style. Another transition to change print lettering and arrangement of names on the front bezel took place after serial number 13396xx, approximately, but all later lenses have 9 grooves in their aperture ring finger grips.

At the other end of the production period transitional change occurs between serial numbers 1418729 and 15914478 when the final 8 batches produced are adjacent to batches of the successive model (378, or 37800) of the 1.4/50mm (with 7 glass elements) that began production around serial number 1419660. Apparent aberrations in copies of each model there are few and result from combining parts from the two models rather that generic cosmetic change alone.

Some may also find interest in the the changing finger grip formulae characteristic of this Takumar model (358) which eventually settled to become F10/12 and A9/11 as discussed at the "Takumar Field Guide" . viz. Focus ring grips (12 ) with 10 grooves in each and Aperture ring grips (11) with 9 grooves. https://www.weebly.com/editor/main.php

Cheers

Droo

whoao. very interesting and accurate info

[stevebrot]

Looks like the markings on my early reverse aperture ring ST 55/1.8...




Steve

[goatsNdonkey]

Reverse aperture ring! I didn't know they did that.

[stevebrot]

Reverse aperture ring! I didn't know they did that.

Yep, both my lens and the late-version Auto Takumar 55/1.8 have reverse direction aperture rings. I don't know of any others from Asahi.


Steve

[rod_grant]

reverse direction aperture rings

Eh?
Tell me more.