[dcdick]

How can you tell if the Super Tak 1.4 lens will fit the Spotmatic body

I'm asking this as I bought two cameras with lens & 2 body's

I have these body's.

SP500 serial 3xxxxx

SP1000 serial 5xxxxx

And these that came with lens

SP F serial 6xxxx

SP serial 2xxxx

The "F" came with the 1.8 lens which I presume has no issues with protruding glass

The "SP" came with the 1.4 lens

The 1.4 lens fitted to the SP has no damage that I can see

All 4 rewind knobs have a Green "R"

1 of the 1.4 lenses is the later "Rubber sleeve" model (purchased separately)

I'm a bit confused now


Dick

[pepperberry farm]

I think your question is 'will this lens fit this body?'

right?

[boriscleto]

It the body is a Spotmatic any Takumar will fit. The 8-element 50/1.4 had issues with earlier bodies.

[dcdick]

I think your question is 'will this lens fit this body?'

right?

Well yes

How do I know if this lens will fit this body ?

How do you find out, by serial numbers or by looking at something in the body to see if the lens will foul anything inside

The 1.4's do seem to fit without any problems but I am basing my concerns on the manuals that come with the cameras stating "you must not fit these lenses"

As I'm new to Spots I am being cautious about damaging either glass or the coatings & that is why I'm asking for advice


Dick

---------- Post added 04-17-21 at 08:10 AM ----------

It the body is a Spotmatic any Takumar will fit. The 8-element 50/1.4 had issues with earlier bodies.

Can you expand on that please, serial numbers for the body's perhaps ?

Please see previous reply about being cautious about damaging parts


Dick

---------- Post added 04-17-21 at 08:32 AM ----------

I've been able to confirm that the 2 1.4 lenses I have are the 7 element models

My question now is........ is it only the 8 element lens that has problems with fouling/damage

I know, newbie asking questions that could have been answered by more thorough investigation of existing info

I have the manual for the SP II (1971 on ?) & that also forbids the use of the SMC lens unless the "R" on the winder knob is orange this includes one of my 1.4 lenses.

"The SMC Takumars can be used with original Spotmatic SL & SP500 & only 2 other camera's SV & S1A with orange "R" on the rewind, use with any other camera will damage the rear element"

Hence my confusion about use of body's with the 1.4's


Dick

[boriscleto]

Can you expand on that please, serial numbers for the body's perhaps ?

Please see previous reply about being cautious about damaging parts

Anything made before the Spotmatic...ie S2 S2 Super, SV with green R...The red R SV has a redesigned aperture pusher. The Spotmatic was released with the 8 element Super Takumar 50/1.4.

[TwoUptons]

Well yes

How do I know if this lens will fit this body ?

How do you find out, by serial numbers or by looking at something in the body to see if the lens will foul anything inside

The 1.4's do seem to fit without any problems but I am basing my concerns on the manuals that come with the cameras stating "you must not fit these lenses"

As I'm new to Spots I am being cautious about damaging either glass or the coatings & that is why I'm asking for advice


Dick

---------- Post added 04-17-21 at 08:10 AM ----------



Can you expand on that please, serial numbers for the body's perhaps ?

Please see previous reply about being cautious about damaging parts


Dick

---------- Post added 04-17-21 at 08:32 AM ----------

I've been able to confirm that the 2 1.4 lenses I have are the 7 element models

My question now is........ is it only the 8 element lens that has problems with fouling/damage

I know, newbie asking questions that could have been answered by more thorough investigation of existing info

I have the manual for the SP II (1971 on ?) & that also forbids the use of the SMC lens unless the "R" on the winder knob is orange this includes one of my 1.4 lenses.

"The SMC Takumars can be used with original Spotmatic SL & SP500 & only 2 other camera's SV & S1A with orange "R" on the rewind, use with any other camera will damage the rear element"

Hence my confusion about use of body's with the 1.4's


Dick

The short answer is that your manual seems to predate the Spotmatic F.

All the Spotmatics are good.

The earlier cameras sometimes have issues.

-Eric

* looks like I'm not completely correct (does that mean I'm wrong? <sigh>).
See below posts...
I completely forgot about the ES and ESII... dangit...

[boriscleto]

It's a warning not to use the 50/1.4 with cameras made before 1965 other than modified Sv or S1a cameras...

[stevebrot]

It the body is a Spotmatic any Takumar will fit. The 8-element 50/1.4 had issues with earlier bodies.

Almost any Takumar will fit with almost any Spotmatic. There may be problems regarding the SP F, ES, and ESII (same mount shared on all three models). There is a cautionary note in the ES/ESII manuals* calling out the following as not compatible:

• Super Takumar 55/1.8 early variant with reverse direction aperture ring
• Super Takumar (non-SMC/S-M-C) 50/1.4 (no distinction between 7 and 8 element versions)
• Non-Takumar lenses

I own the early variant ST 55/1.8 and can confirm that it fouls the aperture ring position coupling in the SP F body. I don't own either version of the ST 50/1.4 variants for testing. Additional information on the problem as well as how to test for compatibility may be found at:

Spotmatic F, ES, ESII | Third-party Lens Compatibility - PentaxForums.com

Don't apply force to mount any lens/accessory to an SP F, ES, or ESII body!


Steve

* Not in my copy of the SP F manual, but assumed to apply to that camera as well.

[stevebrot]

There is a cautionary note in the ES/ESII manuals* calling out the following as not compatible:

Super Takumar 55/1.8 early variant with reverse direction aperture ring
Super Takumar (non-SMC/S-M-C) 50/1.4 (no distinction between 7 and 8 element versions)
Non-Takumar lenses

Screen capture from ESII manual:

Steve

[boriscleto]

I have the Auto Takumar 55/1.8 with the reverse aperture, never tried it on my F or ES. I've never tried the Super Takumar 50/1.4 either, why bother when you have multiple SMC? The whole point of the F is to use open aperture metering... The only Super I used on the F was the 35/2 (67mm filter).

[hongman]

On a semi related note. do any of Pentax DSLR's have problems with mirror fouling on the 1.4 Tak's?

[boriscleto]

On a semi related note. do any of Pentax DSLR's have problems with mirror fouling on the 1.4 Tak's?

No, no K-mount camera has the aperture pusher that was the problem. Canon full frame DSLRs do have a mirror problem.

[stevebrot]

On a semi related note. do any of Pentax DSLR's have problems with mirror fouling on the 1.4 Tak's?

Just to be clear...mirror interference was never an issue with any M42 Pentax lens on an M42 Pentax body. The interference issues with the 8-element Super Tak 50/1.4 on the "green R" SV and S1a had to do with clearance for the aperture actuation "flipper"/pusher on the body. Likewise, a similar problem exists for the S-M-C Tak 50/1.4 on those same bodies.


Steve

[peggers]

My biggest regret was when I gave my 50mm f1.4 SMC lens away in exchange for a 50mm f2 which had an A setting. Woe is me!

[johnha]

Almost any Takumar will fit with almost any Spotmatic. There may be problems regarding the SP F, ES, and ESII (same mount shared on all three models). There is a cautionary note in the ES/ESII manuals* calling out the following as not compatible:

• Super Takumar 55/1.8 early variant with reverse direction aperture ring
• Super Takumar (non-SMC/S-M-C) 50/1.4 (no distinction between 7 and 8 element versions)
• Non-Takumar lenses

I own the early variant ST 55/1.8 and can confirm that it fouls the aperture ring position coupling in the SP F body. I don't own either version of the ST 50/1.4 variants for testing. Additional information on the problem as well as how to test for compatibility may be found at:

Spotmatic F, ES, ESII | Third-party Lens Compatibility - PentaxForums.com

Don't apply force to mount any lens/accessory to an SP F, ES, or ESII body!


Steve

* Not in my copy of the SP F manual, but assumed to apply to that camera as well.

Um that's interesting, I have an ES and the ST55/1.8 with the reversed aperture - don't think I've ever tried them together - thanks.

Just to be clear...mirror interference was never an issue with any M42 Pentax lens on an M42 Pentax body. The interference issues with the 8-element Super Tak 50/1.4 on the "green R" SV and S1a had to do with clearance for the aperture actuation "flipper"/pusher on the body. Likewise, a similar problem exists for the S-M-C Tak 50/1.4 on those same bodies.

I have two S1a's (one of each - green & red Rs) and the S-M-C-Tak 50/1.4 - I don't think I've tried the lens on either, thanks again.