Anything from Irix.

[sergysergy]

Too many to list but you already got some good recommendations. the M 50 1.7 was my first manual lens and I got it in these forums over 10 years ago. Great and inexpensive, I still have it.

[boriscleto]

All of them.

[c.a.m]

Right now I have an SMC M100 2.8 that I really like and a Super Takumar 135 3.5 which is decent also.Any other I should have?

I have enjoyed using several Pentax manual-focus lenses. For example:

• SMC Pentax 30mm f/2.8. Sort of my 'poor man's' FA 31mm Limited.
• SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2. I don't use it often, but the f/1.2 aperture is unique (along with the Pentax-A 50/1.2).
• S-M-C Takumar 85mm f/1.8. This lens has the most sublime focusing action of all the lenses I've tried, almost eye watering. I don't how the designers managed to produce such an exquisite feel, but it's amazing. I get giddy when I use it. And the optics are pretty good, too.

I also have a Pentax-M 100mm f/2.8. It's a nice, compact and handy lens.

- Craig

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Last edited by c.a.m; 08-26-2022 at 06:43 AM.

[pschlute]

A "must have lens" is strictly dependent on ones needs/wants. What may be a must have for someone can be different then another.

Which is why the best approach is to collect as many as one can. Just in case 😀

[Kerrowdown]

Is that the sound of Pandora's box opening?

I do think so... so I'll just any of the Harem (sig below) are likely candidates.

[Just1MoreDave]

My cynical answer is the DA*55/1.4.

[MossyRocks]

My suggestion is most of my lenses. All kidding aside it really depends on what you want to shoot but of my manual focus lenses the one I like most for general use are:
Laowa 12mm F/2.8 Zero-D
SMC K 35mm F/2
SMC A 50mm F/1.2
SMC A* 200mm F/2.8

For astro I would take out the K 35/2 as I haven't found much I want to shoot with that framing but I would also also include the Samyang/Rokinon 135/2 UMC and SMC A* 400mm F/2.8 ED [IF].

I have plenty more manual focus lenses that I like well enough but some I use mostly because I want that focal length but am not in love with or I run because I want to have several cameras shooting the same thing (K 30/2.8, A 28/2.8, Zenitar 16/f2.8 Fisheye, a bunch of other 50s, a few 200s, a whole lot of M42 glass). By several cameras shooting the same thing I will do that for astrophotography to gather more useable shots in a given time and sadly at the moment I am limited by camera bodies as I could probably run another 6 cameras at night with some of what I want to do.

[cyclone3d]

I really like the K 50 1.2. Would like to get the A version but prices are insane.
Also have the Sigma XQ 135 1.8

There are some really excellent manual macro lenses as well though I once I bought an FA 100 2.8 I have not used any of the manual ones.

A really nice accessory to have is a Vivitar macro focusing teleconverter. Works great to turn a 1.2 or 1.4 50mm into a 100mm macro.

[Scout]

Hello,
I still got sigma 24mm superwide II,
I guess 28mm ultra wide is very good too,
F2.8, almost macro 1:4
Smooth focusing.
Otherwise m-28mm f3,5 is something excellent about colours, tiny, I love it.
Helios 58mm F2 (44m7 as I remember) is like a Carl Zeiss, with extraordinary bokeh wide open.
Cheers



Envoyé de mon Mi 9 SE en utilisant Tapatalk

[jcdoss]

I have 37 K, M and A primes and one K zoom and I haven't regretted purchasing any of them.

[Roadboat24]

Like I need any more lenses

[cyclone3d]

I looked at a bunch of pictures taken with the 35 2.3 and the bokeh certainly is crazy.

[Spock]

Here's a few I can personally recommend:
SMC Takumar 85mm f1.8
8 elements Takumar 50mm f1.4
A35-105 f3.5
A70-210 f4

[ehrwien]

And at the other end, I reckon everyone should try one of the Helios 58/2.0 variants at some point. They are dirt cheap and loaded with character.

The dirt part was what kept me from getting one for the longest time. Every single one of them I saw on eBay looked filthy af, all straight from Eastern Europe. When I found one that looked clean, I instantly got it. The one thing I don't like about it is its M42 mount and fiddling with the (original Pentax) adapter for use on my DSLRs. I know there are K-mount versions as well but all the different versions have different character?