[LMRacing]

I found it sitting on a shelf at a local photo shop. it was Bad dusty with no lens caps so all the elements were VERY dirty. I cleaned it up as much as I could without taking it apart (a very soft towel and lens cleaner though it was difficult to clean the rear element and there is still somthing on it as can be seen in photos)

Its an M42 SMC Takumar 1:5.6/400 It has an adapter on it but I dont think its a pentax K mount, if it is its a very shitty one as it doesnt mount properly to any of my cameras digital or other wise. How hard should it be to remove said mount adapter? I may have to take a set of plyers to it but am waiting on confirmation that it may just be on there that tight. theres no set screw that I can find. What is a good cheap M42 adapter to use?

I dont figure I got a bad deal. I was worried about fungus but it apears there is none, the glass however has stress fracture looking cracks all over it. It doesnt seem to effect picture quality too much.

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[Andi Lo]

You just got screwed over. That lens is no good. I'll take it from you for 10$.. PM Sent
...

j/k that's a steal for that lens. The 300mm goes for 200$, and you got a SMC version too! I guess it's not clean which is reflected on the price but hopefully it doesn't affect IQ. As long as you can remove the adapter and get a pentax original adapter (search the webstore) you'll be golden

Looking at the second picture that looks like fungus to me personally, but someone else might chime in

[Fixcinater]

Are you sure that the stress fracture looking cracks in the glass are actually cracks and not the type of fungus that looks like cracks?

Would seem to be a good (very good) deal if the glass is clean.

[flyer]

Instead of pliers, try a strap wrench, or even a jar opener. If it slips, it wont damage anything, unlike pliers...:ugh:

[LMRacing]

it could very well be fungus in the glass, I dont doubt it a bit, but what you see on the front element is just reflection. everything that looks bad is on the rear element. I cant get a decent picture of it though.

Question. if it does turn out to be fungus is there someone I could send the lens to that could properly dismantle and clean it? I had 2 SMC Pentax 50mm lenses and one the Aperture ring was fubar so for gigles I took it apart to see if I could repair it and it about blew up on me when I took the rear mount off it so Im hesitant to try it with a lens that might be worth somthing

[blind-bat]

Sure, send it to me. I'll clean it. It may take a few years though....

Great find at that price.

[LMRacing]

This cant be the right adaptor is it?

it says its a 35mm adaptor. Do they mean the 35mm film camera screw mount adaptor or they saying the threads are 35mm? it confuses me. I dont see a listing for an M42 adaptor on the webstore anywhere

[GerryL]

it could very well be fungus in the glass, I dont doubt it a bit, but what you see on the front element is just reflection. everything that looks bad is on the rear element. I cant get a decent picture of it though.

Question. if it does turn out to be fungus is there someone I could send the lens to that could properly dismantle and clean it? I had 2 SMC Pentax 50mm lenses and one the Aperture ring was fubar so for gigles I took it apart to see if I could repair it and it about blew up on me when I took the rear mount off it so Im hesitant to try it with a lens that might be worth somthing

Check this out in the forum links.
I think most of them send it to the first one listed on the link: Camera Repair and Service - PentaxForums.com Links Directory

[GerryL]

This cant be the right adaptor is it?

it says its a 35mm adaptor. Do they mean the 35mm film camera screw mount adaptor or they saying the threads are 35mm? it confuses me. I dont see a listing for an M42 adaptor on the webstore anywhere

I think that is the right one.
Someone who has bought there could better confirm it.
Don't be conned into buying it on ebay as they go for a really high price there when you can get it for that price!

[Andi Lo]

I think that is the right one.
Someone who has bought there could better confirm it.
Don't be conned into buying it on ebay as they go for a really high price there when you can get it for that price!

Yep, that's the one... in ebay they go for at least that amount so might as well order from Pentax

This adapter is now 60$ in Canada after the price increase... I got mine for 30$ from before the increase :/

[LMRacing]

Check this out in the forum links.
I think most of them send it to the first one listed on the link: Camera Repair and Service - PentaxForums.com Links Directory

Thanks, I sent him an e-mail to see what a good deep clean would cost me

[GerryL]

Thanks, I sent him an e-mail to see what a good deep clean would cost me

Just make sure you said the lens!
He might give you a lobotomy and charge you a lot!

[Barnster]

I found it sitting on a shelf at a local photo shop. it was Bad dusty with no lens caps so all the elements were VERY dirty. I cleaned it up as much as I could without taking it apart (a very soft towel and lens cleaner though it was difficult to clean the rear element and there is still somthing on it as can be seen in photos)

Its an M42 SMC Takumar 1:5.6/400 It has an adapter on it but I dont think its a pentax K mount, if it is its a very shitty one as it doesnt mount properly to any of my cameras digital or other wise. How hard should it be to remove said mount adapter? I may have to take a set of plyers to it but am waiting on confirmation that it may just be on there that tight. theres no set screw that I can find. What is a good cheap M42 adapter to use?

I dont figure I got a bad deal. I was worried about fungus but it apears there is none, the glass however has stress fracture looking cracks all over it. It doesnt seem to effect picture quality too much.

Look up in the sky.Is It a bird?Is it a plane?No!It's very bad dust particles in your lens.
Unless your going to pull it apart yourslf and clean it properly,put it out with the recycling.

[FotoPete]

Check your sensor. You can have a pretty mucked up tele and still not see anything wrong because of the thin dof. Most likely dust on your sensor.

Those stress fractures could be fungus too but either way, the Tak400 is a gem! Hope it works out for ya!

[LMRacing]

Check your sensor. You can have a pretty mucked up tele and still not see anything wrong because of the thin dof. Most likely dust on your sensor.

Those stress fractures could be fungus too but either way, the Tak400 is a gem! Hope it works out for ya!

I somehow doubt its dust on the sensor, since the lens has been siting for years without caps and the camera still doesn't have 2K shutter operations on it and is only three weeks old I'd blame the lens first. also there is nothing in any of my shots with my newer lenses.


For what I would use the lens for I dont mind sending it off and paying somebody a few dollars to clean it, especialy at the price I got it for. I had been looking at the Rinicon (or however you spell it) lens on Overstock for $100 for the 500mm and I belive this to be a much better quality lens that I got for half the price. even if I spend $100 to have it cleaned properly I still spent money on better glass than the other would have been.

I doubt it will be used for too much else than the occasional shot at the moon, possibly a photo at some wildlife or a blue sky on occasion. It will probobly trek with me for some scenic shots at my yearly trip to deals gap