Originally posted by leadguitarest Also took a chance and bought a S-M-C Fish Eye Takumar 17mm f4 from a seller who did not know much about lenses and said buy at own risk.. and it is perfect! So stoked! picked it up for $150. WOOT! I've been wanting a multi coated one but they are hard to come by in the 17mm fish eye. Ill have to take it on my trip to see the Red Woods in Cali next week.. I am just super stoked to own the widest takumar they made!
That's a great find! The 17mm has been top of my lens wish list for a couple of years now, but I haven't found one yet in good condition at a price I can afford. A local camera shop has a near-mint example for sale, but they're asking £399GBP, which is twice the price I'm willing to pay. I think they're basing their price on the ridiculously high "buy it now" prices online, and ignoring the fact that when the 17mm occasionally comes up for auction in this country it usually sells for £150-£200.
As a stop-gap, I've recently bought a Zenitar 16mm. It's okay, but it's no Takumar. Defished using PT Lens, the Zenitar on APS-C has the same field of view as my Takumar 20mm on film -- so equivalent to about a 14mm rectilinear on digital.
I'm seething with jealousy, but still looking forward to seeing some shots from your 17mm.
EDIT: I think Leadguitartist is right that the 17mm is the widest Takumar. The fisheye projection means that the 17mm actually has a wider field of view than the 15mm rectilinear.