[lytrytyr]

I've been paying attention to all this talk about extreme wide-angle lenses and looking around. I have to say that I would probably prefer a rectilinear lens to a fish-eye, and the Mir 20 20mm f3.5 lens looks very attractive.

If you like Taks, you'll like the 20/4.5.

[mglowe]

If you like Taks, you'll like the 20/4.5.

Agreed. What a coincidence, this message. I just finished an email a few moments ago to a prominent Takumar expert and superb photographer describing the 20 4.5 qualities. Maybe I can post a few varied shots in the next three to six months from this lens to help its perceived image along a little. It's good for landscape and semi-macro and about town shots. It's sharp enough, produces wonderful color, and it's out of focus characteristics, for a slow lens, are superb. Maybe it's not the lens for getting your super huge landscape print from, but it's superb close focus capabilities-the sharpness in the center at 4.5 being STUNNING-zoom zoom zoom-is more than enough to make up for its less than your best 28, 35, or 50-zoomed in corner to corner sharpness. It's mechanically so nice as well. Beautiful lens. It's distortion is enough to disqualify it from being a go to ALL AROUND EVERY SHOT architectural wide.... it's other qualities make up for that. The 20 was the first Tak I bought many years ago, and I've never thought of selling it.

[Dartmoor Dave]

If you like Taks, you'll like the 20/4.5.

A big wholehearted +1 to that. In another thread I recently called the 20mm/4.5 the "one lens to rule them all", and I meant it. Here's a couple of recent shots (previously posted in the K10D Club).

[Pepe Guitarra]

Nice shots, I could tell where they were by looking at the sky and the colors: UK
I was there for a month, and was able to see the sun twice.

Pepeguitarra

A big wholehearted +1 to that. In another thread I recently called the 20mm/4.5 the "one lens to rule them all", and I meant it. Here's a couple of recent shots (previously posted in the K10D Club).

[tim60]

I like the 20/4.5. I suspect mine might need an infinity focus adjustment but it has still really attracted me to the wide performance, and I instantly took a liking to what it could do for me. Result: I usually leave the 24 and 28 at home.

---------- Post added 09-10-14 at 06:08 AM ----------

Nice shots, I could tell where they were by looking at the sky and the colors: UK
I was there for a month, and was able to see the sun twice.

Pepeguitarra

At high school our history teacher told us the Germans invaded, way back in the days when there were "no papers" required for travel, because they would get more sun than they were used to.

[Dartmoor Dave]

Nice shots, I could tell where they were by looking at the sky and the colors: UK I was there for a month, and was able to see the sun twice.

You saw the sun TWICE in ONE month? That's quite a heatwave by our standards!

[utak]

You're all being rather unfair about the English weather. To prove how nice it can be, below is a photo from one of our beautiful sunny days. Admittedly taken a while ago.......in April 2008 actually (an era when I used to think my photos were worth a (c)). People claim early Takumars flare. No probs. in the UK. Then again I can never cure my yellowed thorium glass "in three weeks of sun".



...and while I'm on, a bee in flight taken yesterday by the extra-ordinary Macro Takumar 50/4 preset.

---

Last edited by utak; 09-09-2014 at 02:50 PM.

[micromacro]

This thread is dangerous for Takumar addicts. So many great pictures.
My very short shooting with Tele-Takumar 200mm f/5.6 preset and Sun Auto Tele Up 2x. Rain cloud has been waiting when I set everything, and covered moon.

[Mike Bokeh]

You're all being rather unfair about the English weather. To prove how nice it can be, below is a photo from one of our beautiful sunny days. Admittedly taken a while ago.......in April 2008 actually (an era when I used to think my photos were worth a (c)). People claim early Takumars flare. No probs. in the UK. Then again I can never cure my yellowed thorium glass "in three weeks of sun".



...and while I'm on, a bee in flight taken yesterday by the extra-ordinary Macro Takumar 50/4 preset.

If that was taken with a 50mm lens, that bee had to be about 12 to 18 inches away from the camera. I could be wrong about the distance, but you either have very good focusing skills or were very patient to get that shot.

Either way, very well done, utak!

Mike

---------- Post added 09-09-14 at 11:09 PM ----------

This thread is dangerous for Takumar addicts. So many great pictures.
My very short shooting with Tele-Takumar 200mm f/5.6 preset and Sun Auto Tele Up 2x. Rain cloud has been waiting when I set everything, and covered moon.

Very nice, micromacro.

I love all low-light/night/astronomy shots.

Mike

[Andrew_Oid]

Victory Camera seems to have a nice looking multi-coated copy of this lens with case and caps for $345 at this time if anyone's interested.

[Argenticien]

Hi,

I too miss Mike Cash's contributions, he really got the club excited with his photos and his appreciation of the lenses. I seem to remember him saying he was having trouble with his Flickr account, they changed something and it upset his workflow...

You've almost got it right. See this post from 22 May 2013, and a few that came after it. He was incensed at the the then-latest change in Flickr's terms of service, and basically stopped using it. At that the time, he made an attempt to do it in such a way that his existing pictures would stay visible in his vast trail of previous posts. But the images are now apparently gone. It is a huge loss to PF as he was among the most talented photographers here. Sure there may have been one or two too many cargo ships and Japanese dancers (although I didn't mind), but some of his work up in the forests of Japan (stone tablets etc.) was brilliant.


--Dave

[micromacro]

Very nice, micromacro.I love all low-light/night/astronomy shots.

Thanks, Mike. The sharpness of lens was decreased with 2x adapter. Yesterday I took the adapter off, much better, but far. Preset and live view is so convenient combination for night shots.

[Andrew_Oid]

This is just a preliminary rough test of the lens at maximum aperture, at or close to MFD. EXIF shows the ISO at 100 and shutter speed at 1/20th. The picture was taken hand-held. The plane of focus seems razor thin under these conditions, but the lens seems sharp enough. It's possible that it overexposes slightly, at least at maximum aperture. When I have the time, I'll test it some more.

[chuck_c]

You've almost got it right. See this post from 22 May 2013, and a few that came after it. He was incensed at the the then-latest change in Flickr's terms of service, and basically stopped using it. At that the time, he made an attempt to do it in such a way that his existing pictures would stay visible in his vast trail of previous posts. But the images are now apparently gone. It is a huge loss to PF as he was among the most talented photographers here. Sure there may have been one or two too many cargo ships and Japanese dancers (although I didn't mind), but some of his work up in the forests of Japan (stone tablets etc.) was brilliant.


--Dave

Dave, I agree completely with your comments on Mike Cash. He was a major influence in my acquisition and use of Takumar lenses. I also found a lot of his images to be inspirational and always looked forward to "Taxi Tuesdays".
In a couple of months he should be making the trek for his "Annual Takuma Kajiwara Grave Visit and Cleanup". If he would surface here on the PF, and tell us how to, I wouldn't object to a small contribution to help defray some of the cost. (A PM would work as well Mike)
He was posting here Mike Cash's Photoblog Archive - Japan from the Driver's Seat , but his last post was back in January 2014.

[Pepe Guitarra]

If you search Mike Cash name in Flicker, an add will show saying that the moved to: SmugMug. I could not find him in SmugMug under Mike Cash. Anyone has SmugMug?

I found what could be Mike Cash, but I am not sure. I found it (Click here) on SmugMug. It looks like he and his wife, or former wife have a studio in Walnut Creek, California. However, I have not seen a photo of Japan, so it may or may not be the same Mike.