[Durf]

Yes I have 3 of the M42 tak135 2.5 - all the older 5 element versions and they are not as sharp as the Tak Bayonet 2.5. Of course they have their own qualities - I would reach for one of them for Portraiture.
And is that a Tak bayonet 28mm 2.8 in there? Another sharp little underrated beast. They perform like the A28 rather than the mediocre M28 2.8.
About the mod - you don't need it if you shoot in M mode - they work just fine. That is of course so long as the iris is free moving and hasn't gone viscous with age.

You may be looking at the Tak 35mm f/3.5. The other smaller Taks are a 55mm f/1.8 and a 50mm f/1.4.

I also have a 50mm f/1.2 that is a pretty crazy lens to use....I think I have 6 or 7 different 50mm's

[MKohoutek]

I am new to the world of digital, never wanting to stop shooting film. I am now proud owner of the K1, and the my old K lens are great! I have a DFA zoom, but I only use that like I would an iPhone camera - meaning point and shoot. I love the manual options, including the auto exposure in the non-manual setting.

Theses are taken with my M*300 lens.

[GUB]

You may be looking at the Tak 35mm f/3.5. The other smaller Taks are a 55mm f/1.8 and a 50mm f/1.4.

I also have a 50mm f/1.2 that is a pretty crazy lens to use....I think I have 6 or 7 different 50mm's

It was the one on the extreme right but I see its focus grip is a little different to mine. Is it a non pentax.?
If you go Pentax you will find there are infinity and non infinity adapters for M42. The non infinity are simpler and less tricky to use. If you use an infinity with that nice old Helios you will need to shield around its' base to stop light leakage - all off market lenses with a small shoulder can have this issue.

[Durf]

It was the one on the extreme right but I see its focus grip is a little different to mine. Is it a non pentax.?
If you go Pentax you will find there are infinity and non infinity adapters for M42. The non infinity are simpler and less tricky to use. If you use an infinity with that nice old Helios you will need to shield around its' base to stop light leakage - all off market lenses with a small shoulder can have this issue.

That one is actually a Focal 28mm f/2.8 K-Mount Lens. I seldom use it as it isn't very sharp. Is was my Dads so I keep it around for sentimental reasons....

Yes, that Helios leaks light on my Canon 80D too, I have to hold it with my fingers around it! lol It has some crazy bokeh though when it works right!

[GUB]

I am new to the world of digital, never wanting to stop shooting film. I am now proud owner of the K1, and the my old K lens are great! I have a DFA zoom, but I only use that like I would an iPhone camera - meaning point and shoot. I love the manual options, including the auto exposure in the non-manual setting.

Theses are taken with my M*300 lens.

Really it is just that staying all manual is simpler especially if you are saving to Raw. It constantly amazes me that people think that their camera is taking enormous complicated calculations far beyond their own abilities. And meaure their camera by the degree of complicated it is!
If it is daylight then the chances are the exposure is one of about 6 stops of light - how hard is that to guess!!

[Durf]

I'm wondering if the Pentax K-3 II would be a better choice for using these vintages lenses with rather than the K1???? I know the K3 is not full frame but I'm using most of these lenses now on a Canon 80D crop sensor.....just thinking.............
Plus the K3 is much cheaper than the K1....hmmmm

The KP looks like a good choice too for an APS-C

[GUB]

I did this thinking a year or so back. I had a K01 (16mp apsc). My logic was that the FF was kinder to these old lenses because the image from the sensor does not need to be enlarged so much. And that is certainly the case. But another consequence of going FF is that your dof is relatively a lot thinner - and a lot of the lens that I could use wide open and reap the advantage of a circular aperture in bokeh quality in the K01 was simply not practical with FF. As soon as you stop down the shape of the iris kicks in and effects the bokeh.

[Durf]

I did this thinking a year or so back. I had a K01 (16mp apsc). My logic was that the FF was kinder to these old lenses because the image from the sensor does not need to be enlarged so much. And that is certainly the case. But another consequence of going FF is that your dof is relatively a lot thinner - and a lot of the lens that I could use wide open and reap the advantage of a circular aperture in bokeh quality in the K01 was simply not practical with FF. As soon as you stop down the shape of the iris kicks in and effects the bokeh.

I can see the difference as I also have a 6D Mark ii that I can use all my M42 mount types on. The 6D2 can not shoot the K-mount types as the mirror will get hung up on that small tab that sticks out of those lenses. I love using that Tak 85mm 1.8 lens though full frame for tight dialed in landscape types of shots, but I'm usually stopped down with it to f/8 or f11. This old 85 is sometimes beyond belief with it's image quality.

In certain situations this 6D2 will take a better shot than my cropped 80D.....and vice-versa.

I suppose it's a give and take situation no matter how ya look at it

[photoptimist]

I'm wondering if the Pentax K-3 II would be a better choice for using these vintages lenses with rather than the K1???? I know the K3 is not full frame but I'm using most of these lenses now on a Canon 80D crop sensor.....just thinking.............
Plus the K3 is much cheaper than the K1....hmmmm

The KP looks like a good choice too for an APS-C

It's a very sensible strategy especially for telephoto and macro lenses.

The two big upsides are:

1. you'll avoid the worst of the older lenses' astigmatisims, chromatic aberrations, distortions, and vignetting by only using the central part of the image.

2. you can put a more aggressive hood on the lens which will reduce flare and fogging associated with older dusty lenses with older coatings.

The two minor downsides are:

1. Any wide angle lenses won't be very wide (and there very few vintage ultrawides that could act as APS-C wides)

2. The purist would grumble that you're not using the lens a Pentax intended.


(Note: if you're willing to play only with old M42 lenses, then you could look for a used Pentax body with a broken aperture actuator. Such a body will probably be very cheap and for M42 you don't care if the actuator is broken.)

[monochrome]

It's a very sensible strategy especially for telephoto and macro lenses.

The two big upsides are:

1. you'll avoid the worst of the older lenses' astigmatisims, chromatic aberrations, distortions, and vignetting by only using the central part of the image.

2. you can put a more aggressive hood on the lens which will reduce flare and fogging associated with older dusty lenses with older coatings.

The two minor downsides are:

1. Any wide angle lenses won't be very wide (and there very few vintage ultrawides that could act as APS-C wides)

2. The purist would grumble that you're not using the lens a Pentax intended.


(Note: if you're willing to play only with old M42 lenses, then you could look for a used Pentax body with a broken aperture actuator. Such a body will probably be very cheap and for M42 you don't care if the actuator is broken.)

Many of us have been perfectly happy for years mounting manual lenses on whatever APSc body is available, but the K-1 is just sublime with them - and we can OVF focus with it.*

* This afternoon I shot half a roll of Portra 400 in my S3 with the Auto Tak 85/1.8. That gigantic micro prism center spot against the matte focusing screen is just awesome. I certainly enjoyed the full-auto diaphragm, unusual for Auto-Takumar lenses.

[GUB]

I can see the difference as I also have a 6D Mark ii that I can use all my M42 mount types on. The 6D2 can not shoot the K-mount types as the mirror will get hung up on that small tab that sticks out of those lenses. I love using that Tak 85mm 1.8 lens though full frame for tight dialed in landscape types of shots, but I'm usually stopped down with it to f/8 or f11. This old 85 is sometimes beyond belief with it's image quality.

In certain situations this 6D2 will take a better shot than my cropped 80D.....and vice-versa.

I suppose it's a give and take situation no matter how ya look at it

More a "take" for the extra $1000

[GUB]

Many of us have been perfectly happy for years mounting manual lenses on whatever APSc body is available, but the K-1 is just sublime with them

Exactly.
Unfortunately my K01 sits there gathering dust despite the fact I was perfectly happy with it!!

[noelpolar]

I do a bit with the K1 and mostly SMC K lenses. I really enjoy it....lovely camera to use.

a couple of K50/1.2s





K30/2.8



K200/4

[Durf]

More a "take" for the extra $1000

Yes, perhaps I'm being a bit ridiculous wanting to spend a ton more money on ANOTHER camera when I can already get outstanding and amazing results with all these old Takumar's & Pentax lenses by simply cobbling them on my Canon cameras.....the good ole saying must ring true, "It's not the gear you have, but how you use it" LOL

I feel like I'm violating an ancient taboo not attaching these lenses to a Pentax camera though! LOL

[monochrome]

@noelpolar I think I’ve seen some of those shots before and they’re just as good the second time. The red boots especially jumps out - some say Pentax doesn’t”t handle red well but you sure did it there.