[colt67]

Dear All,

I'll be a part of your Pentax family really soon. Can you please tell more about Pentax 67 lenses?

Are they creamy, warmer, cooler, sharp, etc...?

Best Regards

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Last edited by colt67; 01-21-2013 at 01:45 AM.

[germar]

Welcome to the forums!

There are folks here that have a great deal more experience than I with 67 lenses, but I would give you a "it depends" sort of answer. I think it's really up to the film and processing techniques you employ in regard to look and color rendition. The lenses are all satisfactorily sharp, all contrasty, depth of field can be razor thin due to the film size and bokeh is creamy with a slightly "nervous" quality. There are some exceptional lenses, The 67 55mm f4 "late" is really nice and wonderfully sharp.

Now, I should shut up and let those who are fully experienced with these lenses chime in.

[Julie]

I have no experience with the 67 lenses, but if you have not done so already, take a look at some reviews, they might be helpful.

Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

[stevebrot]

You might also browse this thread:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-medium-format-645-6x7-645d/87027-p...at-photos.html

Or...using Flickr, simply search for the lens (by name) that you are interested in.


Steve

[phonoline]

I am all for sharpness at all apertures so can recommend the late 45, 55, 75, 105 and 100 Macro. They are all exceptional. The zoom 55-100 is a little soft wide open, the 165/2.8, too, I figured.
The bokeh of the 105 and 100 are absolutely beautiful.

[colt67]

Thank you very for your replies.

Viewing photos on Flickr or somewhere else isn't accurate for me. There are many different film stocks, lab process can vary a lot and digital image editing after all. Can you compare Pentax 67 lenses to Hasselblad, FF35 Leica/Nikkor ones?

[tuco]

The late (67 generation) 45, 75, 105mm are optically the same as the previous generation and I believe only one generation of the 100mm macro.

To describe all the system's lenses with the same description means sweeping generalizations. There are some lenses in Pentax 6x7/67 line up that are sharper than others just like any other lens brand. I'd say Pentax 6x7 lenses don't have a reputation for creamy bokeh but not known for being too harsh either. That can be very lens specific.

[colt67]

Thx Tuco.

I will buy late 1989 versions. Can you please tell me anything about mechanics and do these lenses breath during focusing?

[Silent Street]

Clunky, heavy, slow to focus, aperature rings can sometimes be stiff (45mm f4 is one) and require knowing correct mount/dismount procedure in relation to TTL meter prism (e.g. with prism in place, lenses can be mounted and dismounted freely; but with prism removed, lens must also be removed, then prism mounted and then the lens mounted, in that order, or risk breaking the aperture coupling chain).

Some old Takumars are a good buy and lighter than the SMC Pentax 67 lenses, though the optics are early and have none of the subsequent improvements of the SMC variants.

What do you mean "do these lenses breath during focusing"?? I've never heard such a thing.

Concentrate on your baseline skill set in photography and not how glamorous lenses or bokeh is,and do something serious with the resulting images e.g print, frame, exhibit and/or sell.

[colt67]

SS,
I will use these lenses in a film/video production. Medium sensor video cameras are coming soon on our market.
That's why I am boring with my technical questions. My investition must be worth of it.

Lens breathing means that you have a small zoom effect when you pull focus. The width of the shot isn't the same at 2m or 8m focus marks.
Internal focus design eliminates these issues.

[desertscape]

Colt, the lenses from the year you are talking about, 1989, were the lenses I first bought for this camera. They were a mixed bag. The 35mm was soft at the edges and similar to the 17mm Fisheye for the Leicaflex cameras in cross section. The 45mm is above average in performance and very similar in design to the 21mm Super-Angulon R made for the Leicaflex cameras. The latest 55mm is a high performance lens with a cross section similar to the Distagons. The 75mm Takumar was based on the French Retrofocus design and is one of the best P67 lenses ever made. The 90mm f/2.8 is a Planar/Double Gauss design and has not been improved upon since the advent of Lanthanum glass (many years). The 105mm is also a Double Gauss and has been a great performer since its introduction. The 100 macro is a Double Gauss also and is very sharp. The 135 macro is a Dynar type and is sharp but not stellar. The 150mm is also a Double Gauss but a 5 element instead of the normal 6 element- still very sharp. The 165 LS and 200 Pentax are both German design variants (Ernostar). The 200 is especially sharp and contrasty. The 165LS is nearly as sharp. The 165 f/2.8 is a Double Gauss design and moderately sharp. The 300mm Takumar is a telephoto design using conventional glass but is plagued with shutter vib and minimal contrast. It color fringes at wider stops due to spherochromatism. The newer 300mm is not a true tele design and uses low dispersion glass . Colors are well corrected passing through all lens zones.

[jt_cph_dk]

Lens breathing means that you have a small zoom effect when you pull focus. The width of the shot isn't the same at 2m or 8m focus marks. Internal focus design eliminates these issues.

Hi there, the 4/135 Macro does that. The other (latest) lenses, that I have (55, 75) don´t. I have some samples here, that you are welcome to check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32108329@N08/sets/72157628064543436/

Regards

Checked and found, that they (55, 75) actually do ‘breath‘! Sorry all.

[wombat2go]

Hi, Colt
The Takumar 6X7 1:4.5 75mm does exhibit focus breathing when following focus from infinity to 1 metre.
I tried it on the rack of the Speed Graphic but having no experience on movie, I would not know how to quantify it.
With the rear focal plane at register (85mm) , a vertical object at about 1 metre distant, on the image edge moves inward about 7 mm when rotating from min focus to infinity.
I suppose this is not an issue for still photography but it might be as we start to use dslrs to make movies.

Incidentally, on 35mm I tried a SMC Pentax -M 1:2 85 mm and it breathes similarly to above.
However a Takumar-A Zoom 1:3.5~4.5 28~80mm shows almost no visible breathing over its focal length range.

[jt_cph_dk]

The Takumar 6X7 1:4.5 75mm does exhibit focus breathing when following focus from infinity to 1 metre

..You are very right, I hadn´t noticed and now we know, thank´s. Regards



Just checked and I´ll add, that the 55 does as well!

[jt_cph_dk]

So how much focus breathing do I find? How much wider does the frame get, as you focus out to infinity (decrease of focal lenth)?
(Completely informal, non-scientific test)

SMC P 4/55 ca. 15-20%, 4,5/75 ca. 5-10%, 4/135 Macro ca. 75-80% (latest versions)
S-T 105 ca. 5-10%, 4/200 5-10%

The 4/135 is very pronounced, the 4/55 has some. The rest slight.

Regards