A friend of a friend is willing to sell me some lenses for $100, need some feedback

marea · 12-14-2010, 01:30 AM

Hi Guys,

A friend of a friend of mine has an old 35mm Pentax with a bunch of lenses that he is willing to sell me for only $100.

He has informed me that the lenses have absolutely no fungus, are very clean and are all in above average condition.

While it might seem to me (a DSLR newbie who has only just purchased a Kx this week) that this is a good buy I would really appreciate some feedback on whether or not you would think I should take him up on his offer.

The lenses that he has for sale are:

1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm.
2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro
3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens
4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens
5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens
FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot.

Photos of the items included in the sale.

Steinback · 12-14-2010, 02:09 AM

The price is pretty reasonable if you are interested in the equipment and want to try playing with some manual lenses and/or film photography. The Takumar A zoom has an aperture that can be controlled by you camera body but in the zoom and aperture range where they overlap the 18-55mm digital kit lens will perform as well or better. The M 50mm f/2 is a pretty decent lens but it is not as nice as the A 50mm f/1.7 (if you went for the one offered in another thread).

The flash should work with your DSLR but the sync voltage should be checked with a digital multimeter first to make sure it is safe. I don't recognize it from the photo provided, but in general you want a flash that puts out less than 24 volts between the contacts at the bottom and side of the mounting foot.

The two longer zoom lenses will be interesting to play with, especially if they have A contacts, but I don't recognize either as being particularly rare or sought after.

If you aren't happy with the teleconverter you can always just pull the glass out and use it as an extension tube. Polarizers are handy to have around even if you don't end up using the other filters.

Jodokast96 · 12-14-2010, 02:47 AM

Look at it this way. You're paying $12.50 for each lens, $12.50 for a body, $12.50 for a flash, and $12.50 for a filter set. As long as they are fungus free, that's hard to beat even if they are just ok lenses.

DaveHolmes · 12-14-2010, 04:46 AM

I'd make an offer of $75 and see what he says... If he says no... Spend the $100 on one ebay purchase...

Nowhere Matt · 12-14-2010, 07:16 AM

A film camera and four lenses that should work with your digital body as well for $100? Sounds good to me.
I think it is good to experiment and have some inexpensive gear until you develope your own standards and expectations. Provided you are reasonably capable of understanding and using the gear. We assume you got at least one autofocus lens with your K-x or that you at least have some knowledge of how the older lenses will work for you and the digital body.
I say you have a potentially fun film and digital photography start up collection offered and would risk it. If you don't like any of it, pass it around or find someone you might know that would enjoy it.

idkjai · 12-14-2010, 07:24 AM

If your into manual focus - I say go for it!

Coeurdechene · 12-14-2010, 07:59 AM

100 for all that equipment is a great price:P
Probably the cosina and the osawa will only be able of close focusing (not real macro..i bet they are able of something like 1:4..not the 1:1 of real macro..)..I'm not sure about the quality of the lenses.
Then you can get into film fotography :P

paperbag846 · 12-14-2010, 08:59 AM

My opinion - see if you can buy bits and pieces from him.

Buy:

1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm.
4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens
5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens
FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot.

Skip:
2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro
3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens

See if he will do this for 60. The fact is that none of these lenses are exceptional, so while it would b good to own one or two for fun, buying the lot feels like... a lot.

abacus07 · 12-14-2010, 10:42 AM

the price sin't that bad but are you really interested in any of these lenses? I would rather buy 2 $50 lenses on ebay that I would actually be interested in using for awhile. For me the M 50mm f/2 is the only one that I'm really interested in and that goes for $30? on ebay.

noblepa · 12-14-2010, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by paperbag846

My opinion - see if you can buy bits and pieces from him.

Buy:

1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm.
4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens
5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens
FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot.

Skip:
2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro
3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens

See if he will do this for 60. The fact is that none of these lenses are exceptional, so while it would b good to own one or two for fun, buying the lot feels like... a lot.

If number 2 is a TAKUMAR-A, then it is a genuine Pentax lens and is probably pretty good. If it really says TAKAMURA-A on the lens, then it is a third-party lens and who knows who made it and what the quality is like. Those couple of letters make a big difference.

Andi Lo · 12-14-2010, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by noblepa

If number 2 is a TAKUMAR-A, then it is a genuine Pentax lens and is probably pretty good. If it really says TAKAMURA-A on the lens, then it is a third-party lens and who knows who made it and what the quality is like. Those couple of letters make a big difference.

IIRC Takumar-A is one of the 'budget' pentax lenses without the SMC coating. It's still worth it at 12.5.

The only two things I would be interested in in that set is the flash (if it has manual control), body and the 50mm, though. For the other lenses I much prefer the digital equivalent...

marea · 12-14-2010, 05:55 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys. As I said I am a complete novice. The Kx came with the 18-55 lens so that's all I have at the moment. I take mostly portraits & music/concert photographs & I think that's where I'd like to stay so I'm not sure if any of these lenses are what I'd need. It just sounded like a nice offer.

I'd like to work on manual at some point as I feel I'm the type of person that would like to get to know the lenses & have that 'control' over them but as I haven't ever tried a manual lens then I'm not sure how difficult I would find it.

I may offer him $75 and see if he will take it.

JeffJS · 12-14-2010, 06:09 PM

Originally posted by Andi Lo

IIRC Takumar-A is one of the 'budget' pentax lenses without the SMC coating. It's still worth it at 12.5.

The Takumar A was one of my very first lenses. It wasn't particularly great but it wasn't a doorstop either. I used it for a few months with my K10d before recycling it for something else. I thought it made a decent portrait lens and on that camera I could get decent prints up to about 12x18 (inches) with it. It also has closeup capability IIRC if you want to play with that. Definitely worth the piece price based on the entire lot.

To Marea,
I know from the other thread that the 50 f1.7 is en route from our friend up north. It will simply blow away the 50 f2.0. The latter isn't a terrible lens (again) but the f1.7 is simply better. That and the Tak-A are the only lenses on that list I have any experience with. If you already have the kit lens and are getting the 50 f1.7, I'm going against the grain here and saying pass on the lot. That is, unless you want to play with the film camera. Then, yes, as a lot it's probably worth the price.

That said, if you go for it, Bags also cost money. Your K-x with a short zoom will probably fit in that Tan holster bag for instance. I would be careful (with out knowing more about it) using that flash on my camera. Before doing so, check with us so we can help you determine if it's safe. Before mounting any of the other third party lenses to your K-x, again, check with us. Some third party lenses are made to also work with Ricoh cameras. We want to make sure that these are not in that category. I would hate to see you get a lens stuck (literally) on your brand new camera.

On the zoom lenses, have your friend check for Zoom Creep. Particularly on the third party lenses. A lot of these lenses will not hold their zoom positions at all when tilted if they are push pull types (the Tak-A is not). If they do not, then they are useless for anything but level line of sight shooting. The 2x converter, a lot of us make extension tubes out of them by removing the glass. It's easier to do on some than others but I remain convinced that for most of them, that's all they are good for.

Those of course are just my opinions and what to watch out for on Any used lens and flash purchases. Take it for whatever you think it's worth.

twitch · 12-14-2010, 06:59 PM

$100 on junk, even if there's lots of it, is still junk. Put the $100 towards something you actually want, wouldn't that get you a 50mm 1.4 A lens? It's much better to have fewer high quality lenses, than a whole closet full of junk lenses.

clockwork247 · 12-14-2010, 08:39 PM

Originally posted by twitch

$100 on junk, even if there's lots of it, is still junk. Put the $100 towards something you actually want, wouldn't that get you a 50mm 1.4 A lens? It's much better to have fewer high quality lenses, than a whole closet full of junk lenses.

i agree. none of the lens looks good to me (but that's personal opinion), if i was getting a kit with the 18-55 and 55-300 then all those would not be any use.

the only thing i think people want to buy is fast prime and fast zoom (notice "fast) lol. what's the point of getting a bunch of slow zoom, might as well go with kit lens.

12-14-2010, 01:30 AM	#1
marea New Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney Posts: 19	A friend of a friend is willing to sell me some lenses for $100, need some feedback Hi Guys, A friend of a friend of mine has an old 35mm Pentax with a bunch of lenses that he is willing to sell me for only $100. He has informed me that the lenses have absolutely no fungus, are very clean and are all in above average condition. While it might seem to me (a DSLR newbie who has only just purchased a Kx this week) that this is a good buy I would really appreciate some feedback on whether or not you would think I should take him up on his offer. The lenses that he has for sale are: 1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm. 2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro 3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens 4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens 5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot. Photos of the items included in the sale.

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12-14-2010, 02:09 AM	#2
Steinback Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: GTA, ON, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,673	The price is pretty reasonable if you are interested in the equipment and want to try playing with some manual lenses and/or film photography. The Takumar A zoom has an aperture that can be controlled by you camera body but in the zoom and aperture range where they overlap the 18-55mm digital kit lens will perform as well or better. The M 50mm f/2 is a pretty decent lens but it is not as nice as the A 50mm f/1.7 (if you went for the one offered in another thread). The flash should work with your DSLR but the sync voltage should be checked with a digital multimeter first to make sure it is safe. I don't recognize it from the photo provided, but in general you want a flash that puts out less than 24 volts between the contacts at the bottom and side of the mounting foot. The two longer zoom lenses will be interesting to play with, especially if they have A contacts, but I don't recognize either as being particularly rare or sought after. If you aren't happy with the teleconverter you can always just pull the glass out and use it as an extension tube. Polarizers are handy to have around even if you don't end up using the other filters.

12-14-2010, 02:47 AM	#3
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	Look at it this way. You're paying $12.50 for each lens, $12.50 for a body, $12.50 for a flash, and $12.50 for a filter set. As long as they are fungus free, that's hard to beat even if they are just ok lenses.

12-14-2010, 04:46 AM	#4
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501	I'd make an offer of $75 and see what he says... If he says no... Spend the $100 on one ebay purchase...

12-14-2010, 07:16 AM	#5
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	A film camera and four lenses that should work with your digital body as well for $100? Sounds good to me. I think it is good to experiment and have some inexpensive gear until you develope your own standards and expectations. Provided you are reasonably capable of understanding and using the gear. We assume you got at least one autofocus lens with your K-x or that you at least have some knowledge of how the older lenses will work for you and the digital body. I say you have a potentially fun film and digital photography start up collection offered and would risk it. If you don't like any of it, pass it around or find someone you might know that would enjoy it.

12-14-2010, 07:24 AM	#6
idkjai Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New York, NY Posts: 104	If your into manual focus - I say go for it!

12-14-2010, 07:59 AM	#7
Coeurdechene Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: madrid Photos: Albums Posts: 833	100 for all that equipment is a great price:P Probably the cosina and the osawa will only be able of close focusing (not real macro..i bet they are able of something like 1:4..not the 1:1 of real macro..)..I'm not sure about the quality of the lenses. Then you can get into film fotography :P

12-14-2010, 08:59 AM	#8
paperbag846 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,395	My opinion - see if you can buy bits and pieces from him. Buy: 1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm. 4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens 5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot. Skip: 2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro 3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens See if he will do this for 60. The fact is that none of these lenses are exceptional, so while it would b good to own one or two for fun, buying the lot feels like... a lot.

12-14-2010, 10:42 AM	#9
abacus07 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Taiwan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,075	the price sin't that bad but are you really interested in any of these lenses? I would rather buy 2 $50 lenses on ebay that I would actually be interested in using for awhile. For me the M 50mm f/2 is the only one that I'm really interested in and that goes for $30? on ebay.

12-14-2010, 10:53 AM	#10
noblepa Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Village, Ohio USA Posts: 1,142	Originally posted by paperbag846 My opinion - see if you can buy bits and pieces from him. Buy: 1) Cosina 70-300mm Zoom 1:4.5 - 5.8 inc macro Auto 55mm. 4) Pentax -M (Asahi) 50mm 1:2 standard lens 5) APK Auto 2 X Duplicator lens FILTERS - 8 X Hoya polarizing, UV, Skin Tone, night and soft spot. Skip: 2) OSAWA 80-205mm Zoom 1:4.5 inc macro 3) TAKAMURA-A Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5 - great all round lens See if he will do this for 60. The fact is that none of these lenses are exceptional, so while it would b good to own one or two for fun, buying the lot feels like... a lot. If number 2 is a TAKUMAR-A, then it is a genuine Pentax lens and is probably pretty good. If it really says TAKAMURA-A on the lens, then it is a third-party lens and who knows who made it and what the quality is like. Those couple of letters make a big difference.

12-14-2010, 11:07 AM	#11
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	Originally posted by noblepa If number 2 is a TAKUMAR-A, then it is a genuine Pentax lens and is probably pretty good. If it really says TAKAMURA-A on the lens, then it is a third-party lens and who knows who made it and what the quality is like. Those couple of letters make a big difference. IIRC Takumar-A is one of the 'budget' pentax lenses without the SMC coating. It's still worth it at 12.5. The only two things I would be interested in in that set is the flash (if it has manual control), body and the 50mm, though. For the other lenses I much prefer the digital equivalent...

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12-14-2010, 05:55 PM	#12
marea New Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sydney Posts: 19 Original Poster	Thanks for the feedback guys. As I said I am a complete novice. The Kx came with the 18-55 lens so that's all I have at the moment. I take mostly portraits & music/concert photographs & I think that's where I'd like to stay so I'm not sure if any of these lenses are what I'd need. It just sounded like a nice offer. I'd like to work on manual at some point as I feel I'm the type of person that would like to get to know the lenses & have that 'control' over them but as I haven't ever tried a manual lens then I'm not sure how difficult I would find it. I may offer him $75 and see if he will take it.

12-14-2010, 06:09 PM	#13
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Originally posted by Andi Lo IIRC Takumar-A is one of the 'budget' pentax lenses without the SMC coating. It's still worth it at 12.5. The Takumar A was one of my very first lenses. It wasn't particularly great but it wasn't a doorstop either. I used it for a few months with my K10d before recycling it for something else. I thought it made a decent portrait lens and on that camera I could get decent prints up to about 12x18 (inches) with it. It also has closeup capability IIRC if you want to play with that. Definitely worth the piece price based on the entire lot. To Marea, I know from the other thread that the 50 f1.7 is en route from our friend up north. It will simply blow away the 50 f2.0. The latter isn't a terrible lens (again) but the f1.7 is simply better. That and the Tak-A are the only lenses on that list I have any experience with. If you already have the kit lens and are getting the 50 f1.7, I'm going against the grain here and saying pass on the lot. That is, unless you want to play with the film camera. Then, yes, as a lot it's probably worth the price. That said, if you go for it, Bags also cost money. Your K-x with a short zoom will probably fit in that Tan holster bag for instance. I would be careful (with out knowing more about it) using that flash on my camera. Before doing so, check with us so we can help you determine if it's safe. Before mounting any of the other third party lenses to your K-x, again, check with us. Some third party lenses are made to also work with Ricoh cameras. We want to make sure that these are not in that category. I would hate to see you get a lens stuck (literally) on your brand new camera. On the zoom lenses, have your friend check for Zoom Creep. Particularly on the third party lenses. A lot of these lenses will not hold their zoom positions at all when tilted if they are push pull types (the Tak-A is not). If they do not, then they are useless for anything but level line of sight shooting. The 2x converter, a lot of us make extension tubes out of them by removing the glass. It's easier to do on some than others but I remain convinced that for most of them, that's all they are good for. Those of course are just my opinions and what to watch out for on Any used lens and flash purchases. Take it for whatever you think it's worth.

12-14-2010, 06:59 PM	#14
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	$100 on junk, even if there's lots of it, is still junk. Put the $100 towards something you actually want, wouldn't that get you a 50mm 1.4 A lens? It's much better to have fewer high quality lenses, than a whole closet full of junk lenses.

12-14-2010, 08:39 PM	#15
clockwork247 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 360	Originally posted by twitch $100 on junk, even if there's lots of it, is still junk. Put the $100 towards something you actually want, wouldn't that get you a 50mm 1.4 A lens? It's much better to have fewer high quality lenses, than a whole closet full of junk lenses. i agree. none of the lens looks good to me (but that's personal opinion), if i was getting a kit with the 18-55 and 55-300 then all those would not be any use. the only thing i think people want to buy is fast prime and fast zoom (notice "fast) lol. what's the point of getting a bunch of slow zoom, might as well go with kit lens.