[huxley75]

I have an ME Super that my father-in-law gave me a couple Christmases ago but I've never done serious research into what the lenses that came with the camera can do. I did some searching on this site to try and find out more but, other than a couple lenses, haven't found out too much information. Would y'all mind letting me know what have I got and how best to use it? Thanks!

Lenses:
Pentax M 1:1.7 50mm
Pentax M 1:1.4 50mmTiffen Sky 1-A 49mm
JC Penney 1:3.5f=80-200mm
JC Penney Auto 2x Tele-Converter
Gemini MC Auto 1:2.8 f=28mm

Filters:
Hoya 67mm Skylight (1B)
Tiffen 499mm Sky 1-A

Flash:
Pentax AF200S

[grey goat]

Welcome to the forum, huxley75!
I've never used an ME Super, but you can find out more details about the camera--including user comments--in the camera review section of the forum; here's the link to the ME Super page:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-manual-focus-film-slr-reviews/6122...-me-super.html

The two Pentax lenses you have, the M50/1.7 and the M50/1.4, are both highly regarded "standard" or "normal" lenses. I've got one of each of those, and they really are great lenses.

The nice thing about them (and your other lenses, too) is that you can use them not only on the ME Super, but also on a Pentax DSLR if you decide to buy one. I find them very useful in the digital world.

You can find comments and ratings for the two Pentax lenses in the lens category of the forum, and there's also a section for lenses made by other manufacturers.

Hope this helps a bit. Some other folks might be able to comment more directly on the JC Penny zoom and the Gemini 28mm.

Enjoy the forum!

[hangu]

I have an ME Super that my father-in-law gave me a couple Christmases ago but I've never done serious research into what the lenses that came with the camera can do. I did some searching on this site to try and find out more but, other than a couple lenses, haven't found out too much information. Would y'all mind letting me know what have I got and how best to use it? Thanks!
Lenses:
Pentax M 1:1.7 50mm
Pentax M 1:1.4 50mmTiffen Sky 1-A 49mm
JC Penney 1:3.5f=80-200mm
JC Penney Auto 2x Tele-Converter
Gemini MC Auto 1:2.8 f=28mm
Filters:
Hoya 67mm Skylight (1B)
Tiffen 499mm Sky 1-A
Flash:
Pentax AF200S

These can all be found in the review section with the exception of perhaps JCPenney and Gemini. I haven't been a fan of JC Penney lenses, the name weirds me out a bit and images were not sharp. However the f3.5 80-200mm seems like a nice fast lens if the aperture keeps at 200mm. You should try it out and give us your verdict. I think JC Penney commissioned some Japanese companies to make the lenses sold through their catalog, so some are decent, some are not.

The 1.7 is sharper than the 1.4 but the 1.4 has better bokeh and is faster. The 1.7 can be sold for $50 or so, 1.4 can be sold for ~$100. I think the two pentax lenses are the best in the batch. I'd consider selling the 1.7 to fund another lens.

The Gemini 28mm looks very much like the Komine version. If the optics are the same then it should be a decent lens.

If you're not using the Hoya 67mm Skylight (1B), let me know and I'll be happy to buy it at a good price.

[privateryan]

I have a JcPenny 28mm 2.8. Technically its doorstop material, odd bokeh, really soft. But if you know how to use it, it can produce wonderfully ethereal pictures. I wouldn't buy it again though, since i found it at the thrift store for 3$

[huxley75]

What would you recommend I get to replace the JC Penney 1:3.5f=80-200mm lens? Since the 49mm and 50mm are prime lenses, what should I get as a good, all-around lens for general use?

What do the filters do? Where and when should I use them? They're both just standard UV protection, correct?

[privateryan]

I can't really make any recommedations as I don't know how much you're willing to spend and I'm not much of a zoom guy. I would recommend going to the lens review database here at pentaxforums and reading up on the zooms containing the specific focal lengths you're wanting.

Since the 49mm and 50mm are prime lenses,

when you say 49mm I can assume you mean the 50mm 1.4 with 49mm filter attached. These are Skylight filters used for giving photo's a slightly warmer tone. And yes they do absorb UV rays. see this link for more info on filters.

[huxley75]

I guess I'm not really sure what I need/want. I'm just an amateur photographer and starting out. I have a DSLR (Nikon D60) but I really enjoy film so I'd like to put together a relatively good (and cheap?) set of lenses for the ME Super. Most of my shooting is done outdoors. You can see a gallery of my photos here: huxley75's Gallery

[Just1MoreDave]

What would you recommend I get to replace the JC Penney 1:3.5f=80-200mm lens? Since the 49mm and 50mm are prime lenses, what should I get as a good, all-around lens for general use?

It's hard to tell whether the JC Penney lens is bad enough to immediately replace. Someone made it for them, and that maker might have done a decent job. Tokina made a huge zoom with those specs for Soligor which was pretty good. If you find a reason to hate it, here are some ideas:

Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f3.5 Macro - the serial number should start with 22, though some people like the 37xxxxxx ones.
SMC Pentax-A 70-210mm f4 - this will be more expensive because it is more useful on Pentax DSLRs, though the extra features do nothing for you on your film camera. It's more compact than the Vivitar. It might be useful when you upgrade your DSLR to Pentax.

There are a lot of zooms in the 35-70 or 28-80 range that were intended to replace the 50mm standard lenses. None of them are that fast. I have an SMC Pentax-A 35-70mm f4 that I really like the construction of. On my film camera I used a Sigma 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 Zoommaster something, without noticing any problems with it. Since switching to digital, I tend to ignore zooms in this range, so I have no other suggestions.

[dt54]

I know this is an old thread, but I just found it because I picked up an old camera kit on ebay and it contained a copy of exactly this lens. Its optical specs are identical to the Makinon 80-200 f/3.5 lens that one user on this forum reviewed very favorably in the lens review forum. (Wow, look at that butterfly photo!!)

Makinon 80-200 F3.5 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Same multi-coated optics, same constant f/3.5, same 67mm filter thread, same 1:2.55 macro. The only difference seems to be that the Makinon pictured in the lens review looks like a one touch design, while the JCPenney lens is two-touch. It fits right on my digital camera, no chopping needed (unlike some Vivitars I picked up with another kit). I look forward to trying this one out.

[huxley75]

The JC Penney 1:3.5f=80-200mm lens is the one that I probably use the least. The pictures seem to come out a bit hazy and grainy and don't have the clarity of the other lenses. Like privateryan said, it produces some odd shots.