To SMC or not

**Lowell Goudge** · 08-23-2008, 06:53 PM

I guess the question is what body you intend to use.

If it is a screw mount you are limited, if K mount then there are a lot of questions.

Do you want only stop down metering, or full apature.

I have a KX and would go for K mount, and probably SMC.

In fact, I have 24 f2.5 (tamron), 50 f1.4, 100 mm F4 macro (M), 105mm f2.8, 135mm f2.5 300mm F4 and 400mm F5.6 (Vivitar)

All are pentax except 24 and 400, all are multi coated. They were lots of fun with film and used the 135 today on my *istD.

Mike Cash · 08-23-2008, 06:59 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

I guess the question is what body you intend to use.

If it is a screw mount you are limited, if K mount then there are a lot of questions.

First sentence of the thread: "I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks."

It's why we've been discussing Takumars for the whole thread.

**Lowell Goudge** · 08-23-2008, 07:20 PM

Originally posted by Mike Cash

First sentence of the thread: "I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks."

It's why we've been discussing Takumars for the whole thread.

OOPS!

Missed that because there are K mount taks also, At least in a store close to me.

ryno · 08-23-2008, 07:46 PM

I like the period correct theory. But with my spot II, both are an option. According to Screwmount The spot II, ES and SMC lenses all came out in 1971. But the spot II cant use open aperture metering. Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks.
Ryan

Mike Cash · 08-23-2008, 08:11 PM

Originally posted by ryno

Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks.
Ryan

You're looking at it all wrong.

You use the unused extra feature to justify picking up one of the bodies that does use them.

zx-m · 08-24-2008, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by ryno

Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks.
Ryan

I could not agree more, and I do not think your "pet peeve" is weird. In today's society, it is certainly unusual, but it is not weird. Simply put: it makes sense. Living in the modern world, we are constantly being bombarded with things we do not need. I gather this is the case because we live in a quantity-over-quality, more-is-better society.

Glen

Nesster · 08-24-2008, 02:33 PM

Glen, wouldn't that mean... that.... wait.... more than a camera or two and at most a handful of lenses should be enough... and... anything more... makes us...

**Canada_Rockies** · 08-24-2008, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by ryno

I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks. Since It's just for fun, I'm leaning towards the cheaper super taks. It will probably be a 28mm, 55mm, and 135mm setup. I'm doing it for a little nostalgia, my first kit 15 years ago was a ME super with M series lenses 28, 50, and 135mm that I stole from my dad.
Thanks, Ryan

You can choose Takumar manual, Takumar preset, Super Takumar, the latter with or without Super-Multi-Coating, S-M-C, S.M.C. or SMC. The advantage of lenses with the smc, however engraved, shows when shooting with bright light sources in the field of view. With the sun at your back, and no mirror in front, the difference is minimal.

On the other hand, some like the look of the less coated, or even uncoated lens, the original soft focus effect. Ben Kanarek even claimed in a recent post to have converted to Holga cameras, which are no doubt the most unfocused lenses available. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/34688-news-flash-revisited.html

zx-m · 08-25-2008, 06:40 AM

Good point, Nesster

I think I make good use of what I have, though, as nothing seems to collect dust.

Glen

Nesster · 08-25-2008, 06:51 AM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

You can choose Takumar manual, Takumar preset, Super Takumar, the latter with or without Super-Multi-Coating, S-M-C, S.M.C. or SMC. The advantage of lenses with the smc, however engraved, shows when shooting with bright light sources in the field of view. With the sun at your back, and no mirror in front, the difference is minimal.

On the other hand, some like the look of the less coated, or even uncoated lens, the original soft focus effect.

More than coatings come into play however. I have a torture test that I did a while back, and will someday repeat: we have a Sony shortwave radio on a windowsill, with a window screen a couple of inches behind it. Heavy backlight and OOF screen. In my earlier testing, the better lenses were the 43 and the 55... the two 50's just fell apart.

Now some of this has to do with the interaction of relative distances and the focal length of the lens.

In general, the statement that better coatings result in technically better photographs is true.

The effect of uncoated or single coated lenses isn't precisely soft focus, to my eyes anyway. Rather there is a bloom to light - a sort of haze flare - that is highly esteemed by many. A good effect to understand and use when one wants to. (Many Leica lenses cost a ton of money, used, due to this haze effect.)

My position continues to be: Pentax did us all a favor by having the same/similar lens in Auto, Super, and SMC versions, as we can now justify having multiples!

Nesster · 08-25-2008, 10:59 AM

here's an interesting article from the ahoc site

Flare control

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08-23-2008, 06:53 PM	#16
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	I guess the question is what body you intend to use. If it is a screw mount you are limited, if K mount then there are a lot of questions. Do you want only stop down metering, or full apature. I have a KX and would go for K mount, and probably SMC. In fact, I have 24 f2.5 (tamron), 50 f1.4, 100 mm F4 macro (M), 105mm f2.8, 135mm f2.5 300mm F4 and 400mm F5.6 (Vivitar) All are pentax except 24 and 400, all are multi coated. They were lots of fun with film and used the 135 today on my *istD.

08-23-2008, 06:59 PM	#17
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge I guess the question is what body you intend to use. If it is a screw mount you are limited, if K mount then there are a lot of questions. First sentence of the thread: "I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks." It's why we've been discussing Takumars for the whole thread.

08-23-2008, 07:20 PM	#18
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	Originally posted by Mike Cash First sentence of the thread: "I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks." It's why we've been discussing Takumars for the whole thread. OOPS! Missed that because there are K mount taks also, At least in a store close to me.

08-23-2008, 07:46 PM	#19
ryno Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 220 Original Poster	I like the period correct theory. But with my spot II, both are an option. According to Screwmount The spot II, ES and SMC lenses all came out in 1971. But the spot II cant use open aperture metering. Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks. Ryan

08-23-2008, 08:11 PM	#20
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by ryno Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks. Ryan You're looking at it all wrong. You use the unused extra feature to justify picking up one of the bodies that does use them.

08-24-2008, 01:44 PM	#21
zx-m Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 376	Originally posted by ryno Since one of my weird pet peeves is that I hate to have features I don't use, I'm going with super taks. Ryan I could not agree more, and I do not think your "pet peeve" is weird. In today's society, it is certainly unusual, but it is not weird. Simply put: it makes sense. Living in the modern world, we are constantly being bombarded with things we do not need. I gather this is the case because we live in a quantity-over-quality, more-is-better society. Glen

08-24-2008, 02:33 PM	#22
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Glen, wouldn't that mean... that.... wait.... more than a camera or two and at most a handful of lenses should be enough... and... anything more... makes us...

08-24-2008, 08:44 PM	#23
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by ryno I'm going to get a few tak lenses for a small film kit and am wondering if I should get the SMC lenses or the super taks. Since It's just for fun, I'm leaning towards the cheaper super taks. It will probably be a 28mm, 55mm, and 135mm setup. I'm doing it for a little nostalgia, my first kit 15 years ago was a ME super with M series lenses 28, 50, and 135mm that I stole from my dad. Thanks, Ryan You can choose Takumar manual, Takumar preset, Super Takumar, the latter with or without Super-Multi-Coating, S-M-C, S.M.C. or SMC. The advantage of lenses with the smc, however engraved, shows when shooting with bright light sources in the field of view. With the sun at your back, and no mirror in front, the difference is minimal. On the other hand, some like the look of the less coated, or even uncoated lens, the original soft focus effect. Ben Kanarek even claimed in a recent post to have converted to Holga cameras, which are no doubt the most unfocused lenses available. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/34688-news-flash-revisited.html

08-25-2008, 06:40 AM	#24
zx-m Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 376	Good point, Nesster I think I make good use of what I have, though, as nothing seems to collect dust. Glen

08-25-2008, 06:51 AM	#25
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies You can choose Takumar manual, Takumar preset, Super Takumar, the latter with or without Super-Multi-Coating, S-M-C, S.M.C. or SMC. The advantage of lenses with the smc, however engraved, shows when shooting with bright light sources in the field of view. With the sun at your back, and no mirror in front, the difference is minimal. On the other hand, some like the look of the less coated, or even uncoated lens, the original soft focus effect. More than coatings come into play however. I have a torture test that I did a while back, and will someday repeat: we have a Sony shortwave radio on a windowsill, with a window screen a couple of inches behind it. Heavy backlight and OOF screen. In my earlier testing, the better lenses were the 43 and the 55... the two 50's just fell apart. Now some of this has to do with the interaction of relative distances and the focal length of the lens. In general, the statement that better coatings result in technically better photographs is true. The effect of uncoated or single coated lenses isn't precisely soft focus, to my eyes anyway. Rather there is a bloom to light - a sort of haze flare - that is highly esteemed by many. A good effect to understand and use when one wants to. (Many Leica lenses cost a ton of money, used, due to this haze effect.) My position continues to be: Pentax did us all a favor by having the same/similar lens in Auto, Super, and SMC versions, as we can now justify having multiples!

08-25-2008, 10:59 AM	#26
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	here's an interesting article from the ahoc site Flare control