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07-10-2019, 01:34 PM   #1
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Pentax Asahi

I'm going to ask a stupid question here... I have had a photographer tell me that he uses the Asahi Lenses on his Pentax K1000. And that the Asahi lenses are the best K mount lenses to use. I have three different K mount lenses. I have one of them with me, with is the 50mm f/2. It does not say Asahi on it, it says SMC Pentax-A. I know that Asahi and Pentax are interchangeable when it comes to the K1000. Some models say "Asahi" and others don't. My K1000 does not have the Asahai name on it anywhere. So I'm trying to understand, did Asahi produce all of the Pentax SMC lenses, or are they different?

07-10-2019, 02:02 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by craveone Quote
I'm going to ask a stupid question here... I have had a photographer tell me that he uses the Asahi Lenses on his Pentax K1000. And that the Asahi lenses are the best K mount lenses to use. I have three different K mount lenses. I have one of them with me, with is the 50mm f/2. It does not say Asahi on it, it says SMC Pentax-A. I know that Asahi and Pentax are interchangeable when it comes to the K1000. Some models say "Asahi" and others don't. My K1000 does not have the Asahai name on it anywhere. So I'm trying to understand, did Asahi produce all of the Pentax SMC lenses, or are they different?
Pentax dropped the "ASAHI" name on their cameras/lenses at the end of 1976. So after that it was just SMC Pentax.

Phil.
07-10-2019, 02:04 PM   #3
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So he is just referring to Pentax K mount lenses in general for the K1000...
07-10-2019, 02:08 PM - 2 Likes   #4
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Asahi Optical Company launched the Pentax name in 1957 with their first pentaprism 35mm camera. The lenses, also made by Asahi were known as Takumar, named after the designer. From 1957 to 1975, Asahi produced Pentax cameras and matching Takumar lenses. Then in 1975, Asahi launched the K bayonet mount in a range of 3 Pentax cameras, the K2, KM and KX, the latter two being direct developments of the last screw-thread Pentax body, the Spotmatic F. With the change to bayonet, Asahi decided to rename the lenses from SMC Takumar to SMC Pentax, but of course still made by Asahi. The K1000 followed on from the KM, being identical except that it had no self timer or stop down button, and the earlier made-in-Japan versions had the AOCO logo on the front of the pentaprism. Later versions of the K1000 made outside Japan lost the logo, and yours must be one of these. Your SMC Pentax-A was therefore absolutely made by Asahi! The A denotes the third iteration of the SMC Pentax series with an auto setting on the aperture ring.

07-10-2019, 02:10 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by craveone Quote
So he is just referring to Pentax K mount lenses in general for the K1000...
Correct, any manual focus K mount lens.

Phil.
07-10-2019, 02:59 PM   #6
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Though there are tons of K mount compatible lenses that Pentax/Asahi did not make...

Some of those are very good. Others, less so

I’d suggest browsing through the ‘third party lens reviews’ for hints on those.

Of course, all the real Pentax lenses are listed there as well.

-Eric
07-10-2019, 03:54 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by craveone Quote
I have had a photographer tell me that he uses the Asahi Lenses on his Pentax K1000.
QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
Correct, any manual focus K mount lens.
Could it be that the photographer has a preference for the K-mount lenses that bear the "Asahi Opt. Co." marking -- which include the SMC Pentax 'K' series and the Pentax-M series?


- Craig

07-10-2019, 04:28 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by c.a.m Quote
Could it be that the photographer has a preference for the K-mount lenses that bear the "Asahi Opt. Co." marking -- which include the SMC Pentax 'K' series and the Pentax-M series?


- Craig
Yep for sure.

Phil.
07-11-2019, 06:32 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by craveone Quote
I have had a photographer tell me that he uses the Asahi Lenses on his Pentax K1000. And that the Asahi lenses are the best K mount lenses to use.
I'm guessing, but I suspect your friend just means K-mount lenses made by Pentax, as opposed to K-mount lenses made by third-party manufacturers (eg. Cosina, Vivitar, Ricoh etc.).

So yes, in that sense your SMC Pentax-A 50/f2 is an 'Asahi' Pentax lens.

---------- Post added 07-12-19 at 11:33 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by gofour3 Quote
Correct, any manual focus K mount lens.

Phil.
Not to be pedantic, but there's lots of manual focus K mount lenses that are not Pentax.
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