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petermorris · 08-08-2022, 06:41 AM

Recent new owner of a pristine 400mm f5.6 and a beautiful Spotmatic F (came with 1:1.8/55). Really happy with the Spotmatic F, can't wait to get my first roll developed.

Saturday I went out in the morning with the 400 mounted on my dad's old tripod to try it for the first time. It was a full-sun day, and my strategy was to focus with the lens wide open, then to

stop down until I got a good reading. I couldn't! It kept on reading as overexposed. Meter seems to function properly with the 55mm. But with the 400mm seemed to be reading as overexposed

even when stopped down all the way (I could barely see the needle!) I was shooting 400 ASA Fujicolor.

Does anyone have experience with this set up? Is there something basic that I'm missing?

Thanks, Peter

titrisol · 08-08-2022, 06:53 AM

In a sunny day you should be able to shoot 400film around 1/500 f/11

A few questions:
Is your lens Super-Multi-Coated? or is a Tele-Takumar?

What shutter speed were you trying?

Is the battery in the right polarity?
To test this, check indoors, and move the camera from a dark to a light zone (windows are good for this).
If the needle moves down when closer to light battery could be upside-down

petermorris · 08-08-2022, 07:31 AM

It's an SMC. I tried all speeds up to 1000 - still came up as overexposed. I'll give it another go after work today... Probably user error! I think the battery's polarity is correct, because it read correctly with the 55mm lens.

I will also try it with a mount adapter on one of my K cameras.

thanks, Peter

titrisol · 08-08-2022, 09:35 AM

If your lenses are SMC, then you shouldn't need to stop-down (dim the viewfinder) with the SP-F
Your lens should have a mechanism like the one shown below that allows shooting fully opened (I assume the 55mm does this) but I think the 400 doesn;t

SMC-Lenses-Mechanism
1. Diaphragm pin
2. Cam that passes aperture information to camera
3. Index point for the aperture system
4. Pin to prevent moving the Auto/Man lever

**TwoUptons** · 08-08-2022, 05:09 PM

The photos of all the 400mm f5.6 Takumars I've seen don't even show an aperture pin -- I think they are all "manual aperture" lenses, so no open-aperture focusing or open-aperture metering.

But all of them were labeled Tele-Takumars or Super-Multicoated-Takumars, not 'SMC Takumars'

So it will meter like any Takumar in "Man" mode.
How does the F deal with that if there's no aperture cam? (I gave my F to a Honeywell museum)...

-Eric

petermorris · 08-08-2022, 05:35 PM

Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied!

**TwoUptons** · 08-08-2022, 06:28 PM

Originally posted by petermorris

Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied!

It should work fine on a K camera without any damage.
I use my 300mm Tele-Takumar with no worries, and it has no pin, either...

Really, it should work fine on the F... you'll just need to meter some other way

I use an iPhone app...

-Eric

titrisol · 08-08-2022, 07:21 PM

Should work fine in a K-mount camera
Get a real Pentax adapter

Originally posted by petermorris

Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied!

petermorris · 08-16-2022, 08:53 AM

Follow up... Here's how my K-50 and the 400 Takumar play together (see photos)! I'll try a phone-based meter application for my film cameras.

petermorris · 08-19-2022, 07:41 AM - **1 Like**

UPDATE in case anyone finds this thread and is led astray...
On another thread, user Tonyzoc pointed out that indeed the stop-down metering button on the Spotmatic F does work with this lens:

Originally posted by tonyzoc

This is wrong. The stopped down lever on the left side of the body is specifically using lenses without pins in a stopped down metering mode. It's there to provide support for Super Takumar, Auto Takumar and Takumar lenses, none of which have aperture set pins. See pages 20-21 of the user manual which can be downloaded here...
https://www.butkus.org/chinon/pentax/pentax_spotmatic_f/pentax_spotmatic_f.htm

I thought that the button acted like the MX or LX's ability to stop down the lens by pressing inwards on the self-timer lever, which is not what it does at all. Instead, all I had to do was focus wide open, then push the switch up and decrease the aperture until the meter needle centers. Snap!

**tonyzoc** · 08-19-2022, 09:33 AM

Originally posted by petermorris

UPDATE in case anyone finds this thread and is led astray...
On another thread, user Tonyzoc pointed out that indeed the stop-down metering button on the Spotmatic F does work with this lens:

I thought that the button acted like the MX or LX's ability to stop down the lens by pressing inwards on the self-timer lever, which is not what it does at all. Instead, all I had to do was focus wide open, then push the switch up and decrease the aperture until the meter needle centers. Snap!

Well it does stop down the aperture, which is how spotmatics prior to the F metered. A little test of the metering you can do if you have both an SMC Takumar and Super Takumar is to meter with the SMC open aperture then switch lenses and meter the Super Tak stopped down. You should get the same reading. Sometimes they aren't exact...maybe 1/2 stop difference...and sometimes they're off by more...like 2 stops. If they aren't close its a body metering malfuntion.

Driline · 08-19-2022, 10:42 AM

Are you talking about the Pentax A 400mm F5.6?

**TwoUptons** · 08-19-2022, 12:01 PM

The OP has the Super-Tak M42 400mm f5.6

-Eric

**tonyzoc** · 08-19-2022, 05:08 PM

I think the 400 tele-Takumar and the S-M-C Takumar don't even have an auto diaphragm. Its manual. There's no pins, just thread.

titrisol · 08-20-2022, 07:53 AM

You are correct
The OP has learned that the SPF can do stop down metering by pressing the switch, problem solvd

Originally posted by tonyzoc

I think the 400 tele-Takumar and the S-M-C Takumar don't even have an auto diaphragm. Its manual. There's no pins, just thread.

08-08-2022, 06:41 AM	#1
petermorris New Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Way Upstate New York Posts: 13	Handling a Beast 400mm f5.6 on Spotmatic F Recent new owner of a pristine 400mm f5.6 and a beautiful Spotmatic F (came with 1:1.8/55). Really happy with the Spotmatic F, can't wait to get my first roll developed. Saturday I went out in the morning with the 400 mounted on my dad's old tripod to try it for the first time. It was a full-sun day, and my strategy was to focus with the lens wide open, then to stop down until I got a good reading. I couldn't! It kept on reading as overexposed. Meter seems to function properly with the 55mm. But with the 400mm seemed to be reading as overexposed even when stopped down all the way (I could barely see the needle!) I was shooting 400 ASA Fujicolor. Does anyone have experience with this set up? Is there something basic that I'm missing? Thanks, Peter

08-19-2022, 09:33 AM	#11
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 994	Originally posted by petermorris UPDATE in case anyone finds this thread and is led astray... On another thread, user Tonyzoc pointed out that indeed the stop-down metering button on the Spotmatic F does work with this lens: I thought that the button acted like the MX or LX's ability to stop down the lens by pressing inwards on the self-timer lever, which is not what it does at all. Instead, all I had to do was focus wide open, then push the switch up and decrease the aperture until the meter needle centers. Snap! Well it does stop down the aperture, which is how spotmatics prior to the F metered. A little test of the metering you can do if you have both an SMC Takumar and Super Takumar is to meter with the SMC open aperture then switch lenses and meter the Super Tak stopped down. You should get the same reading. Sometimes they aren't exact...maybe 1/2 stop difference...and sometimes they're off by more...like 2 stops. If they aren't close its a body metering malfuntion. Last edited by tonyzoc; 08-19-2022 at 05:02 PM.

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08-08-2022, 06:53 AM	#2
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	In a sunny day you should be able to shoot 400film around 1/500 f/11 A few questions: Is your lens Super-Multi-Coated? or is a Tele-Takumar? What shutter speed were you trying? Is the battery in the right polarity? To test this, check indoors, and move the camera from a dark to a light zone (windows are good for this). If the needle moves down when closer to light battery could be upside-down

08-08-2022, 07:31 AM	#3
petermorris New Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Way Upstate New York Posts: 13 Original Poster	It's an SMC. I tried all speeds up to 1000 - still came up as overexposed. I'll give it another go after work today... Probably user error! I think the battery's polarity is correct, because it read correctly with the 55mm lens. I will also try it with a mount adapter on one of my K cameras. thanks, Peter

08-08-2022, 09:35 AM	#4
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	If your lenses are SMC, then you shouldn't need to stop-down (dim the viewfinder) with the SP-F Your lens should have a mechanism like the one shown below that allows shooting fully opened (I assume the 55mm does this) but I think the 400 doesn;t SMC-Lenses-Mechanism 1. Diaphragm pin 2. Cam that passes aperture information to camera 3. Index point for the aperture system 4. Pin to prevent moving the Auto/Man lever

08-08-2022, 05:09 PM	#5
TwoUptons Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,227	The photos of all the 400mm f5.6 Takumars I've seen don't even show an aperture pin -- I think they are all "manual aperture" lenses, so no open-aperture focusing or open-aperture metering. But all of them were labeled Tele-Takumars or Super-Multicoated-Takumars, not 'SMC Takumars' So it will meter like any Takumar in "Man" mode. How does the F deal with that if there's no aperture cam? (I gave my F to a Honeywell museum)... -Eric

08-08-2022, 05:35 PM	#6
petermorris New Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Way Upstate New York Posts: 13 Original Poster	Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied!

08-08-2022, 06:28 PM	#7
TwoUptons Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,227	Originally posted by petermorris Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied! It should work fine on a K camera without any damage. I use my 300mm Tele-Takumar with no worries, and it has no pin, either... Really, it should work fine on the F... you'll just need to meter some other way I use an iPhone app... -Eric

08-08-2022, 07:21 PM	#8
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	Should work fine in a K-mount camera Get a real Pentax adapter Originally posted by petermorris Drumroll..... The F's meter pin jumps to the roof! That's the issue. The body without a lens will do this, which is what I suppose it thinks is happening. So for all practical purposes, this lens doesn't play well with this camera. Now I've got a Spotmatic F with a 55 prime! I'll have to see about mounting this behemoth to one of my K cameras, although I'm scared to ruin the mount on either the lens or the cameras! Thanks all who replied!

08-19-2022, 07:41 AM - 1 Like	#10
petermorris New Member Join Date: Jul 2022 Location: Way Upstate New York Posts: 13 Original Poster	UPDATE in case anyone finds this thread and is led astray... On another thread, user Tonyzoc pointed out that indeed the stop-down metering button on the Spotmatic F does work with this lens: Originally posted by tonyzoc This is wrong. The stopped down lever on the left side of the body is specifically using lenses without pins in a stopped down metering mode. It's there to provide support for Super Takumar, Auto Takumar and Takumar lenses, none of which have aperture set pins. See pages 20-21 of the user manual which can be downloaded here... https://www.butkus.org/chinon/pentax/pentax_spotmatic_f/pentax_spotmatic_f.htm I thought that the button acted like the MX or LX's ability to stop down the lens by pressing inwards on the self-timer lever, which is not what it does at all. Instead, all I had to do was focus wide open, then push the switch up and decrease the aperture until the meter needle centers. Snap!

08-19-2022, 10:42 AM	#12
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,708	Are you talking about the Pentax A 400mm F5.6?

08-19-2022, 12:01 PM	#13
TwoUptons Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,227	The OP has the Super-Tak M42 400mm f5.6 -Eric

08-19-2022, 05:08 PM	#14
tonyzoc Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 994	I think the 400 tele-Takumar and the S-M-C Takumar don't even have an auto diaphragm. Its manual. There's no pins, just thread.

08-20-2022, 07:53 AM	#15
titrisol Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,854	You are correct The OP has learned that the SPF can do stop down metering by pressing the switch, problem solvd Originally posted by tonyzoc I think the 400 tele-Takumar and the S-M-C Takumar don't even have an auto diaphragm. Its manual. There's no pins, just thread.

Handling a Beast 400mm f5.6 on Spotmatic F

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