[Mr. Mike]

Dumped that dog of a lens a long time ago, but still get lots of use out of the camera

[Nesster]

Ah, the chislelled look, like Volvos of the era

[stevebrot]

Dumped that dog of a lens a long time ago, but still get lots of use out of the camera

Beautiful product shot. Tell me, what is the camera model?

Steve

[Peter Zack]

P3n I believe. It is a nice shot.

[woof]

Very clean 1957 Asahi Pentax "AP" with Takumar f/2 58mm.

This is a very clean example of a camera of which only 19,546 units were ever made, all in the year 1957. This makes this the second rarest production Pentax pentaprism camera out there. The real centerpiece to this portrait however is the lens. There were three standard lenses for this camera. This one is a Takumar f/2 58mm; it was the fastest and by far rarest standard lens for this body. Unlike all later types which were Gaussian without exception, this is a Sonnar type (6 elements/ 4 groups, the second groups being a cemented triplet). This was also the first Pentax lens with an infrared marker. The focusing scale was either "meters" or "feet" according to market, never both. (Mine is in meters). One must be careful with the alloy threads on these...

In the end the 58mm Sonnar design was an evolutionary dead-end, and Pentax adopted the Gaussian design as the best starting point for developing faster apertures like the f/1.8 and later the f/1.4. (For early efforts in that direction please see my portrait of the 1958 "K" in this thread, above).

Collecting is an addiction and a curse at times. It's like they stick to your fingers whenever you even look at them. No sooner did I sell a mechanically perfect and cosmetically very clean Pentax "AP" with the much more common f/2.2 55mm lens, than this opportunity came along. I bought this one for a song relatively speaking and was quite lucky in doing so. I really ought to sell it, but I just don't know... Dad gave me my very first Asahi Pentax "AP" in 1975. I honestly think sometimes that he is still giving me cameras. The original one Dad gave me is now going in for repairs on the strength of the proceeds from the sale of the other... Such a deal...

Thanks for looking.

woof!

[Finn]

It's not the size that counts -- it's how you use it.

Gotta love that kid leather from Morgan Sparks...

[architorture]

not rare, or new to this thread, but its what i got:

[Nick_b]

My P30

[séamuis]

the more I loook at that P30 the more I like it, and ive never liked the P series... hmm I might have to pick one up for myself. I don't have any portraits on hand and ive been following this thread, I might just take a photo of my work horse MX.

[titrisol]

it is called nostalgia
the same reason why people think ugly cars from the past now look cool

[séamuis]

I don't know about that, and what ugly cars exactly? I think most modern cars are plain, boring in a lot of ways ugly among many other things....

[woof]

This is a Pentax S3. I got tired of submitting static photos of my cameras, so I tried to generate a little interest by putting some period accessories around it.

This camera was sold abroad as the S3 and in the US it was sold as a Honeywell Pentax H3. They are, of course the same camera. The camera is essentially the same as the H2 [1959], but has a fully automatic diaphragm requiring no cocking of the aperture to full aperture after exposure. cf: Keppler, 1966. This is to say that this camera pointed the way from the Auto-Takumars which were actually semi-automatic lenses to the Super Takumars which were fully automatic.

The lens, again, is something of a centerpiece. It is an "Auto-Takumar" f/1.8 55mm. While it is badged an Auto-Takumar it is in truth and in fact, a fully automatic lens complete with the Manual/Auto switch. Except for the quirk that the f/stop ring turns large aperture to small aperture in an anti-clockwise versus clockwise direction, this lens IS a Super-Takumar f/1.8 55mm. As usual, I've pictured a somewht rare variant. Mine has dots between the full stops to mark the half stops. Later more common versions of this lens are plain. There are other differences in the way the lens has been screened and I will be happy to discuss this further with anyone who is interested in such minutia. I have seen others like this one, and they all bear very early serial numbers. Basically this is a nice older version of the Auto-Takumar f/1.8 55mm, the first of the Super Takumar line of lenses.

What I like about this camera is that as a bridge, it is correct to use both Auto-Takumars and Super Takumars on it. This camera, together with my H2 are quickly becoming my favorite early bodies for "daily" users.

I tired a little of picturing my cameras in a static fashion, so this one is surrounded by a number of other Pentax lenses. Since this was a transitional model, it is surrounded by the older generation of lenses, many of which survived and were carried into the Super Takumar line. Every one of these lenses is an Auto Takumar with the cocking device for opening the aperture to the fully open position for "bright field focusing."

Clockwise, from the upper left, pictured are:

Auto Takumar 135mm f/3.5, introduced in 1960. This lens continued in production as a Super Takumar until 1965 and has 4 elements in 4 groups (one rear element less).

Auto Takumar 105mm f/2.8, introduced in 1959. This lens was developed out of the 3.5/135 and was short-lived. It was replaced in 1962 by the Super-Takumar 5-elements/ 4-groups design.

Auto Takumar 35mm f/2.3, introduced in 1959. The first "Auto Takumar" non-standard lens, and the first fast SLR wideangle "reporter lens" which gave Pentax a clear advantage. Replaced in 1963 by a Super-Takumar 2.0/35. One of the nicest lenses of the early period, well made and not heavyweight.

Auto Takumar 55mm f/2, introduced in 1958. Sold with S2/H2 cameras as the standard lens.

Auto Takumar 35mm f/3.5, introduced in 1959. Went into production one year after the 2.3/35 and replaced the older preset f/4 35mm lens. This was a big seller. This lens continued on in a basically unchanged form optically until 1979 (K-Bayonet). It is a very sharp and contrasty lens, very compact, and was low-priced. This was also the lens which created the typical Pentax "focusing scale window".

Also pictured are my period Sekonic light meter and a very fine period leather camera bag. Thanks for looking.

Much of the material found herein is adapted and copied specifically from the following sources:

Early Pentax Takumar Lenses
History of Early Pentax

[séamuis]

that is a lovely photo Woof, I really like this one. I also really like that big satin chrome lens cap with the AOco. logo! mmmmmm... oh how I wish they made cameras and lenses like this today.... what a shame.

[skid2964]

Beautiful product shot. Tell me, what is the camera model?
Steve

It's a P30t, I have one and love it. They can be had cheap to! Got mine from eBay, mint condition $30 with a lens.

the more I loook at that P30 the more I like it, and ive never liked the P series... hmm I might have to pick one up for myself. I don't have any portraits on hand and ive been following this thread, I might just take a photo of my work horse MX.

I will post a pic of mine soon also.

[woof]

that is a lovely photo Woof, I really like this one. I also really like that big satin chrome lens cap with the AOco. logo! mmmmmm... oh how I wish they made cameras and lenses like this today.... what a shame.

Thank you very much Séamuis. Though I wanted a very shallow depth of field to make it kind of dreamy and nostalgic, I was quite lucky I got the shot at all. Other details aside, it was taken at f/2.8, 1/6th of a second, hand held. Heh.

Thanks again, and post up your MX. I've been reading about that camera. It's on my hit list now.

woof!