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S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4 Review RSS Feed

S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4

Sharpness 
 8.9
Aberrations 
 8.3
Bokeh 
 8.5
Handling 
 8.7
Value 
 9.1
Reviews Views Date of last review
42 281,109 Mon January 22, 2024
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $58.48 8.83
S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4

S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4
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S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4
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S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4
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Description:
This 200mm F4 lens had an automatic diaphragm and came in two variants. The Super-Multi-Coated variant has open-aperture metering. See the separate entries for the earlier F3.5 and F5.6 200mm lenses.

First image above:
Super-Takumar 200mm F4
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
M42
Aperture Ring
Yes
Diaphragm
Automatic, 6 blades
Optics
5 elements, 5 groups
Mount Variant
M42 Stop-down Pin
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F4
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
250 cm
Max. Magnification
Filter Size
58 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 8.2 ° / 6.9 °
Full frame: 12 ° / 10 °
Hood
Dedicated metal hood
Case
Lens Cap
Coating
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
64.5 x 136 mm
Weight
550 g
Production Years
1965 to 1971
Engraved Name
Super-Takumar 1:4/200
Product Code
376, 376000, 43760, 43761
Reviews
User reviews
Variants

1: Super Takuamr 200mm F4 (this lens)
2: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm F4



Second image above:
Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm F4
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
M42
Aperture Ring
Yes
Diaphragm
Automatic, 6 blades
Optics
5 elements, 5 groups
Mount Variant
M42 Open-aperture Metering
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F4
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
250 cm
Max. Magnification
Filter Size
58 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 8.2 ° / 6.9 °
Full frame: 12 ° / 10 °
Hood
Dedicated metal hood
Case
Lens Cap
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
64.5 x 136 mm
Weight
550 g
Production Years
1971 to 1975
Engraved Name
Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1:4/200
Product Code
43762
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Open aperture metering with Spotmatic F, ES and ESII
Variants
1: Super Takuamr 200mm F4
2: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm F4 (this lens)
Features:
Manual FocusAperture RingFull-Frame SupportAdapter needed for DSLRsDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Ascending) Showing Reviews 16-30 of 42
Site Supporter

Registered: January, 2007
Location: Toronto
Posts: 17,868

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 14, 2011 Recommended | Price: $90.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Sharpness, and coatings
Cons: Considerable minimum focal distance,
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 8    Value: 8   

I bought this lens more on a whim than any specific need. Lets just say that LBA got the better of me.

Having shot with it for about 4-5 months now on and off, I think I can make a reasonable assessment.

The lens does everything you would/should expect out of an SMC Takumar lens in terms of sharpness and image quality, even wide open, but I find that the minimum focal distance of 2.5 meters is a little on the long side compared to some other options I have available (Series 1 70-210F3.5)

Functionally, focusing is smooth over the 240 degree focus throw and the aperture stops are positive without being too firm.

One thing I did notice, and this will vary from user to user is that I find it close to the threshold for having my split image finder darkening out. The 1/2 stop difference between my other 200mm MF options, the Series 1 70-210/3.5 and my Takumar preset 200/3.5 is quite noticeable.

Lateral CA and longitudinal CA is quite comparable to other Taks of this era
   
New Member

Registered: June, 2011
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 31

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: May 15, 2012 Recommended | Price: $51.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, easy to focus, good colors, wel-constructed
Cons:
Sharpness: 10    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: Pentax K7   

I have the Super-Takumar version from eBay.

It is heavy, so requires a good tripod, and might not be convenient for street photography.

This lens feels very good, which is subjective, of course.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: December, 2009
Location: Ontario
Posts: 550

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: June 14, 2012 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Sharp
Cons: Heavy
Sharpness: 8    Bokeh: 7    Handling: 7    Value: 7    Camera Used: Pentax Km   

I have a Super Takumar 200mm F4 in which I purchased along with a Super Takumar 35mm F3.5 for $100.

I found this lens fairly heavy but solid in construction. It will most likely replace my Sigma APO 70-300mm for most trips as I find that at 200mm this lens is sharper than the Sigma at the equivalent focal length.

This is a solid performer and produces sharp and colourful images. I would definite recommend this for anyone looking for a longer length lens and want to keep the cost lower. Directly comparing the Sigma and this lens at 200mm this prime handles sharpness a lot better. The Sigma is a little bit slower also at F4.5 at 200mm compared to F4 for this lens.

Samples
(Non working links removed)
   
Site Supporter

Registered: August, 2012
Location: Queensland
Posts: 4,292

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 17, 2012 Recommended | Price: $15.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Beautifully made and a pleasure to hold
Cons: Nothing in context, except the close range is a bit limiting.
Sharpness: 9    Handling: 6    Value: 8    Camera Used: Pentax K5   

After putting this lens on my K5, I compared the results of a distant view out to an airport on the coast about 8 miles away. The other lenses were an M200 f4 and Pentax 'A' zoom 70-210 f4.
All the pictures over that distance have a scattered light haze, which is removed in one step in PhotoShopExpress. All the lenses performed very well, and the M42 gave nothing to the others. True it is heavier than the M200, but it feels so good to have that solid non plastic hunk in your hands, that it makes up for a little inconvenience.
Here is a link to the Tac 200 http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeomaster32/7806382484/

The A 70-210 F4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeomaster32/7348018952/

The M 200 F4 http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeomaster32/6935946724/

Arnold
   
Veteran Member

Registered: December, 2010
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Posts: 1,465

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 23, 2012 Recommended | Price: $60.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: sharp, thin DOF, smooth bokeh
Cons: just a little slow, a little heavy
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: Spotmatic, K-x, K-r   

I've had this SMC Takumar for 1 year, got it from a forum member. I had to take it apart because it was fungus ridden, but now it's free of problems. I didn't use it much, though, because I'm not that much of a tele shooter.
Optically, it's superb, even at f/4, although it has longitudinal color aberration (green in the background bokeh and magenta in the foreground). Its bokeh qualities are amazing, at almost any aperture.
I know people say that APS-C is better because you get longer reach with telephoto lenses, but honestly, I like the angle of view better on film.
And as usual, some photos to complement my review.
1.

IMGP7419-5 by kcobain1992, on Flickr
2.

27A_0064.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
3.

IMGP8934.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
4.

IMGP3113.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
5.

IMGP3612-2.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
6.

IMGP2653.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
7.

IMGP6197.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
   
Forum Member

Registered: September, 2012
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 72

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: October 14, 2012 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: build quality, longevity, feel, optics, price
Cons: minor, but size and weight are getting up there
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 9    Camera Used: K7   

Another ridiculously cheap beautifully made Takumar. I don't use this one as much as the 135, because it's a little more noticeable in size and weight to carry around. But when I use it, the results are excellent. I've also taken to fitting it with a 2x Teleconverter for astrophotography. At 600mm equivalent on a K7, I get reasonable pictures of Jupiter including the Galilean moons. Not bad for something older than me.

Paul
   
Junior Member

Registered: November, 2012
Location: East Coast, Canada
Posts: 26

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 4, 2012 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Sharp, Nice focus throw, Solid Construction
Cons: Little unbalanced when camera hanging around neck, some PF wide open

I got this lens used on eb@y. Nice lens on a dslr effectively making it a 300/4
This lens is quite sharp wide open but sharpens up nicely when stopped down to 5.6-8
It does however exhibit some purple fringing when shot in high contrast situations wide open. This is usually remedied by stopping down a click or two.
Overall a great medium telephoto and a great bargain on the second hand market.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: April, 2012
Location: Melbs
Posts: 1,237

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 16, 2012 Recommended | Price: $100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: It's longer then a 150mm
Cons: Probably getting to the limits of hand held fun, re weight.
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    Camera Used: K10D   

Firstly some heavily cropped images.


yeah yeah went a bit stupid with some plastic colours there. :P





I mean this is why you buy a long focal length prime yeah? The field of view is narrow, so forget about vistas and interesting scenes, unless of course you are 20km away..

Its a massive friendly big and heavy cropping tool. That's all it is. if a 100mm lens is double the magnification of a 50mm lens, and a 200mm is double the magnification of a 100, to keep this in perspective, things with this lens will appear on your sensor 3x as large then if you had used a 50mm.

Forget about crop factors and all that crap, it's not important. All you need to know is this lens will make things otherwise shot with a 50mm appear 3x as large on your sensor.

That is naturally cool because now you have a hope in giving that bird some decent real-estate on your sensor. By the time you further crop the image you might even have a subject to look at :P "see above"

Like every Tak I have ever laid fingers on, its beautiful to use and hold. CA and other crap seem about the same as the 150 f4 and 138mm f3.5 Taks I have played with.

FYI you can't adjust the man-auto switch whilst its not on a camera body :S I haven't worked out whats going on with the mount to prohibit that.. but if you are playing with it off the body and it doesn't move, don't fret!

This lens will be fun. Primes are fun.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2013
Posts: 1

10 users found this helpful
Review Date: May 1, 2013 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp, even in the corners, quality build
Cons: Heavy
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Handling: 7    Value: 10    Camera Used: Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL   

Lens reviewed: "Ashi Pentax" on lens cap; "Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1:4/200 4483330 Asahi Opt. Co., Japan"

I have only used this lens on film, having purchased it from a military PX in Germany around 1971. But I do hope to be using it soon on an APS-C digital sensor, Sony NEX-5N. On film most use has been with astrophotography. This type of image is a severe test of image sharpness, since a star should look like a point even on the edges and in the corners. By that measure this lens is tops, even wide open. I find little if any difference center to edge in shape of star images - they are perfectly round. Many lenses, even some very expensive ones, do not pass this test. Some lenses describes as a bit "soft" in the corners will show misshapen star images off center. Any lateral chromatic aberration in the reviewed lens is minimal. Coma is not apparent. I cannot comment on Bokeh, since my astronomical subjects have all been in focus. Judge this lens for yourself by examining the attached image (Comet Hale-Bopp, April 2, 1997, 200mm, f/4, 15 minute exposure). This lens is one of my prized possessions.

   
New Member

Registered: February, 2014
Posts: 14

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 18, 2014 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Very sharp, Incredible Bokeh
Cons: None that I can think of
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: K5-ii,Spotmatic   

Fantastic lens. I was incredibly fortunate to find one for $5 mint at a goodwill with lens hood and case. It is razor crisp with bokeh that I would put on par with the smc 50mm 1.4. With the right light this lens will do you wonders. The sample photos here were not shot in the greatest lighting circumstances but as you can see the photos are very lush.







   
New Member

Registered: July, 2013
Location: Ancona - Marche - Italy
Posts: 6

5 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 10, 2014 Recommended | Price: $120.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharpness, bokeh, metal build, grip, and easy to focusing
Cons: none for a manual lens
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    Camera Used: K-5   

I have the Super Takumar version and I really like this lens, is very sharp and without CA. Using it is a pleasure cause it is very handy and easy to focus, even with moving subjects. It is an ideal lens for the photographic hunting, but also for portraits. Only flaw a slight tendency to yellowish, that can be corrected easily in post production.

PENTAX K-5 + Super Takumar 200mm f4 @ f4



PENTAX K-5 + Super Takumar 200mm f4 @ f8



PENTAX K-5 + Super Takumar 200mm f4 @ f4



PENTAX K-5 + Super Takumar 200 f4 @ f4


The photos was resized to 600px... for more details see my Pentax Gellery: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/Toonik
   
Pentaxian

Registered: July, 2012
Posts: 928

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 12, 2014 Recommended | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros: A wonderfully well built lens, sharp and colourful, on film and earlier digital Pentax cameras
Cons: 8ft min. focus distance. Doesn't perform well on my K-3
Camera Used: K-3   

The lens designers at Takumar must have had some love affair with the 200mm as they produced four M42 screwmount lenses; the f3.5 (preset), f5.6 (preset) and the f4 (two variants).

My Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 200mm f4 is a serious piece of glass and metal. It's been in the family for 40 years. I know from looking at many film/Spotmatic photos that this lens is a really excellent performer, and the fantastically well engineered focus mechanism is a joy to use. We've got some wonderful family portraits and wildlife photos from it. The only two big drawbacks are its weight (as a walk around lens) and its 8 ft minimum focus distance.

The lens performed OK on my K20D. However, on the K-3 it loses its magic, and I think this is more to do with the camera/sensor than the lens. While this isn't the place to get into a debate about cameras/sensors, I'd say the lens shows up issues with the K-3's larger sensor and metering, rather than the sensor showing up the lens's age/limitations. The K-3 doesn't meter the lens properly; the new SR doesn't do its job at this length; the focusing guide is that not helpful; and the clean colours I see on film are digitalised in a rather contrived way, including more pronounced purple/colour fringing than I recall on film, or earlier digital cameras (even with a good long hood). Reviewers rating Aberrations as 9 or 10 below are not using a K-3.

The best way to use this lens with the K-3's larger sensor is to keep the lens securely stabilised, preferably with a tripod, and take over all the controls in manual.

Overall, I do recommend this lens because it its cheap enough to buy and play with on crop sensor digital cameras as a 300mm equivalent (with crop) prime. I'd rate the 200/4 as a 9 on film cameras - so try it with a film camera to see just how good it is.
   
Junior Member

Registered: August, 2014
Posts: 43

6 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 20, 2014 Recommended | Price: $50.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, Wide Open
Cons: focus
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 7    Value: 9    Camera Used: Pentax K-5   

Orion's Belt by stanzhou2013, on Flickr

201410250115_M42_600s_K5_Stacked_v1.jpg by stanzhou2013, on Flickr

Let photo say, the first one is takumar, second one is 50-200mm kit lens
   
Junior Member

Registered: May, 2014
Posts: 29

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 21, 2015 Recommended | Price: $150.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: availability, build quality, looks, sharpness
Cons: CA (for astronomical imaging)
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 9    Camera Used: K-3   

I like this lens, it;s just a great lens to have in one's kit bag. Can be a bit of a handful handheld but can reach p=out with surprising sharpness if focus is worked at.

http://www.mindburner.webspace.virginmedia.com/astroimages/images/M42%20widefield.png
   
New Member

Registered: March, 2012
Location: Berlin
Posts: 9

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: September 17, 2015 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros:
Cons:
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: Canon 5D   

I don't use this lens a lot but I love it. It's pretty huge, but not too bad for a 200mm. Its great to hold, as all Takumars. Its nice and sharp from ƒ4, has great colours. Flares a lot into the sun but also in a lovely warm way. The pictures that come out of it are just great. And the price these go for is crazy cheap. An excellent lens.
Add Review of S-M-C/Super Takumar 200mm F4



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