| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 8,093 | | Review Date: March 27, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $225.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fast lens for everyday use. | | Cons: | Does not have a great minimum focusing distance. | | Camera Used: 6x7, 67 and 67II
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The 105/2.4 was one of the original lenses when Pentax introduced the 6x7 system in 1969. I have the third and last 1989 version (67 105/2.4) and it has the same optics as its predecessors and the full SMC coatings. This last version is also 38 grams lighter than the other two.
Usage:
The 105/2.4 is the longer and faster of the two Pentax 6x7 “normal” lenses. However I prefer the wider 90mm focal length over 105mm, as I find it a bit more useful. I like the 105/2.4 for low light/night shooting, landscape and some portrait work.
CLOSE-UP WORK: The 105/2.4 does not have a very good minimum focusing distance (1 meter or 39.37 inches ), so you need to use a close-up filter or extension to reduce it. The 67mm S82 close-up filter gives you magnification up to 0.27x, with a focusing distance of 0.6 to 1 meters. The No. 1 Auto Extension tube gives you about the same mannification/focusing distance as the S82 filter, though with a x1.6 exposure factor light loss.
MACRO WORK: The 105/2.4 works well reversed with the 67mm adaptor, for magnification over 1x. Though the 90/2.8 will give you more magnification using the same extension tubes or bellows setting.
FILTER: The 67 105/2.4 uses 67mm screw in filters, or Pentax 6x7 67mm bayonet filters.
CASE: The 67 105/2.4 comes with the S90-100 soft case.
HOOD: The 67 105/2.4 uses a plastic clip-on PH-SB67 hood.
Summary:
The 67 105/2.4 is another must have lens for the Pentax 6x7 system and different enough from the 90mm focal length to justify owning both.
Price: I found my 67 105/2.4 on eBay and it cost $225.00. It was in EX+ condition, I purchased the hood and case separately.
Sample shots taken with the 67 105/2.4. Photos are medium resolution Lab scans from original slides and negatives.
Camera: 67 Film: Fuji Provia 400X ISO: 400
Camera: 67 Film: Kodak T-Max 100 ISO: 100
Camera: 67II Film: Fuji Provia 400X ISO: 400
Triple exposure using S82 close-up filter
 | | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: January, 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 6,622
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 13, 2014 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | IQ, solid contruction | | Cons: | Quite soft until you stop down a bit | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: 645D
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Reviewing the ca. 1989 S-M-C Pentax version of the lens
i bought this to use on my 645D and so far impressed with its performance. It fills the gap between my A75 and A120 Macro just perfectly. Creamy wide open bokeh. Recommended.
Here are my shots with the lens: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeoria/albums/72157663635018471
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UPDATE: I have since sold it (and the A75) to get the DFA 90/2.8 macro which has much better sharpness but costs many times more $$.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437 | | Review Date: December 31, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $117.97
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very bright, Extremely Sharp, Light, Suitable for 35mm | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 6X7 MLU
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Everything I would say about this lens has been said already. It's super sharp, very bright, and the DoF wide open is razor thin. This is a great portrait lens and, if this is your goal, can yield some very "3-D"-looking photos. The background melts away into a uniform blur very quickly. I suspect that, with some extension tubes, this could be a solid macro lens, too.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Hamburg Posts: 267 | | Review Date: October 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | lovely bokeh, fast, very sharp, solid | | Cons: | closest focusing distance like half a metre, focusing can be a struggle wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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My first 67 lens (latest version). I love it. Solid & fast with a lovely bokeh. The two things that annoy me a bit are: it gives you a hard time focusing correctly when you shoot wide open, even with a split-image screen. And the closest focusing distance feels like half a metre (it probably is). I often use my 100mm macro instead then. Nevertheless, a stunning inexpensive lens. Even suitable for the 645D.
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 102 | | Review Date: June 10, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
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Got one of the older versions with the yellowed rear element (SN 54xxxxx). The cost of the lens and a 6X7 to K mount adapter and a plastic tulip hood was right at $100 (all from different auction sellers).
After making a fluorescent exposure box and soaking the rear element for about two weeks it is now clear (clear enough). Compared to my other cheap lenses this is one sharp piece of glass. A little 'long' on an APS-C for portraits but workable. With a short K mount extension ring even works great 'close focus'. The camera (K-r), adapter(with tripod mount), 105, and lens hood are almost a perfect balance either hand held or on a tripod.
So, IMHO, even the older yellowed ones still have life in them.
Looks much cooler than a kit lens 
Can't wait for my 6X7 2X TC and a 67mm reversing ring to get here.
Has anyone done reverse-lens-macro with the 105 on an APS-C camera?
(Non working link removed)
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2011 Posts: 573
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 25, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $275.00
| Rating: 9 |
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I use this with a Pentax 645D. This is an excellent 2X prime for the camera. With the Pentax 645/67 adapter, auto aperture control works by stopping down the aperture during exposure, but the aperture value does not appear in the camera display. This refers to the late version of this lens.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2010 Posts: 20 | | Review Date: March 18, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bright and sharp. | | Cons: | | |
I bought this lens used, in good condition. It is surprisingly sharp, light and compact. f/2.4 means a brighter viewfinder. This lens gets a lot of use on my 67II and also a 645 AF body via adapter 645. I used the 90mm for years, but think this lens is a little better.
| | | | | Giveaway winner! Registered: December, 2007 Location: beantown Posts: 944 | | Review Date: December 13, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $99.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very good sharpness, wide open is quite usable | | Cons: | closer focus would be nice. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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This is a great lens! I have a habit of shooting wide open with many of my lenses and in 6x7 the 105 is most often used. There is some vignetting at the corners as to be expected, but the center stays very usably sharp. I also find that the mood from this effect complements the overall image... see this all the time with square format and hear little complaints. When I actually go past f4 towards f8, this lens is just plain super sharp.
Working with the lens as a everyday street shooter lens has been great even when my photographic skill isn't as sharp. I'm more a normal lens user so the FOV is just about right. The 105 has delivered amazing sharpness for me so far and no flare or harsh CA problems noted yet. On vacation and with a combo of the matching hood and a focus grip with the hood handle, I had a very comfortable time of lugging the camera around and with the one lens on all the time. I've since acquired a more proper bag (Tamrac Velocity 8X) and started to carry additional lenses, but he 105 is always the main lens.
I've heard that some prefer the 90mm over the 105 due to the smaller size and weight. I find the length of this lens seems just right to give my hand-held shots, just a little more stability.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,272
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 2, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, good performer | | Cons: | Needs smaller stops beyond f/22 | |
The 105 is considered the normal lens for this system. I have used mine quite a bit, having owned it since 1988. It is a typical 6 element Double Gauss design that has been around for a century and commonly used in SLR cameras for normal lens. It has a nearly symmetrical design which has the benefit of correcting several nasty aberrations automatically. It is certainly not a telecentric design as was stated above by another reviewer. The oldest Super-Takumar 105 has a slightly different optical design and used super high refractive index Thorium glass for better correction of spherical aberration. The newer SMC Takumar and Pentax are the same optically. I have the SMC Takumar. A sharp lens with low distortion, good color saturation and no color aberrations seen. Can be used for macro, portraits, street work, landscapes, fashion and travel work. I have used this lens for Weddings and Quincineras, wide open, in natural light and it does quite well. It is limited in macro and landscape work by its f/22 smallest stop. It really needs f/45 for those uses. At f/8 it is sharp enough for 24 x 30 inch prints. Many shooters don't use this angle of view (46 degrees) much, myself included. My 90-180 zoom has proven itself so well that I use it more than the 105 now. I feel the zoom is just as sharp.
My estimate for lp/mm for the 105 is 80 @ f/8. It is fairly sharp wide open but really does well at f/5.6 and beyond.
Be aware that the Pentax 1.4x rear converter will not fit on this lens- somewhat disappointing.
Overall, the 105 is a rugged, well built, good performer that is cheap to own. It is suitable for pro work.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: SLovakia Posts: 141
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 5, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Perfect build quality, flares very well controlled, so fast, so sharp | | Cons: | none! | |
This my best lens along with Pentax 45/4, even better because
is faster and has 9 aperture blades! which makes beautiful 18 star strokes when photographing light sources (sun, lamps, etc...)
This lens is very good wide open and it has an outstanding bokeh:
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2007 Location: Okinawa, Japan Posts: 25 | | |
