Author: | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2017 Location: Illinois Posts: 65 | Review Date: September 14, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Sharp and cheap | Cons: | Hard to find filters | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 67
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I got this lens cheap on eBay from Japan, the lens is big and heavy however it renders beautiful images. The main disadvantage of this lens is the lack of cheap filters on the market at 100mm is basically impossible to find cheap filters.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2017 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 17 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: September 25, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $114.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Gorgeous color rendition, excellent handling (focusing, aperture ring setting, etc.), great Bokeh, handy minimum focusing distance, great field of view for my style of shooting. | Cons: | A bit heavy. | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 6x7
| | This was my second lens for my Pentax 6x7. I purchased it before the camera even arrived from Japan because I was excited to have a wide angle lens on a medium format camera for the ridiculously low cost of $114, American. If you've handled this lens then you will know that it's heavy. At 920 grams this lens is over 2 pounds. My 6X7 body weighs almost 3 pounds and if you are used to shooting with film SLRs like me, the weight difference is significant. But who cares?! This lens and body combination is perfect for what I do and that's mostly landscape and cityscape work. But with a minimum focusing distance of 45cm I also get to shoot up-close with a lens that offers beautiful Bokeh at f3.5. It's a dream! The lens handles well: my copy focuses smoothly and the aperture ring is nice and clicky. A lens hood is available so go out and get it. I haven't experienced any lens flare that would cause me to neglect this lens and even though I own a hood, I rarely use it. It's a beautiful hood too, by the way - large and square like the ones on old Hollywood movie cameras. The lens does have that nostalgic movie camera/lens look to it - with or without the hood. It's probably due to its size. It is long and wide and the filter ring is a whopping 100mm. It looks like a serious lens. My first 6x7 lens was the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 135mm f4 Macro. I pulled it out of the box and sat it next to my Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar 100mm f4 (an M42 lens) and was amazed at their size difference. I thought the 135mm was large and then came the 55mm.
The lens gives gorgeous color rendition. I tend to shoot primarily in B&W but this autumn season (2020) I've pulled several rolls of Ektar 100, Portra 160, and Fuji PRO 160 and the color is amazing. I have some Velvia and Ektachrome waiting to be shot too. Can't wait to see those with this lens. The lens is also sharp. Focus well (I find focusing on my 6x7 challenging - no split screen, no "ding" when it's in focus, etc.) and you are rewarded with sharp, crisp images.
The Bokeh I've gotten with this lens is great but as others before me have mentioned is best close-up and wide open - no surprise there.
I can't complain much about this lens except for maybe the weight and the filter ring size. Is the weight a problem, really? Nope! if you are discreet about it, you could do your bicep curls between clicks and get in some weight training while you scope out your next shot. And the filter ring size... well, the filters this size are a bit of money. If you are looking to buy this lens (and why wouldn't you???) I recommend buying one that comes with a filter as part of the purchase as the combinations tend to be cheaper this way. And if it comes with the lens hood, even better. I bought a lens hood for around $15, American. The filters will cost upwards of $80 and up, American.
Keep on shooting!
This was shot on Ektar 100:
This was shot on Portra 160:
This was shot on Ilford Delta 3200:
This was shot on Kodak TMax 100: | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2010 Posts: 648 | Review Date: February 29, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
Pros: | Colors, brightness, sharpness | Cons: | aberrations | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
| | Just pictures.
More pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132940567@N02/ | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 20 | Review Date: July 25, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Value sharp cheap | Cons: | Massive 100mm front element | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 67
| | This lens is just right. Great value, especially if you shop around for one with filters. 100mm bayonet filters are actually pretty common. Well on that auction site at least. Bought mine from japan and arrived in 5 days. It's handling is fantastic on the 67! Nice handling sharp optics and good contrast. Flare is a problem but shoot with the sun behind your back and you'll be fine.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2015 Location: Bielefeld, Germany Posts: 1 | Review Date: August 7, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharp, easy to focus, smooth mechanics, nice color rendering | Cons: | a bit too fat. | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: 6x7 MU
| | This lens is a fat, black, massive lens. It renders color nicely and is very sharp. Mechanics are smooth and it is a pleasure to work with.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,437 | Review Date: December 31, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $117.97
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Bright in the viewfinder, Balances the camera nicely, Looks fabulous, pin-sharp when focused well, Lighting appears very cinematic | Cons: | 100mm thread diameter = $80 UV filters, Replacement lens caps are hard to find, Too heavy to use on 35mm bodies with an adapter | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax 6X7 MLU
| | My pros and cons say all I can really add to the existing reviews. For me, the best part of this lens is how it renders light. In almost all the photos I've taken with this lens, the light looks like something from a movie with an expert cinematographer. The biggest negative is that to get a protective filter would be about $50-80 -- for a cheap one.
| | | | New Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: California Posts: 2 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: October 7, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $145.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharp edge to edge, even wide open | Cons: | lens flare (but pleasnant), very expensive filters | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 8
Camera Used: Pentax 6x7, Pentax 67II
| | This is a very sharp lens, even wide open. It keeps lines straight. Being a wide angle lens it is difficult to get much bokeh unless you shoot subjects very close and wide open. The build quality is excellent and it is easy to focus, even at night. It is subject to lens flare if pointed directly into the sun, but it has a pleasant quality.
The biggest drawback to this lens is that the 100mm bayonet filters are not easy to come by and often very overpriced (more than $100) when found. I found all the filters I wanted for it at reasonable prices (less than $35). I find the large yellow filter is a necessity for good black and white.
Make sure if you get this lens that you get it with the front lens cap. There are no aftermarket lens caps that will fit it.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,971 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: May 8, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Sharpness; it's beasting size! And it's fun to screw on 100mm filters. | Cons: | Flare; big front element can get dinged. | | Back in the 90's when I wanted a wide angle lens, but didn't want to spend a lot, I found a good deal on this Takumar on ebay. I easily got it for $200 or more less than what the f4 was going for, and while I've never had or tested the f4, I'm fully pleased with the sharpness of this lens. I liked the fact it was a hair faster than the f4, because I'm all about speed. It is prone to flaring so you have to be careful where your light sources are coming into the shot.
I love the size and style of this lens and I recall seeing it about 6 years ago in a Maxim (or one of those men's magazines) fashion shoot. It definitely has a unique look and style all it's own. Be careful with the lens, as you'll probably bang it around a lot (huge 100mm filter thread). I primarily have used it on a tripod, but carry it out in public planted on your 67 body and you'll get all the looks!
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