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S-M-C and Super Takumar 50mm f1.4
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PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm only guessing here, and I hope it hasn't changed, but Japan has always been a camera-mad society, so they are quite used to people snapping away all day long. Most especially, tourists shouldn't have any problems, unlike in parts of Europe and the US now.


PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Farside wrote:
I'm only guessing here, and I hope it hasn't changed, but Japan has always been a camera-mad society, so they are quite used to people snapping away all day long. Most especially, tourists shouldn't have any problems, unlike in parts of Europe and the US now.


you are right, and more so if one is using a phone cam...
A short manual prime on my smallish *istDS sure also looks different than a K20D or EOS 40D with battery grip and a Superzoom,
but even with a big camera Japan is a most camera friendly place, so many photographers everywhere. Whenever I go to a nature place, e.g rose garden in Osaka there will be many photographers around, more than non-photographers!


PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

another with the SuperTak 50mm f1.4, made look 'old' in photoshop processing:



PostPosted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From my experience this SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 lens has especially nice smooth bokeh when shot at wider apertures. I have had one for years - having originally shot it on my Spotmatic and then more recently I have resurrected it for use with an adapter on my Panasonic L1 where it turns in a nice picture (when I get the focus correct - unfortunately this is not as easy as it seems with this particular camera.)


PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterm1 wrote:
From my experience this SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 lens has especially nice smooth bokeh when shot at wider apertures. I have had one for years - having originally shot it on my Spotmatic and then more recently I have resurrected it for use with an adapter on my Panasonic L1 where it turns in a nice picture (when I get the focus correct - unfortunately this is not as easy as it seems with this particular camera.)


I find focussing with my camera easy:
The viewfinder of the *istDS is very bright, on top I use a x1.18 magnifier, the Pentax has a double focus confirmation, accustically and visually, a green hexagon flashes in the viewfinder when focus point is passed and stays lit when in focus.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:10 am    Post subject: 37800 Reply with quote

Mine too!

Is this a good thing?

Doug.

peterqd wrote:
Very nice indeed, Andreas. I think your lens is the same version as mine, does it have 37800 stamped on the back of the A-M switch? If so, this is the lens with the radioactive Thorium element. I've seen it written that Asahi knowingly sold this lens at a loss in order to out-shine the opposition. Whether this is true or not, the lens certainly deserves its reputation.

If you ever feel like cleaning it, here's a nice instruction article:
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~Srawhiti/pentax50mmf1.4.html

Lovely pictures from Japan, any more please?


PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:14 am    Post subject: Hard to use Lumix PL-1 Reply with quote

Yes I have a Tak as well.. the L1 has a bloody awful viewfinder, and I can often not see the green focus confirm, esp. as I wear specs... It would be better with a bigger viewfinder - I have few problems using the Tak on my K10D but it such a luxury when I put it on any of my 'Native' 35mm M42 bodies.. lovely (huge) screen and great split image focusing!

Doug

PS GREAT SHOTS I MEANT TO SAY!


peterm1 wrote:
From my experience this SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 lens has especially nice smooth bokeh when shot at wider apertures. I have had one for years - having originally shot it on my Spotmatic and then more recently I have resurrected it for use with an adapter on my Panasonic L1 where it turns in a nice picture (when I get the focus correct - unfortunately this is not as easy as it seems with this particular camera.)


PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some examples from Super Takumar 50/1.4. I mostly use Super Multi Coated version, but even this older one is very very good Smile



f/7.1



f/7.1



f/1.4



PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I read in a 50mm comparo that the 50mm Super-Tak is considered extremely soft wide open "like having vaseline on the front element."

http://www.pbase.com/carpents/nls

That said, my copy is 37801 and has the very obvious yellow cast due to the thorium glass. I thought this could be corrected in post processing.

HOWEVER the cast causes quite a bit of light loss: on my K10D the 50/1.4 wide-open produces the same shutter speed/ISO combination as the SMC-A 50/2 so the yellow cast produces a 1-stop light loss! Shocked


PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The cause of the yellow cast is special optical glue (canada balsam oil), which is degradated by the radioactivity from the thoriated glass element. Tomioka used different optical glue for their later lenses (e.g. thorium Yashinon DS-M 50/1.4), which doesn't suffer from this problem.

Anyway, it can easily be reverted. I use 11W UV tube. One month under the tube removes more than 95% of entire color cast.

Before:



and after:



differences in weeks (crops: left: week 0, right: end of week 4. The lower line are crops from the center of the lens and the higher line are crops outside the lens - reference):



The older the lens, the darker cast. 4 weeks are sufficient for newer Super-Multi-Coated and SMC Takumars, but older Super Takumars may require a longer period of bleeching or stroger source of UV rays.

Anyway, 50/1.4 Takumars are way sharper at f/1.4, than 55/1.4 Revuenons, 50/1.4 Yashinons, 50/1.2 Yashinon and other lenses from Tomioka.



PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No-X - On the UV process -

Excellent job of documenting progress !

A very convincing demonstration.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

no-X you're absolutely right! you should post that on a web site somewhere....

I was thinking of getting a black light (used for money detectors) but one month under a black light Razz maybe if i have some sort of "light pipe" so that the entire output of the black light goes into the lens?

I assume sunlight would be much better as I live in the tropics and the solar constant is very high (1kW/sq m).. but it's typhoon season now.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yalcinaydin/sets/72157606245448013/



My first shots of this baby was in a low light environment with ISO1600 and I used NEat Image to reduce noise and RAW calibration for colors, especially temp reduction to reduce the yellow color cast which was a lot due to the yellow walls and yellowish lighting of the restaurant. I know that someof you want untouched shots but these shots can give at least some idea abouth the bokeh Smile
Every shot takes 5-10 seconds tof ocus and lens is wide open at f:1.4.





PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I once was thrilled by my (Tomioka) Auto Revuenon 1.4/55, but now that I have a 1.4/50 Zuiko and a 1.4/50 Tak, I have sold my Revuenon.
"Der Bessere ist des Guten Feind!" (="Better is the enemy of good.") Wink


PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I consider my Super Tak 1.4/50 is one of my very top lenses. I can't see a lot of difference with the CZJ Pancolar, and it definitely outshines my S-M-C Tak 1.8/55.

It was yellowed when it arrived and I cured it on the bathroom window cill. Here with our cloudy skies it took from November to March to completely clear, but I'm sure it would be a lot quicker in stronger sunlight. But I think it deserves a lot of patience - it took years to yellow so expecting it to clear in hours is unrealistic. Now it's clear I keep it in the transparent plastic case for the Mir-1V with the front cap off.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After reading this thread, I went out and bought a bug zapper bulb, which has really pitiful UV output but, by my calculations, should be comparable to direct sunlight.

Anyway I made a "light pipe" out of it and put my 50/1.4 Super-Tak inside. As of now (around 8 hours under the bug zapper bulb) I can already measure a difference in the color cast of the lens (based on histogram) -- the change in cast is actually not visible to the naked eye.

http://orlygoingthirty.blogspot.com/2008/07/radioactive-thorium-glass.html

I'm hoping that by tonight (after 20 hours of UV exposure) there should be a significant change.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterqd wrote:
...Now it's clear I keep it in the transparent plastic case for the Mir-1V with the front cap off.


Very Happy Exactly what I do. Very Happy


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awaiting my first 50/1.4 that is yellowed I was thinking. What about them UV leds? Would a vast amount of them inside a reflector aimed into the lens be enough? (we are getting to the point where we have 4 hours of light per day).

I am thinking about putting 50 or so leds on a stainless steel plate or chromed even which I would weld to a cone of reflective material. At the narrow end of the cone I would make a 42x1 thread and simply screw the lens into it. The whole device would be lightproof and all the UV light should be either directly or by bouncing directed out thru the lens via the back lens.

What do you think of that DIY? :p


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I updated my own Idea with using a set of old bellows.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many congratulations Andreas for the shots.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What wavelength of the light should one try to have? UV-A or UV-B? UV-C is out of the question I guess. Wink

Ive been looking at using UV-A 380-395 at 2000mcd, 50 of them leds pointing straight into the lens. Any math/light geek that could translate that into usable information? Would that be enough to light it for a few weeks?


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hard to say. I would just try and take a comparative shot every week. You'll see Very Happy

Two shots by Su-Mu-Co Takumar 50/1.4



PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful shoots!


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Use b&w and don't worry about the color cast Smile


I had taken this shot for here, you can check the biggest file to see how this lens performs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yalcinaydin/2728993595/sizes/o/


PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice advertise for Takumars!