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Asahi Optical Company Collection
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:13 pm    Post subject: Asahi Optical Company Collection Reply with quote

Apologies if you've seen some of this equipment before, but the original thread committed hara-kiri last night and is not viewable any longer Embarassed

The objective of this thread is both to showcase the equipment in my collection - a small and humble collection compared to others, but hopefully one that will serve to give pleasure to people in some way - and to show the amazing range of photographic equipment for which the Asahi Optical Company is so fondly and highly regarded.

Starting with some of the black beauties in my collection, I will update this thread as often as I can - thanks for looking, and a special thanks to Shiladitya for giving me the nudge to restart Wink

SV with 1.8/55 Auto-Takumar in zebra finish, and Honeywell SL with 1.8/55 Auto-Takumar


SP with 1.8/55 Super-Takumar, and Honeywell SPII with 1.8/55 Super-Takumar

Electro Spotmatic with 1.8/55 S-M-C Takumar, and ES with 1.8/55 SMC Takumar

And, the sweet sextet gathered together...


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pentax K with 1.8/55 Auto-Takumar in zebra finish

Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Auto Bellows with 4/100 Bellows-Takumar

Bellows Unit with 4/50 Macro-Takumar

4/50 Super-Macro-Takumar

4/50 Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar

Bellows Unit II with 4/100 Super-Multi-Coated Macro-Takumar


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moving on to some of the silver / black lenses - in my opinion, the most beautiful of all Takumars (with the possible exception of the Asahi Kogaku chrome lenses for Asahiflex).

Takumar 2.8/105 Preset

Takumar 3.5/135 Preset

Auto Takumar 2.3/35 - one of THE prettiest lenses ever

Auto Takumar 1.8/55 zebra - another stunner to my eyes

Auto Takumar 2.2/55

Auto Takumar 2.8/105


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Time for a little obscurity now - some accessories I find quirky and/or cool Smile

The "Mad Men" era tie clip. Looks really great on a skinny tie


The Asahi/Honeywell pendant marking the Centenary of the United States in 1977


A belt buckle featuring the ME and SMC-M 1.4/50


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And, last for now, we move from the sublime to the ridiculous with some lens caps.

Yes, lens caps!!!

My biggest (S-M-C Takumar 4/300) to smallest (Auto-Takumar 3.5/35) caps


Different flavours of caps from down through the years...


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keep them coming Very Happy love the fact you included the caps...


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for repost! Amazing collection ! Please keep comming!


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really like the Asahi paraphernalia, because I also have some of them (not the ones you have pictured so this was a surprise for me too).

I have the following Goodies:

- A toy build-it-yourself sports car with Pentax logos (new in box)
- A glass boot of a German beer brand, with Asahi logo on it
- A lighter in black with white Pentax ES lettering
- Asahi Pentax 60's counter mats
- and last but not least: a GIANT plastic Spotmatic II Smile


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Mal for restarting this post.....


Its not just an inspiration but also a documentation of history.. Cool


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spotmatic wrote:
I really like the Asahi paraphernalia, because I also have some of them (not the ones you have pictured so this was a surprise for me too).

I have the following Goodies:

- A toy build-it-yourself sports car with Pentax logos (new in box)
- A glass boot of a German beer brand, with Asahi logo on it
- A lighter in black with white Pentax ES lettering
- Asahi Pentax 60's counter mats
- and last but not least: a GIANT plastic Spotmatic II Smile



You guys are LUCKY or should I say the BULLYs


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spotmatic wrote:
I really like the Asahi paraphernalia, because I also have some of them (not the ones you have pictured so this was a surprise for me too).

I have the following Goodies:

- A toy build-it-yourself sports car with Pentax logos (new in box)
- A glass boot of a German beer brand, with Asahi logo on it
- A lighter in black with white Pentax ES lettering
- Asahi Pentax 60's counter mats
- and last but not least: a GIANT plastic Spotmatic II Smile


Oh man - you've got some really sweet goodies there. If you ever get around to taking photos of them, I'd love to see them Wink


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shiladitya wrote:
Thanks Mal for restarting this post.....


Its not just an inspiration but also a documentation of history.. Cool


My pleasure - and "documentation of history" was exactly what I was trying to get out of my head onto the page but couldn't phrase it thus Embarassed


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Today's contribution is entitled "A Tale of Two Spotmatics"

At first glance, the look like regular, ordinary Spotmatics with Super-Takumar 1.8/55 lenses...

I checked the serial numbers and they seem consistent with the years on the bottom of the camera bodies...

Imagine my surprise when I found '66' in the serial number to the 1966 camera's lens, and '70' in that of the 1970 model. These cameras have not been parted from their original lenses - I have the receipts for both...

Purely coincidence, but a pretty cool one Wink


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:23 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For the caps, I should try with mines, I have a 100mm cap (500/5.6 for 6x7, and ok for the 55/3.5 too), and the cap of the 50/3.5 (or to keep Asahi Pentax caps, I have some 46mm caps) Razz


PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for sharing, Mal1905.


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's the slightly slower brother of the Auto-Takumar 1.8/55, in standard finish - the focusing ring is bigger on this version than the zebra-finish version, and the distance scale markings are in yellow as opposed to white.

Auto-Takumar 2/55


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:19 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't own an Asahiflex camera - yet - but figure that if I can get M37 lenses at a reasonable cost, then maybe the camera will arrive without costing the earth!!!

Asahi-Kogaku Tele-Takumar 3.5/135


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:19 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have this 135/3.5 : a beautiful 16 blades aperture Smile


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CarbonR wrote:
I have this 135/3.5 : a beautiful 16 blades aperture Smile


It's the second one of these I have - the first one has broken aperture blades so I can now take it apart, safe in the knowledge that I've got the one above in full working order Wink

The 3.5/100 should be here in the next day or so from the USA, and a proper M37-M42 adapter from The Netherlands so I won't have to use the "lens wrapped with plumber's tape=>M37-M42=>M42-EOS" setup I'm using at the moment. It works, but looks awful Embarassed


Last edited by Mal1905 on Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:01 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't have the 100/3.5, that will be for an other day Razz


PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have real discography of asahi Very Happy Nice tools =)


PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful collection!
Keep them coming!


PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Next up, some extension tubes and a lens adapter Wink

Asahiflex Extension Tube Set

M42 Extension Tube Set (without aperture pin and writing on tube rings)


M42 Extension Tube Set (with aperture pin and writing on side of tubes)

M42 - PK Adapter


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:19 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A Tale of Two MEs - it's not really difficult to tell which is the real one though Smile

Pentax ME with Pentax-M SMC 1.4/50


Last edited by Mal1905 on Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:20 pm; edited 5 times in total