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Lens suggestions anyone?
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:09 pm    Post subject: Lens suggestions anyone? Reply with quote
Hi.

Posting after a long long time, regrettably!. I live in Pakistan so i dont have access to PayPal or ebay, but my brother lives in the US and he is coming to pay a visit in mid November and i have the option to ask him to bring some lens for me. i had some great lenses before but had to let them go due to some personal reasons. currently i have two manual lenses i.e (Industar 50-2 and SMC Takumar 28 mm). I am thinking to ask my brother to bring the following lens for me

1. SMC Takumar 50 1.4
2. Takumar 105 mm
3. Takumar 135mm

I like to shoot Wildlife, Portraits landscape etc.

Plz share your opinion about the lens and i would be glad if you can recommend better lenses.

Also, Is ebay the only bet to get mf lenses in reasonable price??

Regards,

Ali


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What camera are you using? And what manual adapters do you need or are willing to buy? I always recommend the Canon FD and Minolta MD lenses especially the nFD 35/2.8 as one of the best, cheap manual 35mm lenses. Light, easy to find, and comparable in quality to the Zeiss 35/2.8 for Sony FE. The Minolta equivalent is also good although often a bit pricier. 28mm lenses are usually cheap and easy to find. The Vivitar 55mm/f2.8 macro is excellent and widely available as are many Vivitar 100/105 mm macro lenses at somewhat higher prices. Yashica, Konica, Olympus, etc. all made many excellent and cheap manual lenses. Lots of the those in the 50/55mm normal range are good and have interesting renderings.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
coase wrote:
What camera are you using? And what manual adapters do you need or are willing to buy? I always recommend the Canon FD and Minolta MD lenses especially the nFD 35/2.8 as one of the best, cheap manual 35mm lenses. Light, easy to find, and comparable in quality to the Zeiss 35/2.8 for Sony FE. The Minolta equivalent is also good although often a bit pricier. 28mm lenses are usually cheap and easy to find. The Vivitar 55mm/f2.8 macro is excellent and widely available as are many Vivitar 100/105 mm macro lenses at somewhat higher prices. Yashica, Konica, Olympus, etc. all made many excellent and cheap manual lenses. Lots of the those in the 50/55mm normal range are good and have interesting renderings.


Thankyou coase. I have a Canon 7D. I dont think that FD lenses would give infinty focus on a EF/EFS mount of 7D. Are you recommending Minolta and FD over Tak 50/1.4?


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Since you have a Canon dslr, I'd stick to the Tak and other m42 lenses as easiest to adapt.

I like the Tak 135/3.5 preset lens because it is light and easy to use. I liked it so much I bought two of them for not a lot though prices have gone up.

A lens to consider that is sometimes overlooked because it's "weird" is the Tak 150mm. The Tak 28/3.5 is very good for landscape shots with beautiful color.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Helios 44 58mm f2 is cheap and good. The takumar 35mm 3.5 is also quite good IMHO.. The takumar in 200 f4 is extremely good for the price as well. Perhaps an m42 focal doubler as well.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the super takumar 50 1.4 M42 and I am very pleased with it.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
jamaeolus wrote:
Helios 44 58mm f2 is cheap and good. The takumar 35mm 3.5 is also quite good IMHO.. The takumar in 200 f4 is extremely good for the price as well. Perhaps an m42 focal doubler as well.


I have the Helios and its a very good lens, but i have to get its aperture fixed as its stuck.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sjak wrote:
I have the super takumar 50 1.4 M42 and I am very pleased with it.


Yes im definitely getting this one. is ebay the only source for it? although im asking my brother to get the lenses for me, but i have to do all the searching :p Any suggestions?


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
https://www.keh.com/ has a good reputation with us-members of another forum I visit on a regular basis.

I find the Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 has very nice handling, solid build quality and even good center sharpness wide open (compared to vintage 1.4 lenses in the same price-class, and even compared with some more modern fast lenses); the only (sort of) issue with my copy is radioactive yellowing, but in a way it adds to the character.


#1


#2


#3


1+2 are wide open, the last one is at (I think) f/5.6 or 8, and actually shows a nuclear power plant (how appropriate for a radioactive lens Twisted Evil )


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Legacy mounts with a similar or longer registration distance to M42 adapt easily to Canon dslr with readily available adapters. These are: nikon F; Contax-Yashica CY; Olympus OM; Pentax K. Most of the adapters lend to stop-down aperture priority mode of use. The OM's have an additional manual stop down button. Gives you lots of choice for a "nifty-fifty", and for portrait focal lengths.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would like to second the Takumar 135mm f3.5 pre-set - a really wonderful lens.
As well, the 200mm f4 is also a very good lens, and usually not expensive.
Takumar 50mm f1.4 lenses are great but can be expensive - the Super-Takumar 55mm f1.8 is an outstanding lens and very commonly found for cheaper prices.
These three will give you a good choice for your photographic subjects
Tom


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:

Takumar 50mm f1.4 lenses are great but can be expensive
They can also be very affordable sometimes, I paid around 60 euro for mine a few weeks ago. It was an impulse-buy, never looked into the brand before, but while holding it, I liked the feel and build quality, so decided on the spot I wanted it (especially since I also wanted a radioactive lens Very Happy )
I must say I am very pleased with it, and will look for more Takumars in the future, despite my general preference for German and Russian lenses.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Welcome ali.munir

Your list is just exactly perfect IMHO

In M42 mount:

SMC 50/1.4 -- you will want the SMC; could be someone recommending the Super hasn't tried each to decide between them.
S-M-C 135/3.5 -- best buy -- high excellence to price ratio! The second version of S-M-C 135/2.5 is better but much more expensive.
S-M-C 105/2.8 -- can get expensive. I think you would like Nikon 85/1.8 AI-S. Not cheap, but way better than Tak 105.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had the pleasure to use the 105 mm Tak, and i just loved it!!
Sadly i lost it thats why i wan t to get another one. I took this pic with
the 105mm , no PP just a little croping etc.


I am thinking of adding 50mm Macro Tak to my list. I want to ask again from all fellows living in USA, Is ebay the only source to get these mf lenses? or is there another online outlet which i can check.

thanks


PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Of those three I would recommend the 50 1.4 s-m-c or not. They are a joy to use.

135mm 3.5's are nice but you have to find a good copy, but the s-m-c Takumar 135mm 2.5 version 2 is up there with the 50mm 1.4 https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Super-Multi-Coated-TAKUMAR-Super-Takumar-135mm-F2.5.html You need version two though, the one with six elements.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ali.munir wrote:

I am thinking of adding 50mm Macro Tak to my list. I want to ask again from all fellows living in USA, Is ebay the only source to get these mf lenses? or is there another online outlet which i can check.

thanks


This is one that I would disagree with. While I like the Tak macro, it is only really good for closeup. It doesn't work as well at infinity. It is certainly inferior to the Canon Fd, Minolta MD, and the Vivitar 50/55 macros. Given that the Viv is available in m42 and goes to 1:1 without added teleconverters, I would strongly suggest you go for that one unless you can find a very cheap Tak. Sometimes you might even be able to get a cheap autofocus Sigma macro in EF mount.
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