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Super Takumar 55mm f/2, do I have a bad copy?
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:51 pm    Post subject: Super Takumar 55mm f/2, do I have a bad copy? Reply with quote

I recently acquired an m42 adapter for my fujifilm x-a1 along with an AUTO Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.4. I've taken a few test shots with it wide open and they look great, with bright contrasty colours, even straight out of camera jpegs with the film simulation set to soft. This morning I mounted my old super takumar 55mm f/2, that I was given by my late father who used to work as a professional photographer, and took some test shots wide open at f/2 and they were very soft and had very muted colours especially when compared to the mamiya/sekor also shot wide open at f/1.4. Also a couple of the shots had a very unpleasant warm cast to them that seemed quite brownish, this was shot under led lighting with some indirect sun coming through the window. Stopping down to f/5.6 gave brighter colours, though the image was noticeably softer than the in focus parts of the 1.4 shots from the mamiya, also the brownish cast on the affected image didn't go away. All the test shots I looked at for this comparison were straight out of camera jpegs with auto white balance and the film simulation mode set to soft.
I'm just really surprised because I've heard nothing but good things about takumar lenses, also I used to shoot flim, colour as well as black and white, with the takumar (along with a couple of other takumars) when I was in my teens and tweens and I don't remember anything like this, though I doubt I can dig up the scans to compare, I do have a couple of low res ones on my Dropbox, but they were shot outdoors on kodak film with the accompanying warm look that brings, so they're not great for comparison. If I ever find the flower pics I took in my teens, on film from fujifilm I'll take another look.
But back to reality, is this normal behaviour from the super takumar 55mm f/2 or do I have a bad copy? Overall I like the soft look of the takumar and I can see using it for portraits, though definitely not when I want to show off my haircolour work, at least if I can avoid the very unpleasant brownish tint in some of my test shots. But I was shocked at the difference when compared with the mamiya/sekor lens, though I was also shocked at the sharpness and contrast of the mamiya lens wide open at f1.4.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Kali,
Almost every ST or SMC 55mm has a yellowish tint due to a Thorium coating. This intensity of this yellow cast varies from lens to lens, Normaly it is enough to use the auto WB to get rid of it.
This lens is sharp but wide open there are sharper lenses.
My experience with it is that you can win some contrast on cropped sensors by using a tele lens hood . This "vignetting" device neutralizes the unnecessary light . This Tak likes it.

Your copy might have a problem. It is difficult to judge without pictures.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 5:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've had both the mamiya and an smc tak 55/1.8 which should basically be the same lens as the f2 version, and by your description I'd say your takumar has problems, as it should already be slightly sharper than the mamiya wide open at f1.8, let alone by f5.6.
Mine didn't show yellowing either - as my super tak 1.4/50 did - so I thought the glass didn't have torium inside.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aanything wrote:
I've had both the mamiya and an smc tak 55/1.8 which should basically be the same lens as the f2 version, and by your description I'd say your takumar has problems, as it should already be slightly sharper than the mamiya wide open at f1.8, let alone by f5.6.
Mine didn't show yellowing either - as my super tak 1.4/50 did - so I thought the glass didn't have torium inside.

Early version has no Thorium. I have also one copy . The aperture ring has no knuckle. The rendition is even a bit cold.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't speak about the Takumar... but this Auto Mamiya Sekor 1.4/55mm is a damn good lens.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tedat wrote:
I can't speak about the Takumar... but this Auto Mamiya Sekor 1.4/55mm is a damn good lens.


Totally agree, I'm rather sorry I sold mine, but the tak is damn good as well.

memetph wrote:

Early version has no Thorium. I have also one copy . The aperture ring has no knuckle. The rendition is even a bit cold.


Mine was a late SMC tak with the rubber grip. It possibly had thorium, but if it did, the glass hadn't tuned yellow yet. I just assumed there's no thorium because the glass showed no coloring, but I never did any research about it.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

the Mamiya 55 is the lens I go to first out of a lot of 50mm range of lenses, it's a very good lens. Better than the Takumar ? it's hard to say, I think you have to get into serious pixel peeping to say one is better than the other - they are different in their rendering of colour and contrast, and that is a matter of personal taste.

The Takumar is likely to be yellowing which affects the colour of the image. This can be halted and even reversed by exposing the lens to ultra violet light. I store my lenses so natural light can fall on them, and obviously without lens caps on. My yellowing Takumars spend some time on the window ledge in the full sun as well, and that has saved a couple of lenses. A lot of people have had similar success using UV lamps and even some LED lights.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aanything wrote:
Tedat wrote:
I can't speak about the Takumar... but this Auto Mamiya Sekor 1.4/55mm is a damn good lens.


Totally agree, I'm rather sorry I sold mine, but the tak is damn good as well.

memetph wrote:

Early version has no Thorium. I have also one copy . The aperture ring has no knuckle. The rendition is even a bit cold.


Mine was a late SMC tak with the rubber grip. It possibly had thorium, but if it did, the glass hadn't tuned yellow yet. I just assumed there's no thorium because the glass showed no coloring, but I never did any research about it.

So it has Thorium and it is radioactive. If not "yellowish" it should give slightly warm colours