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Pentax-M 85mm f/2
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:24 pm    Post subject: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


Don't own Takumar 85mm, but for all the 85mms that I've casually compared, including

Nikon 85mm/1.8/2
Canon fd 85mm/1.8
Pentax-M 85mm/2
Olympus 85mm/2
Vivitar 85mm/1.8, Soligor 85mm/1.8, Spiratone 85mm/1.7

I have yet to find one really standing out. Certainly, most of them are very good in general to my taste. Next 85mm on my searching list is Minolta, Helios, or relatively modern Rokinon 85mm/1.4 (also branded as Vivitar series 1, samyang, etc.)


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
vivaldibow wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


Don't own Takumar 85mm, but for all the 85mms that I've casually compared, including

Nikon 85mm/1.8/2
Canon fd 85mm/1.8
Pentax-M 85mm/2
Olympus 85mm/2
Vivitar 85mm/1.8, Soligor 85mm/1.8, Spiratone 85mm/1.7

I have yet to find one really standing out. Certainly, most of them are very good in general to my taste. Next 85mm on my searching list is Minolta, Helios, or relatively modern Rokinon 85mm/1.4 (also branded as Vivitar series 1, samyang, etc.)


Are you saying there is no discernible difference between those lenses so you can't compare others with Pentax-M 85mm/2? Smile


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
vivaldibow wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


Don't own Takumar 85mm, but for all the 85mms that I've casually compared, including

Nikon 85mm/1.8/2
Canon fd 85mm/1.8
Pentax-M 85mm/2
Olympus 85mm/2
Vivitar 85mm/1.8, Soligor 85mm/1.8, Spiratone 85mm/1.7

I have yet to find one really standing out. Certainly, most of them are very good in general to my taste. Next 85mm on my searching list is Minolta, Helios, or relatively modern Rokinon 85mm/1.4 (also branded as Vivitar series 1, samyang, etc.)


Are you saying there is no discernible difference between those lenses so you can't compare others with Pentax-M 85mm/2? Smile


Not really. I dug my old post and found I said I liked Pentax M 85mm better than Nikon 85mm/1.8 and Canon 85mm/1.8. Olympus' 85mm seems to have a busier bokeh (but it is probably at certain situations). For those third party 85mm's, Soligor is the least sharp lens (kind of disappointed and surprised. It is one of the fewer MF lenses that I feel no matter how I focus, I can't make the impage in focus). Spiratone 85mm/1.7 seems very sharp in my memory.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Super-Takumar 85mm 1:1.9 is a more interesting lens, mainly because it is less well behaved than the S-M-C 85mm 1.8 or the M 85mm 1:2


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
The Super-Takumar 85mm 1:1.9 is a more interesting lens, mainly because it is less well behaved than the S-M-C 85mm 1.8 or the M 85mm 1:2


And easier to focus with optical viewfinder. On Canon 5D with fast focus screen it pops into focus.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
vivaldibow wrote:
visualopsins wrote:
vivaldibow wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


Don't own Takumar 85mm, but for all the 85mms that I've casually compared, including

Nikon 85mm/1.8/2
Canon fd 85mm/1.8
Pentax-M 85mm/2
Olympus 85mm/2
Vivitar 85mm/1.8, Soligor 85mm/1.8, Spiratone 85mm/1.7

I have yet to find one really standing out. Certainly, most of them are very good in general to my taste. Next 85mm on my searching list is Minolta, Helios, or relatively modern Rokinon 85mm/1.4 (also branded as Vivitar series 1, samyang, etc.)


Are you saying there is no discernible difference between those lenses so you can't compare others with Pentax-M 85mm/2? Smile


Not really. I dug my old post and found I said I liked Pentax M 85mm better than Nikon 85mm/1.8 and Canon 85mm/1.8. Olympus' 85mm seems to have a busier bokeh (but it is probably at certain situations). For those third party 85mm's, Soligor is the least sharp lens (kind of disappointed and surprised. It is one of the fewer MF lenses that I feel no matter how I focus, I can't make the impage in focus). Spiratone 85mm/1.7 seems very sharp in my memory.


Thank you! Can you post old post link here for reference, please?


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
vivaldibow wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious about this Pentax-M lens. I've had a SMC Takumar 85/1.8 before, and it was excellent. Did anybody ever compare the two?


Don't own Takumar 85mm, but for all the 85mms that I've casually compared, including

Nikon 85mm/1.8/2
Canon fd 85mm/1.8
Pentax-M 85mm/2
Olympus 85mm/2
Vivitar 85mm/1.8, Soligor 85mm/1.8, Spiratone 85mm/1.7

I have yet to find one really standing out. Certainly, most of them are very good in general to my taste.


Some years ago I've been comparing some of my vintage fast 85mm:

Canon FD 1.8/85mm
Canon nFD 1.8/85mm
Minolta MC-II 1.7/85mm
Minolta MD 1.7/85mm
Minolta MD-II 2/85mm
Nikon "K-Series" 1.8/85mm

For landscape photography, all but the MD 2/85mm were very similar.
The MD 2/85mm had more contrast wide open, especially in the outer field.

So yes, the MD 2/85mm stands out to some extent.

In the mean time I got also other lenses such as the Konica AR 1.8/85mm and the Mamiya Sekor SX 1.7/85mm. Those two lenses are a bit different from the f1.8 an f1.7 lenses mentioned before; they have less lateral CAs and more "vintage look" wide open. Stopped down to f5.6 or f8 both are excellent performers.

S


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:


Thank you! Can you post old post link here for reference, please?


Here is the post for Pentax M 85mm

http://forum.mflenses.com/pentax-m-85mm-f-2-t81543,highlight,%2Bpentax+%2B85mm+%2Bf2.html

Here is the post for Vivitar 85mm

http://forum.mflenses.com/tele-vivitar-85mm-f-1-8-t80513,highlight,%2Bvivitar+%2B85mm.html


PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:


Some years ago I've been comparing some of my vintage fast 85mm:

Canon FD 1.8/85mm
Canon nFD 1.8/85mm
Minolta MC-II 1.7/85mm
Minolta MD 1.7/85mm
Minolta MD-II 2/85mm
Nikon "K-Series" 1.8/85mm

For landscape photography, all but the MD 2/85mm were very similar.
The MD 2/85mm had more contrast wide open, especially in the outer field.

So yes, the MD 2/85mm stands out to some extent.

In the mean time I got also other lenses such as the Konica AR 1.8/85mm and the Mamiya Sekor SX 1.7/85mm. Those two lenses are a bit different from the f1.8 an f1.7 lenses mentioned before; they have less lateral CAs and more "vintage look" wide open. Stopped down to f5.6 or f8 both are excellent performers.

S


Thanks for the info. Minolta 85mm's seem to have higher price than the rest. Don't know Konica and Mamiya SX. They are less common as well. When you say more "vintage look", what characters were you referring to?


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Plus 1 for the Konica. I really like mine. I also really like the Pancolar. I can't speak to the Pentax M but I think the Konica is overall better than the Takumar 1.8 and 1.9 lenses that I have. I have not done side by sides with them though....


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 3:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lots of info guys, thank you. I guess the Pentax M is 'just another' 85mm lens.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
jamaeolus wrote:
Plus 1 for the Konica. I really like mine. I also really like the Pancolar. I can't speak to the Pentax M but I think the Konica is overall better than the Takumar 1.8 and 1.9 lenses that I have. I have not done side by sides with them though....


I did a test two years ago between the Sony 85/1.8 and the Super Multi Coated Takumar 85/1.8. To my surprise I could hardly tell the difference. Camera was my old A7 though, maybe on my A7R2 it would show.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
vivaldibow wrote:

Thanks for the info. Minolta 85mm's seem to have higher price than the rest. Don't know Konica and Mamiya SX. They are less common as well. When you say more "vintage look", what characters were you referring to?


I should be able to make a few comparing images tomorrow, say with the two Minoltas (1.7/85 and 2/85), the Konica AR and the Mamiya SX. That should clarify it. Wether is really boring and "grey" here now, so don't expect any artwork Wink

S


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
caspert79 wrote:
jamaeolus wrote:
Plus 1 for the Konica. I really like mine. I also really like the Pancolar. I can't speak to the Pentax M but I think the Konica is overall better than the Takumar 1.8 and 1.9 lenses that I have. I have not done side by sides with them though....


I did a test two years ago between the Sony 85/1.8 and the Super Multi Coated Takumar 85/1.8. To my surprise I could hardly tell the difference. Camera was my old A7 though, maybe on my A7R2 it would show.


I haven't compared Sony 85mm/1.8 with my vintage 85mm. For me, I use Sony just because of the AF speed that I need sometimes. Otherwise, I stick to vintage lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Pentax-M 85mm f/2 Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
vivaldibow wrote:

Thanks for the info. Minolta 85mm's seem to have higher price than the rest. Don't know Konica and Mamiya SX. They are less common as well. When you say more "vintage look", what characters were you referring to?


I should be able to make a few comparing images tomorrow, say with the two Minoltas (1.7/85 and 2/85), the Konica AR and the Mamiya SX. That should clarify it. Wether is really boring and "grey" here now, so don't expect any artwork Wink

S


Cool. Thanks.
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