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Japanese Camera Mfr Lenses of the 60s and 70s
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
They have an excellent reputation for both very good optics with high resolution and very high mechanical quality, nice brass helicoids, they last a long time although you may see some yellowing in the 1.4/50 due to the lanthanum glass, but if you live somewhere sunny you can cure it by sticking it on a windowsill. If you are using it on digital the slight yellow cast won't be enough of an issue anyways.


Really? I have seen some of these older Takumars and noticed the yellow cast, but I didn't know you could cure that in this way.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
mackeral wrote:
So, what does everyone think of the Super Takumars? I recently got my first one, a 50 1.4, and have now purchased the 135 prime complete and am eyeing a superb specimen of the 28mm 3.5 complete. I think I may have a collecting problem with these lenses.


Stop drinking beer and you'll be ok Wink

Taks are great. Beautful to look at, pleasant to use, and highly capable of producing excellent pics.
My favorite in the line up (among the ones that I own) is the 1.9/85.


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oreste wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
They have an excellent reputation for both very good optics with high resolution and very high mechanical quality, nice brass helicoids, they last a long time although you may see some yellowing in the 1.4/50 due to the lanthanum glass, but if you live somewhere sunny you can cure it by sticking it on a windowsill. If you are using it on digital the slight yellow cast won't be enough of an issue anyways.


Really? I have seen some of these older Takumars and noticed the yellow cast, but I didn't know you could cure that in this way.


Not all the older takumars have this issue, only the ones with radioactive (I thought it was thorium oxide, but it doesn't matter) glass - the ones i can remember are takumar 50/1.4 (not all versions equally, though) and takumar 35/2, but there sure are others.

Anyway, the yellowing due to radioactive elements in the glass (a yellow brown cast when looking a white surface through the lens), should not be confused with the "natural" yellow-golden appearance of Super-Multi-Coating.

Exposition to direct uv radiation can cure it, but you need strong sunlight and long time (so, you need summer).
Indoors, I had good results with a UV lamp that my sister used to cure a problem of her skin.
Some claim that also some low quality led lamps emit enough UV to do the job. It seemed strange to me: i tried, and it didn't work.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
They have an excellent reputation for both very good optics with high resolution and very high mechanical quality, nice brass helicoids, they last a long time although you may see some yellowing in the 1.4/50 due to the lanthanum glass, but if you live somewhere sunny you can cure it by sticking it on a windowsill. If you are using it on digital the slight yellow cast won't be enough of an issue anyways.


Really? I have seen some of these older Takumars and noticed the yellow cast, but I didn't know you could cure that in this way.


Not all the older takumars have this issue, only the ones with radioactive (I thought it was thorium oxide, but it doesn't matter) glass - the ones i can remember are takumar 50/1.4 (not all versions equally, though) and takumar 35/2, but there sure are others.

Anyway, the yellowing due to radioactive elements in the glass (a yellow brown cast when looking a white surface through the lens), should not be confused with the "natural" yellow-golden appearance of Super-Multi-Coating.

Exposition to direct uv radiation can cure it, but you need strong sunlight and long time (so, you need summer).
Indoors, I had good results with a UV lamp that my sister used to cure a problem of her skin.
Some claim that also some low quality led lamps emit enough UV to do the job. It seemed strange to me: i tried, and it didn't work.


Perhaps what I have seen then is the yellowishness of the older coatings. Multic-coatings have different shades. Older Nikkors have this same yellowishness.

Last edited by Oreste on Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:28 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink


well, I'd definitely include the Takumars of the late 50s Wink


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink


Yes, there is no question about this. Nikkors of that period don't come anywhere near the quality of the Pentax lenses. The only reason I didn't buy Pentax was the stop-down metering and the screw thread mount. Nikon was never considered. I was shown a used Leicaflex SL and a nice lens and I was instantly in love! One thing I liked about Pentax was that you could use multiple short strokes to wind the film. This isn't possible with the Leicaflex. I even asked a repairman to make a modification to allow that and he said it was not possible.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kuuan wrote:
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink


well, I'd definitely include the Takumars of the late 50s Wink


Mechanically, yes, but optically the later ones are better. It is unfortunate that due to the rapid inflation of the 1970s almost all Japanese lens lines were 'cheapened' to some extent after about 1975.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink

Its not the late 60's, its the early 70's when the super multi coating came out that
the takumars peaked in quality.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hifisapi wrote:
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink

Its not the late 60's, its the early 70's when the super multi coating came out that
the takumars peaked in quality.


Well, the lens designs were not changed all that much, but yes the mult-coatings did help. I was speaking of overall quality: design, handling, optics, durability.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I thought maybe my Super Tak 50mm may have had the yellowing, but it's probably just the normal coating on the lens as it's uniform and not hazy in the least.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oreste wrote:
hifisapi wrote:
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink

Its not the late 60's, its the early 70's when the super multi coating came out that
the takumars peaked in quality.


Well, the lens designs were not changed all that much, but yes the mult-coatings did help. I was speaking of overall quality: design, handling, optics, durability.

Right, most of the smc takumars where the same optically as the supertaks that preceded them except for some new designs like the
85/1.8, the 120/2.8 and the 15/3.5


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hifisapi wrote:
Oreste wrote:
hifisapi wrote:
Aanything wrote:
Oreste wrote:


Of all the Japanese lenses, the Takumars of the late 1960s stand out.


Finally, we found something about which we agree Wink

Its not the late 60's, its the early 70's when the super multi coating came out that
the takumars peaked in quality.


Well, the lens designs were not changed all that much, but yes the mult-coatings did help. I was speaking of overall quality: design, handling, optics, durability.

Right, most of the smc takumars where the same optically as the supertaks that preceded them except for some new designs like the
85/1.8, the 120/2.8 and the 15/3.5

Oh yeah and some zooms like the 45-125/4, 85-210/4.5 and 135-600/6.7, therre was also a redesign of the 135/2.5 from 5 element to 6 element improving close up resolution.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The 50/1.4 Super or S-M-C Takumar yellowing is never hazy in my experience (seen at least a dozen in the last few years, and I've opened most of them for one reason or another). This is because it affects the one radioactive glass element in the rear group, which being as I suppose of a uniform glass mixture has the same radioactive decay working uniformly on it. The yellowing is always present, sometimes more, sometimes less, and always the same element is affected.

To check for yellowing, open the lens up wide open and place it on a piece of white paper. You should see it immediately if its there.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
On the supertak 50mm F1.4 it normally has amber COATINGS which show up as yellow specular reflections on the glass.
This is normal but when you look THRU the glass its clear as when looking thru it at a white wall or something similar. If and
when you get the "yellowing problem" with the lens, its looks yellowish when looking THRU it. I used a blacklight for about a
month to clear mine up. This lens and the supertak 35/2 can have this problem.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hifisapi wrote:
On the supertak 50mm F1.4 it normally has amber COATINGS which show up as yellow specular reflections on the glass.
This is normal but when you look THRU the glass its clear as when looking thru it at a white wall or something similar. If and
when you get the "yellowing problem" with the lens, its looks yellowish when looking THRU it. I used a blacklight for about a
month to clear mine up. This lens and the supertak 35/2 can have this problem.


Correct, and I understand the difference. Nikkor lenses from the 1960s look yellow too.
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