M42-screw fit Wildlife lenses advice needed

Overread · Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Suffolk - UK

Well I recently aquired my dad's old Praktica TL 5B SLR with its 50mm f1.8 kit lens. Camera has hardly ever had a roll of film though it and I am currently clicking away the remaining roll (its been in there for a good 20 years now so chances are its dead - but at least it lets me get a feel for the controls of the camera).
However I have been eager to look into aquiring some longer focal length lenses, since film gear is so much cheaper than digital currently (generally speaking here), for work with wildlife. Thinking 300mm - 400mm sort of lenses.

I currently only have experience with digital photography and have only been in the hobby for a shot time - so I know little to nothing of the older gear nor what are good and bad options between the lenses - and as the prices are all over the place (seeing as most is going to come 2nd hand from probably ebay) I can't even rank many choices by going by price alone.

I have found this resource which lists a lot of the compatable lenses, however there is so much choice that I don't know where to start with things.:

http://m42.artlimited.net/site_lenses.php
website link

dekiller · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 133 Location: Macao

Those MF teles are so heavy that, it may not be practical. My Meyer 300/4 weight 2.1kg alone and I never take 1 photo with it.

Overread · Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Suffolk - UK

hmm interesting point - my current heaviest lens is a 70-200mm f2.8 IS and that is 1.5kgs and I am hoping to (oneday) have a 300mm f2.8 IS which is about the same as the 300mm f4 you state - however both have IS built in which I do rely on when handholding.

Sounds like a 400mm might be a better choice with a view to working from a hide rather than a walk around (400mm as 300mm is likley to come up too shot more times than not)

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

i like the M42 Takumars.

The 300/4 weighs a kilo, the 400/4 is 1.3kg; both have removable tripod mounts for handheld...

the 500/4.5 is a real big monster at 3.5kg Very Happy

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Get a cheap 300mm and get used to it, thats my advice. Particularly if you are going to use a film camera.

There are lots of no-name or otherwise cheap 300mm/5.5 or 5.6 lenses going for the cost of a couple of rolls of film development. Check out ebay for "300mm" and "M42" or "screw" and you will find a pile.

Technique for tele is more important than lens quality, and especially so with film cameras as the learning curve goes more slowly due to slow feedback and there is no image stabilization to help. The first few rolls are going to be mostly disappointing no matter what lens you get.

dekiller · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 133 Location: Macao

Besides, an Enna 240/4.5 only weights like a 50mm lens.

dickb · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 821

I just received a Novoflex COA adapter last week, so now I can use my Novoflex PiGriffC with lens heads (Leitz Telyt 560/6.8 and T-Noflexar 400/5.6) as M42 telephoto lenses. Relatively lightweight, good quality but fairly expensive.

If you need a lot of reach and you are working from a blind, the Pentacon 500/5.6 is supposed to be a relatively decent performer for a reasonably low price.

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

300mm Tair can be had for less than 20 quid on ebay. One went today for 18 quid. The one from the photosniper setup is usually a bit cheaper but has a quirky focus and stopdown methed which can be a bit annoying. The 3A is probably the better option. They're fairly sharp at F5.6 and very sharp at F8 and have 16 aperture blades to give great `bokeh'.

Are you looking for anything in the 200mm range?

mUg · Joined: 13 Dec 2008 Posts: 128

Among Asahi Takumars there are the 200 5.6 and the 300 6.3 i think, they aren't absolutely the most luminous ones but they probably are the lightest (even though the 200 comes even in f4 kind i think). On the AF side, Canon has a 70-200 f4 USM zoom.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Tamron SP 300mm f5.6 + M42 adapter is lightweight and IQ is excellent.
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/japenese/Tamron/tamron_sp_300/

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/top_lenses/long+tele/

Overread · Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Suffolk - UK

hmm not really after the 200mm range - its one that I have already and even on crop sensor cameras its mostly sitting with a 1.4TC and is also generally used in zoos and the like where its a great performer - but out in the field I need that little bit more reach - ergo why 300mm is my lower level limit.

having a quick ebay look these appeared and were on the cheaper side:

link 1

link 2
cheap - but its a zoom also and that might lead to image quality weakness at the long end - possibly (I just don't know)

link 3

link 4

any of those worth considering?

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Good chance to get garbage, forget them ...

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

All too expensive for what they are. Look for 1/2-1/3 those prices.

I have the same as the last two on that list (under another name), and its a pretty good lens actually.

http://forum.mflenses.com/rubica-300-5-6-what-the-heck-is-that-t6798,highlight,rubica.html

This is a very common and very decent one, sold under many names -

http://forum.mflenses.com/a-lens-with-many-names-t6207,highlight,sears+300.html

Big Dawg · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 2530 Location: Thach Alabama

Vititar 300mm f/5.5 T4 lens or a Vivitar f/5.6 TX lens. You can pick one up very reasonably on Ebay and they are not too heavy and give good results with just a little CA. If you can't find one in M42 it doesn't matter as the lens mount is interchangeable and the mounts in M42 can be found for around 12-24 dollars US. One thing about these is the fact that they are sharpest wide open to f/16.

aoleg · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 1387 Location: Berlin, DE

I recommend a Super or S-M-C Takumar 300/4. It's not that heavy, and reasonably sharp wide open (extremely sharp at f/5.6). I also tried a no-name 300/5.5 lens, and it was OK optically, yet produced lots of aberrations (CA and purple fringing).

S-M-C Takumar 300/4, wide open:

Overread · Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Suffolk - UK

Thanks all - I will keep my eye out for some of the mentioned lenses and see if I can get any good ebay prices on them. Trick is *At least for me* is staying low with the price - not that I am opposed to paying for good glass - but that my serious money is heading for more EF lenses for my canon camera - whilst this is mostly an interesting sideproject with the older film camera.
Still will see what I can get 0 then I just have to learn how to work with film!

arhi_tectu1 · Joined: 09 Feb 2009 Posts: 315

here are some photos taken with Pentacon 300mm f4
on a crop camera like canon 40D it became's a 480mm lens witch is realy great hope they help you
the downside of the lens is that is very heavy i think is more then 2kg but with a monopod or a tripod (witch i think you need for wildlife photography ) you can do a great job

Big Dawg · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 2530 Location: Thach Alabama

Or you could try a Vivitar 200mm f/3.5. Very good lens wide open up to f/16. If the lens IQ is good enough then the crops will be sharp as well.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Century Precision Optics made lenses in the 300mm to 400mm range -- manual aperture with T-mount. I shot some test pics with a 500mm f/5.6 I own and posted the results here:

http://forum.mflenses.com/cpo-500mm-f-5-6-an-oldie-but-a-goodie-t14824.html

That old 500 is actually sharpest wide open. If you can find a CPO in the 300 to 400 range, it's probably worth a look.

Best,

Michael