Tele-Takumar 1000/8 : shots + review

[CarbonR]

All is at f/8, handheld, between 400 and 800 isos during the shooting, up to +1EV in PP if needed, because the exposition with this lens is not regular :

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First review, after this pseudo-series and some previous tests, translated from french by me (ask me if you're not understanding some points) :
- Construction : it is clearly massive (a massive photographing weapon ), long, whatever you want. The focusing system is unusual, as it is a rail (said in the screwmount guide to be "rack and pignon focusing"), but its use is rather intuitive and allows a very smooth focus, as optical block doesn't move. I would have designed a wider rotation : focusing is not easy, because it turns for 2/3 a turn, associated with the very narrow dof and f/8.
- Use : I reach my limites for handheld use : the 500/4.5 can easily be handheld at 200 isos, whereas the 1000mm, with only f/8, requires some good sensibility. Classic exposure on a sunny day on leaves or foliage is about 1/1000s, 800 isos, f/8. The whole thing (lens+ody) is well balanced, but it is impossible to do the focus and shooting at the same time. I can personnaly use the lens handheld about 15 minutes before handshaking begins to be too important to obtain good results, but I would understand people saying they need a tripod (even more without stabilization). We can add a small extension tube or an helicoid if we don't need infinity. A 5mm long extension tube should allow focusing up to approximatively 300m.
- Rendering : I'm quite impressioned by what can this lens designed 45 years ago achieve. It had been used at f/8 only, it is not razor sharp as the 135/2.5 V2 can be at f/2.5, but details are there and we can expect very good results stopped down. Colors, contrast are generally good, without being extraordinary (may a S-M-C would be better ?). Concerning the bokeh, I had various things. Sometimes very smooth, sometimes less, altough pleasant, sometimes colorful at border (disturbing, as #10 for example). I'll need take more pictures to determine what is the dominant bokeh.

[CarbonR]

Addendum, between f/45 and f/16 :

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Yes, my sensor in the crappiest in the world

[poilu]

congrats! very good results from the monster
I guess lot of sensors look like that at f45