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200/f4 comparison - Nikkor AIS and Pentax SMC
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:18 pm    Post subject: 200/f4 comparison - Nikkor AIS and Pentax SMC Reply with quote
Though the shots are taken on a moving subject but I find very negligible difference wrt bokeh, contrast and colour rendition. Both shots on Kodak elitechrome 100, f/4, 1/250. No PP done except resize, convert to JPG (scanned in large TIFF) and cropped a little of the plastic slide mount out of the frame Very Happy for posting.

Pentax SMC M 200/f4 (Focus a little off from the squirrel)



Nikkor AIS 200/f4



PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Both shots are hand held


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I see no difference, this is my opinion too based on my experience. A scanned picture mostly shows the scanning quality than lens quality.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow! great shots Shiladitya & on film
the 2 lenses have superb colors and are impressive wide open


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
I see no difference, this is my opinion too based on my experience. A scanned picture mostly shows the scanning quality than lens quality.


True... but since these are scanned in the same batch, should eliminate any bias. Having said that future slides with a 8X Loupe did not bring any significant difference. So both these lenses are great. I have been using the SMC for 15 years and the nikkor for a year, but the Pentax is somehow my favourite (maybe just nostalgia).

Thanks
Shiladitya


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
poilu wrote:
Wow! great shots Shiladitya & on film
the 2 lenses have superb colors and are impressive wide open


Thnaks poilu, I always judge a lens with its performance wide open, specially a tele as thats how I shoot.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Shiladitya wrote:
Attila wrote:
I see no difference, this is my opinion too based on my experience. A scanned picture mostly shows the scanning quality than lens quality.


True... but since these are scanned in the same batch, should eliminate any bias. Having said that future slides with a 8X Loupe did not bring any significant difference. So both these lenses are great. I have been using the SMC for 15 years and the nikkor for a year, but the Pentax is somehow my favourite (maybe just nostalgia).

Thanks
Shiladitya



My experience with these lenses are same, both are very good quality lenses I not see any difference on my digital images too.
But try sometimes a Carl Zeiss lens Jena or Oberkochen doesn't matter...
You will won't shoot again with other lenses...


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Shiladitya wrote:
Attila wrote:
I see no difference, this is my opinion too based on my experience. A scanned picture mostly shows the scanning quality than lens quality.


True... but since these are scanned in the same batch, should eliminate any bias. Having said that future slides with a 8X Loupe did not bring any significant difference. So both these lenses are great. I have been using the SMC for 15 years and the nikkor for a year, but the Pentax is somehow my favourite (maybe just nostalgia).

Thanks
Shiladitya



My experience with these lenses are same, both are very good quality lenses I not see any difference on my digital images too.
But try sometimes a Carl Zeiss lens Jena or Oberkochen doesn't matter...
You will won't shoot again with other lenses...


Have not been exposed to Zeiss Optics so far Sad (except for my eye glasses Laughing ). It is actually hard to get by in India where I live. But thanks to the *bay, hope to try them out in the near future.

The GAS for Zeiss Optics would definately end in a divorce which I have been tactfully avoiding Laughing Laughing


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ebay is an easy and great resource , don't hesitate take some.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zeiss and such are indeed fine lenses. I won't argue that. But if you calculate bang per buck, I'd say alot of Pentax lenses are ontop. The quality difference between Zeiss and Pentax is not big enough to justify the big differences in price, in my humble opinion. Ofcourse, if I could afford, I would have every Zeiss there is, but I can't.

The SMC-M 200/4 I have I bought for 30€, with original caps and bag in a near mint condition. How much is a Zeiss 200mm?


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
200 EUR at least if Jena lens, if Oberkochen Contax more. Compare with crappy AF lenses and DSLR bodies not high priced at all.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
200 EUR at least if Jena lens, if Oberkochen Contax more. Compare with crappy AF lenses and DSLR bodies not high priced at all.


No, no its not expensive compared to new lenses. But if you want to get a collection going, starting with Zeiss glass will be very very expensive. I think I am on a good track with the Super Takumars. They are all cheap considering what they do for me. So was this SMC-M. Spending 4-5 times more on a Zeiss would have stopped me from getting other lenses. And 30$ is really _nothing_ for the SMC-M 200/4, considering its quality. I doubt that the Zeiss glass is reall 7 times better then the Pentax, as the price might get one to think.

I have not done this collecting buisness for long and I am still amazed about the quality of almost every lens I have had so far. But to be really honest, I can't really make that much of a difference from a lens and another, sure they give different "personality" to pictures. But I can't see why Pentax, Meyer or such is acctually sometimes 10 times cheaper then Zeiss, they are not at all ten times worse then Zeiss.

I am happy with all my Pentaxes and Takumars. And I do believe that if Pentax gives me 90% quality and Zeiss 100% quality, that the best thing for a starting collector is to get a decent collection of 90% lenses and upgrade when they are statisfied with the lenses they have. It will be alot easier for me to justify an upgrade from SMC-M 200 to Zeiss 200 when I have all the other lenses I need and can take it in a slower pace, perhaps one lens per month or two.

Smile I hope you see what I mean, I tend to entangle myself too much in english and never get to the point. *grin*.

To make it short: I pay 30$ for 90% bang and 170 more for 10% extra. That makes the first 90% very cheap, per %. Wink


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess I started as collector as you , now I changed I try to get better and better lenses.


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
I guess I started as collector as you , now I changed I try to get better and better lenses.


Well I will stick with the Super Takumars, because I think they look sexy. Wink I'll go Zeiss when I get a mediumformat thing going.

Anyways, great shots of the squirrel. I'm sure you will be happy with a digital body Smile


PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have the M42 Super Takumar f4 200mm. Is the SMC any better?
I find the Super Tak good but no better than the Tamron Adaptall 2 f3.5 200mm or even the Tamron f3.5 19AH SP 70-210. So I don't use it these days.
I must agree about the scanning point.
One often has to judge by the weakest link in the chain.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rob Leslie wrote:
I have the M42 Super Takumar f4 200mm. Is the SMC any better?
I find the Super Tak good but no better than the Tamron Adaptall 2 f3.5 200mm or even the Tamron f3.5 19AH SP 70-210. So I don't use it these days.
I must agree about the scanning point.
One often has to judge by the weakest link in the chain.


Generally I didn't see any difference between Super and SMC Takumars , I had both 200mm . 135mm and above Tamrons too. No significant difference between them.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for that info Attila.
I did do a couple of test with the Tamron Adaptall 2 f3.5 200mm and the Pentax lens and found nothing in it when stopped down to f5.6 but I thought the Tamron slightly better at f4 when the Takumar was wide open and the Tamron's f3.5 as good as the Takumars f4.
I came to the same conclusion with the SP 70-200 f3.5 model 19AH which is fantastic considering it is a zoom.
I also find both Tams to be nicer handling lenses but that is a personal preference.
I would use the Tam f3.5 200mm a lot more but always tend to go with SP 70-210 or the SP 35-210, the extra weight and size is nothing considering the extra versatility they offer.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I found all Tamron lenses were good or very good or superb on my Nikon D50. I have less luck with them on Olympus E-1 none of them reach superb flag on this cam. So I sell my large Tamron collection, but I guess I will keep the best ones. I have no experience with Tamron super zoom 35-210mm how perform at 35mm ?


PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
zewrak wrote:
Attila wrote:
I guess I started as collector as you , now I changed I try to get better and better lenses.


Well I will stick with the Super Takumars, because I think they look aaa. Wink I'll go Zeiss when I get a mediumformat thing going.

Anyways, great shots of the squirrel. I'm sure you will be happy with a digital body Smile


zewrak, as you know it's the same with everything in life, for the last little bit you have to pay the most Wink
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