Budget M42 85mm-90mm lens recommendations

gone · Apr 13, 2022

I went far down the rabbit hole the last few days researching small K mount SLRs that had AE and AE-Lock. Finally got that solved, and now need an 85-90 lens. Ideally it would be a little soft wide open for portraits.

The Takumar 85 1.8 lenses are too expensive, so I'm hoping to get some advice on M42 to use w/ an adapter w/o driving myself even crazier web searching lens reviews. Hopefully the M42 stuff is more plentiful, especially by 3rd party manufacturers. Under $200 would be a plus, I swear, another hr on this computer checking lenses out and I'll need a shrink.

Disappointed_Horse · Apr 13, 2022

I know the feeling.

It's a little longer than you're looking for, but the 105mm f/2.8 Super Takumar is a great lens. I bought a "Bargain" rated one from KEH a couple of years ago for around $100 (with hood and caps) and it arrived looking like new. I'm very happy with it.

Marcelo Paniagua · Apr 13, 2022

Probably Jupiter 9? 85mm f/2. I had this on LTM but it is available on M42. Pretty good actually.

mgb74 · Apr 13, 2022

Do you consider the Tamron 90mm macro too sharp?

Marcelo Paniagua · Apr 13, 2022

mgb74 said:
Do you consider the Tamron 90mm macro too sharp?

An amazin len IMHO, but is there an M42 adapter?

mgb74 · Apr 13, 2022

You just need the correct Tamron mount. No need to go to M42, there are mounts for Pentax K (though also for M42). Here's one example I found:

PENTAK K, PK Fit Genuine Tamron Adaptall 2 Lens Mount / Adapter. Exc. - Etsy

PENTAK K, PK fit Genuine Tamron Adaptall 2 Lens Mount / Adapter, good condition. Allows you to use your Tamron lenses with the adaptall 2 mount onto PENTAX mount SLR Film Camera ---Most items are shipped with lowest cost postage , no tracking or insurance, if you want to upgrade this please contact

www.etsy.com

GregY · Apr 14, 2022

The Pentax 85mm lenses are crazy expensive. If you consider just how popular the Nikkor 105 2.5 was...... i'd learn to love the slightly longer focal length and get a for a $100 +/- ............

btaylor · Apr 14, 2022

Hadn’t thought about the Jupiter 9- I have it in LTM and Contax mounts- great lens (but considerable sample variation). I just checked the ’Bay- wow! They are expensive. The Tamron 90mm f2.5 looks quite reasonable. As mentioned above just get the right adapter (Adaptall 2). Smear some nose grease on a up filter and it’s a portrait lens!

gone · Apr 14, 2022

My J-9 experiences have been about 50/50. If you get a good one, no problem, but they are a bit of a dice roll, and pretty heavy too. Yes, the Pentax 85 1.8 prices are very crazy, and so are the FD 85 1.8 lenses.

The Nikkor 105 2.5 lenses are still cheap, but you could cut yourself w/ one of those, they're very sharp even wide open. Same w/ the Tamron. The only affordable, brand name short tele that I know of is the Nikon 85 2 lens, they're still around $200.

I'm still shocked to see Leica R 90 lenses about the same price as the Japanese short tele lenses, which is a new thing. If I can't find something for the Pentax camera I'm selling it and getting a Nikon FG and one of those 85 2 lenses, they're small, light and "good enough". You get these annoying hexagon things in the background occasionally though. That happens mostly outdoors w/ busy backgrounds, inside, they image almost exactly like my Leica R 90 lens.

gone · Apr 15, 2022

I finally bought a M42 Soligor 105 2.8. It's a tiny little thing w/ 46mm filters, which I found on eBay along w/ a hood. $110 for the whole package incl shipping. This is exactly what I wanted, a small lens w/ classic rendering.

Soligor (Komine?) 105/2.8 preset

Soligor (Komine?) 105/2.8 preset :: Lenses :: Home :: Manual Focus Lenses

forum.mflenses.com

Soligor 105mm f2.8 Preset in Exakta KE T-mount

Soligor 105mm f2.8 Preset in Exakta KE T-mount :: Lenses :: Home :: Manual Focus Lenses

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ciniframe · Apr 16, 2022

If it is a preset ‘T’ mount lens just get a PK-T mount adapter for your K mount camera.
There just ain’t no cheap 85mm lenses it seems. Least ways in any mount I’m using. There are some new Samyang 85’s in Canon EF and Nikon F mount that are reasonable for a new lens but beyond that it is a desert out there.

John Wiegerink · Apr 19, 2022

I think the best bang for the buck is the 90mm f2.8 Leica Elmarit-R lens. They aren't dirt cheap, but the quality and optical rendering are well worth the little more you'll pay for one. I also have the 90mm f2 Leica Summicron and I still prefer the f2.8 Elmarit. I've owned the Nikkor 105mm in all variations, and the 105mm f2.5 AIS was the best. I also have the 90mm f2.5 Tamron and it is very good, but when I used it on my Sony A7RII i'll get a purple blob in some shots because of the reflection off the flat rear element. If you are going to use this for strictly portraiture, then almost any off-brand lens will work. You're not after rendering every little speck or detail. Just the opposite, actually. One of my best portraits in 35mm I have ever taken was with my Nikon F2AS and the 105mm f2.5 AIS lens. It was of a little girl in morning sunlight next to a very large white pine tree trunk. I used a 1a skylight filter and a fingertip of strawberry jam speared mainly on the outer portion of the filter. The jam was from a piece of toast I was eating at the time. It added just the right hue and smoothness to the shot. Her mother was very, very pleased also, as was I. We can make do with much less than we think sometimes. JohnW

Marcelo Paniagua · Apr 19, 2022

momus said:
I finally bought a M42 Soligor 105 2.8. It's a tiny little thing w/ 46mm filters, which I found on eBay along w/ a hood. $110 for the whole package incl shipping. This is exactly what I wanted, a small lens w/ classic rendering.

Soligor (Komine?) 105/2.8 preset

Soligor (Komine?) 105/2.8 preset :: Lenses :: Home :: Manual Focus Lenses

forum.mflenses.com

Soligor 105mm f2.8 Preset in Exakta KE T-mount

Soligor 105mm f2.8 Preset in Exakta KE T-mount :: Lenses :: Home :: Manual Focus Lenses

forum.mflenses.com

Nice. Had many Soligor lenses on the past, most on Miranda mount and didnt had any problem with them. Great daily use lens. Had read that some people complains about glass quality but not my case. Enjoy.

xkaes · Apr 21, 2022

Surprisingly, there really weren't that many 85mm lenses in the M42 mount -- although a lot of companies made a lot of M42 lenses. Excluding Pentax, your best bet would be Mamiya/Sekor. They made an f1.7 and an f2.8.
You double your changes by including 90mm lenses, but that really doesn't help.

Other than the Mamiya's, your best bet is to opt for a 100mm or 105mm lens -- or a zoom. There are lots of nice 70/75-150mm zooms that are very inexpensive, but they are usually f3.5 or f4 -- BUT these are EASY to find in a K-mount!!!

And don't forget the cheapest option of all. Just get a tele-converter for your K-mount normal lens. Turns it into an instant portrait lens. Open wide, the edges are nice and soft. Stopping down increases sharpness -- the perfect portrait lens.

removedacct3 · Apr 21, 2022

John Wiegerink said:
I think the best bang for the buck is the 90mm f2.8 Leica Elmarit-R lens. They aren't dirt cheap, but the quality and optical rendering are well worth the little more you'll pay for one. I also have the 90mm f2 Leica Summicron and I still prefer the f2.8 Elmarit. I've owned the Nikkor 105mm in all variations, and the 105mm f2.5 AIS was the best. I also have the 90mm f2.5 Tamron and it is very good, but when I used it on my Sony A7RII i'll get a purple blob in some shots because of the reflection off the flat rear element. If you are going to use this for strictly portraiture, then almost any off-brand lens will work. You're not after rendering every little speck or detail. Just the opposite, actually. One of my best portraits in 35mm I have ever taken was with my Nikon F2AS and the 105mm f2.5 AIS lens. It was of a little girl in morning sunlight next to a very large white pine tree trunk. I used a 1a skylight filter and a fingertip of strawberry jam speared mainly on the outer portion of the filter. The jam was from a piece of toast I was eating at the time. It added just the right hue and smoothness to the shot. Her mother was very, very pleased also, as was I. We can make do with much less than we think sometimes. JohnW

A bit of topic, hope OP does not mind ...

John, have you ever had the opportunity to compare the famous Pentax 85mm K with either one of the Leica's and if so, what was the outcome?

John Wiegerink · Apr 21, 2022

MrclSchprs said:
A bit of topic, hope OP does not mind ...

John, have you ever had the opportunity to compare the famous Pentax 85mm K with either one of the Leica's and if so, what was the outcome?

Just a quick reply. I haven't used many Pentax bayonet mount lenses, but I have used many of the older M42 Takumars and all have been very good. If the 85mm K lens is anything like the 50mm f1.7 "A" optically, it must be a great lens. I'm selling off almost all my “fun to play with” MF lenses and will concentrate more on lenses made for my camera system. Just too many things to play with and not nearly enough time left to play with them.

Budget M42 85mm-90mm lens recommendations

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