Information on the Mamiya/Sekor 50mm Lens

[septim]

After a bout of darkroom therapy with a Kodak Brownie I am now starting to prepare for a nice long weekend away in about a months time. Amongst my very sad looking collection of lenses I have a 50mm Auto Mamiya/Sekor lens that I really don't have much information about and have never actually shot with. A quick google search didn't seem to yield very satisfactory results and so I decided to ask here instead. So the information I am hoping to find is as follows:

• Did any camera ship with this lens stock?
• What sort of sharpness should I expect with this lens?
• Does this lens hold any economical value?
• Is it worth me getting an adapter to use this lens with my Pentax Program-A body?
• Where could this lens prove more useful than my Takumar-A 28~80mm lens?

Sorry if I sound to demanding. Septim

 

[BMbikerider]

Mamiya made a few SLR's back in the late 70's and early 80's with this lens. Most cameras of that era came with a 50mm or thereabouts lens when it was purchased The camera/lens had (usually) the 42mm screw thread. They were middle of the road type of lenses not bad nor where they outstanding except possibility in the build quality.
As for value think around the $10 mark. or think that you have a very cheap and effective magnifying lupe to examine negatives at close quarters

 

[septim]

Would it be worth borrowing/buying an adapter to use it on my K mount body (along with a Super Takumar) or should I invest in some K mount lenses instead?

 

[Ian Grant]

Would it be worth borrowing/buying an adapter to use it on my K mount body (along with a Super Takumar) or should I invest in some K mount lenses instead?

I'd get an m42 to K mount adaptor they are very cheap, that will allow the use of any M42 mount lenses on a Pentax or any other camera with a K mount. You will have to stop the sperture down manually though.

Ian

 

[Dali]

BMbikerider said it all.

I use a F/2 50mm Sekor with my M42 Praktica camera and I have no complaint. It is not better thean the average 50mm but not worse neither. I did not checked its used market value recently but I bought mine $17 several years ago which was a bargain compared to other M42 standard lenses (Zeiss Jena, Meyer, Takumar, etc...).

 

[Joel_L]

I have a Sekor 50mm F2 on my 1000DTL, I'm generally pleased with the results.

Joel

 

[dosilverhalide]

I shot with Mamiya lens almost exclusively for two years in the nineties and never had any complaints.

 

[septim]

After reading the feedback from you guys here I'm going to find myself an adapter and do some shooting with this lens in my spare time between exams.

 

[mgb74]

I see many of these adapter for sale with a wide variation in price. Is there a particular one that is higher quality?

Often it seems items like these these come from the same factory in China and higher price is more a function of seller and packaging than of inherent quality.

There does seem to be 2 types, 1 type inserts into the camera mount and the other has a flange and might (?) be best left on the lens.

 

[septim]

I know that the manual for my Pentax body recommends the use of the adapter that inserts into the mount (Pentax Mount Adapter K) and that is probably the type of adapter I will use.