M42 wide angle lens choice: I NEED AN HELP

stark_674 · Apr 29, 2011

Hi all,

I need an help to choose a wide angle lens for my loved Praktica MTL3 M42 mount.
I use Pentacon 50 f/1,8 and Takumar SMC 135 F/3,5 and I dont know which focal lenght to choose between 28 29 or 35 mm.
It seems to me that the difference between a 35mm and a 50mm is not so marked, so I would go on a 28 or 29 choice. Is this a correct choice?
I also would need any suggestion on which is a good quality lens haveing a moderate cost..... Any suggestion is well appreciated.
Thank you in advance to all
Bye
Denny

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 29, 2011

You may come to find that a 35mm lens is incredibly useful. Somehow a lot of things look just 'right' with them.

I would recommend looking into getting the Pentax 35mm f/2 M42 lens. It's a stellar performer.
If you like a 28mm, the Pentax 28mm f/3.5 is amazing.

- Thomas

lxdude · Apr 29, 2011

Only you can decide what is the correct choice. 28 is a common choice, and is my preference. Some people go for a 35, some even go for a 24.

narsuitus · Apr 30, 2011

I like to use the 28mm with the 50mm.

The Takumar 28mm and certain Vivitar 28mm are excellent performers.

Ian Grant · Apr 30, 2011

The Tamron Adaptal 28mm f2.5 is an excellent lens, it has the advantage of being usable on any camera system with the right Adaptall mount. I use one with my Spotmatics (M42 mount) as well as my K/M mount Pentaxs and it's as good as my 28mm f2.8 SMC Takumar.

I had the Pentacon 29mm lens at one time (made by Meyer) and that was a very good lens with just a touch of Barrel distortion compared the the Tamron & Takumars, I still use a 30mm Meyer Lydith on my Exacta Varex IIb.

Ian

ignatiu5 · Apr 30, 2011

Like others have mentioned, it's hard to know what's best for you until you've shot with the different focal lengths. I owned the Takumar 35/2 that Thomas speaks of - great lens, but I just didn't use it often enough to justify its cost over the f/3.5 version. For me, it was too close to my 50/1.4 S-M-C Takumar. I can also recommend the 28/3.5 S-M-C Takumar; it's my go to lens when I want wider than normal.

michaelbsc · Apr 30, 2011

I like a 35 and an 85. My 28 sees little use.

But YMMV.

eSPhotos · Apr 30, 2011

I once had a Komine made vivitar 28mm/2.8 (SN starting 28xxxx) which was really really good - better than Takumar SMC of same specs.
The Vivitar costed me next to nothing and sold for similar price.

Diapositivo · May 1, 2011

It's a bit like asking which is the wine to drink. It's something that only belong to your taste (and wallet). Anyway if you plan to go round with the 50mm and mounting a wide angle when needed, I would go for a 28mm as a 35mm would be "too close" to the 50mm and in many occasions it would not solve the composition problem you might have.

A 35mm is a very good "all round" lens and not by chance used to be the focal length of fixed-lens compact cameras in the eighties and nineties. If you just want to walk light and have only one lens permanently mounted on your camera, then 35mm is probably the most useful focal length.

But then again it all depends on your habits. I find changing lenses very, very boring and distracting when I just "walk around". When I use a tripod I can take all the time to change lenses. Otherwise, it's one camera - one lens, many cameras with me (two, maybe three).

stark_674 · May 2, 2011

Other suggestions welcome

Thanks to all
I am clarifying lot of things. I didn't know and neither think that 35mm should be a good "all situations" choice.
I decide for a 28mm and watching ebay I am choicing between different lenses:
flektogon, curtagon, skoparex are so much expensive to me.
Takumar SMC is affordable, Pentacon and Mamiya and Mir are very good priced.
What do you think about Mamiya 28 f/2,8????
I own a Mamiya c330 and lenses are so sharp and nice to me. Maybe the mamiya quality is on 35mm too......
Any other suggestion is wellcome, low and medium costs lens of quality are welcome to me..........
Bye and THANKS al lot

M42 wide angle lens choice: I NEED AN HELP

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