Most affordable 6x6 portable camera with multi coated lens?

[Dan Fromm]

From Wiki

Takuma - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I think that's the wrong link. Did you intend to post this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takumar?

 

[Donald Qualls]

the 50mm 1.4 with thorium element,

I have one of the radioactive Super Takumar 50/1.4 -- it's Super Takumar, so has the relatively early three-layer multicoating. That said, in my opinion (after sunlight/UV clearing the tea color from the thoriated element) it's one of the best lenses made for manual 35 mm cameras.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I have one of the radioactive Super Takumar 50/1.4 -- it's Super Takumar, so has the relatively early three-layer multicoating. That said, in my opinion (after sunlight/UV clearing the tea color from the thoriated element) it's one of the best lenses made for manual 35 mm cameras.

Don,
I have the same 50mm version you have and the 55mm f1.8. I actually like the 55mm better, but that must just be me cuz almost to the letter people much prefer the M42 50mm f1.4 Pentax Takumars over most every other M42 50mm equivalent lens.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I'd be surprised if any Super Takumar were significantly worse -- or a great deal better. The 1.4 has 1/3 stop larger aperture, which makes a difference in available-dark hand-held work (like bar shooting), though faster film easily makes up the difference. I've never used the 55/1.5, so I can't compare -- and honestly, I usually can't tell the difference between one fast fifty and the next anyway.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I'd be surprised if any Super Takumar were significantly worse -- or a great deal better. The 1.4 has 1/3 stop larger aperture, which makes a difference in available-dark hand-held work (like bar shooting), though faster film easily makes up the difference. I've never used the 55/1.5, so I can't compare -- and honestly, I usually can't tell the difference between one fast fifty and the next anyway.

Yes, in a side-by-side comparison it would be very hard to tell the difference between the 55mm f1.8 and the 50mm f1.4 at f5.6-8 without knowing which camera took the shot ahead of time. Both excellent have glass.

 

[Sanug]

This is the first time I read this. Source of this claim?

I am quite sure I have read it in a Pentax catalogue. However, I found in the Operating Manual of the Spotmatic II, page 24 bottom:

Pentax SMC Takumar lenses are the world's first 7-layer multicoated lenses. ... Conventional lenses have only 1-3 layer coatings.