Pentax K1000 and Takumar lenses - question

[Cromlech]

I heard something about, if I wanted to use a Takumar lens with a Pentax K1000, I would need an adapter ring... Is this true?

and where can I get one?

Richard

 

[Ian C]

Pentax Lens Mount Compatibility for its 35mm SLRs

Takumar is Asahi Optical Company’s (Pentax) name for its camera lenses. Any K-mount bayonet lens will fit the K-1000.

If the lens is very old it might have the old M42 screw mount. In that case an adapter is needed.

Details can be found here

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[Pumalite]

There are good and bad adaptors. I have a cllection of Super Takumas or Super-Multi Coated Takumars that I usu with my Spotmatics: I got an adaptor for the Contax; it works great. I got an adaptor for the Minoltasw; they don't work so well; in fact my lenses cannot focus to infinity. So; ve careful.

 

[Cromlech]

There are good and bad adaptors. I have a cllection of Super Takumas or Super-Multi Coated Takumars that I usu with my Spotmatics: I got an adaptor for the Contax; it works great. I got an adaptor for the Minoltasw; they don't work so well; in fact my lenses cannot focus to infinity. So; ve careful.

I suppose I'll get the lens and go from there.

 

[Stevopedia]

Yes, but oyu need an M42 to K-mount adapter. Pentax still makes one (the Mount Adapter B). It's relatively expensive, but it's guaranteed to be a quality piece. There are also adapters available on eBay, but you lose focus at infinity with some. Not so with the Pentax-made item.

 

[lxdude]

Takumar is Asahi Optical Company’s (Pentax) name for its camera lenses. Any K-mount bayonet lens will fit the K-1000.

Almost all of Asahi's (later Pentax Corp.) manual focus K-mount lenses were called SMC Pentax, SMC Pentax-M or SMC Pentax-A.

Takumar was used for the screw-mount lenses, and much later for a few K-mount lenses, called "Takumar (Bayonet)." The Takumar Bayonet are generally regarded as being not as high quality as the SMC Pentaxes. They sold for less and lack multicoating.

If the lens is very old it might have the old M42 screw mount. In that case an adapter is needed.

The M42 mount Asahi lenses will be called either Takumar, Auto-Takumar, Super-Takumar or Super Multi Coated Takumar. And an adapter will be needed for these or any M42 lens, of which there are many.

 

[lxdude]

Yes, but oyu need an M42 to K-mount adapter. Pentax still makes one (the Mount Adapter B). It's relatively expensive, but it's guaranteed to be a quality piece. There are also adapters available on eBay, but you lose focus at infinity with some. Not so with the Pentax-made item.

And I can state from experience that the adapters that are copies of the genuine Pentax item, allowing infinity focus, are not the same quality. One I had jammed on a camera, causing a real headache. I ended up carefully cutting it off with diagonal cutters. Get the adapter sold by Pentax. It's worth it.

 

[Donmck]

All of my "Super Takumar" M42 screw mount lenses are Multicoated.

Do they have as many coatings as the "Super Multi Coated" or the "SMC" lenses?

I don't know but they are surely Multi-coated.

Are the K mount lenses better Quality than the older M42 lenses?

I don't know, but it seems unlikely.In my experience, the older lenses in most series have the better build quality.

 

[lxdude]

All of my "Super Takumar" M42 screw mount lenses are Multicoated.

Nope they're not.

Do they have as many coatings as the "Super Multi Coated" or the "SMC" lenses?

Nope they don't.

I don't know but they are surely Multi-coated.

Nope they're not.

Multicoating refers to a coating technology which uses several layers built up on a glass surface to reduce reflection off glass/air surfaces. Super Multi-Coating/SMC uses 7 layers. Fuji's EBC process uses 11.
Multicoating is designed at the outset to be a multiple layer process and so presents much more complex challenges to engineers to make it work properly.

That doesn't mean that some lenses did not have more than one layer on some or all surfaces before there was multicoating. But they were fewer than what is used in multicoating. A lens which is said to be "double-coated" would not be considered "multicoated".

Are the K mount lenses better Quality than the older M42 lenses?

I don't know, but it seems unlikely.In my experience, the older lenses in most series have the better build quality.

Build quality of the M42 Asahi lenses was great. The first K-mount lenses were the same lenses in K-mount. But the M-series were also built well. Some of the A series started using some plastic, but were still well built. I don't think they're quite as tough as the all-metal lenses, but otherwise are quite good, with very smooth operation.

Optically, the Takumars are still very good. Many of the newer lenses will outperform them in tests, but they have a way of rendering an image that is just plain nice.

 

[Donmck]

very interesting--

So let me try this--My original Super Taks are surely not single coated.
they have multiple coatings.

I still think the Super Taks are one of the best deals in 35mm lenses--just "imo"

 

[lxdude]

How do you know they have multiple coatings?

And how do you know they are surely not single coated?

 

[Donmck]

Dude--

How do I know?

------Moore's Law.

 

[lxdude]

oooookaaayyy. :confused:

 

[Cromlech]

Instead of 105mm, would it be safer to go with a 75mm lens?

The only lens on my pentax that I own is the standard 50mm.

What lens are suggested?

Richard

 

[Pumalite]

I have an M42 135mm f/35 Super Takumar that is a jewel and a Super-Multi-Coated 200mm f/4 that is excellent.

 

[lxdude]

And I have a 200mm Super-Takumar that is also excellent. One very sweet lens.

 

[lxdude]

Instead of 105mm, would it be safer to go with a 75mm lens?

The only lens on my pentax that I own is the standard 50mm.

What lens are suggested?

Richard

Please note that K-mount lenses are easy to find. Many are the same or less than the old Takumars. For example, my SMC Pentax-M 80-200/4.5 zoom cost $50 on ebay. My SMC Pentax-M 28/2.8 cost $35 from KEH.
If you want to add lenses I recommend buying K-mount lenses. They will have automatic aperture closing and full aperture metering. Adapting Takumars will mean that you will will have to close the aperture manually each time. And if you want to mount your 50, you'll have to remove the adapter first.
I use the adapter with the Takumars and other screw thread lenses for the specific qualities those lenses offer, but still have the equivalent K-mounts for regular use.

Which additional lenses is something you'll have to figure out, though general guidelines can be given. Do you need a little wider view? A 35mm could be just right. Do you want a considerably wider view? Try a 28mm.
For longer lenses, a 100 will get you twice the image size as a 50 for any given distance. Lots of people prefer a 135mm though, for the extra reach, while still having an easy to handle lens.
Another way to go is a short zoom. A 75-150 zoom will give you a good range to work with, and the Pentax one is quite good, reasonably priced.

 

[Pumalite]

But the 'bokeh' is irreplaceable. There is a 'Takunar Club' for this lenses in another forum. You have to see for yourself and compare.

 

[Cromlech]

Perfect advice. I only need to narrow down my view just slightly to get one standard image onto focus. I was going to go with 75 or 100/105 in order to narrow down the lens size gradually, instead of overestimating....

Hrm. Where can i find pentax lenses?

 

[Pumalite]

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[Cromlech]

ty. i dont like AF lenses.

Richard

 

[lxdude]

But the 'bokeh' is irreplaceable. There is a 'Takunar Club' for this lenses in another forum. You have to see for yourself and compare.

That's kinda like telling someone with a Leica M7 that they should get a Leica thread mount lens for its bokeh or its "glow" instead of an M-mount.

For someone considering their basic lens assortment I would not recommend a lens on its bokeh alone. Much of the newer Pentax glass is very nice in this regard, anyway. I do love the way the old Takumars render an image, but if recommending Takumar lenses to someone who's only at the point of wondering what focal length to buy, I would also recommend they get a Spotmatic or other M42 thread camera to go with it. My screw mount lenses augment, not replace, my K-mounts.

BTW, SMC Pentax lenses (no letter following, like M, A, or FA) are the first K-mount lenses by Pentax, and are the same as the Super Multi-coated Takumars. So there's that, too.

 

[Pumalite]

I prefer my Super Takumars and I use them wherever I can

 

[Cromlech]

Here are my two lens choices:

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I may get this one first, and if it's not quite right, then, this:

(cannot find the link....)

Richard