Reccomend me m42 glass!!!!

[OldBodyOldSoul]

Anyone familiar with CZJ Flektogon 4/25? Is it bad, ok or good?

This lens dropped into my lap about a year ago, together with six or seven other M42 lenses (including the behemoth Jupiter 6-2 180/2.8). I wanted to get a body to try them out but a) F3 does everything I want, and b) I am lazy.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Here's a notable one: http://bit.ly/Wic239

 

[Fixcinater]

Super Takumar 85mm f/1.9 is built very well and does it's thing quite well.
SMC Tak 300/4 is a tank and fringes in high contrast situations, but is sharp.
SMC Tak 35/3.5 is tiny and has great IQ
Super Tak 55/1.8 is light, cheap, best sharpness (even on macro tubes past 1:1) of anything I own
Super Tak 50/1.4 is quite good (especially after UV bath) but is 1/3 to 1/2 stop slower than modern glass
Super Tak 200/4 is forgettable
Super/SMC/Auto Tak 135/3.5 is forgettable/reliably good
SMC Tak 28/3.5 is forgettable

Off-Brands:
Vivitar 28/2.5 is great value (especially the close focus versions) but low contrast
Vivitar 135/2.8 is good and cheap, colors were good
Fuji 55/1.8 is great IQ but funky colors in skin tones

tldr: Experiment, copy variation is prevalent, and trying new stuff is half the fun of the old glass.

 

[RobertoMiglioli]

It´s a great lens. I had one for a few time and sold it because I got a Contax 25/2.8.

 

[PentaxBronica]

The Yashinon 2/50 and Mamiya 2/50 are both really great lenses. People usually overlook them for the faster lenses, so they sell for under $20 all the time. The Meyer Orseston/Pentacon 1.8/50 is also a good performer and usually cheap.

I frankly would steer clear of west German lenses, their prices have sky-rocketed as many under-informed buyers assume that all German lenses are wonderful. Some of the worst lenses I've owned have been German, and come from reputable companies like Steinheil et al. The problem is the bad ones sell for prices approaching those of the best. The few m42 lenses made in west Germany that may be worth their prices are the Xenon 1.9/50 and the Icarex Ultron 1.8/50 - both of which are expensive these days, but also among the best normals ever offered in M42.

Mamiya's 28mm lens is excellent, and the CZJ Flektogon 4/20 is also excellent.

Surely you mean East German/DDR lenses? I'm seeing frenzied bidding on anything with "Zeiss" on, even the generic '80s lenses that a UK importer slapped the brand name on (they owned the rights to it in the UK, and applied it to some mediocre lenses which people now seem convinced to be genuine Zeiss).

As the last post states, you can get a good or bad copy of any lens, especially now when you've no idea how they were treated by previous owners. I have the K series (essentially SMC Takumars with a K mount) versions of that 28mm f3.5 and 200mm f4, I rate the 200mm higher than the later M or A series versions. It produced a moon shot a couple of weeks ago which showed plenty of detail after considerable enlarging.

The 28mm in my experience is just a brilliant wide angle lens, very little distortion and not horribly soft wide open. Shoot it around f8 and it's pretty much focus free. My 200mm is minty while the 28mm has a fair bit of paint wear but perfect optics.

 

[Yashinoff]

Surely you mean East German/DDR lenses? I'm seeing frenzied bidding on anything with "Zeiss" on, even the generic '80s lenses that a UK importer slapped the brand name on (they owned the rights to it in the UK, and applied it to some mediocre lenses which people now seem convinced to be genuine Zeiss).

As the last post states, you can get a good or bad copy of any lens, especially now when you've no idea how they were treated by previous owners. I have the K series (essentially SMC Takumars with a K mount) versions of that 28mm f3.5 and 200mm f4, I rate the 200mm higher than the later M or A series versions. It produced a moon shot a couple of weeks ago which showed plenty of detail after considerable enlarging.

The 28mm in my experience is just a brilliant wide angle lens, very little distortion and not horribly soft wide open. Shoot it around f8 and it's pretty much focus free. My 200mm is minty while the 28mm has a fair bit of paint wear but perfect optics.

No, I mean West German manufacturers like Steinheil, Schact, Enna, Schnieder, ISCO et al. Many of their lenses are not particularly good (if not plainly awful), certainly no better than the best from Japan anyway - and yet the prices are ludicrous these days. By contrast, the East German products are mostly still easy to find at reasonable prices, excepting a few lenses that have become way over-hyped online lately like the Primoplan and Trioplan lenses, which weren't even particularly good in their own era.

A lot of people forget that the German manufacturers made lenses for all price brackets, and that just because it has grand old name printed on it, doesn't mean it isn't complete crap.

 

[werra]

Industar-61 L/Z is a good performer from the Eastern Block. Just make sure you get Z which is M42, not D which is M39.

 

[pentax4ever]

Keep an eye out for Mamiya Sekor M42 lenses. I picked up a 135 f2.8 Mamiya Sekor at a flea market and it is a very sharp lens with nice bokeh.

 

[Dennis S]

Thanks. I was wondering what those would be like for M-42 lenses. Saw several going for cheap but I was always watching posts here for anyone who had one. Will be searching again for one. Use the M-42 on all of my cameras. I like the solid build of this glass.

 

[Dennis S]

My search for the M-42 135mm Mamiya-Sekor is over. I found one on Craigslist for a very reasonable price. It looks good in the photos. Will post some pics when I am score & shoot a roll or 2. Now I will have 4X 135mm lenses

 

[Dennis S]

Looks good and it produces a very clear image. Just a manual test shot so my f/ stop was off a bit but the clear focus is what I was after.

 

[Dennis S]

Agfa MCC 111 FB glossy print of the previous neg scan. I am impressed with the clear detail of this M-42 lens. Had my work cut out for me with dodging burning on the print but only a small bit of cropping after scanning the print.

 

[lxdude]

Super Tak 200/4 is forgettable

Surprised me. I love mine.

SMC Tak 28/3.5 is forgettable

Really surprised me. My results differ.

Fuji 55/1.8 is great IQ but funky colors in skin tones

Original or EBC? The EBC Fujinon 55/1.8 was my first SLR lens ever, and I always liked what I got from it. I don't remember funky colors (Kodachrome was the film), but I'd have to go back and look.

tldr: Experiment, copy variation is prevalent, and trying new stuff is half the fun of the old glass.

Yep, yep, and yep.

 

[lxdude]

Apparently any m42 glass I get has to be preset aperture and not auto like later m42, unless there is a way around this?

All screw thread Takumars will work, as the auto lenses have an A/M switch. Lenses can be set to any f/stop, and moving the switch from A to M will close that stop, the same way a preset lens works. But they are auto diaphragm on A.

Auto M42 lenses without an A/M switch will have to be used fully open, or hold in or jam the pin somehow, making it a manual lens.

 

[PentaxBronica]

The neatest way I've seen to jam the pin is with a sliver of CDR, carefully filed to shape and superglued to the back of the lens.

It would obviously be a better idea to just buy an M42 body capable of operating the pin! Spotmatics are still relatively cheap and plentiful here, or go earlier with an SV if you're not bothered about a built-in light meter. Either is likely to need a CLA but will be ready for another few decades afterwards.

 

[lxdude]

Maybe there's a way to rig an adapter to move in the pin.

 

[Felinik]

porst color reflex 55mm f1.4, or if you find it, porst color reflex 55mm f1.2 ...



I just laid my hands on a 55 1.4 for about 70 euros.

 

[Endo]

I bought Flektogon 35/2.4 long before the hype started. The hype is gone, and I still love it. The blades are sometimes sticky, so I have to clean once in a while.

 

[jakeblues]

No Super Tak 50mm f/1.4 on a 5D digital. The mirror will strike the lens.

It's pretty easy (though a bit of a shame) to modify the lens so that it clears the mirror. One has to file down the protective rear housing (very carefully).

+1 for Super Tak 50/1.4
+1 for Super Tak 28/3.5 (a stupid stupid sharp, fun lens)
+1 for Super Tak 105/2.8, though I just sold mine because I never use teles
+1 for Super Tak 35/3.5, though I have only used the optically similar K version
+1 for using these lenses on a spottie instead of an EOS film system. I have done both, and Spotmatics provide a more rewarding experience.

Better yet, get a camera with a better viewfinder like a KX or MX and get an M42 adapter to leave permanently on the camera. Big viewfinders = big fun!

-Jake

 

[GarageBoy]

How good is the 50 1.4 Super Tak?
I already use a Nikon 50 1.4 AI and a C/Y Zeiss 50 1.4

I'd like to add the Fuji 135 2.5 and Fuji 85 F4 Soft Focus (for when you need everything to look like 1980)

 

[jakeblues]

How good is the 50 1.4 Super Tak?
I already use a Nikon 50 1.4 AI and a C/Y Zeiss 50 1.4

Ooh good question. I've never used either of those lenses, so I can't compare. I've liked just about every 50 I've owned, so maybe I'm too nice about lenses. But I really like the Super Tak--it has great bokeh, is really sharp at all apertures from f/2 on, and has a vintage "glow" at 1.4.

I don't know how good it is, except to say that I like it better than the Pentax-M 50/1.4/1.7/2

1.4:


Stopped down, prolly f/8 (and be there):