What is your favourite budget M42 mount Lens?

[ongakublue]

Hi everyone

What are some inexpensive M42 lenses you have used and would rate highly?

 

[Helios 1984]

The lens that I used the most during the past 5 years is my CZJ Tessar 50mm f/2.8, it is light, compact, sharp and has a short focus distance. It was part of a small lot that I got for 40$CAD.

 

[Paul Howell]

All of my Pentax brand lens, from 24 to 400, the only lens I don't have in the range is the 120mm. The 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8 are 2 of my favs.

 

[cooltouch]

I don't have a lot of M42 lenses, but with those I do have, my favorites are the 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak and the excellent 100mm f/4 SMC-T macro.

 

[mshchem]

I have a 8 element super Takumar 50mm 1.4. I have a mint SP 500 loaded with Velvia waiting for a sunny day off. I started with Pentax before I fell under the spell of the Nikon F2. Early Pentax glass was superb. I never used K mount camera and lenses. I had a Pentax ES, used it to do night time exposures on auto when I was in High school. Took awesome pictures.
Mike

 

[cooltouch]

I have a 8 element super Takumar 50mm 1.4. I have a mint SP 500 loaded with Velvia waiting for a sunny day off. I started with Pentax before I fell under the spell of the Nikon F2. Early Pentax glass was superb. I never used K mount camera and lenses. I had a Pentax ES, used it to do night time exposures on auto when I was in High school. Took awesome pictures.
Mike

I can assure you that the Pentax K lenses lost none of Pentax's legendary sharpness with the new mount. Until recent years I was familiar only with Pentax K-mount lenses and my attitude toward them has always been that they were "scary sharp" lenses. Since using the M42 Takumars in more recent years, I've been gratified to see that the early ones are just as good.

 

[mshchem]

I can assure you that the Pentax K lenses lost none of Pentax's legendary sharpness with the new mount. Until recent years I was familiar only with Pentax K-mount lenses and my attitude toward them has always been that they were "scary sharp" lenses. Since using the M42 Takumars in more recent years, I've been gratified to see that the early ones are just as good.

I want a mint Pentax LX setup Way cooler than any boring Nikon F3

 

[Dali]

Helios-44 whatever flavor.

 

[G1DRP]

Super Takumar and SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8, I have two of each which came with different Spotmatic bodies.

 

[darinwc]

The Super Takumar 35mm f3.5 is fantastic. A must-have.

 

[BMbikerider]

I don't use any now, but a few years ago I was loaned a 105 Takumar. I think it was F3.5 and so long as i used a tripod, it was as good as anything I have used before or since.

 

[ruilourosa]

35mm 2.4 flektogon

 

[Toyo]

All of those lenses mentioned are very good, but not all are inexpensive.
I'll support the Super-Takumar, Super Multi Coated and SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8 - Super-Takumar is often the cheapest.
Also look at the Auto Yashinon DX 50's. There are the f2, f1.7 and f1.4 and the much older f1.8. Of these the cheapest can be the f2 or the f1.7. All are excellent
And of course the Helios 44's in whatever stripe you can find - cheap and good.
Most German made M42 standard lenses used to be cheap, but no longer, even the ordinary ones are no longer inexpensive.
Happy searching
T

 

[HeavenlyPhotoz]

I've used the SMC Takumar 50/1.4, 35/3.5 and the 28/3.5 on my Pentax ES body. The photos were very sharp and contrasty.
I would also recommend the Fujinon 55/1.8 lens without the aperture metering tab. I believe the earlier non EBC coated lenses didn't have the tab. The tab allowed the later Fujica bodies to use open aperture metering with the EBC lens. I haven't shot with it yet but I read the performance are comparable to the Super Taks and Smc versions.

 

[Dali]

All of those lenses mentioned are very good, but not all are inexpensive.
T

Yeah, posters forgot the title of the thread, as usual.

 

[Zorkiphoto]

If you can find a Zenitar-M 50/1.7, they are fantastic lenses.

They tended to come as standard with later Zenits such as the 18 and 19.

S

 

[GarageBoy]

Do older biotars and tessars suffer from mirror strike on newer bodies?

 

[narsuitus]

The following budget priced M42 Takumar lenses are my favorites:

28mm f/3.5
50mm f/1.4 (8-element version)
135mm f/3.5

I also use 105mm f/2.8, 200mm f/5.6, and 300mm f/6.3 budget priced M42 Takumar lenses.



Takumar Lenses by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Toyo]

Hmmm - all lovely lenses and very good indeed in most cases.
Maybe we need to hear the OP's definition of inexpensive, as some of the lenses being proposed are great lenses but not inexpensive.
The Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 - 8 element version - is hardly a budget lens these days. Even the seven element versions are fetching good prices over their f1.8 and f2 counterparts.
Anyway the suggestions are there and I'm sure that they are appreciated
T

 

[Fixcinater]

For lower budget:

Tak 55/1.8 - IQ as good as the 50/1.4, possibly better wide open and same amount of background de-focus due to the longer focal length
Tak 135/3.5 lots of supply so they stay cheap and can be found like new
Vivitar 28/2.5 (67mm filter thread version, can be found cheap from time to time)
Pentacon 50/1.8 can sometimes be found cheaply on a camera

 

[narsuitus]

Compared to Zeiss and Leitz lenses, M42 Takumars sell at budget prices.

 

[Michael Chapel]

I love the Jupiter-9 85mm on my Nikon F.

 

[flavio81]

Any Takumar within my budget becomes a great budget lens!!

 

[pathdoc]

We must define first of all what is meant by "budget". Is it anything under $100 US? $50? $20?

 

[GRHazelton]

I want a mint Pentax LX setup Way cooler than any boring Nikon F3

As an owner of three LXs, two winders, several viewfinders, etc, I can assure you they are wonderful cameras! But be aware that a CLA isn't cheap, as is probably true of any professional level SLR. Good luck on finding a mint example unless you are willing to pay a high price. None of mine are mint by any means, a little brassing doesn't bother me since it reduces the price. Sadly Pentax no longer supports the LX with parts, and the electronics for the meter and shutter below 1/60 are vulnerable. Without the wonderful metering system and those low speeds the LX is greatly diminished.