Pentax SP with a 35mm f2 Super Multi-Coated Super Takumar. Gift # 8 from Suzuki-san

[maiku]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>Today, was Earth Day so I loaded up another recycled camera and lens and headed out to take some photos. Today, I used another gift from Suzuki-san; a Pentax SP with a 35mm f2 Super Multi-Coated Takumar. The lens is quite rare. I have only ever seen one other Pentax m42 35mm f2 before. The one I have reminds me more of a 135mm f3.5 or 105mm f2.8 because the barrels is long and narrow as opposed to other one I saw a few months which was wide and short. Either way I do not care as the lens performs quite well. It looks ugly for sure. The filter ring has a few dents and makes mounting a filter ring impossible at the moment. However, the glass is clear and focusing is very smooth. The camera has seen better days. There are a lot of pot marks on it and the viewfinder is dirty, but the shutter operates as it should, so again who care about appearance if it works.</p>

<p>Anyway, please check out the results. I was once again delighted to see that Pentax produced another real winner with this lens.</p>

<p>I used Arista 400 developed in Kodak 4 to1 developer at 6 minutes 10 seconds at 20C.</p>

<p>Mike</p>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 1</p>

[maiku]

<p>Try again!</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 2</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 3</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 4</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 5</p>

[maiku]

<p>Sorry, I am misfiring today.</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Photo 6</p><div></div>

[maiku]

<p>Last one</p><div></div>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

<p>All are excellent; sleeping vendor is magnificent. Beautiful tones and sharpness. How is your Industar coming? Looking forward to that. sp</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Fantastic sharpness! I'll bet this lens is also great under low light as well. The 35mm focal length is often neglected because for some it's too wide for normal and for others it's not wide enough. You have used this focal length very effectively.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Tak sharp! <br>

I like the garden shot, but all nice.</p>

<p>Your series is a nice tribute to Suzuki.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Great series! The Garden and Sleeping Vendor are excellent. Like all Pentax SMC lenses, yours yield great results. I've just screwed my SMC 35mm f/3.5 onto my ESII to shoot with today. The f/2's have gotten quite expensive. I just love the color and contrast of these Pentax lenses. I want the 28mm f/3.5 and 200mm f/4 next (anybody want to trade?)<br>

This past week I received a nice hardbound copy of The Pentax Way (1974) by Herbert Keppler. A delightful book and must read for all Pentax M42 users. </p>

 

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>Very Sharp and great contrast too. These Takumars are just incredible.. I'd like to get one too for my SP509. I've only got<br>

3 lenses and in the M42 world that is not very many! This focal length is one I enjoy and you'Ve really used it well here. I too like the garden a lot! Excellent work !!</p>

 

[daniirwan]

<p>The Garden & Sleeping Vendor are excellent shots Michael, well done. I love my SP (Honeywell) and SP500 (Asahi), although the SP500 has some shutter curtain issues. None of my other SLR's gives me the tactile pleasure that I get when shooting with these beauties. I have a 35/3.5 Super Tak, and I find that the focal length is good for a walkabout lens. I like it.</p>

<p>Keep on posting! I love your work.</p>

[bebu_lamar]

<p>How are you ralated to Suzuki San?? You got a lot of good cameras from Suzuki San.</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Beautiful lens, Mike. For sheer consistency it's hard to beat the Takumars, and the Spotmatics are such nice cameras to handle. "Safe Earth" and "Sleeping Vendor" are great, and "The Garden" shows your eye for symmetry. Being a manga fan, I love the art...</p>

[ralf_j.]

<p>Superb series Mike, well done. The garden looks awesome, the painter is a great capture as well. Suzuki's gifts have really been a good driver for you to produce such fine images. Again well done.</p>

[evan_dong1]

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>Nice lens! Is this the 49mm filter version? I am aware of the fatter one with 67mm filter size. Have you shot any colorwork with this lens?<br>

I would be most interested to see some color work with this lens. I have a similar lens, but my lens is a tad too Yellow. Easy fix by sticking it in UV light.</p>

[maiku]

<p>Hi Everyone,</p>

<p>Thanks for the nice comments about the photos. I enjoyed taking. Using a 35mm lens for every photo was a challenge. I did not take another lens with me, so I had to really think about composition. I guess that is a good thing.</p>

<p>Evan, the lens I have is a 49mm thread. I have not used it for color as of yet.</p>

<p>Bebu, I am not related to Suzuki-san. I frequented his camera store a lot before he closed it two-months. He cleaned out the store of old stock and cameras left by customers and give them to me.</p>

<p>SP, no time for the Industar yet. My little girl is taking up a lot of my time. I have not been able to get any synthetic grease.</p>

<p>Thanks again for the nice comments.</p>

<p>Mike</p>

<p> </p>

[subbarayan_prasanna]

Mike, try any supermarket in the automobile lubricants section; you will get Front-end Bearing grease with Molybdenum and/or Lithium soap; Grade 3 would be fine for Japan. If you are going to Siberia in Winter then use Grade 2. They are available in tubes like tooth paste tubes, branded a AP3, AP2 etc., [for All Purpose]. Cost about US$2.00 here. Should not be a lot more in Japan. Cheers, sp

[maiku]

<p>Thank you SP. The lens will have to wait till after vacation. I am sad. I wanted to take it with me, but at the moment the focusing is just to stiff.</p>

[User_4136860]

<p>This lens is very sharp and worth having it C.L.A.d by a professional, I would strongly advise you not to attempt it yourself if lenses are dismantled they need to be re-collimated on an optical bench to ensure the elements are parallel to each other and the lens centres line up to a central datum line, I just had my thirty nine years old 35 Canon FD 35mm f2 Thorium lens serviced by a professional for very little money, and it's like new, I can't believe how smooth it is, wouldn't attempt to do it myself.</p>