Maybe a reader could get the impression I like all lenses? ;) Well, I try to see the good and bad in them all, what to use them for, what properties do they have? But some are easier to love then others…
Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8 on Pentax Spotmatic Camera
The purchase
I bought this lens Asahi Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8 from my friend Daniel together with another lens. I guess this was about 800 SEK (approximately 76€, $98, £66 at the moment of writing) of the price, a bargain because I have later seen it on ebay for about $200. This is in good condition, only problem was a little stiff aperture ring but it loosened up with some exercise. Normal wear on hood and mount. A couple of other friends here in Örebro also bought lenses from Daniel at the same time and he shipped them all to me, so we had a little package-opener party.
Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8
The lens
Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8 is a M42-mounted lens. This means I can mount it on Canon EOS with an adapter. M42 also works with adapter on DSLRs from Pentax, Olympus ans Sony. It also work on all M42 screwmount cameras offcourse.
The optical design is 5 elements in 4 groups. It’s quite wide for an early Takumar lens, 55mm filterdiameter (smaller then many other 85mm-lenses though). It was produced 1960-1964. It has aperturering in the front, nothing I have though of that much, but now I kind of feel I like that design since I can hold the lens steady while changing aperture. Weight 330g. My copy came with an original hood. The whole thing is made of metal offcourse, no plastic feeling anywhere. It has a button which I can use to open the aperture temporarily, I seldom use it hough since I often shoot with his lens at wide apertures.
Asahi Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8 from side
Results
This is probably the best lens I own. Sharp but the bokeh is fantastic – really soft even in flares. The Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8 is good for portraits but also works great for naturephotography. It’s easy to isolate a sharp object to a milkysoft background. Close focus is 85cm, not great but ok. I like the focal length, on my EOS 350D the cropfactor makes it 136mm. Offcourse f-stop 1.8 is fast for a short telephoto.
I answered a question on Flickr earlier today, which lens I would pick if I could only keep one. The answer was Auto Takumar 85mm/1.8. In fact, the list below “cons” will be short since I can’t find many cons.
Mount of Asahi Auto-Takumar 85mm f1.8
A note on later versions
The later Super-Takumar and SMC version, one with different f-stop (1.9) have a different optical formula. Some people say those are much better, I have even read advise to avoid the Auto-Takumar but I feel that’s a bit stupid and write it down to the “all things newer is better”-myth. Sure, they have more glass and coating – which make their properties different and in som ways “better”, but to disregard this fantistic Auto Takumar lens because of that is insane. For me it still outshines all other lenses I have tried including modern primes.
Images
Leaf with butter background
Portrait of my daughter
Frozen leaf
Selfportrait
In town
Pros
+ Best bokeh ever
+ Fast f-stop, clear viewfinder image
+ Build quality… metal… solid like a tank.
+ Size (from what I’ve read most 85s are larger).
+ Button to let you temporarily open the “springloaded” aperture while focusing.
Cons
- Stiff aperture in my copy
- If it’s really important to you, I guess single-coating is a con. But I haven’t noticed it.
Reading
http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Pentax_Takumar_85mm.html
http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/showproduct.php?product=284 (they have mixed it up with Super-Multi-Coated)
http://forum.takumar.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=48
New: Asahi Pentax Auto Takumar 85mm f/1.8 Lens Review on MFLenses
Hi,
I also have an auto tak 85/1.8 but have trouble focusing at infinity. Do you have the same problem? I am using a non-original m42/k adapter on a k20d but I am sure the lens is flush up against the camera body.
Harley
I haven’t noticed such a problem. Could be the difference in cameras though, I use Canon.
Another possibility is that someone cleaned the lens and missed the right distance when they put it back together. That is a problem I read about with a Pentacon, never experienced it myself.
I don’t actually have the any of the 85’s but am a big fan of Takumar lenses and use them 80% on my K10D as well as other m42 lenses. There’s two more Takumars that I want and one is the 85 f/1.8 or f/1.9 and the 35mm f/2. This is a nice little review. cheers.
Thanks :) This is probably the best lens I have. It also suits my style of photography very well.
I’ve got an Auto_takumar which I’ve had since it was new. It served me well on my Pentax K, and now it’s been transferred to my K20D. It it serves me only half as well, I’ll be very pleased.
Is anyone still using a Pentax K ?
I’m concentrating on the M42 and Contax/Yashica mounts. The only Pentax-camera I have is a Spotmatic. Wish I hade more though.
I used two days ago on my original Pentax K, and I’m very happy with the results. Now I’ve got to try it on the K20.