Flowers is a nice way to test new lenses, in my opinion. At the moment wood anemone (anemone nemorosa) is everywhere where I live. So I have tested the preset, early lens Asahi Takumar 105mm/2.8 on wood anemone, with an extensionring. Oh, and this also illustrates the hazards with photographing flowers – I put my chin on very nasty ants (myrmicinae) who bites ;)

So, finally spring is coming here in my part of Sweden. These flowers (Hepatica nobilis, kdineywort, “blåsippa” in swedish) are fighting their way up. This is the first image I like from the early, preset Asahi Takumar 135mm/3.5 I showed my earlier post. Havent had a chance to test it very much yet, but it looks promising.

Springtime. Inspiration sets in. And for a little extra boost of inspiration – some “new” (or very old ;) ) lenses. I bought two lenses from Daniel, the old preset Asahi Takumar 135mm/3.5 in mint condition and a preset Asahi Takumar 105mm/2.8. He even sent a long an extra Pentax-camera.

At the moment I can’t test the lenses very much since I have a work deadline today and a bad caugh that wants me to stay inside :( But I wanted to show you the beauty 135mm:

Rob has written a good post to read, about M42-lenses, on Brian Auers Epic Edit-blog. He uses the same DSLR as me, the Canon EOS 350D (mine is on it’s last breath). Like Rob I have used the Pentacon 29mm/2.8 and think it’s an underrated lens. I sold it some time ago though.

My current M42 lenses, which I like:

• Asahi Super-Takumar 85mm/1.9
• Asahi Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 55mm/1.8
• Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm/3.5
• MC Helios 44-3 58mm/2
• Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm/1.7
• Tele-Tokina 105mm/2.8
• Pentacon Auto 50mm/1.8

I got a newsletter from pentaxforum stating that they now have all pentax lenses ever produced in their database. You might want to check it out :) They are missing photos of a few, so maybe you can help them out.

August 15 is world Pentax day, where Pentax users around the world photographs on the same day. The result is shown of at Pentaxforums.com, if you want to participate.

Yesterday I bicycled round lake Tysslingen and made this image of whooper swans with Super-Takumar 135mm/3.5 M42-lens on Canon EOS 350D. The swans here are an attraction for wildlifephotographers every year, and they were lined up at the fence with their big tele AF-lenses… all getting the same image I guess, of the same birds and with the same weird look on their faces when they looked upon my little Takumar ;)

Some winter berries with Super-Takumar 85mm/1.8. I feel a little bit like they look at the moment. Wish it could be summer soon, with more daylight and possibility to exercise in nature. It would be great with some more energy.

Portrait of a magic lens, Super-Takumar 85mm/1.9, on my old Spotmatic-camera. Asahi made great things – and still do perhaps, but I’ve only tested their old stuff :)

More about Super-Takumar 85mm/1.9 on PBase

For me this is a typical piece of swedish nature shot with old Asahi-lenses (Super-Takumar 28mm/3.5 and S-M-C Takumar 55mm/1.8), and an extension-ring. Lingonberries, heather and mushroom. Late summer/early autumn. The Takumar lenses are so nice for closeups, good sharpness and good bokeh. Slim and light, which is really good when you crawl in the woods ;)

And you need to crawl to get good closups. It’s most often not fun looking at pictures taken with the ground as background.

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