New-to-me Takumar 24... and it's a rainy day :frown:

Yeats

All-Pro
Location
New Jersey, USA
Name
Chris
Today I received a Tak 24/3.5 - it joins it's mates, the 55/1.8 (non-SMC) and Tele-Tak 200/5.6.

Bummer it's a rainy day.

Ah, well, here's a few pics, nothing special. Default Adobe Camera RAW settings, tweaked for exposure and downsized. That's it.

It's not an especially sharp lens, maybe a touch sharper than the Pentax 18-55 kit lens. The Tak seems to render very nicely, though, with good micro-contrast and smooth, natural gradients. At infinity it's better than the pixelly mush the kit lens can give when resolving foliage.

$99/shipped, glass is all good except for a couple of small areas where the SMC coating is worn away, and the barrel has some scratches.





 
I had SMC Pentax 24/3.5 (same optical formula as Tak 24/3.5) and SMC Pentax-M 28/3.5, both very good lenses. 24/3.5 was almost free of chromatic aberration which is very poorly controlled in the 18-55mm kit lens.
 
Chris, what m42-k mount adapter do you use? I remember I bought a cheapo knock-off from eBay last time I was a Pentaxian, and nearly had to destroy the camera mount to get it off. Are you using a legit Pentax one? Is it easier to connect it to the lens first or connect it to the body and then insert the lens (or does it not matter)?
 
Are you using a legit Pentax one? Is it easier to connect it to the lens first or connect it to the body and then insert the lens (or does it not matter)?

As a former owner of Pentax M42-to-K adapter I can answer your questions ;-)

Pentax recommends mounting the adapter and then mounting the lens. The adapter locks into place and requires a special small tool (that comes with it) to remove it from the camera. Of course, I immediately lost this tool and used a small flat-head screwdriver instead. Definitely not a speedy process.
 
I had SMC Pentax 24/3.5 (same optical formula as Tak 24/3.5) and SMC Pentax-M 28/3.5, both very good lenses. 24/3.5 was almost free of chromatic aberration which is very poorly controlled in the 18-55mm kit lens.

I, too, once had the M28/3.5 and liked it a lot. I wasn't as fond of it operationally on the K-01 and sold it.
 
As a former owner of Pentax M42-to-K adapter I can answer your questions ;-)

Pentax recommends mounting the adapter and then mounting the lens. The adapter locks into place and requires a special small tool (that comes with it) to remove it from the camera. Of course, I immediately lost this tool and used a small flat-head screwdriver instead. Definitely not a speedy process.

Heh, that's the way it's supposed to be done. ;)

Chris, what m42-k mount adapter do you use? I remember I bought a cheapo knock-off from eBay last time I was a Pentaxian, and nearly had to destroy the camera mount to get it off. Are you using a legit Pentax one? Is it easier to connect it to the lens first or connect it to the body and then insert the lens (or does it not matter)?

I had the legit one, but sold it. Each of my 5 m42 lenses has it's own cheapie $11 adapter. On each adapter I've removed the little tab that locks it into place on the camera body. I twist the adapter tightly onto each lens, and so basically I can attach/remove each m42 lens as though it were a regular K-mount, save for not having the little snick as it locks into place.
 
aaaah. I see. So it's not "locked" into place, but it's tight enough that it doesn't unscrew itself and fall off.

Exactly, Luke. It's about a 1/5 of a turn to mount the lens onto the body. The tabs on the m42 adapter slide beneath the tabs on the body's receptacle, so the lens is very secure.
 
Looks nice. Makes me even more annoyed that I lost a recent auction for one in decent condition for 80$ due to my hesitation/slow typing. :/
 
I know... I recently missed out on a Tak 35/3.5 - not because I need it, I have a 40/2.8, but the Tak 35/3.5 is reputedly a very nice lens - that went for $20 because Ebay had a system slowdown as I attempted to snipe... :(
 
Those images look great!! Very sharp and really nice colour. I would recommend getting the Tak 50mm f1.4 SMC lens, I have had one in the past and it was a superb lens.
 
I know... I recently missed out on a Tak 35/3.5 - not because I need it, I have a 40/2.8, but the Tak 35/3.5 is reputedly a very nice lens - that went for $20 because Ebay had a system slowdown as I attempted to snipe... :(

Yeah that sucks. I guess I shouldn't try to snipe next time. I would have been happy to pay 100$ for it (though it looked like some of the front paint on the lettering had faded/scratched off). I'll have to just raise by more than a dollar or two hehe.
 
Set the max, that you're willing to pay, and let it ride. You either get it or go looking for another. Sniping can lead you into paying more than you're comfortable with, after the fact. Been there! :redface:
 
FWIW, I have had a lot of luck using sniping websites. You can still use Steve's logic of putting in the max you're willing to pay. But by waiting until the last minute, you don't give the other bidder multiple chances to raise their "maximum". Also consider what your maximum is and then add $5. What I hear most often from people when they lose is "I would have paid more than that".
 
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