This shows the hazards of jumping into a thread somewhere in the middle,
this discussion was about the letter designations ie A, F, AF, FA, M,
(K) on K mount lenses. Then wandered into the names on lenses Pentax vs
Takumar, where unfortunately Pentax decided to use the Takumar name for
second rate equipment, (apologies in advance to users of the Takumar
f2.5 135 in K mount, as they seem to love it), there was no slight to
m42 SMC Takumars or Super Takumars intended.
Keith Whaley wrote:
John Francis wrote:
>> What about Pentax-A, Pentax-F, Takumar-A and Takumar-F lenses? Where
>> do they fit in?
> I find it's best to fit them into the big round hole in the front of
the camera.
>
> "A" lenses are manual focus, "F" lenses are auto-focus. The Takumar
> branding generally indicates a budget lens (usually without the SMC
> coating).
All hilarity aside, the las sentence is damning Takumar lenses with
faint praise.
To pass off screw-mount Takumar lenses as being less expensive
('budget') and by inference being less capable than Pentax-branded
lenses is misleading, and usually incorrect.
Some of the Takumars were outstanding performers, and the
discontinuance of the Takumar brand of screw-mount lenses at the
introduction of the Pentax brand (bayonet mount design) in 1975 was
frequently performed by redesigning the mount only. In other words,
they wisely didn't mess with the lens design at all, if it wasn't
necessary for some reason other than the mount itself.
In fact, until the advent of the bayonet mount, many of the Takumars
represented contemporary state of the art in lens design and performance.
There were a lot of SMC [Super Multi-Coating] coatings applied to
Takumar lenses, so to say they were "usually without the SMC coating"
is also somewhat misleading. SMC coatings first appeared in 1971, but
the Takumar line was discontinued in 1975, after 23 years of
production, so from a percentage of production standpoint, there were
not many years for SMC coatings to be included in that line. When it
became available, most of the line was given over to having that
coating applied.
Last, I don't think there were ever any M42 [screw] mount Takumars
designated with -A (auto aperture and speed settings) or -F
(auto-focus setting).
There were no Asahi or Pentax screw mount bodies, to my knowledge,
that automatically adjusted the lens' focus, so that eliminates the
Takumar-F designation entirely.
The "-A" designation first appeared on a Pentax lens, after the demise
of the Takumar line, so that eliminates the possibility of a
"Takumar-A" designation.
All the above is my personal understanding, and if I'm wrong, the real
experts here will correct me in a hurry! <grin>
keith whaley
ad hoc Takumar apologist
--
Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is a virtue. Fleas are interested
in dogs.
P. J. O'Rourke
