The SMC Takumar 135mm f/3.5 (M42) is a fine lens. The A/M switch allows you to stop down the lens to taking aperture - you will use the lens in "M"anual mode when you shoot using the K mount adapter. During focusing and composition the switch is placed in the "A"uto position.
The lens will work for a portrait lens although it will cause you to be a little far from your subject (at least 5 feet, and probably more like 8 to 10 feet for head and shoulder portraits. It flattens things out, which can be good, but again, often a bit longer than optimum for some subjects. But as an all-around short telephoto, mine has served well since 1974 without fail. For a very long time it was my only tele. The technical specs are very good, holding their own with any "modern" lens of like focal length. You might be better off with the K-mount version if you have a K-mount camera, and the lens optical design is the same so no great difference in the image quality, other than the ease with which you will capture it. ppro > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Artur Ledóchowski > Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2001 4:30 PM > To: PDML > Subject: SMC Takumar 135 mm f3,5 (M42) > > > > Hi, > I saw this lens (the used one, of course:)) today morning. What do you think > of it? I consider buying some 135 mm as a portrait lens and so far I focused > on SMC M 135mm f3,5 until today I saw the Takumar. The latter is about 30% > cheaper that the former and I have the K-to-M42 adapter. So how do both > lenses compare to each other? > And also one thing. The Takumar has a switch "Auto/Manual". What is it for? > TIA > Artur > - > This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
