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Manual Focus Lenses

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed forum threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed forum threads packed with images.

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Asahi Pentax SMC Takumar 85mm f/1.8 Lens Review

09/09/2006
Well know lens, many people says the best lens in  Asahi  Pentax product line.color rendering, sharpness, “bokeh” just excellent. SMC Takumar 1.8/85mm very well built mechanically, real competitor of another famous lens: Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 1.8/80mm. Perform well as close-up and portrait lens.This lens have full aperture meter coupling (for Spotmatic-F, ES full aperture metering system).It has a little tricky Auto-Manual switch you can switch to any position if lens mounted on right Asahi film camera.In any other situation to change mode need to push a little button on the mount surface.Almost every maker best lenses are in this focal length I have many of them like Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 75mm f1.5, Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 80mm f1.8, Nikon-Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8, Helios-40 85mm f1.5.They have not much quality difference, but each lens has own personality. This Super-Multi-Coated Takumar has the best out focus background “bokeh” from all of them. Biotar 75mm f1.5 the best wide-open performer you can’t see any visible difference lens is stopped down or not in sharpness. I have the latest version of Takumar 85mm f1.8 with K-bajonett also, M42 version is significantly better as the price shows on the market.

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Fact Sheet


Vendor name
Asahi Pentax
Type
Super Multi-Coated Takumar
Product year
1973-1979

Focal Min(mm)
85
Focal Max(mm)
85
Focus Min(cm)
0.85

Aperture Max
1.8
Aperture Min.
16
Barrel length(mm)
N/A

Elements In Group
6 in 6
Diaphragm action
Auto|Manual
Weight (g)
340

Filter Size (mm)
58
Push on diameter (mm)
N/A
Angular field
N/A

4 Comments

  1. The 85/1.8 SMC Takumar is one of the best lenses Pentax, or anyone else, has ever made. Prices are pretty high for an M42 mount lens. Someone else will have to fill you in the functional differences in the mounts.

  2. The SMC 85/1.8 has a 6/6 optical design and is a valuable and very collectible lens.

  3. hi

    i’m looking for a Pentax 85mm (SMC or older Takumar or similar) lens that also has an extra soft-focus controller ring.

    anyone knows this particular model intended mainly for portrait photography?

  4. i’ll add this to my list 😀 however have you tried the Rollei Planar 80mm? how does this match up?

Comments are closed.