Pentax Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/1.4

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The seven-element 50/1.4 with full multi-coating, and the lens most people mean by 'a Takumar'. A thoriated element turns the glass amber over the decades; UV exposure reverses it. Wide open it blooms gently around highlights with busy-but-soft bokeh, then sharpens quickly by f/2.8. The earliest Super-Takumar (1964 to about 1966) is a different eight-element design with no thorium, slightly heavier and collected at a premium. Focus feel is the benchmark other vintage lenses get compared to.

Key specs

Focal length

50 mm

Max aperture

f/1.4

Mount

M42 screw

Image circle

Full frame

Close focus

0.45 m

Filter thread

49 mm

Weight

230 g

Field of view by sensor

Full frame

39.6° horizontal · frames like 50 mm on full frame

Super 35

28° horizontal · frames like 72.3 mm on full frame

Micro Four Thirds

19.6° horizontal · frames like 104 mm on full frame

What it goes on

M42's 45.46mm flange means a cheap glassless ring puts it on EF and every mirrorless mount. Set A/M to M, or use a flanged adapter to depress the pin. On full-frame Canon DSLRs the rear element guard can touch the mirror near infinity (the 5D series is the usual culprit), so many owners file the guard or simply use it on mirrorless.

• Canon EF camerasWith adapterALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 +14 more

  M42-EOS flanged ring. Cheap and common. Pick a flanged ring that presses the auto-aperture pin. On full-frame EF DSLRs a few lenses (Helios 44-2, some Takumars) can catch the mirror at infinity.

• Sony E camerasWith adapterRonin 4D-6K, Ronin 4D-8K, Alpha 1 II, Alpha 7 IV +13 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 27.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Canon RF camerasWith adapterEOS C400, EOS C50, EOS C70, EOS C80 +10 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 25.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• L-Mount camerasWith adapterCinema Camera 6K, PYXIS 12K, PYXIS 6K, Ronin 4D-6K +6 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 25.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Micro Four Thirds camerasWith adapterMicro Studio Camera 4K G2, Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Lumix BGH1, Lumix GH6 +1 more

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 26.2 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Nikon Z camerasWith adapterKOMODO-X 6K S35, V-RAPTOR [X] 8K VV, V-RAPTOR XE

  Novoflex · K&F Concept · Fotodiox. 29.5 mm of room — a plain mechanical adapter. Manual focus and iris.

• Leica M camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, Ronin 4D-6K +1 more

  17.7 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

• LPL camerasWith adapter· by flange mathsALEXA 265, ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF, URSA Cine 17K 65

  1.5 mm of room for a plain ring. Check rear-element and mirror clearance before buying.

See every camera this lens fits →

Sources: allphotolenses.com, allphotolenses.com, allphotolenses.com