***Unusual Lens***

As most of you long time Pentaxians know, I have built a large collection of (mainly) Pentax lenses, from the earliest Takumar M37 lenses for the Asahiflex series through the latest DA lenses for K-mount bodies. My current lens count for various Pentax mounts is 318.

I recently came across (bought on eBay from a Japanese seller, actually) an M37 lens which seems unique. It is the Takumar 55mm f2.2 lens, which was introduced in 1957 in the M42 mount along with the original Pentax bodies which introduced that mount. It was Asahi Optical Co.'s first use of the double Gauss lens design, and was the fastest normal lens available from AOCo when it was introduced.

I can find no mention of this lens having ever been made in M37 mount, but I'm holding one in my hand as I write this. It bears serial number 179057. The preset aperture mount looks the same as my M42 copy of this lens except that it has an M37 thread. The mount shows no sign of having been cut down from an M42 mount version, and it has all the original DOF markings intact. I suspect that it could be a prototype made at the very end of the Asahiflex era to evaluate the new lens design before the Pentax bodies were introduced, but of course I have no way of proving this.

I'd like to ask of you who are into Pentax esoterica and history to tell me anything you might know about this lens. To reach a broader audience I'm also posting this message in the Pentax Forums. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on the history of this lens!

Jim, please post some pictures of it.

Thanks,

Joe

Yes we want photos of it. If its a real M37 it should say Asahi-Kogaku Takumar on the front, unless it is truly a prototype then anything goes.

Kent Gittings

Here are photos of the Takumar 55/2.2 with M37 mount. The serial number is higher than all my other M37 lenses, in the same range as my earliest M42 lenses. Also, the lens is labeled "Asahi Optical Co.", not "Asahi Kogaku KK", so I suspect it was made well after the end of the M37 era.

I welcome your comments and ideas!


Side view #1






Front view #1






Front view #2






Side view #2



--
Jim King - Retired Colormonger - Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA; GMT -4h (EDT)
Pentaxian for over 50 years.
* * * * *
There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey.
- John Ruskin
* * * * *
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
- Sir Winston Churchill
* * * * *
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
- Albert Einstein (after A. Dumas fils)

Jim, is it possible the front bezel is not original? Is there any sign that it might have been replaced at some point?

You might have a rare one Jim, maybe a one off?

Dunno, Jim. I checked my two goto sources (van Oosten and Cecchi) but "apparently" no such critter exists. So, I figger you have a vivid imagination, dat's all.

fwcetus said:

Dunno, Jim. I checked my two goto sources (van Oosten and Cecchi) but "apparently" no such critter exists. So, I figger you have a vivid imagination, dat's all.

Click to expand...

Oops - I forgot about Sherfy, my other Asahiflex goto source - but nuttin' there either. I think you just might have a prototype there, Jim. Congrats !!!

--
Fred
If you saw a fellow drowning, and you could either save him
or photograph the event . . . . . . What lens would you use ?

Interesting lens Jim !!!

duncsuss said:

Jim, is it possible the front bezel is not original? Is there any sign that it might have been replaced at some point?

Click to expand...

It doesn't look like it was replaced - if it was, an expert did it. I must admit that the lack of the Asahi Kogaku name on the bezel and the serial number give me pause. But then, a prototype needn't fit neatly into a pre-existing lens series. It's perfectly possible that a lens from the early M42 era could have been fitted with an M37 mount for some reason known only to AOCo...

Anyway, I have the rare beast in my collection now...

Jim King said:

Anyway, I have the rare beast in my collection now...

Click to expand...

Well, it'll like the company it keeps there...

I expected you would have looked closely at it for signs of Frankensteinery, but I've been known to overlook the obvious

fwcetus said:

Jim King said:

Anyway, I have the rare beast in my collection now...

Click to expand...

Well, it'll like the company it keeps there...

Click to expand...

You don't mention asking the seller - I assume this would have occurred to you...?

Leandros S said:

You don't mention asking the seller - I assume this would have occurred to you...?

Click to expand...

I asked and he professed ignorance of any Frankensteinery...

Today I tried mounting this lens and found to my surprise (and disappointment) that it was actually an M42 mount, not an M37 mount as the seller had (twice) stated. What an embarrassment! I should have checked it immediately after receiving it, but didn't. I've advised the seller and expect that he will either accept a return with full refund or accept a much lower price if I keep it.

My apologies to all of you who responded with your thoughts about it. I should have been more suspicious given the front bezel designation and the size of the optical unit in the rear view.

Sometimes a thing is too good to be true...

Jim King said:

Today I tried mounting this lens and found to my surprise (and disappointment) that it was actually an M42 mount, not an M37 mount as the seller had (twice) stated. What an embarrassment! I should have checked it immediately after receiving it, but didn't. I've advised the seller and expect that he will either accept a return with full refund or accept a much lower price if I keep it.

My apologies to all of you who responded with your thoughts about it. I should have been more suspicious given the front bezel designation and the size of the optical unit in the rear view.

Sometimes a thing is too good to be true...

Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

I had the same occurrences, plural x lots, when I was trying to sus out lenses for my Ashai Flex II(something or other) and number of "but, it's a thread mount, so it's gotta fit" where unbelievable :-O

OOC, what M37 lenses do you have to your AshaiFlex? I've got a Pentax 50/3.5 -- a wee but hefty thing, a 35/2.8(?) and a 135/3.5. Both, of which, I'll have to go home and check to see from which manufacturer they come from

Cheers and, hey, it's almost "Happy America Day" to you

Jack

A pity, Jim. How disappointing.

Joe

Per your question, I have the following M37 mount lenses in my collection:

Asahi Kogaku: Takumar 50mm f3.5 v1 (2), Takumar 50mm f3.5 v3 (3), Takumar 58mm f2.4, Takumar 83mm f1.9, Takumar 100mm f3.5, Takumar 135mm f3.5

Fujita: Fujitar 35mm f2.8 (2)

After several exchanges of email, the Japanese seller has refunded my payment and I'll send the lens back. Too bad; I would have loved to own such a unique item. Ahh, the "joys" of collecting...

Joseph Tainter said:

A pity, Jim. How disappointing.

Joe

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Yup. But at least the seller was honest and refunded my payment. I've had a few other disappointments over my years as a collector; this probably won't be the last!