ProfHankD
Veteran Member
The Pentax M42 S-M-C Takumar 300mm f/4. I've actually had this lens since 2009, when I paid a rather hefty $185 for it (although that's no worse than average for one in as good condition as mine is in). The reason I was willing to pay so much is that I wasn't really finding any cheap and fast long lenses, and this seemed to be a high-end lens at a not so high price....
Here's what it looks like on my A7RII:
I think it's pretty obvious even at a casual glance that this is a very well-made, "A" build quality, lens. Everything about it exudes quality, with very heavy construction and a very smooth-turning focus ring. The pull-out hood and beefy tripod socket are both well thought out and well implemented. The only mechanical disappointment is that the focus doesn't go any closer than about 10 feet, and it takes a lot of turning to go from there to infinity.
Back in 2009, I tested it mostly with my NEX-5's 14MP APS-C -- a tiny camera that attaches to this lens, leaving focusing extra awkward as you try to support the lens while turning the focus ring. Sharpness and color were both pretty good, and bokeh were about what you'd expect. However, CA is a problem for this lens. There is significant transverse CA and axial CA; the transverse CA can be fixed in postprocessing, but the axial CA really can't be. Surprisingly, there are also some flare issues. The Super Multi-Coated Takumars have among the best coatings, and the lens usually benefits greatly from them, but when it flares, veiling flare can wash the entire frame. Stopping down to f/5.6 helps IQ in every way, and it goes from a "B" to an "A" then, but I still call it a "B" for APS-C IQ overall.
I avoided using this big, heavy, awkward lens until 2015, when I tried it on my A7II. It's quite sharp even wide open on 24MP FF, but the CA is still a problem and the lack of close focus makes it hard to love, but it does balance better on the A7II. So, let's jump to the 42MP FF test shots I took yesterday using the A7RII; all of the following are hand-held (with IBIS) OOC JPEGs, with the only postprocessing being -2 red, +3.5 blue correction of the axial CA and scaling down to 1500x1000:
@ f/4, sharp, but with very heavy Magenta "Purple Fringe"
@ f/4, sharp and quite contrasty, with decent bokeh
@ f/4, very appealing rendering; very soft bokeh, but contrast is still held
@ f/4, focus on eye is absolutely crisp, bokeh good
@ f/4, a really nice rendering; contrast preserved despite looking toward the Sun
@ f/4, again, nothing to complain about here although bokeh could be smoother
@ f/4, almost directly looking at the Sun, with specular reflections off the pond
@ f/4, again, heavy backlighting isn't causing the veiling flare I remember on the NEX-5
@ f/4, directly into the Sun with veiling flare... but what lens wouldn't flare here? Bokeh CA is bad.
@ f/4, using extension tubes to get a bit closer; bokeh are near perfect here
@ f/4, using extension tubes; yeah, I need to dust this little test scene... note shutter speed
In sum, this is a high-end lens, and it absolutely behaves like one on the A7RII. The bigger body, more solid mount, and IBIS really help handling on the A7RII vs. the NEX-5.
Image quality is excellent overall, except for the bokeh CA... but it's still an "A."
The catch is, the long minimum focus and the amount of turning it takes to get you there mean this isn't good for portraits (unless you use an extension tube) and it isn't fast enough for sports, BIFs, or anything that moves relatively quickly. It's also too bulky to carry everywhere. Thus, we have an excellent lens that I'll probably continue to very rarely use....
Here's what it looks like on my A7RII:
I think it's pretty obvious even at a casual glance that this is a very well-made, "A" build quality, lens. Everything about it exudes quality, with very heavy construction and a very smooth-turning focus ring. The pull-out hood and beefy tripod socket are both well thought out and well implemented. The only mechanical disappointment is that the focus doesn't go any closer than about 10 feet, and it takes a lot of turning to go from there to infinity.
Back in 2009, I tested it mostly with my NEX-5's 14MP APS-C -- a tiny camera that attaches to this lens, leaving focusing extra awkward as you try to support the lens while turning the focus ring. Sharpness and color were both pretty good, and bokeh were about what you'd expect. However, CA is a problem for this lens. There is significant transverse CA and axial CA; the transverse CA can be fixed in postprocessing, but the axial CA really can't be. Surprisingly, there are also some flare issues. The Super Multi-Coated Takumars have among the best coatings, and the lens usually benefits greatly from them, but when it flares, veiling flare can wash the entire frame. Stopping down to f/5.6 helps IQ in every way, and it goes from a "B" to an "A" then, but I still call it a "B" for APS-C IQ overall.
I avoided using this big, heavy, awkward lens until 2015, when I tried it on my A7II. It's quite sharp even wide open on 24MP FF, but the CA is still a problem and the lack of close focus makes it hard to love, but it does balance better on the A7II. So, let's jump to the 42MP FF test shots I took yesterday using the A7RII; all of the following are hand-held (with IBIS) OOC JPEGs, with the only postprocessing being -2 red, +3.5 blue correction of the axial CA and scaling down to 1500x1000:
@ f/4, sharp, but with very heavy Magenta "Purple Fringe"
@ f/4, sharp and quite contrasty, with decent bokeh
@ f/4, very appealing rendering; very soft bokeh, but contrast is still held
@ f/4, focus on eye is absolutely crisp, bokeh good
@ f/4, a really nice rendering; contrast preserved despite looking toward the Sun
@ f/4, again, nothing to complain about here although bokeh could be smoother
@ f/4, almost directly looking at the Sun, with specular reflections off the pond
@ f/4, again, heavy backlighting isn't causing the veiling flare I remember on the NEX-5
@ f/4, directly into the Sun with veiling flare... but what lens wouldn't flare here? Bokeh CA is bad.
@ f/4, using extension tubes to get a bit closer; bokeh are near perfect here
@ f/4, using extension tubes; yeah, I need to dust this little test scene... note shutter speed
In sum, this is a high-end lens, and it absolutely behaves like one on the A7RII. The bigger body, more solid mount, and IBIS really help handling on the A7RII vs. the NEX-5.
Image quality is excellent overall, except for the bokeh CA... but it's still an "A."
The catch is, the long minimum focus and the amount of turning it takes to get you there mean this isn't good for portraits (unless you use an extension tube) and it isn't fast enough for sports, BIFs, or anything that moves relatively quickly. It's also too bulky to carry everywhere. Thus, we have an excellent lens that I'll probably continue to very rarely use....
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