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Archive 2009 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

PaulMD
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

What do people think about these two lenses compared against each other? The 50/1.4 obviously commands a much better price, but are these lenses really that different?

Aug 09, 2009 at 10:53 PM

EltonTeng
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I have the M42 versions of the 50/1.4 and 55/1.8. I like the 55/1.8 so much so that I now have two copies.

I can probably let the 50/1.4 go if I ever get around to list them.

Aug 09, 2009 at 11:04 PM

thrice
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

the 55/2 is not as good as the 50/1.4 especially if you get an SMC tak 50/1.4 I've had both and the 50/1.4 is definitely sharper with more saturated colour.

Aug 10, 2009 at 05:17 AM

lorriman
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

To jump in to this thread: I am looking to purchase both lenses, the 50/1.4 for bokeh and the 55/1.8 for microcontrast.

However I am thinking that if the microcontrast on the 50/1.4 is adequate and noticeable then the 55/1.8 may be a waste of effort. Any opinions?

The reason for this is that I wish to do certain pics where the background will be in focus and yet I still wish to (subtly) delineate the subject. An example would be subject with back turned looking at a landscape of some kind. I'm not looking for mindblowing 3D effect as that can be a distraction: but it's got to be strong enough to do the job.

Aug 10, 2009 at 07:04 AM

siriusdogstar
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

55/1.8 is bokeh Queen!

I own Super-, S-M-C, and SMC versions. I like the MC versions better than Super-. The 55/1.8 is considered the better lens by many folks, like me! It gives great bokeh without even trying! The 50/1.4 is also quite excellent, but I find it a bit more difficult to use it to its full potential.

Aug 10, 2009 at 07:07 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I have both the Super Multi Coated 50 1.4 and the SMC 55 1.8. With my two examples there is no contest between these two lenses. The 1.4 walks all over my copy of the 55 1.8. Occasionally, I will use the 55 as a "special effects" type lens as it does have its own unique look but if I'm looking for sharpness, contrast, etc. the 50 1.4 is the one I always grab. My 55 1.8 is really only sharp in the center which is why I consider it a "special effects" lens. I guess the blurring everywhere else in the frame could be mistaken for Bokeh.

Aug 10, 2009 at 07:52 PM

Qwerty64
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

My 55mm f1.8 Super-Multi-Coated is a much better performer than the Tak 50mm f1.4 that I owned previously and almost as good as my Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS. Highly recommended.

Aug 11, 2009 at 08:54 AM

mawz
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

Having owned all three lenses in Super-Takumar form, I found the 55's marginally sharper at wide apertures and moderate ranges but I like the 50 better close in and for portraiture.

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:01 AM

cogitech
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I had the Auto-Takumar version of the 55/1.8 and it was horrible. I liked the Super-Takumar 50/1.4 much better. Once I discovered the Rokkor, both Taks were sold in short order.

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:16 AM

mawz
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

cogitech wrote:
I had the Auto-Takumar version of the 55/1.8 and it was horrible. I liked the Super-Takumar 50/1.4 much better. Once I discovered the Rokkor, both Taks were sold in short order.

There's a LOT of sample variation on the 55's, mostly due to poor treatment. I had both the f2 and f1.8 Super-Takumars. My f2 was mediocre, the f1.8 was excellent. Not these two lenses are optically identical and differ physically only in the aperture ring (the f1.8 ring turns a bit further to get the extra 1/3 stop) and nameplate.

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:35 AM

cogitech
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

mawz wrote:
There's a LOT of sample variation on the 55's

Yes, it certainly seems that way

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:50 AM

lorriman
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

Mawz, is the 55/f2 aperture not round then?

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:51 AM

mawz
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

lorriman wrote:
Mawz, is the 55/f2 aperture not round then?

I don't recall offhand, I sold both lenses a couple years ago.

The f2's aperture is always involved in the image, the f1.8's isn't when wide open.

Aug 11, 2009 at 09:58 AM

lorriman
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

mawz wrote:
I don't recall offhand, I sold both lenses a couple years ago.

The f2's aperture is always involved in the image, the f1.8's isn't when wide open.

In that case anyone tried converting a 55/2 to 55/1.8?

Aug 12, 2009 at 03:27 AM

PhotoDes
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I have owned both the 55/1.8 SMC Takumar and the 55/2 super-takumar. I sold the 1.8 with one of my Pentaxes and kept the 55/2 which, in my case, was definitely superior -- I'm now using it on a Canon 10D.

Lorriman, I'm not sure what you mean when you ask about the aperture being round. Mine has a 6-bladed aperture, so I would say it's not round. Nevertheless, it has beautiful bokeh which is more a function of the gauss-symmetric design than aperture shape.

I have an old (authoritative) report that says the 55/1.8 and the 55/2 were the very same lens. Those that did not meet the transmission specs for 1.8 were produced as f2 lenses. Indeed, mine has an addition click stop beyond f2, but there is no marking on the aperture ring. I don't know what changes occurred with the super-multicoated generation, but I was never satisfied with my 55/1.8 smc.

Des

Aug 12, 2009 at 02:46 PM

AhamB
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I have the 55/2 super-takumar. Can be sharp when stopping down, but colours are not very saturated. My main issue with this lens is axial CA. White OOF highlights tend to get lots of cyan in them.
The aperture is not round btw (except WO of course), very hexagonal like many/most 6-bladed apertures.
The focus helicoid is incredibly smooth but annoyingly long (like a 300 degree throw).

Aug 12, 2009 at 03:06 PM

kosmoskatten
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

I have no personal experience in shooting the 55/1.8 but I have seen what it can do back in the film days, a customer had an old Pentax and just that lens and the negs were a joy to print. I "tested" the lens back in the days briefly (when I worked a camera shop/lab) but it was before digital and alt lenses so it was never on the short list for me and the reason I got to test drive it was that we were buying / selling old cameras and shooting off a roll of film over lunch was standard procedure.

Considering how good the lens is I might check with my old store and see if I can't get my hands on a copy - they sold for peanuts and still do over here.

Aug 12, 2009 at 05:03 PM

leonasj
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · SMC Takumar 50/1.4 vs SMC-Tak 55/1.8 or 55/2

what lens sharper at f1.8 super takumar 50/1.4 or super takumar 55/1.8?

Aug 11, 2022 at 01:03 PM


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