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M42 / Super-Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4
SHUTTERFILE REFERENCE DATASHEET · M42 · SF-M42-009
Super-Macro-Takumar 50mm f/4
True 1:1 macro without accessories, in 1964. The flat-field standard that made the Spotmatic a scientific instrument as much as a camera.
50mmFOCAL LENGTH
f/4MAX APERTURE
4e / 3gOPTICS
49mmFILTER
BRANDAsahi Pentax
MOUNTM42
PRODUCTIONc. 1964-1971
MIN FOCUS0.234 m
THORIATED GLASS
Some examples of this design test mildly radioactive; most do not. Yellowed glass is the tell, and a week of indirect UV light largely clears it.
Some examples of this design test mildly radioactive; most do not. Yellowed glass is the tell, and a week of indirect UV light largely clears it.
Before you buy
- Aperture blades: dry and snappy. Oil on the blades is the mount's most common disease and a real repair cost.
- Look through the glass at a light: haze, fungus threads, and balsam separation all announce themselves. Cleaning marks on front coatings matter less than sellers fear.
- Focus ring: smooth, even resistance end to end. Grit or a loose helicoid means a reluble at minimum.
- Thoriated designs yellow with age. A week of indirect UV largely reverses it; factor the cast into what you pay.
- Auto/Manual switch and pin function: the stop-down pin should move freely and the switch should actually stop down.
Find one for sale
This lens on eBay
Listings for sale, all conditions
Buy this lens on eBayListings for sale, all conditions
Adapters for this mount
M42 adapters for modern mirrorless bodies
Shop adapters on eBayM42 adapters for modern mirrorless bodies