Pentax lens series from 1960s–70s. Warm color rendering, solid glass construction. Adapted to digital cameras today. Inexpensive, dependable, delivers distinct optical character without affectation.
Technical Details
The series encompasses focal lengths from 20mm to 500mm, with the standard 50mm f/1.4, featuring eight elements in six groups and a 49mm filter diameter, becoming a classic. The 85mm f/1.8 has six elements in four groups with a minimum focusing distance of 0.85m. Characteristic are the radioactive thorium oxide lenses in early versions, which provide high transmission and low chromatic aberration, but tend to yellow over time. Aperture automation is achieved via a pin on the lens barrel, coupled to the camera shutter.
History & Development
Pentax introduced the Super Takumar series in 1964 as the successor to the Auto Takumar, concurrently with the revolutionary Pentax Spotmatic. The use of thorium oxide glass originated from collaborations with Kodak and was intended to compete with Zeiss lenses. In 1971, the SMC Takumar series (Super Multi Coated) replaced the Super Takumar, omitting radioactive elements and introducing multi-layer coatings. Today, unmodified Super Takumars are considered collector's items, while modern adaptations for full-frame DSLRs are possible.
Practical Use in Film
British and American independent productions of the late 1960s utilized Super Takumar lenses on Pentax Spotmatic cameras for documentaries and low-budget features. The 50mm f/1.4 produces a characteristic "glow effect" with soft contrast at wide apertures, which is appreciated today for vintage looks. Modern film productions adapt Super Takumars via M42-PL mount to digital cinema cameras like ARRI Alexa or RED systems. The radioactive versions produce warm skin tones with a slight magenta tendency.
Comparison & Alternatives
Super Takumar directly competed with Carl Zeiss Jena lenses from the GDR and Nikon optics of the same era. In contrast to contemporary Canon FL lenses, Super Takumars already offered open-aperture metering. Modern equivalents such as Zeiss CP.2 or Sigma Art lenses achieve higher sharpness, but cannot replicate the characteristic rendering style. For authentic vintage cinematography, original Super Takumars remain unrivaled, while SMC Takumars are considered a more practical alternative without radioactivity.