50mm f/1.4 standard prime from Pentax featuring thorium glass elements — prized for soft skin tones and distinctive vintage rendering.
Technical Details
The optical construction consists of 7 elements in 6 groups with a focal length of 50mm and a field of view of 46°. The filter diameter is 49mm, and the aperture blades are adjustable in 8 steps. The lens uses a modified Gauss construction with thorium glass in the front elements, which is responsible for the characteristic slightly yellowish tint of older copies. The coating was done with Pentax's proprietary Super-Multi-Coating technology. Three main variants exist: the early version with a zebra stripe design, the black version from 1968, and a rare Atomic version with radioactive thorium glass.
History & Development
Introduced in 1964 as the flagship lens for Pentax's Spotmatic series, the Super Takumar 50 revolutionized portrait photography with its extreme aperture for its time. In 1968, the housing was changed to black anodized. Production ended in 1971 with the introduction of the K-mount and was replaced by the SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4. Approximately 1.2 million units were produced in total.
Practical Use in Film
Cinematographers appreciate the Super Takumar 50 for its organic bokeh characteristics and the smooth transition between sharpness and blur at wide apertures. Stanley Kubrick used modified Takumar lenses for candlelight scenes in "Barry Lyndon" (1975). Modern independent productions like Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013) integrated vintage Takumar lenses for warm skin tones. Manual focus requires experienced focus pullers but offers precise tactile control. At f/1.4, the lens exhibits slight vignetting and corner softness; optimal sharpness is achieved from f/2.8.
Comparison & Alternatives
Unlike modern 50mm lenses, the Super Takumar is characterized by lower contrast and warmer color rendition. The contemporary Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 offers comparable aperture with a slightly more neutral color palette. Modern alternatives like the Sigma 50mm Art f/1.4 achieve higher resolution but lose the characteristic "vintage" feel. For digital productions with Super35 sensors, the focal length corresponds to approximately a 75mm full-frame equivalent.