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Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8 Review RSS Feed

Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8

Sharpness 
 8.2
Aberrations 
 8.0
Bokeh 
 9.0
Handling 
 9.2
Value 
 9.7
Reviews Views Date of last review
7 68,987 Fri March 3, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $121.67 8.43
Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8

Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8
supersize
Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8
supersize
Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8

Description:
This telephoto lens was produced with the same four element design in a Preset and in an Auto-Takumar version. The first photograph is of the Preset version, the second photo of the Auto-Takumar version.

The Auto-Takumar version has a semi-automatic mechanism for opening the aperture for "bright field focusing". This mechanism was the precursor to the true automatic mechanism employed in later lenses.

While optically the same, these two lenses are very different in their exterior physical manifestations, having different weights, filter diameters and arrangements of focus and aperture rings.

These lenses were superseded by a five element optical design, released in a Takumar, two Super-Takumar and a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar version. Please see the separate database entry for those lenses.

Takumar - partly chrome, partly black (see first photo):
Takumar 105mm F2.8 (model 1)
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
M42
Aperture Ring
Yes
Diaphragm
Preset, 8 blades
Optics
4 elements, 4 groups
Mount Variant
M42 Plain
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2.8
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
120 cm
Max. Magnification
0.11x
Filter Size
46 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 16 ° / 13 °
Full frame: 23 ° / 19 °
Hood
Case
Lens Cap
Coating
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
52 X 62 mm
Weight
250 g
Production Years
1958 to 1961
Engraved Name
Takumar 1:2.8/105
Product Code
331, 43310
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Chrome and black
Variants

1: Takumar 105mm F2.8, chrome and black, 4 lens elements (this lens)
2: Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 1
3: Takumar 105mm F2.8, all black, different optics than the predecessors, 5 lens elements
4: Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, fine ribs on aperture ring
5: Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, coarse ribs on aperture ring
6: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, but multi-coated

 



Auto-Takumar (see second photo):
Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
M42
Aperture Ring
Yes
Diaphragm
Semi-automatic, 8 blades
Optics
4 elements, 4 groups
Mount Variant
M42 Stop-down Pin
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F2.8
Min. Aperture
F22
Focusing
Manual
Min. Focus
120 cm
Max. Magnification
0.11x
Filter Size
49 mm
Internal Focus
No
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 16 ° / 13 °
Full frame: 23 ° / 19 °
Hood
Case
Lens Cap
Coating
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Diam x Length
58 x 63 mm
Weight
280 g
Production Years
1959 to 1963
Engraved Name
Auto-Takumar 1:2.8 f=105mm
Product Code
340, 43400
Reviews
User reviews
Variants

1: Takumar 105mm F2.8, chrome and black, 4 lens elements
2: Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 1 (this lens)
3: Takumar 105mm F2.8, all black, different optics than the predecessors, 5 lens elements
4: Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, fine ribs on aperture ring
5: Super-Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, coarse ribs on aperture ring
6: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm F2.8, same optics as no. 3, but multi-coated

 

Features:
Manual FocusAperture RingFull-Frame SupportAdapter needed for DSLRsDiscontinued
Price History:



Add Review of Takumar/Auto-Takumar 105mm F2.8
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-7 of 7
Site Supporter

Registered: January, 2015
Location: Sweden
Posts: 338
Review Date: March 3, 2023 Recommended | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Size and weight, 8 bladed preset aperture, superior smooth focusing, artistic use, character, price
Cons: Minimum focus distance, wide open sharpness
Sharpness: 7    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: KP   

This review is for the 1rst variant (preset, black and chrome) of model 1.

For modern use this is a pure art lens. Well suited for creative photography. It is, of course, light-years behind the optical performance of modern and highly corrected lenses.

And that is also the strength of this lens! It has extraordinary strong vintage rendering. With massive amounts of character. And render it's most interesting photos when angled against the light. Used for this purpose it's an effective tool. So, the context for this lens is the late 1950's, and it renders accordingly to it. Modern lenses can't do that.

W i t h e r i n g [№ 12] by The Northern Recluse, on Flickr

W i t h e r i n g [№ 11] by The Northern Recluse, on Flickr
   
Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2020
Location: Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago
Posts: 39

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: March 15, 2021 Recommended | Price: $65.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: size, build, preset aperture
Cons: resolution
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: K-1   

So, I had the Super Takumar version of this lens for awhile and loved it. I had that lens fall out of my bag onto concrete steps and it got tweaked a bit. Aperture and focus rings get super tight in areas and it just ceased to be a Joy to use. I have found that both lenses won't seem to produce a sharp image through a CPL. A few lenses I've tested suffer from this issue wide open. The 135mm f3.5 I tested also seemed incapable of producing satisfactory images through filters.

That having been said, this makes for a great portrait lens and no filters are needed in that respect. I'm mainly an automotive photographer, so I've almost always got a CPL on the end of my lenses. This was one I found just didn't perform under those conditions.

So, here's my collection of shots through this lens.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lordawesome/albums/72157717823654146
   
New Member

Registered: May, 2020
Posts: 1

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: June 22, 2020 Recommended | Price: $300.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: film like softness wide open, but very beautiful. By f4, extremely sharp.
Cons: vignetting and slightly soft wide open,
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: Nikon d850, Sony A7R4   

Excellent lens with beautiful build quality. I've had a slightly newer 105 2.8 Super Tak, and was surprised that I've never seen the Auto Takumar version ofthis lens. Slightly more archaic aperture system compared to the super tak, but optics are even better. The Auto Tak has more character in its bokeh and colors.
   
New Member

Registered: September, 2014
Posts: 2
Review Date: April 8, 2017 Recommended | Price: $60.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Light, small, cheap
Cons: very soft to wide open
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 10    Camera Used: Samsung NX1   

Version 3
Nothing special, at f2.8 not very usable, at f4 is good. Is very small and light
Photo at f4 crop 100% no pp

   
Senior Member

Registered: November, 2009
Location: Slovenija
Posts: 145
Review Date: August 25, 2012 Recommended | Price: $90.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: nice portrait lens, nice looking lens
Cons: IQ wide open
Sharpness: 7    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Handling: 7    Value: 8    Camera Used: Canon EOS5DmkII   

I use Auto Takumar with EOS5DmkII, so this is FF comment. Wide open is sharp enough in central portion of picture, corners are very soft. Closing down aperture it become very sharp in center and fair in the corners. Wide open has quite a bit of vignetting (much more than Super and SMC Takumar 105mm). Colors are on cold side and I like that. Bokeh is OK (better than Super nad SMC Tak 105), but not really spectacular. For me very good lens for portrait lens and less for other purposes .
   
Site Supporter

Registered: November, 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,223

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: January 30, 2012 Recommended | Price: $200.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Small, small, easy to use and focus, exceptional IQ, very little difference with the SMC Tak105/2.8
Cons: None
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10   

This review is for the Auto-Takumar 105/2.8 with the aperture reopening lever and a semi-auto diaphragm. It is not the pre-set, but have the same optic formula. i will post some shots later on. Compared to my SMC Tak 105/2.8 (more lenses and groups), it is very similar. However, there is a "je ne se quoi" to it, maybe color or tridimensionality. I would give it 11, if I could, 1 over the SMC Tak 105/2.8 because that special effect this lens has especially in portraits.


Auto-Takumar100mmf2.8@f5.6-RedLantern-2086 by Palenquero, on Flickr
-----------------------
I revised my initial review because I found that I did not know how to operate the lens properly. Now that I know, this lens is really wonderful. I now understand why people wants to buy it.
Also, I am adding an evaluation for the Takumar 105/2.8 PRESET, the same that Mike Cash has (he evaluated this PRESET lens under the SMC Tak 105/2.8). The preset lens is actually equally easy or easier to operate than the AUTO. The auto is probably prettier. I now understand why this is such a popular lens. I will be posting some portraits here. Because of this lens, I would give it 11 in grade scale. Get one, you do not know what you are missing.
   
New Member

Registered: December, 2009
Location: OREGON
Posts: 9

7 users found this helpful
Review Date: February 28, 2010 Recommended | Price: $15.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Solid yet compact build. Beautiful rendering of colors. 3D feel to photos
Cons: No major ones.



This lens has a certain, as the French say, "I don't know what", about it.

I have the auto (semi-automatic) version of this lens that I found in a camera store for $15 along with an adapter that cost $20. It was my first M42 lens and it has been on my K10D almost exclusively for nearly 2 weeks. Despite the challenge of using stop down metering it is a pleasure to use with the legendarily smooth Takumar focus ring.

I really like the way this lens renders colors, particularly blues. In some situations I've noticed that I really get a 3D feel to the photo. It is relatively small, and fits nicely into my small camera bag along with another smallish prime lens. I found a old metal hood for the Takumar 135mm and it fit nicely and does not appear to be too long to interfere with the field of view on my K10D

In some situations I've noticed that the bokeh appears slightly funky, and not completely to my liking. See for example the cherry blossoms photo above and the out of focus branches behind the flowers. I'd like the out of focus area to seem smoother, with less accentuation of the lines of the branches. Perhaps I just need to open the aperture up a bit more.

Of the lenses I have and use most, I would rank this one slightly behind my FA 35mm f2, and FA 50mm f1.7 as my favorites.

I'm looking forward to trying this lens out with some extension tubes for macro work. The 105mm auto Tak has inspired me to look for more screw mount lenses.
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