I’ve got big plans for these lenses, 6k plans (eventually). Anybody have any questions leave them here, happy to answer. I have a question, starting at 4:29 I do ONE long take with a hidden cut. Can anyone guess where I put the cut point?
Transforming old lenses sounds like a great idea! I hope they'll start a local business in europe soon because shipping things overseas is always such a hassle and quite expensive. Btw, I love the effort you put into your videos. The lighting is always so visually pleasing.
Thanks! Ya shipping is always a pain. Local shop would be nice! It's always nice to go in and drop off. I was terrified shipping these lenses...TERRIFIED! lol. Thanks for the kind words! I find the lighting helps make the office space look cool(er). I like changing up the colours a bit so it always sort of feels different.
I kid you not, I just upload 2 videos of me declicking my Pentax SMC 50mm f1.4 (K-mount) & Vivitar 28mm f2.5 (m42 mount) for my Sony a7s. While my videos are not as nice as yours, and my mod being extremely ghetto, I can’t wait to mod the focusing ring on them to make them more "cine" like. You inspired me to try being more creative with my presentation. Thanks!
Oh my god, there are so many frames from this video that would make absolutely beautiful desktop wallpapers! 5:55 for example. Gorgeous. Mark, please please take a few grabs and upload them somewhere ❤ I'm new to your videos and so glad I discovered them; your obsession is inspiring.
Thanks Roman, I was out shooting all day today and reviewing the images...REALLY hard to tell which lens is which lol. LIke they're so close, except how they feel and how they look. Need to test some more, I WILL find the differences. Thanks for watching mate.
So the tease DOES work! lol. I was wondering if it would. Was just happy to be able to finish it off this week. Want to try to push my next one out for JUST after the giveaway ends.
Thanks! I was actually experimenting with super slow shutter speed and my regular title! Saves me having to keyframe it and I can just use overlays to drop it in! :) Maybe I said too much.
This has got to be the most positive comment i've received in a long while mate, thanks for the kind words. VERY glad you're not disappointed, so much of this is based on personal preferences and aesthetic, it's definitely high risk of not landing with everyone. Glad it connected with you though!
@@MarkHoltze Keep up the good work. I will spread some words about you in czech photo community, i know they´ll like it. Lookin forward to see more content from you
that bag edit... smart!! I'm going with when the lid shut, but who knows... noone, becuase it was too damn slick!! When you say you 'may' have a vintage lens problem... I think 'may' be being too kind :D Awesome video mate, really awesome & on a Tuesday? WHAT?!!
CLOSE mate, but I went a little deeper...I had 3 cut points, but the 4th revealed itself that I hadn't expected. Funny enough it was the first visual I had when developing this video. The BAG trick, single take. :)Thanks for watching guys! A Tuesday upload no kidding. Long weekend, that added day really helps.
Neat video Mark! If I was having my lenses Simmoded, it would have to be Focus Gear, DeClicked Aperture and those very sweet custom caps. Every time Simmod put a video on instagram of one of those caps being etched (drool). Looking forward to the lens battle!
Yup, I have a custom set coming, I’m waiting for the new caps which are amazing...I didn’t want to wait a few weeks to publish this video though, it was basically all done. ;)
I know, I had to pull my MOD THEM ALL HIT THE RED button obsession lol. That's why I tried to keep it economical for now. I can always do more later, but these are the ones I use almost all the time.
I saw on their form that the declicking includes damping. How does the damping feel after the conversion? I love the smooth clicklessness of preset apertures, but sometimes the light resistance results in unintended movement. I'm looking forward to the Biotar showdown. my Biotars are a little older by serial number but are the same variant. I believe those were the last ones that included f/22
Oh it's perfect, it's SO nicely weighted but smooth. Definitely no room for unintended movement. REALLY happy with them. I probably wouldn't have gotten them done if I hadn't seen how they felt on the demo Zeiss and Nikkor's I had on hand back in the winter. Feeling those sold me personally.
Hey, love the videos, thanks for setting me on my vintage prime journey. Looking at the SMC Takumars, what mount would they need to go into the S1H? My first should be here this week, the 135mm f2.5. Looking to give Simmod a try. Cheers
Thanks mate. They have a few m42 to L adapters but fotasy doesn’t ship to Canada so I’m improvising using a simga m21 EF to L and just putting an M42 to EF on my Takumars.
Hey Mark, love your channel and your videos, the link does not go to your vintage lens page, can you share the link so we can see the specific lenses you use, and how long did it take to mod the lenses. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Tony! Check out my videos page: I’ve got reviews for: Takumar 50 1.4 Takumar 85 1.8 Takumar 135 2.5 Takumar 35 F2. Those were all the lenses I got modded so you can see how they perform.
You think you have a problem!? I´m going all in crazy on this vintage thing and have an damm addication, just bought a lens for 650euro and next week im going to a guy who has a store with almost only vintage camera gear!!! i hope it will cure me.... btw its damm fun and I love your videos, keep up the great work!
Lets find comfort in unity lol. My name is Mark and yes I have a vintage lens problem, nice to meet you Thomas. Let me know what you find at the store!!!! We have a camera sale coming up Oct 27th here, and my ebay watch list is also quite $$$ ;)
@@MarkHoltze I will take some photos and some movies, btw I just got my 50mm 1.4 "8 elements" and just about to test it out.... it looks is in mint condition, even a original filter on it... ill send you a movie on instagram
I'm an absolute novice at video. I have a Nikon D500 and would love to use one of my recently acquired "old" lenses just for video. I know that this question is very simplistic, but what happens to a lens that is sent off in terms of focussing?
I have been considering rehousing my Super Takumar lenses for cinema use but like you I shoot with multiple different cameras EF and Sony E mount for photography and video its a hard choice
Hi Mark, Nice to see the new life coming to your "vintage" lenses. Did you finally declicked them? I was curious about that since you are using it for both stills and videos 😄
I’ve never used on to be honest so it’s tough to say first hand. Loads of options I think for MFT, I just don’t have a bead on what ones are the best unfortunately. I would check online forums or reviews...should give you some confidence which one would work best.
YES! The 20 is amazing, it's so much fun. F4.5, but works great as a gimbal cam or if you want a nice wide shot with a short min focusing distance. For VIDEO it's outstanding!
My favourite Takumars are the old preset ones. They have no clicking on the aperture rings, have more aperture blades and are small because no unnecessary automatic aperture mechanisms. The masterpiece is probably the 200mm f3.5. It has 18 aperture blades and has amazing bokeh. It’s one of the all time bokeh king lenses. These lenses are all lower contrast than the multicoated ones but this can help with exposure for movies. The 200mm is one of my favourite lenses ever. I have almost all of the early preset Takumars and some early auto ones which are similar.
For a long time, I wondered why Metabones didn't start producing a speed booster to adapt M42 mount lenses to Micro Four Third cameras (I shoot a lot with Panasonic GH series and I'm going to buy a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K), that's why I'm a huge fan of Takumar glasses in particular (I know, there's also K-Mount, but that's another story). A couple of months ago I heard about what the guys from Simmod are doing and "I saw the light!" and needless to say that it's worth it. Absolutely. Takumar lenses are the closest thing to Cooke look, on a budget, of course, Cooke still has better quality but less than we can expect and these old glasses can easily handle small/medium budget projects (In my humble opinion, of course). All that to say that I will probably sell some of my unused gear to buy an Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses set, and I will not regret it. Thanks for this content.
You won't regret it, it's fantastic. Message SIMMOD, mention the video and those takumar's as I helped him see the light myself. He's use to doing Leica R's, Contax Zeiss, Canon FD's etc..this was his first Takumar set and he definitely sees the value. Pocket 4k is sweet, i'm looking at the pocket 6k (I have existing EF lenses I could swap over). The next step to a higher resolution video camera was these lenses. 1) New Computer, 2) Mod my existing takumar's 3) Pocket 6k - probably early 2020 or a end of Q4 purchase. Let me know if you have any questions sourcing stuff mate.
@@MarkHoltze Leica R is a forbidden dream for now and it would be nice to rent and use them with a Pocket or even a Panasonic S1+Atomos Ninja, but here in Italy, it's not so easy. Pocket 6K is an excellent choice too, I'd probably go for the 4K because of the price and because I own some M43 glasses and in particular, a Voigtlander Nokton 25mm from which it's very difficult to separate :-) I will probably keep it for my photography project and selling the other, let's see. New Mac for me too, sad days for my pocket are coming...
Love your videos and bought a Super Takumar 135 after watching one of your past reviews! Curious - what's the difference between the follow focus gears that Simmod offers and the ones you can buy online?
I honestly don't know as I've not seen/used the ones online. Lots of services do this I imagine. Sim is a DP himself and been working with lenses for over 20 years, that gave me the confidence alone to put my lenses at his mercy. I've also used a few of their other products and i'm super happy with them.
@@MarkHoltze I've actually talked with Sim - great guy - very knowledgeable! I was about to get the full cine-mod service but then realized my adapter actually declicked my lenses! It works perfectly. So it doesn't make much sense to send them off just to get gears. You mention that the gears come off - I'm assuming that means you can put them on yourself?
They're great I know the owner of Simmod (we went to film school together). He's a commercial DP and has loved vintage lenses WAY before me. He was adapting old lenses to his cameras back in 2000 because he couldn't afford new primes. This is a love affaire for him, super happy with the result though. The care and craft that goes into this stuff is top notch.
Def not, UV light exposure to any yellowed ones and should be good. With the exception of Leica and Contax none of these lenses were ever really built as a “set”. You’ll always get some variation
@@MarkHoltze thanks Mark! I’m thinking of getting the 17 or/and 20, 35 and 50. Do you think if some of the lens are 8 element and some are not, it would effect the look ?
The only mod I go back and forth on is de-clicking the aperture. I like the assured click when setting the aperture of my lens but I can see where de-clicking would be useful for gimbal or steadicam work. I’ve accidentally de-clicked a nice Cosina zoom lens before and the aperture was quite loose and I had to wedge some gaffer tape under the ring to make it steady. I’m sure Simmod has methods to avoid this but it certainly shows that it’s not a simple DIY job for some lenses.
I can totally see that. It's got a very specific purpose and if you don't need it for your workflow, you can save quite a bit of money. For me the focus gears and lens hoods are my favourite. The gears I USE all the time even without a follow focus and the lens hood's are SO much nicer than step up rings to fit a mattbox/VND/filters. I'm getting custom engraved caps, but they're new new and they're not ready yet. That's cool just for branding sake plus identifying top down what lenses are what. I will say, between these takumar lense, the Nikkor's and CZ lenses before that I tested, the de-click was the perfect balance of smoothness and resistance. Great for those shifts from dark/light environments during a single take.
Hello! would recommend Takumar lenses for the sony A7 series, on NFD canon?? I'm hesitant between which of them to acquire and your opinion and experience would help me a lot in that decision. Thank you!
FD’s are classically good. Takumars are as well, but they’re a little lesser known. I personally don’t think you could go wrong either way. You might find that FD’s are a bit more reasonably priced across the board. Some Takumars are a little pricy because of “reputation” and scarcity. What focal lengths you looking to build? Sony adapts all these lenses perfectly so whatever you decide to go with you should be happy.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the reply! what would you think between a canon NFD 24m 2.8 or Takumar 28mm 3.5? Between them the Takumar costs me $ 40 less than the NFD Thanks!!
@@renzoo.moreno9961 Hmm, well the 24 is faster and wider so it really depends more if you want a wider faster lens or not. I have both and enjoy both, I don't use the 28 much though because I have a 24 and the 35 is the next focal length i'll reach for skipping the 28 most times. 28 is good though if you don't have a 35. If you decide what lens to get now you can build your collection, it would be easier to have all the same so you don't need more than one adapters :)
Hey mark. I am trying to decide the future of my takumar. I have a 28-80 and i'd like to get a 24,28,and 50 primes. The camera i use is a Sigma FP L mount and i was wondering is there anyway i can convert these takumars to EF mount? it says on the sinmod chart that its a N/A however i saw you check the EF conversion for all canon FD box (not entirely sure what this option is). The reason i ask is that im attempting to shrink my rig as much as possible and the PK to leica l mount adapter is fairly thick. Also i am concerned that the conversion to EF prevents them from being a full frame lens from then on per a rumor. Is this true?
I'd have to do some side by side tests, but after using the S1H and the Sony A7sii they look pretty standard for me. I'm using the M42 to EF adapter and then put that on the Sigma 21 EF to L and, bar doing some side by side chart shots (i haven't yet) I couldn't eyeball any difference. It's something I can do and get back to you though, just see how much if any of a crop there is. Honestly I don't think there is, but I can let you know.
Mark Holtze thank you much. I guess I didn’t know this but EF is crop sensor and FD is FF. That’s what I get for never using canon. Looking at the new lumix 20-60mm lecia lens but i gotta get my vintage look.
@@TheGalacticWest EF isn't always a crop sensor, depends on the camera. 5D Mark IV and 6D are both EF mounts and both full frame sensors. L series EF lenses for example are FF lenses.
Hey Mark. Really enjoy the content. I see you have the 135 2.5. I have the opportunity to get this or the canon 135 2.5 fd. Do you know if one is better, canon is significantly cheaper, thanks 🙂
thanks, I'd have to do a side by side comparison, the Canon isn't built like the Tak, I know that for sure. Performance wise FD's vary a bit, depends on what model it is etc. If you have a bunch of takumar's I'd go with that, if you're looking to collect FD's go for that one. Depends what you're shooting on and where you plan on going with it :)
Mark have you heard of the auto Sears 55 f1.4 or rikenon or mamiya. All the same. This lens is a must have. This lens was the first vintage I got and for years has prevented me from getting the takumar 50f1.4. I have the 50f4(great lens) but let me rave about my auto Sears. You will see why. Love your videos and you have convinced me to get my set modded. 35f2, 55f1.4, 55f4??85f1.9, 105f2.8??, And 135f2.5
Hello Mark ! Thank you for your videos. I'am also a TAKUMAR addict, and I have a complete SMC TAKUMAR SET and I would like to speak with you about the 35mm SMC F2, and the 50mm SMC F1.4 (7 elements, with rubber on the focus ring). Compared to the other lenses, these two lenses give me a color cast much too warm !!! Have you heard about this or do you noticed this particularity with yours ? Best!
I’m very close to sending mine in to have them de-clicked. Any ideas on estimated time for something like that? I live in South Carolina so I know I’m not too far away from where they would be shipped. Great video. Are used these lenses last week for a community video and loved the way it turned out. I shoot so much on my Sigma 18 to 35, it’s really nice to get a different look with these.
Contact simmod directly through their site, you guys can coordinate. THey were gone for about 2 weeks plus shipping time so 3 weeks total. I've been using these lenses and my modern lenses less and less. I rarely use auto focus personally so for me primes with fast apertures have been more versatile for my LOOK than my more expensive modern ones. Do coordinate, they'll be able to work with your timelines! Let me know if you need anything else Jake.
Hi Mark! When you use these lenses you can´t control the aperture directly on camera but on the lens itself, but does the camera´s light meter still shows you the right exposure?
Depends usually about 2 plus a few days for shipping. Best contact them directly for more updated services. They can also send the parts out to do most of the work.
Does any of the four lenses you chose to have modified, or honestly any of the Takumars you own have radioactive elements? I only have the 135 3.5 currently, but want the 135 2.5, 85 1.8, and maybe the 35 F2. I have the Nikkor 50 1.4 AIS vintage and just cannot part with it...
The 50 1.4 has thorium elements inside the glass, those are radioactive. If you get the 8 element SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 it doesn't use thorium. I think the 35 F2 is also radioactive, but the 85 and 135 2.5 aren't. The only lenses I own that are radioactive are the 50 and 35.
I fell on a 55mm super multi coated 1.8 going through my moms old stuff in the basement and I fell in love with it. I ended up grabbing a 135 on eBay on auction with the leather case I never use for $20 USD. Since then I got a super Takumar 28mm and a 55mm f2 (just to compare) imo the multi coated are much better looking, maybe I got lucky with one and not the other IDK… Right not I’m waiting on a 24mm and a 35mm multi coated lenses coming in.. 24mm 35mm 55mm 135mm. That’s a great set of super beautiful primes for my BMPCC4K with my Metabones 0.64 that gives me a 1.28 crop.. If anyone wants to get into cinematography and understands the value of primes this is the way to go! I own a Tokina AT-X 270 AF PRO (OG Angenieux design, if you don’t know look it up), these Takumar primes are far superior. I use the Tokina as my run and gun, but anything I’m planning it’s these Takumar’s for sure. Mine aren’t as cool as yours Mark.. I’m an eBay warrior and mine won’t be declicked. But I’m still here if you need an assistant editors, sound guy.
@@MarkHoltzewell not got it yet, just luckily won it on ebay for 187 euro. Did not expect to win it. Since it is a rare high praised lense. But I did, geuss not many know this. But what I can read about it from others is that they are very satisfied with it. Some even give it straght 10 I thought you might get interrested, it is your area of ball game. Not many know this lense. Btw. It is the most fast 200 mm pentax lense EVER made from them. Takling about build like a tank. 1 kg does it weigth, 77 mm front.
@@MarkHoltze just got it today. I do got some amazing primes, that also rated very high, almost 10. All I can say is, BUY IT!!! Saw instantly, this is a different level, the colors, sharpness. This is a Pro lense. It can create images that dont need post processing.
Ok, please excuse my naivete. I saw an Australian use the Takumar 28MM F3.5 on 4K video and it was outstanding. I actually complimented him on his video. I was wondering because I don't know what is EF mount. You talk about it, the SIMMOD site talks about it but no one says what it really is. Please help explain what EF ring is and does. Thanks.
Hi Mark. Great video. New follower here. I was exploring Takumar lenses for my new Sony FX3, actually a pretty identical set to yours. Do you believe it's a wise choice? I'm a bit scared about color consistency to be a pain in the *ss to handle in post. My other options were Nikkor Pre AI lenses (although the 35mm 1.4 I could get is radioactive too, so...) or go with the SLR Magic Cine glass. Any thoughts? Thanks and keep the content coming :)
Colour consistency can be adjusted with UV light exposure to your thoriated lenses. It's pretty easy and there are great ways to accomplish this online all over the place. It will completely reverse the yellowing and bring about enough colour consistency that it should match easily. Even my thoriated lenses were fine to match, just extra steps i've since corrected. I personally like the Takumar's handling better than the Nikkors, plus Nikkors focus the other way which can be a little confusing, but still....those are easily overcome. I wouldn't touch the SLR magic stuff myself, no reason other than that glass just doesn't inspire me at all, but that's just me. I like the way these lenses handle and the look i get from them. The thing with Takumar's is as great as they are, you might find yourself drifting toward a set with a LOCKING PIN on the mount. FD, Contax Zeiss, Minolta MD, Olympus OM. M42 is nice, but that screw mount can be a bit of a pain if you have a stiffer focus and it might accidently unscrew the adapter because it only locks as a typical screw. Takumar's for me proved to me what these lenses were capable of, if I were to do it all over again knowing what I know now ,I would most likely skip them all together and go into the more expensive line. Contax Zeiss being my personal favourite. Minolta MD rokkor's might be a good option as well and still relatively inexpensive. Still as I write this I still love my Takumars and I still use them quite a lot for video. Their lighter than the contax lenses generally so sometimes that plays to favour. :) Hopefully that helps mate, best of luck!
I haven't used an FD score at this point, but A LOT of DP's do. They're great lenses to mod for sure. Takumar's were a surprise for me, they're great for certain work, but the Contax Zeiss are going to be my pro set used for commercial work. Like I said, FD"s are in the same boat as Contax I think, consistent colour, easy to mod and used by quite a lot of DP's.
I live there and have bought most of my vintage lenses off Kijiji, preying off the ignorant :P Check out the Camera Trading Company on Bank if you haven't yet. They have decent selection.
@@MarkHoltze What about the front element when focusing - do any of these lenses change length when focusing? And would that conflict with a matte box?
i have some lenses i'd think you will enjoy a lot if you have the oportunity...jupiter 9, mir 24m on m42, tamrom sp adaptall 90mm 2.5 and voightlander 58 f1.4 for nikon f...
What camera are you going to use them on? Nikkor's are fantastic as well. They're a bit more consistent in colour, some takumar's have thorium elements in them which yellow over time. You can reverse that with UV light exposure, but it's something to consider. I do like the focus throws better on the Takumar's, most of the Nikkor's I've seen have much stiffer throws. This can be fixed though. What focal lengths are you looking at?
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the response! I'm shooting on the pocket 4k and I'd be using them for music videos and different "cinematic" narrative projects, so I love glass with character and to stray away from the clinical look when possible, but that yellow haze sounds a bit concerning haha. I'm also considering building a contax zeiss set but I'm probably just over complicating the process for myself lol..Right now I'm thinking 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm
@@timekeepermedia5142 Contax Zeiss MMJ's. 35 1.4 MMJ, 50 1.4 MMJ and 85 1.4 MMJ. Loved them so much I've been building my own set next. Actually just got the 35 1.4, it's a beast of a lens,but I love it. I got the CZ 60mm 2.8, but that one is AEG (wanted the 1:1, the MMJ is 1:2)
The real question...SMC Takumar or Zeiss Contax MMJ, I'm stuck in between and I keep beating myself up about it. Zeiss are more "well known" it seems compared to the Takumar lenses, and more expensive but is it worth the extra cash for the Zeiss? Is it just because Zeiss are German-Japanese engineered and putting a german name on something increases the price? I know the SMC Takumar 50mm killed the game so I'm really torn right now.
Well, I love the Takumar's, but I have to say the Zeiss are more consistent colour and are actually sharper wide open. They're bigger, more expensive because of their designs and quality assurance of the Zeiss name. German name alone won't increase price, ZEISS will however. VERY strict quality control there and have a long history in high end optics for medium format and cinema lenses. I started with the Takumar's, I love them, but I'm building a prime Contax Zeiss set for my professional work. The Zeiss lenses mod a bit better for cinema, bigger markings for distance etc, but Takumar's at their price point are still fantastic lenses. I think honestly long term the Contax Zeiss cinema set will increase in value more than the Takumar's will. Depending on the work you do, you'll make money with both of them, but selling off a Zeiss set will have a much higher demand for sure. Hope that helps mate.
Super Multi-Coated just uses a different multi coating to control flares etc on the glass for themes part. The ones I've compared directly like the 135 vs the 135 i didn't notice a huge difference. The SMC are newer though so there's that, might be in better condition.
Mark Holtze thanks for the input, I have already got my hands on a Super Tak 28mm and the SMC 55mm, I’m trying to get a tiny set of primes to start my adventure off with, I wanted to keep the lenses as close as possible to image colour, quality etc for filmmaking continuity. Is it easy to change the mount if I wanted to use a “speed booster” I’m saving for a BMPCC4K, any additional advice from the guru?
@@dkkeyz8815 Makes sense, I would stick with SMC if you can, but watch lenses with thorium in the glass, they can yellow and that will impact colour. It's pretty easy to reverse (24 hour UV light exposure) so if you have a problem with a lens you can always do that. Pocket 4k is a great camera mate, you will have full colour control with RAW as well. Just go for lenses that are clean (no fungus) and have good ergonomics (focus throw). Good luck mate!
Mostly cost, it’s a great lens but I don’t do a lot of focus pulling with that lens either. So for me the value wasn’t there to mod. I do use that lens lots, but it’s always in super controlled situations.
It's a mix of delrin/machined gear and 3D printed. The Taks have a scalloped focus ring, which on some are very small, which requires a 3D printed gear in order to hold in place without slippiage. Most are machined gears.
@@kylewilson4030 Yes, test one lens, it works to your satisfaction you can go nuts. I do think they work better on mirrorless as you can use an EVF to help with your focus, but yes you can absolutely use these Takumar's (35, 50, 85, 100, 135)on a DSLR. 70D is an APS-C crop sensor so you'll have to deal with 1.53x crop factor vs the full frame which was my 6DII
@@MarkHoltze yes it was! It was the early version of the lens and all others after it were 1:2 magnification. Still a great lens I'm sure, but nothing is quite like the true 1:1. The price tag was a bit high but once I opened the packaged and started shooting, I realized it was money extremely well spent. I couldn't find any other 1:1 lenses when I was searching for the best deal. I got extremely lucky! I suppose my username says it all haha!
Vision is good, but being agile is key. Knowing the look you want definitely helps but leave a little room to be inspired on the fly, where the magic happens
I’ve got big plans for these lenses, 6k plans (eventually). Anybody have any questions leave them here, happy to answer. I have a question, starting at 4:29 I do ONE long take with a hidden cut. Can anyone guess where I put the cut point?
Is it at 4:55?
I'd say either 4.42 or 4.54, when closing/opening the bag. Yet, even frame by frame, I couldn't really tell
I’m thinking 4:55. But I can’t really tell. I’m just guessing. Great job!
@@alexwoof6270 IT IS!!! Nice job!
@@ivan0bebe You guessed WELL! That's it! The lid was my cut point.
Don't stop making videos please Mark you're one of a dying breed of genuinely good and organic channels
Very nice of you to say Jack! I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon, still so much to cover :)
Thanks for the words of encouragement my friend!
Duuude, the production quality of these videos is still so top notch!! Love watching, and get hyped about my takumars everytime lol
Thanks! Takumar's GO!!!! I'm having a blast making them, so happy that they're connecting with you!
That camera bag transition was smoother than the aperture ring of a modded super takumar 😎
I had a few places to make a cut, but the one I used was an opportunity presented when my other two failed lol.
Thanks mate!
I still can't see the cut. I swear I've been studying the shot so hard.
Transforming old lenses sounds like a great idea! I hope they'll start a local business in europe soon because shipping things overseas is always such a hassle and quite expensive.
Btw, I love the effort you put into your videos. The lighting is always so visually pleasing.
Thanks! Ya shipping is always a pain. Local shop would be nice! It's always nice to go in and drop off. I was terrified shipping these lenses...TERRIFIED! lol.
Thanks for the kind words! I find the lighting helps make the office space look cool(er). I like changing up the colours a bit so it always sort of feels different.
MARK you kill it every time!!! Been waiting for this one for so long!
Thanks Josh! Appreciate it mate.
I kid you not, I just upload 2 videos of me declicking my Pentax SMC 50mm f1.4 (K-mount) & Vivitar 28mm f2.5 (m42 mount) for my Sony a7s.
While my videos are not as nice as yours, and my mod being extremely ghetto, I can’t wait to mod the focusing ring on them to make them more "cine" like.
You inspired me to try being more creative with my presentation. Thanks!
Absolutely awesome!!! Outstanding edit!! Thank you for the awesome content!
Thanks so much Kyle! Appreciate the confidence boost!
Thanks for creating this video! I'll look into availing their services soon once I complete my ST kit too.
Thanks Mark, this was very fun and informative to watch! Blessings to you and your family. ☮️
Thanks mate, same to you and yours
@@MarkHoltze Very welcome, and much appreciated, brother. :)
Outstanding Mark... simply Outstanding!!!
Thanks Jacob! Appreciate you watching mate!
@@MarkHoltze You are more than welcome Mark... I appreciate your work!
"You can reverse them but why would you" 5:40 yes why would you, crushin it everytime Mark.
Thanks Joe! Hope you're well mate! Always nice hearing from you!
You're the reason I invested in FD/Vintage K mount lenses. Thanks man!
WOW!! Those Takumar's are my new life's GOAL!!! What a nicely produced video Mark. How are you not over 100k subs yet?
wooooow Tak on fire! 🎥😎🔥
Oh my god, there are so many frames from this video that would make absolutely beautiful desktop wallpapers! 5:55 for example. Gorgeous. Mark, please please take a few grabs and upload them somewhere ❤ I'm new to your videos and so glad I discovered them; your obsession is inspiring.
DM me on insta, I'll send you a few. If you give me time codes i'll happily send you some if you want.
Awesome, thank you!
Looking forward to that vintage lens video stand off.
Nice video. Cool seamless transitions.
Thanks Roman, I was out shooting all day today and reviewing the images...REALLY hard to tell which lens is which lol. LIke they're so close, except how they feel and how they look. Need to test some more, I WILL find the differences.
Thanks for watching mate.
Wow your video style nailes everything Mark
Thanks Layila! Appreciate the kind words!
Amazing man. Simply amazing...
Thank you for stopping by mate! All the best
Saw your comment on one of Matti’s videos and I’m so glad I actually checked your channel. Love the production quality!
Hi, thanks for stopping by Victor!
Finally video up! I was so eager to watch it after your tease on instagram :D !
So the tease DOES work! lol. I was wondering if it would. Was just happy to be able to finish it off this week. Want to try to push my next one out for JUST after the giveaway ends.
@@MarkHoltze Cannot wait for the battle in the next one!
Love that Mark Holtze title effect you did! That's RAD!
Thanks! I was actually experimenting with super slow shutter speed and my regular title! Saves me having to keyframe it and I can just use overlays to drop it in! :) Maybe I said too much.
amazing as always
Thank you kindly Wahyu!
This gotta be the most underrated channel here on youtube. Excellent work, you made me spent all my money for Takumar lenses.....Im not dissapointed
This has got to be the most positive comment i've received in a long while mate, thanks for the kind words. VERY glad you're not disappointed, so much of this is based on personal preferences and aesthetic, it's definitely high risk of not landing with everyone.
Glad it connected with you though!
@@MarkHoltze Keep up the good work. I will spread some words about you in czech photo community, i know they´ll like it. Lookin forward to see more content from you
your videos are humanly impossible. just too good. you need 1 million subs
Kind of you to say mate. Just hoping to inspired others as I have been inspired myself :)
Mark I just want to say thanks for creating such funny and equally sharp content! A Pentax user here so we share a similar addiction :)
It really is my pleasure, thanks for taking the time and leaving a nice comment. Always nice to share in those things we love. :)
Awesome video, thanks for sharing 💯💥💥💥💥💥
Thank you for watching Rattlers United! :)
just discovered your channel ! really cool and super professional !
Thanks mate! Welcome to my house of glass ;)
that bag edit... smart!! I'm going with when the lid shut, but who knows... noone, becuase it was too damn slick!! When you say you 'may' have a vintage lens problem... I think 'may' be being too kind :D Awesome video mate, really awesome & on a Tuesday? WHAT?!!
CLOSE mate, but I went a little deeper...I had 3 cut points, but the 4th revealed itself that I hadn't expected. Funny enough it was the first visual I had when developing this video. The BAG trick, single take. :)Thanks for watching guys! A Tuesday upload no kidding. Long weekend, that added day really helps.
now you r the takumar expert on youtube
Tarkumar(k)s ;) when will the addiction stop?!
Neat video Mark! If I was having my lenses Simmoded, it would have to be Focus Gear, DeClicked Aperture and those very sweet custom caps. Every time Simmod put a video on instagram of one of those caps being etched (drool). Looking forward to the lens battle!
Yup, I have a custom set coming, I’m waiting for the new caps which are amazing...I didn’t want to wait a few weeks to publish this video though, it was basically all done. ;)
@@MarkHoltze Oh I can't wait to see those all over your instagram ;)
Awesome! Now I want to do that to all my vintage lenses 🤔😂😂👍🏼👍🏼
I know, I had to pull my MOD THEM ALL HIT THE RED button obsession lol. That's why I tried to keep it economical for now. I can always do more later, but these are the ones I use almost all the time.
Hello! I'm in a hunt for a vintage lens between 20mm and 40mm with lots of barrel distortion, could you recommend me one?
One more question I forgot to ask. Of the two Takumar 135mm F2.5 which one did you chose to SIMMOD and why?
I saw on their form that the declicking includes damping. How does the damping feel after the conversion? I love the smooth clicklessness of preset apertures, but sometimes the light resistance results in unintended movement. I'm looking forward to the Biotar showdown. my Biotars are a little older by serial number but are the same variant. I believe those were the last ones that included f/22
Oh it's perfect, it's SO nicely weighted but smooth. Definitely no room for unintended movement. REALLY happy with them. I probably wouldn't have gotten them done if I hadn't seen how they felt on the demo Zeiss and Nikkor's I had on hand back in the winter. Feeling those sold me personally.
Hi Mark , thanks for the video , where can i find that focus ring controller please !
Simmodlens.com You mean they focus ring actual right? Or do you mean like a pull focus rig?
Hey, love the videos, thanks for setting me on my vintage prime journey. Looking at the SMC Takumars, what mount would they need to go into the S1H? My first should be here this week, the 135mm f2.5. Looking to give Simmod a try. Cheers
Thanks mate. They have a few m42 to L adapters but fotasy doesn’t ship to Canada so I’m improvising using a simga m21 EF to L and just putting an M42 to EF on my Takumars.
@@MarkHoltze $12.95 with free shipping in the US... want me to send you one? ha ha ha Thanks.
@Mark Holtze What were all the TAKUMAR lens you had modded?
The 35mm F2, 50 F1.4, 85mm 1.8 and 135mm 2.5. :)
Hey Mark, love your channel and your videos, the link does not go to your vintage lens page, can you share the link so we can see the specific lenses you use, and how long did it take to mod the lenses. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Tony! Check out my videos page: I’ve got reviews for:
Takumar 50 1.4
Takumar 85 1.8
Takumar 135 2.5
Takumar 35 F2.
Those were all the lenses I got modded so you can see how they perform.
You think you have a problem!? I´m going all in crazy on this vintage thing and have an damm addication, just bought a lens for 650euro and next week im going to a guy who has a store with almost only vintage camera gear!!! i hope it will cure me.... btw its damm fun and I love your videos, keep up the great work!
Lets find comfort in unity lol. My name is Mark and yes I have a vintage lens problem, nice to meet you Thomas. Let me know what you find at the store!!!! We have a camera sale coming up Oct 27th here, and my ebay watch list is also quite $$$ ;)
@@MarkHoltze I will take some photos and some movies, btw I just got my 50mm 1.4 "8 elements" and just about to test it out.... it looks is in mint condition, even a original filter on it... ill send you a movie on instagram
I'm an absolute novice at video. I have a Nikon D500 and would love to use one of my recently acquired "old" lenses just for video. I know that this question is very simplistic, but what happens to a lens that is sent off in terms of focussing?
I have been considering rehousing my Super Takumar lenses for cinema use but like you I shoot with multiple different cameras EF and Sony E mount for photography and video its a hard choice
Ya if I could just commit it would be so much easier. 😂
Hi Mark,
Nice to see the new life coming to your "vintage" lenses.
Did you finally declicked them? I was curious about that since you are using it for both stills and videos 😄
Hi Fernando, I did declick then yes. They still work well for photo but I just love the smooth aperture so much more for video, it was worth it. ;)
Hi Mark. Always provide the best content. Have a Bmpcc 4k and some vintage takumars...any suggestions on a speedbooster?
I’ve never used on to be honest so it’s tough to say first hand. Loads of options I think for MFT, I just don’t have a bead on what ones are the best unfortunately.
I would check online forums or reviews...should give you some confidence which one would work best.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for such a quick response Mark. I'll probably go with the Zhongyi M42 Turbo 2 Adapter. Good luck with your Netflix project.
My pleAsure wish I had more to offer. Best of luck!
I bought the 35mm f2 super multi coated a couple of monts ago and love it! havd you tried the 20mm?
YES! The 20 is amazing, it's so much fun. F4.5, but works great as a gimbal cam or if you want a nice wide shot with a short min focusing distance. For VIDEO it's outstanding!
My favourite Takumars are the old preset ones. They have no clicking on the aperture rings, have more aperture blades and are small because no unnecessary automatic aperture mechanisms. The masterpiece is probably the 200mm f3.5. It has 18 aperture blades and has amazing bokeh. It’s one of the all time bokeh king lenses. These lenses are all lower contrast than the multicoated ones but this can help with exposure for movies. The 200mm is one of my favourite lenses ever. I have almost all of the early preset Takumars and some early auto ones which are similar.
For a long time, I wondered why Metabones didn't start producing a speed booster to adapt M42 mount lenses to Micro Four Third cameras (I shoot a lot with Panasonic GH series and I'm going to buy a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K), that's why I'm a huge fan of Takumar glasses in particular (I know, there's also K-Mount, but that's another story).
A couple of months ago I heard about what the guys from Simmod are doing and "I saw the light!" and needless to say that it's worth it. Absolutely.
Takumar lenses are the closest thing to Cooke look, on a budget, of course, Cooke still has better quality but less than we can expect and these old glasses can easily handle small/medium budget projects (In my humble opinion, of course).
All that to say that I will probably sell some of my unused gear to buy an Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses set, and I will not regret it.
Thanks for this content.
You won't regret it, it's fantastic. Message SIMMOD, mention the video and those takumar's as I helped him see the light myself. He's use to doing Leica R's, Contax Zeiss, Canon FD's etc..this was his first Takumar set and he definitely sees the value.
Pocket 4k is sweet, i'm looking at the pocket 6k (I have existing EF lenses I could swap over). The next step to a higher resolution video camera was these lenses. 1) New Computer, 2) Mod my existing takumar's 3) Pocket 6k - probably early 2020 or a end of Q4 purchase.
Let me know if you have any questions sourcing stuff mate.
@@MarkHoltze Leica R is a forbidden dream for now and it would be nice to rent and use them with a Pocket or even a Panasonic S1+Atomos Ninja, but here in Italy, it's not so easy.
Pocket 6K is an excellent choice too, I'd probably go for the 4K because of the price and because I own some M43 glasses and in particular, a Voigtlander Nokton 25mm from which it's very difficult to separate :-) I will probably keep it for my photography project and selling the other, let's see.
New Mac for me too, sad days for my pocket are coming...
Love your videos and bought a Super Takumar 135 after watching one of your past reviews! Curious - what's the difference between the follow focus gears that Simmod offers and the ones you can buy online?
I honestly don't know as I've not seen/used the ones online. Lots of services do this I imagine. Sim is a DP himself and been working with lenses for over 20 years, that gave me the confidence alone to put my lenses at his mercy. I've also used a few of their other products and i'm super happy with them.
@@MarkHoltze I've actually talked with Sim - great guy - very knowledgeable! I was about to get the full cine-mod service but then realized my adapter actually declicked my lenses! It works perfectly. So it doesn't make much sense to send them off just to get gears. You mention that the gears come off - I'm assuming that means you can put them on yourself?
Those mods look amazing.
They're great I know the owner of Simmod (we went to film school together). He's a commercial DP and has loved vintage lenses WAY before me. He was adapting old lenses to his cameras back in 2000 because he couldn't afford new primes. This is a love affaire for him, super happy with the result though. The care and craft that goes into this stuff is top notch.
Hey Mark!
Thanks for the insightful video!
Do you need to match serial numbers when building a takumar lens set ?
Def not, UV light exposure to any yellowed ones and should be good. With the exception of Leica and Contax none of these lenses were ever really built as a “set”. You’ll always get some variation
@@MarkHoltze thanks Mark!
I’m thinking of getting the 17 or/and 20, 35 and 50.
Do you think if some of the lens are 8 element and some are not, it would effect the look ?
Not at all. Elements are just lens design, the rendered images are generally the same.
@@MarkHoltze thanks for taking the time to reply Mark 👍🏼
The only mod I go back and forth on is de-clicking the aperture. I like the assured click when setting the aperture of my lens but I can see where de-clicking would be useful for gimbal or steadicam work. I’ve accidentally de-clicked a nice Cosina zoom lens before and the aperture was quite loose and I had to wedge some gaffer tape under the ring to make it steady. I’m sure Simmod has methods to avoid this but it certainly shows that it’s not a simple DIY job for some lenses.
I can totally see that. It's got a very specific purpose and if you don't need it for your workflow, you can save quite a bit of money. For me the focus gears and lens hoods are my favourite. The gears I USE all the time even without a follow focus and the lens hood's are SO much nicer than step up rings to fit a mattbox/VND/filters.
I'm getting custom engraved caps, but they're new new and they're not ready yet. That's cool just for branding sake plus identifying top down what lenses are what.
I will say, between these takumar lense, the Nikkor's and CZ lenses before that I tested, the de-click was the perfect balance of smoothness and resistance. Great for those shifts from dark/light environments during a single take.
Heyho, have you tried the Takumar 150 f4? I wonder what you think about it
Wow what a nice set of lenses. Have you experienced any mirror slap with your 50 1.4 ? Also fantastic edit!
Thanks, I’m on mirrorless and cinema cameras so not much experience with DSLR’s.
Hello! would recommend Takumar lenses for the sony A7 series, on NFD canon?? I'm hesitant between which of them to acquire and your opinion and experience would help me a lot in that decision. Thank you!
FD’s are classically good. Takumars are as well, but they’re a little lesser known. I personally don’t think you could go wrong either way. You might find that FD’s are a bit more reasonably priced across the board. Some Takumars are a little pricy because of “reputation” and scarcity.
What focal lengths you looking to build? Sony adapts all these lenses perfectly so whatever you decide to go with you should be happy.
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the reply! what would you think between a canon NFD 24m 2.8 or Takumar 28mm 3.5? Between them the Takumar costs me $ 40 less than the NFD Thanks!!
@@renzoo.moreno9961 Hmm, well the 24 is faster and wider so it really depends more if you want a wider faster lens or not. I have both and enjoy both, I don't use the 28 much though because I have a 24 and the 35 is the next focal length i'll reach for skipping the 28 most times.
28 is good though if you don't have a 35.
If you decide what lens to get now you can build your collection, it would be easier to have all the same so you don't need more than one adapters :)
big fan of the takumars
So much to love.
Οκ question. Can i use the takumars with EF adapter to a SpeedBooster for my BMPCC 4K
Yes
Sorry that was quick but you absolutely can. M42 to EF mount that to your ef speed and boom.
SUPER!
Rule of three, super, suoer, super multicoated.... lol.
Hey mark. I am trying to decide the future of my takumar. I have a 28-80 and i'd like to get a 24,28,and 50 primes. The camera i use is a Sigma FP L mount and i was wondering is there anyway i can convert these takumars to EF mount? it says on the sinmod chart that its a N/A however i saw you check the EF conversion for all canon FD box (not entirely sure what this option is). The reason i ask is that im attempting to shrink my rig as much as possible and the PK to leica l mount adapter is fairly thick. Also i am concerned that the conversion to EF prevents them from being a full frame lens from then on per a rumor. Is this true?
I'd have to do some side by side tests, but after using the S1H and the Sony A7sii they look pretty standard for me. I'm using the M42 to EF adapter and then put that on the Sigma 21 EF to L and, bar doing some side by side chart shots (i haven't yet) I couldn't eyeball any difference.
It's something I can do and get back to you though, just see how much if any of a crop there is. Honestly I don't think there is, but I can let you know.
Mark Holtze thank you much. I guess I didn’t know this but EF is crop sensor and FD is FF. That’s what I get for never using canon. Looking at the new lumix 20-60mm lecia lens but i gotta get my vintage look.
@@TheGalacticWest EF isn't always a crop sensor, depends on the camera. 5D Mark IV and 6D are both EF mounts and both full frame sensors.
L series EF lenses for example are FF lenses.
Hey Mark. Really enjoy the content. I see you have the 135 2.5. I have the opportunity to get this or the canon 135 2.5 fd. Do you know if one is better, canon is significantly cheaper, thanks 🙂
thanks, I'd have to do a side by side comparison, the Canon isn't built like the Tak, I know that for sure. Performance wise FD's vary a bit, depends on what model it is etc. If you have a bunch of takumar's I'd go with that, if you're looking to collect FD's go for that one. Depends what you're shooting on and where you plan on going with it :)
Mark have you heard of the auto Sears 55 f1.4 or rikenon or mamiya. All the same. This lens is a must have. This lens was the first vintage I got and for years has prevented me from getting the takumar 50f1.4. I have the 50f4(great lens) but let me rave about my auto Sears. You will see why. Love your videos and you have convinced me to get my set modded. 35f2, 55f1.4, 55f4??85f1.9, 105f2.8??, And 135f2.5
Hello Mark !
Thank you for your videos. I'am also a TAKUMAR addict, and I have a complete SMC TAKUMAR SET and I would like to speak with you about the 35mm SMC F2, and the 50mm SMC F1.4 (7 elements, with rubber on the focus ring). Compared to the other lenses, these two lenses give me a color cast much too warm !!! Have you heard about this or do you noticed this particularity with yours ? Best!
I’m very close to sending mine in to have them de-clicked. Any ideas on estimated time for something like that? I live in South Carolina so I know I’m not too far away from where they would be shipped. Great video. Are used these lenses last week for a community video and loved the way it turned out. I shoot so much on my Sigma 18 to 35, it’s really nice to get a different look with these.
Contact simmod directly through their site, you guys can coordinate. THey were gone for about 2 weeks plus shipping time so 3 weeks total. I've been using these lenses and my modern lenses less and less. I rarely use auto focus personally so for me primes with fast apertures have been more versatile for my LOOK than my more expensive modern ones. Do coordinate, they'll be able to work with your timelines!
Let me know if you need anything else Jake.
Hey Jake--our turn around time is about 5-8 business days to have in our shop. Shipping time back and forth is dependent on the carrier service used.
Cool
What brand adaptor do you use for these Takumars?
Fotodiox, M42 to E
Hi Mark! When you use these lenses you can´t control the aperture directly on camera but on the lens itself, but does the camera´s light meter still shows you the right exposure?
Aperture control on a vintage lens is on the lens itself since it's a "lens function" (which I love). Light meter shows the right exposure.
Mark Holtze Thanks Mark!
Hello how many days or weeks does it take for Lenses to return
Depends usually about 2 plus a few days for shipping. Best contact them directly for more updated services. They can also send the parts out to do most of the work.
Does any of the four lenses you chose to have modified, or honestly any of the Takumars you own have radioactive elements?
I only have the 135 3.5 currently, but want the 135 2.5, 85 1.8, and maybe the 35 F2. I have the Nikkor 50 1.4 AIS vintage and just cannot part with it...
The 50 1.4 has thorium elements inside the glass, those are radioactive. If you get the 8 element SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 it doesn't use thorium. I think the 35 F2 is also radioactive, but the 85 and 135 2.5 aren't. The only lenses I own that are radioactive are the 50 and 35.
Mark Holtze Ok, thanks for your feedback, I am just curious as I plan to purchase those soon. Really great video Mark, awesome job on the cut!!
@@russellwright9961 My pleasure! Let me know what you get here if you want. Curious. I'd love to get the 8 element one day!
I fell on a 55mm super multi coated 1.8 going through my moms old stuff in the basement and I fell in love with it.
I ended up grabbing a 135 on eBay on auction with the leather case I never use for $20 USD.
Since then I got a super Takumar 28mm and a 55mm f2 (just to compare) imo the multi coated are much better looking, maybe I got lucky with one and not the other IDK…
Right not I’m waiting on a 24mm and a 35mm multi coated lenses coming in..
24mm 35mm 55mm 135mm.
That’s a great set of super beautiful primes for my BMPCC4K with my Metabones 0.64 that gives me a 1.28 crop..
If anyone wants to get into cinematography and understands the value of primes this is the way to go!
I own a Tokina AT-X 270 AF PRO (OG Angenieux design, if you don’t know look it up), these Takumar primes are far superior. I use the Tokina as my run and gun, but anything I’m planning it’s these Takumar’s for sure.
Mine aren’t as cool as yours Mark.. I’m an eBay warrior and mine won’t be declicked.
But I’m still here if you need an assistant editors, sound guy.
Do you know the Pentax smc 200 f2.5. Almost a straight 10 lense
You have my attention..... 😆
@@MarkHoltzewell not got it yet, just luckily won it on ebay for 187 euro. Did not expect to win it. Since it is a rare high praised lense. But I did, geuss not many know this. But what I can read about it from others is that they are very satisfied with it. Some even give it straght 10
I thought you might get interrested, it is your area of ball game. Not many know this lense.
Btw. It is the most fast 200 mm pentax lense EVER made from them. Takling about build like a tank.
1 kg does it weigth, 77 mm front.
@@MarkHoltze just got it today.
I do got some amazing primes, that also rated very high, almost 10.
All I can say is, BUY IT!!!
Saw instantly, this is a different level,
the colors, sharpness. This is a Pro lense.
It can create images that dont need post processing.
Ok, please excuse my naivete. I saw an Australian use the Takumar 28MM F3.5 on 4K video and it was outstanding. I actually complimented him on his video. I was wondering because I don't know what is EF mount. You talk about it, the SIMMOD site talks about it but no one says what it really is. Please help explain what EF ring is and does. Thanks.
EF mount is the Canon body lens mount on their DSLR and Cinema Cameras. THe new Mirrorless cameras by Canon use RF mounts. Hopefully that helps mate.
Mark Holtze so what mount for Sony A7R4?
@@errolrojas3460 Sony E mount
Hi Mark. Great video. New follower here. I was exploring Takumar lenses for my new Sony FX3, actually a pretty identical set to yours. Do you believe it's a wise choice? I'm a bit scared about color consistency to be a pain in the *ss to handle in post. My other options were Nikkor Pre AI lenses (although the 35mm 1.4 I could get is radioactive too, so...) or go with the SLR Magic Cine glass. Any thoughts? Thanks and keep the content coming :)
Colour consistency can be adjusted with UV light exposure to your thoriated lenses. It's pretty easy and there are great ways to accomplish this online all over the place. It will completely reverse the yellowing and bring about enough colour consistency that it should match easily. Even my thoriated lenses were fine to match, just extra steps i've since corrected.
I personally like the Takumar's handling better than the Nikkors, plus Nikkors focus the other way which can be a little confusing, but still....those are easily overcome. I wouldn't touch the SLR magic stuff myself, no reason other than that glass just doesn't inspire me at all, but that's just me. I like the way these lenses handle and the look i get from them.
The thing with Takumar's is as great as they are, you might find yourself drifting toward a set with a LOCKING PIN on the mount. FD, Contax Zeiss, Minolta MD, Olympus OM. M42 is nice, but that screw mount can be a bit of a pain if you have a stiffer focus and it might accidently unscrew the adapter because it only locks as a typical screw.
Takumar's for me proved to me what these lenses were capable of, if I were to do it all over again knowing what I know now ,I would most likely skip them all together and go into the more expensive line. Contax Zeiss being my personal favourite.
Minolta MD rokkor's might be a good option as well and still relatively inexpensive. Still as I write this I still love my Takumars and I still use them quite a lot for video. Their lighter than the contax lenses generally so sometimes that plays to favour. :)
Hopefully that helps mate, best of luck!
@@MarkHoltze You rock. Amazing insights and information. I totally get what you mean. Thanks a lot for that :)
My pleasure mate. FX3 is a great camera, should pair nice with whatever you put on it :)
Which takumars did you end up converting?
35mm F2, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8 and 135mm F2 :)
Can you do a video on your favorites super takumars?
That's a decent idea. I have done reviews for all the lenses in this video. Check them out here:
ruclips.net/video/hru30pAiAjE/видео.html
I drool every time I watch this video.
Do you use these on your Sony A7SII or another camera? What camera do you want to use them on?
Lumix S1H right now. Mostly Sony A7sii and Canon c100 Mark 2 before that. Doing a new video on these right now actually lol.
Mark Holtze dope! Can’t wait to see it! I’ll get a napkin for my chin.
Those transitions are proof you went to the finest magic school 😂
lol! Hogwarts of course :)
I don't know if I prefer Canon fd's or the super takumar!
If Zeiss Contax is 9/10. What’s your opinion on FD’s score?
I haven't used an FD score at this point, but A LOT of DP's do. They're great lenses to mod for sure. Takumar's were a surprise for me, they're great for certain work, but the Contax Zeiss are going to be my pro set used for commercial work.
Like I said, FD"s are in the same boat as Contax I think, consistent colour, easy to mod and used by quite a lot of DP's.
I wish we had in Ottawa some of these “lens markets”... :-(
Surprised you don’t. Contact the PHSC maybe see if they have anything like this out that way.
I live there and have bought most of my vintage lenses off Kijiji, preying off the ignorant :P Check out the Camera Trading Company on Bank if you haven't yet. They have decent selection.
Great video! Can you use a matte box with this set?
Yes, then nice thing about those rings, bring the fronts up to matte box standards
@@MarkHoltze What about the front element when focusing - do any of these lenses change length when focusing? And would that conflict with a matte box?
They move a bit yes. They haven’t been an issue with a matte box as they usually allow some room for movement.
@@MarkHoltze thank you!
The highlight is the finale with your daughter 🤗
She’s the best lol. Thanks Rob!
i have some lenses i'd think you will enjoy a lot if you have the oportunity...jupiter 9, mir 24m on m42, tamrom sp adaptall 90mm 2.5 and voightlander 58 f1.4 for nikon f...
DROOOOOOOOLS!!!!!! That's a nice collection Marcos!11 What's your fav out of the bunch?
@@MarkHoltze for sure the voightlander. Is my workhorse por video. this thing is smoooooth. use them on a fujifilm xt-3, by the way.
@@MrMganzer Voightlander, I hear many, many good things about that one!
Bless you ;)
thank you! lol.
how do the super takumars compare to the vintage nikkor set they sent you orginally? I can't make up my mind what i want to get :(
What camera are you going to use them on? Nikkor's are fantastic as well. They're a bit more consistent in colour, some takumar's have thorium elements in them which yellow over time. You can reverse that with UV light exposure, but it's something to consider. I do like the focus throws better on the Takumar's, most of the Nikkor's I've seen have much stiffer throws. This can be fixed though.
What focal lengths are you looking at?
@@MarkHoltze Thanks for the response! I'm shooting on the pocket 4k and I'd be using them for music videos and different "cinematic" narrative projects, so I love glass with character and to stray away from the clinical look when possible, but that yellow haze sounds a bit concerning haha. I'm also considering building a contax zeiss set but I'm probably just over complicating the process for myself lol..Right now I'm thinking 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm
The Zeiss set will kill it, theyre the best lol. The yellowing is easy enough to fix but an additional pain. A good nikkor set will serve you well!
@@MarkHoltze do you know if the set they sent you was contax zeiss or zeiss zf.2? I'm sure the contax would serve me just as well regardless..
@@timekeepermedia5142 Contax Zeiss MMJ's. 35 1.4 MMJ, 50 1.4 MMJ and 85 1.4 MMJ. Loved them so much I've been building my own set next. Actually just got the 35 1.4, it's a beast of a lens,but I love it. I got the CZ 60mm 2.8, but that one is AEG (wanted the 1:1, the MMJ is 1:2)
The real question...SMC Takumar or Zeiss Contax MMJ, I'm stuck in between and I keep beating myself up about it. Zeiss are more "well known" it seems compared to the Takumar lenses, and more expensive but is it worth the extra cash for the Zeiss? Is it just because Zeiss are German-Japanese engineered and putting a german name on something increases the price? I know the SMC Takumar 50mm killed the game so I'm really torn right now.
Well, I love the Takumar's, but I have to say the Zeiss are more consistent colour and are actually sharper wide open. They're bigger, more expensive because of their designs and quality assurance of the Zeiss name.
German name alone won't increase price, ZEISS will however. VERY strict quality control there and have a long history in high end optics for medium format and cinema lenses.
I started with the Takumar's, I love them, but I'm building a prime Contax Zeiss set for my professional work.
The Zeiss lenses mod a bit better for cinema, bigger markings for distance etc, but Takumar's at their price point are still fantastic lenses.
I think honestly long term the Contax Zeiss cinema set will increase in value more than the Takumar's will. Depending on the work you do, you'll make money with both of them, but selling off a Zeiss set will have a much higher demand for sure.
Hope that helps mate.
Sick video dude! Cant wait for your 6K plans. Maybe I can help ;)
Thanks man! Maybe you can! :)
@@MarkHoltze Ill be around Chicago/Detroit Dec 18-Jan 6 so let me know if I can swing by sometime!
I really wish they still did these mods... I need to mod my Super-Takumars
1:48 what is the reference of your carpet on your desk ?
Not sure what you mean? Sorry mate
@@MarkHoltze your
office mat on the background at 1:48 !
I have a question, SMC Takumar vs Super Takumar, what’s the difference in performance? If any. Why would one be more desirable than the other?
Super Multi-Coated just uses a different multi coating to control flares etc on the glass for themes part. The ones I've compared directly like the 135 vs the 135 i didn't notice a huge difference. The SMC are newer though so there's that, might be in better condition.
Mark Holtze thanks for the input, I have already got my hands on a Super Tak 28mm and the SMC 55mm, I’m trying to get a tiny set of primes to start my adventure off with, I wanted to keep the lenses as close as possible to image colour, quality etc for filmmaking continuity. Is it easy to change the mount if I wanted to use a “speed booster” I’m saving for a BMPCC4K, any additional advice from the guru?
@@dkkeyz8815 Makes sense, I would stick with SMC if you can, but watch lenses with thorium in the glass, they can yellow and that will impact colour. It's pretty easy to reverse (24 hour UV light exposure) so if you have a problem with a lens you can always do that.
Pocket 4k is a great camera mate, you will have full colour control with RAW as well. Just go for lenses that are clean (no fungus) and have good ergonomics (focus throw).
Good luck mate!
Mark Holtze thanks again, and keep creating so I can keep learning!
hello Mark , have time for camera monitor review?
What kind of monitor?
@@MarkHoltze A6 plus touch camera monitor this one amzn.to/2MlOhLr
Why do you compare the Helios 44-M and not the 44-2? People seem to like the 44-2 more
I didn't have the 44-2, I usually just test what I have. I'd be curious to see the 44-2!
Im getting addicted to smc takumars
Welcome to the club ;)
Dammnit Mark, this is not good for my budget, now I need to get some lenses modded!!! :)
I'm sorry JOE! Hold off if you can, if the obsession continues for two weeks, DO IT! TWO WEEKS!!!......TWO WEEKS *Total Recall
4k support ?
What do you mean 4k support? You can shoot with these in 4k and 6k and they look great :)
The price of these takumars would skyrocket
They would, but luckily this is super niche and we're all in on it...it's us who should be laughing at them for missing out ;)
why you not tranform your macro 50mm?
perhaps macro cinematic lens can give lot alternative angle
Mostly cost, it’s a great lens but I don’t do a lot of focus pulling with that lens either. So for me the value wasn’t there to mod. I do use that lens lots, but it’s always in super controlled situations.
Mark Holtze i see
declick transform is good for video, but how declick perform in still photography?
Macro tubes on the Sony bodies negatives the need for a dedicated macro most times
1991ClarkJames i have macro tube too. but i have issue using macro tubex escpecialy framing and distance
Are those gears 3d printed?
I think so. I’m not 100% sure how they do it. I should have asked. I mostly think yes, 3D printed.
@@MarkHoltze well, I have a super takumar 50mm and a 3d printer. I'm going to have to see if I can make a follow focus!
It's a mix of delrin/machined gear and 3D printed. The Taks have a scalloped focus ring, which on some are very small, which requires a 3D printed gear in order to hold in place without slippiage. Most are machined gears.
@@Ronzworld1 noice!
@@Ronzworld1 BOOM! Simmod you need to make your profile picture your logo!
Do these lenses work on dslr’s?
These ones do yes. I was using them in my 6D2 before I sold it
@@MarkHoltze so it would work on a Canon 70D?
@@kylewilson4030 Yes, test one lens, it works to your satisfaction you can go nuts. I do think they work better on mirrorless as you can use an EVF to help with your focus, but yes you can absolutely use these Takumar's (35, 50, 85, 100, 135)on a DSLR. 70D is an APS-C crop sensor so you'll have to deal with 1.53x crop factor vs the full frame which was my 6DII
I recently purchased a 50nm takumar f4 with true 1:1 macro capability and it's in mint condition......the addiction is real...
Ohhhh!! That one came before the one I have I think! That is a NICE find mate! True Addict! ;)
@@MarkHoltze yes it was! It was the early version of the lens and all others after it were 1:2 magnification. Still a great lens I'm sure, but nothing is quite like the true 1:1. The price tag was a bit high but once I opened the packaged and started shooting, I realized it was money extremely well spent. I couldn't find any other 1:1 lenses when I was searching for the best deal. I got extremely lucky!
I suppose my username says it all haha!
This ain't cheap-like finished video
Vintage lens are great if your vision is perfect
Vision is good, but being agile is key. Knowing the look you want definitely helps but leave a little room to be inspired on the fly, where the magic happens