8-element "Killer" vs 7-element 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar Showdown.
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- 8-element "Planar killer"vs 7-element 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar m42 showdown.
Shot on Sony A7ii
"Ever Mindful" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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Can't believe no one else has said it yet - that portrait of the man with his dog was just phenomenal. Somehow the image quality there looks far better than most of the test shots. I guess that portrait was just meant to happen. Fantastic work.
I did more post on the portraits. Thanks for noticing and commenting
Full tears at the end. Beautiful picture of the dog.
Thank you for making this video. I just got an 8 element and can’t wait to use it. The story of the old dog brought me to tears and is a moment that makes photography worth all the effort. Thank you 🙏
It was the first time to watch your video. I was looking for the technical information of Super Takumar, but this gave me more specific thing eventually. Thank you for sharing the beautiful story.
You are welcome. Thanks for commenting!!
Great video, definitive, clearly a huge amount of work to make but worth it, nails the differences down no matter what you're looking for. Thank you.
..świetny film.. dziek, własnie miałem dwa do wyboru, a ten film pomógł mi dobrze wybrać ! dziekuję Ci :)
Appreciate the story about the man and his dog...glad you were able to deliver the portrait s to him
Wonderful video and absolutely sensational 8 element lens. As for the portrait and story both exquisite. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your lovely "real world" comparison of the 2 lenses, photos and comments. Lovely music too and many thanks for sharing the story and amazing portrait ! God bless you. Mike
this was a great comparison video, thank you! i appreciate the tips for light room you left as well.
i inadvertently obtained to super takumar lenses (50mm 1.4, 35mm 3.5) and im very happy with them
What a nice showdown. Thank you and great ending story.
I am searching for the 8 element lens and your video adds to my anticipation. It is a lovely lens. However, the best part of the video is your gift to this man. You can sell photos and get loads of attention as a photographer but none of that can match the good feeling of making something meaningful and sharing it. Lovely.
....the way you tell the story of the man and his dog is really moving....thanks for that!
Thanks.
I had already liked the video before you mentioned the man and his dog. Now I love it. Thank you
Watching with tears in my eyes at the end.
The first time I found your channel, watching this is great! I was hoping for this content to find out what to expect from both my 7 and 8 element Takumars, I was lucky to obtain myself! Thank you sir!
Excited to get mine. Thank you for the story about the man and his dog. Made me miss my childhood dog who I spent so much time walking and playing ball with. I am 46 and I miss him still.
Late to the party but thank you for this comparison. I have the 7 element 50/1.4 and I guess I can throttle back my obsession to find a 50/1.4 8 element for a while. I will still seek one out but now that obsession is not so over powering.
As a collector I’m obsessed with finding a good copy of the 8-element version…the price is always a bit prohibitive. As a photographer I don’t see enough difference in IQ to really justify the 8 element over the 7 element especially considering the thorium yellowing of your 7-element version.
Good work mate, nice video.
It seems to me that the prices for an 8 element have gone down, I just got a beautiful copy for $250... The yellowing of the 7 element can be easily "fixed" with a cheap UV lamp...
@@ivo919 Update: a few months after my original comment, I found a mint condition one on eBay that was just posted (I always sort by most “recently posted items”) and it was not listed as an 8-element. I don’t think the seller knew what he had. I bought it for $129.
Good and interesting test. I agree that the 8 elements renders an overall more beautiful picture. That was a very touching of you to take a portrait of the dog. Please keep the videos coming, you have a very soothing style of teaching that is very refreshing and informative.
Great comparison - thanks!
You are welcome!
Very interesting test, thank you sir
Nice video thank you so much 👌
Hello, for me, I have to say that I own this lens, the 7 elements are magnificent, I think even more fun, the only thing you have to do is clean the amber tone of the thorium since this lens is radioactive and try it with the rear glass completely clean and crystal clear, you may change your mind.
thanks for your page.
Dear Sir, Thank you for the superb comparing lenses video. Please kindly tell me is the 8 element "Planar Killer radioactive?
I wonder if there is yet more differences when you throw the early 70's SMC with the rubberized ring into the mix. I know I have a 7 element Super Takumar and a Super Takumar Multi Coat and I think I have an 8 element as well, but it has a small fungus issue where both of my 7's are clean.
Yes you are correct I have all versions of the 50mm f1.4 Takumar 6 of them in total. IMHO The SMC is the best 7 element and better than 8 element in some ways. But the 8 element can have better out of focus blur. I love them all. I have over 20 Takumars and many Asahi spotmatics from earliest up to ESII. Its great fun collecting and using. I use my lenses mostly on my Pentax DSLR. Mike.
great review and i'd give you 2 likes just for that tip about pointing the camera to the N/S for the bluest sky-
by the way how do they compare with barrel distortion?
I came for the lens review. I subscribed because of your heart.
The 7 element sample you have has pretty severe thorium yellowing that's not only apparent in the photos (hence the warm tones), but also can be seen in the glass when you hold it up near the beginning of the video. The color rendition will be much closer between the two if you give it a nice UV bath. You'll pick up about 2/3 of a stop of speed, too.
Thanks for commenting. I have done this with my smc versions. I did this video with both lenses untreated they both have almost identical levels thorium yellowing on the front elements but you can see the extra yellowing on the internals of the 7 element.
AFAIK the 8-element does not yellow, because it does not contain a thorium containg element.
The 8 element does have a coating. On my copy mostly the front element is yellowed
I don't think that is yelowing, but just the original color of the coating. Anybody here to confirm that? Should be intereting to see a color transmission chart of this lens compared to some others.
@Julian REC Please consult this excellent reference: fockert.xs4all.nl/~pentax/radioactive_lenses/radioactive.html and then this discussion on photo.net: www.photo.net/discuss/threads/review-50-1-4-takumar-8-elements-vs-7-elements.471700/. I own both the 8- and 7-element Super Takumars 50 mm and the 8-elemet is absolutely clear, because it does not have any Thorium containing elements.
As an older guy who's had to say a last goodbye to 3 dogs now ....this really got to me. Thank you.
thanks for the great review of these. Do they both have the same size filter thread?
Your welcome. Yes they both use same filter.
Great video thank you. So sad about the dog.... I just got my near mint 8 element this week for a bairgain price of £45 here in UK roughly $54 USD. I also have 5 different 7 element 50mm f1.4 Takumars
I have no problem with most people reviewing vintage glass except that many neglect using lens hoods. The hood keeps stray light from bouncing around inside the lens to veil and flare images. Both lenses hold their own and the SMC Pentax coatings give great colours and beautiful tones.
Hey thanks for your comments. I usually use hoods, I use them in many of my reviews. I find sometimes they can diminish the difference between lenses in comparisons.
Thanks for the very thorough overview. I do astrophotography as well as floral, and regularly use the 50mm focal length. I have a favorite astro (Milky Way) scene and I shot it recently with a Canon f1.8 STM, and wasn't that impressed. I'd love to try it with the higher quality Takumar 50mm. I'm going to try to get the 8 element, if I can find one that is not too much more expensive, or a 7 element if not, and thanks for the suggestion--I'll get one that says SMC or Super Multi Coated on it. If I get the 8, I'll take care to bracket the shot to control for flare that occasionally comes when there's a bright light in the foreground.
Oh yes, although the great info on the Tak was the main benefit for me, I did enjoy the cool dog story.
I have subscribed. Cheers.
Just be aware that the Takumar 1.4's are *all* radioactive (although the 7 much more than the 8). I've seen people do tests with the lens cap on vs non-radioactive lenses and show that over really long exposures quite a bit of noise is added to the sensor by the radiation. That might affect the suitability of a Takumar for astrophotography.
nice. if you can do side by side comparisons of same detail next time...
I wonder how good the 8 element would work on the Pentax LX with the adapter. For me this lens with Kodak TRI-X 400 film would be the perfect pairing.
I do have an LX, I tend to favour my M series Pentax Cameras maybe just a worry wart.
What a great video.
How can you distinguish between both lenses?
The 8-element has the infrared indicator on the right side of the "4" on the aperture scale. The 7-element is on the left side.
Thanks
how do you tell which lens you have? did i miss that in the video?
8 element version can be identified with the location of the infrared focus mark: The mark is to the right of the numeral 4 on the DOF scale. As well the text is different. The number 4 is closed on 8 element engravings and 4 is open on 7 element.
I really like the portrait of the man with his dog!, did you used 1.4 aperture? It's very sharp indeed. Very nice job!!
Thanks Martin. I think i took them at 1.4 but It's been a while so it may have been up to f2
Looks all a bit yellowish. Dunno if this is from the yellowed radioactive coating or if it's just me and my screen. Great comparison video.
I didnt catch that... which is better ? :D
nice good on you with the dog
I found a Super multi coated Asahi Pentax 50mm 1.4 but it does not say Takumar. Is it still as good lens?
Yes It is still a good lens!
Asahi Pentax and Takumar are the same.
@@Whatisright I think he meant SMC vs Super Takumar. SMC is cheaper than the Tak
In my eyes they are about the same in resolution, acuity etc. The actual difference is negligible. The 7 element lens is so thorium tinged in this video, it's not even a good head to head comparison of color and sharpness with a clear lens anyway. Greatness of the 8 element aside, the thing I take away from this is that the 7 element design resists flares. If anyone knows anything about lenses, you would know that the best lenses RESIST flare, and thus they cost thousands of dollars. The 7 element 50mm Takumar is probably cheaper with that extra impressive attribute. If flares are your thing, look at an inexpensive Helios 58mm. Its flares have character and can be beautiful.
As a dog lover, the story about the dog and her owner touched me. Good thinking on your part.
Thanks for commenting. Thorium tint is a characteristic of the 8 element. I have rarely come across one without it so I would not consider treating it for a side by side. I may do a UV bathed vs Thorium Afflicted comparison of 2 identical lenses. It is good to have lenses that resist flare but I prefer to have Flare as an option in my camera bag
Actually the 8 element is not radioactive according to my research
Why were there no black & white images in your comparison?
I will do that next time thanks!
That was so nice of you. Us dog lovers can really relate. That made my day too.
I have the seven element my favorite 50mm lens . I have the Pentax 50mm 2.0 manuel lens, Pentax 1.8 DSLR lens and the Pentax 55mm 2.8 manuel lens .
Are both m42 mount, I have a 50mm super take 1.4
YES they are. they both look almost identical but the 8 element has the infrared focus index on the right of the left hand side f4 hyperfocal guide and the 7 element has it on the left of the left hand side f4 hyperfocal guide. Also the number four character is a closed 4 on the 8 element where the 7 element uses the open top 4 text character.
@@sliversurfer1 mine says 4109291 on it
Am I missing something? I thought in almost every single case, that the 7 element looked better. The colors were more vibrant and it looked less flat. I'm just a beginner photographer, so it's possible I'm missing something. But I am in the market to buy one of these, so I would really love some motivation one way or the other. My untrained eye apparently sees the 7 as the better "look" but please enlighten me.
Jason, the 7 looks more saturated and more golden, I agree, but that is likely because the 7 element version contains thoriated glass, which has a slightly yellow-brown tint (unless you periodically expose it to UV light for an extended period--either black light, or sunlight (guarding against excess temperatures)). I viewed the photos with this knowledge in mind, and I liked the 8-element photos equally well. Perhaps even a bit more. They seemed to me to have more accurate, life-like colors. I'm going to get an 8-element if I can find one that is affordable, but I'll go for the 7 if not. I have heard that the 7 element version that says "SMC" in front of Takumar, or says "Super Multi-coated" does a better job with color rendition than the 7's that say simple "Super Takumar". Good luck!
8-element seems to have more 3d pop, explains the premium price.
Yes, It really seems to me that the biggest change is that the 7-element is yellowed in a way that the 8-element hasn't or can't. Here is a video that I found about removing the yellowing due to radioactivity: ruclips.net/video/kHXEMZxHrfA/видео.html . I haven't done it but it is probably worth a shot.
I am a collector of Takumars here in the UK. I have 5 of the 7 element 50mm f1.4 I have de-yellowed all of them. the Super Takumars took 48 hours the SMC only 24 hours to de-yellow. I made a UV LED light source from an old UV nail polish hardener, I just bypassed the timer and added a tiny 2 inch 12v cooling fan as the LED's can get hot. Also some of my 55mm Super Multi Coated Takumars needed de-yellowing. And the bonus to de-yellowing is you get at least 1 stop of brightness back through le lens. Mike.
Thanks for the insight. I am just buying the 8-element today and wanted some info about it before doing so. I agree, it is a very special lens. You will be able to see some of the work we do with it on our site at www.DocCom.net soon no doubt.
It was my understanding the 8 element had better bokeh. That is because it does not have the coatings on the lens. The 7 element is newer hand has coatings and performs better at everything else. But you did not focus on the bokeh so I don't thing you will see much difference between he 2 other than the better performance of coated lenses CA, color fringing .
The wind noise makes this video unwatchable, at least for me. If it gets better, maybe say so in the beginning. Too bad, because I'm interested. Maybe do a voice over?
Skip to 1:15
I prefer the 7 elements over the 8 elements
The two ways to tell the two lenses apart are:
a) The 8-element version has the infrared focus mark located to the right of the f/4 mark.
b) The diaphragm switch on the 8-element version is marked with “A” and “M.”
The 7-element version has:
a) The infrared focus mark located to the left of the f/4 mark.
b) The diaphragm switch on the 7-element version marked with “AUTO” and “Manual.”
Also, the 8-element version has a convex rear element that protrudes out the back of the lens, whereas the 7-element rear glass is flat.
there are actually 5 ways. also no product number on rear of Man - Auto switch. A serial number below 1650999 and rear element protrudes much further on 8 element versions By the way there was a very early Hybrid 7 element 50mm f1.4 version with IR mark in same place as 8 element so be carefull check it out on google images.
Jeeeez, I came for a lens review and ended up crying. 🐕
Off topic, but that feeling you felt when you felt in your spirit, the compulsion to do a good thing for a stranger, the way it both humbled you a little emotionally, but gave you the opportunity to do a selfless deed. You reap the rewards of such selflessness. Christ was trying to explain that if everyone of us were to extend that same compassion to everyone else, not one person would ever go hungry again, or not have a place to call home. The world would hardly be able to contain the abundance, just imagine, a world where everyone puts every single other person before themselves. Christ did that when out of love, he sacrificed himself for the sins of the world, that through him, anyone could have eternal life.
I have both. Not much difference mostly hype.
Fuck dude I can't even hear your talking because of the wind! Basics first.
I am looking at this on a 27 inch computer monitor and have to say, many of your photos are out of focus even where they being described as being in focus. My data rate is 450p. I have heard that it is hard to find the focus point in wide apertures without autofocus, but these photos here are out of focus in smaller apertures. Maybe your photos are out of focus due to the fact that they came from video. I think that was a mistake. I have seen much better wide open aperture on youtube for this lens.
It is a great comparison video, but to me the 7 element looks best, using your parameters described in the beginning of the video. You would think that the more elements the more distortion. I am looking around for one of these lenses, but had not looked at the difference across the 4 types.
This was done in 2018. Maybe it is time to do another version, but with stills, not captures from videos.
About the guy and his dog, I believe photos should tell a story. The counter story is that this guy probably got himself a new puppy. The circle of life continues.
Just my 2 cents.
Jim Moss
The resolution of the video is 1080p. I assure you the images are in focus where I selected the focal point.