This article is a review and sample photographs of the Pentax SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F2 M42 screw mount lens, released in 1972, used with both digital SLR and mirrorless cameras.
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Table of contents
Gallery
- SONY A7S-II
- CANON EOS 1D Mk-IV
- SONY α NEX-6
Review
Overview
The SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F2 is a manual focus lens with a 55mm focal length and an M42 screw mount. It was released in 1972.
The M42 mount has an aperture pin that allows for bright, wide-open aperture focusing in the viewfinder when using A mode on compatible cameras during shooting. The aperture automatically stops down to the set value during shooting. In M mode, the aperture is fixed to a preset value, resulting in a darker viewfinder when stopped down.
Other features include a six-blade aperture and a minimum focusing distance of 0.45 meters.
Usability
I acquired the SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F2, an M42 screw mount lens, in 2023.
PENTAX’s TAKUMAR lenses, which began production in 1952, are solidly built with an all-metal construction. Many of them still function perfectly after more than 50 years.
This lens is an SMC type manufactured after 1972. SMC stands for SUPER MULTI COATING. Lenses with “SUPER MULTI COATING” instead of “SMC” on the nameplate have the same coating but were manufactured about a year earlier.
The lens’s focus ring is smooth, and it has a solid aperture mechanism with firm clicks, ensuring excellent operability.
The following three cameras were used, and my impressions of each are described below.
The α7S II mirrorless camera is a digital camera equipped with a 12-megapixel, 35mm, full-frame sensor. Based on my experience with the α7S II, which has high ISO performance capabilities, I stopped down to around F4.
The EOS-1D Mark IV is a camera with an APS-H-size sensor. Since its sensor size is smaller than 35mm film, the focal length is calculated by multiplying the sensor size by a conversion factor of 1.3 relative to 35mm film. Therefore, the actual shooting range is 55 x 1.3 = 72 mm.
When looking at the hydrangea with the widest aperture, there is slight flare in the in-focus area, resulting in soft rendering. The sunset scene, stopped down one stop, shows good rendering overall.
The Sony α NEX-6 is a camera equipped with an APS-C-size sensor. Since the sensor size is smaller than 35mm film, the focal length during shooting is calculated by multiplying the sensor size by a conversion factor of 1.5. Therefore, the actual shooting range is 55 x 1.5 = 82.5 mm.
This night scene was shot with a smaller APS-C sensor than 35mm film. Because of this, the distortion of the circular bokeh created by the lights at the edges of the image is not very noticeable.
Regardless of the sensor size used, the bokeh in the foreground and background is beautiful and characteristic of a prime lens. However, since the aperture blades are hexagonal, it’s preferable to open the aperture wide to achieve an attractive bokeh shape.
Summary
In summary, the SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F2 is a standard lens with fairly ordinary specifications and an affordable price. This makes it easy and convenient to use.
However, since it is an older lens, it produces a soft, flared image at wide apertures. In contrast, modern standard lenses offer sharp images right out of the box. While stopping down the aperture improves resolution somewhat, photographers must adjust their settings to achieve the desired image, depending on the situation.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F2 is said to be the export version of the SMC TAKUMAR 55mm F1.8. It’s a bit strange to see the Honeywell logo on a PENTAX lens cap, as Honeywell competed with MINOLTA for autofocus patents.
The lens has an M42 screw mount and can be used with various cameras when paired with a mount adapter. However, lenses with a shorter flange-back distance than the M42 mount, such as Nikon or Leica R lenses, will become macro lenses that cannot focus beyond a short distance. Additionally, mount adapters that enable infinity focus often contain corrective lenses, which can degrade the original image quality of the lens. Therefore, caution is advised due to certain limitations in use.
| Items | SMC TAKUMAR | SMC TAKUMAR |
| Focal length(mm) | 55 | 55 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 2 | 1.8 |
| Max aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 6 | 6 |
| Lens Construction | 6 elements in 5 groups | 6 elements in 5 groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.45 | 0.45 |
| Lens length(mm) | 38 | 38 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 59 | 59 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 49 | 49 |
| Weight(g) | 201 | 201 |
| Release date | 1972-1975 | 1972-1975 |
| Price(Yen) | ? | ? |
Reference links
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Update history
- 2026.5.26
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