I can't pick which one I like more, the 7 element is better "value", but the 8 being the collector piece bumps it up in an unfair way that doesn't really resonate in the photo's. What do you guys think? Full RAW files linked in the description, check them out for a closer look at the images.

I remember watching this during the "dark times" and really enjoying it. Nice to come back to it in better days, decided to treat myself to a 7 element version! I clearly didn't listen to your no more takumars mantra at the end ha.

Great Job! My favourite video you've done so far. I think a lot of people appreciate this brief overview/comparison.

Loved this episode! Your interior test / comparison shots are super creative so this was just as good as any other video if not better in some ways due to the controlled environment throughout!

Beautiful content as always. ❤️ It's awesome watching how your self presentation evolves throughout these videos

There were 4 variants of these lenses. There were two "Super Takumar" versions, early with 8 elements, later with 7 elements, both labeled as "Super Takumar". The older, 8-element version was non-radioactive, while all the later versions used thoriated (radioactive) glass. The lens on the left here is the third version, Super-Multi-Coated Takumar, released after the 7-element "Super Takumar". The Super-Multi-Coated Takumar was then replaced by SMC Takumar. Aside from the first 8-element version, they were all radioactive.

Your lens videos are butter smooth Mark. You did well being confined to the house.

Second time watching. It’s crazy how I love how you incorporate visuals, music and your commentary together. Watching your videos like it’s my online class. Hope you don’t mind☺️

The comparison that I've been wainting for a long time!

Another banger!!!!!!! Thank you for the awesome comparison!!!!! Have a great weekend!!!!

Man I can’t get enough of this channel!!

I have the 7-element Super Tak, and I love it! Incredible lens for the price and history! Great video as always Mark!

Brilliant vid, I love your style so natural and knowledgeable.

Thank you for your reviews. Glad I found your channel.

been looking to get one, and this video (BTW... awesome job!) helps a lot to chose. leaning heavy now to 7 elements as I like the character more. Thank you

Got the 8 elements, have not tested soo much yet but I will soon. Love your videos, great work man!

Fantastic comparison video! I just bought an EBay 7 element and can't wait to use it. I will however keep my eye open for the 8 element versions at the markets.

Another good one! Thanks Mark!

You made a cinematic lens review without the use of 120 or 60p, I love those out of focus foreground shots you do! I would love a video on that! Well done!

One of the best video you made, i love when you make informative video

I’ve got the 7, picked it up for $45 USD on EBay + $5 shipping. Absolutely fantastic on my Fuji XE2. So compact, so easy to shoot. My go-to lens for kid photos and daily walkabouts. You first made a video about them a while back, which inspired me to get it. Thanks!

Mark, I freaking love your content. I recently bought a Helios 44-2 and am in LOVE. All because of your videos. I have been eyeing the Super Takumar for awhile now. After watching this video for the 3rd time, I think I'm ready to commit. Keep kicking butt!

You did it once again, terrific video! I recently bought the 8 element version so cheap that I still can't believe it, now I want the 7 element SMC because...well, I have issues lol. The thing that strikes me the most is that everyone says the 8 element is not radioactive, however if you look at it, the glass definitely has a yellow tint to it. I'm barely starting my Takumar journey, I've always been a Nikkor guy, but I gotta say, this is addictive. Take care Mark!

Can't wait to see this!

Thanks mate! Just getting into vintage lenses and this was a great video. ❤

This quarantine got me so messed up I missed your video! Dude these lenses are awesome! Definitely a great combo with your S1H.

Thank you Mark for being a driving force and inspiration to my photography. I recently acquired the 8element f1.4, absolute dream. Ooh yess I almost forgot, I acquired a Konica 40mm f1.8 an unusually charming pancake.

Great video as always 👌🏼

Brilliant stuff - thanks!

Love it!!! Great review!!! Always like your tone! For you, it is so hard to pick one to like more. For me, I would say the 7 element is a better choice since I only have the 7! Stay healthy everyone!

Radioactive lenses are so cool, I really like the yellow tint of their front glass, dangerously charming. ☠️

I've only got the 7 element so I've no basis for comparison. Was fun to see yours.

Loved seeing “parsec” on the b-roll but undecided in which I prefer but at a push the 8 element would be my choice.

I literally bought the lens on the right in excellent shape for $60usd with an ef adapter yesterday and then i see this video when i wake up the next day haha. can't wait to see this!

Just ordered my second Takumar... Thank you so much for the inspiration. 🤣👍🏻

I've had the 7 element lens for about 40+ years, and relatively recently decided to fix the colour degradation. Exposure to UV light does it, if you use sunlight you need to keep the lens cool - it will also take several weeks.

Nice review!

great one, many thanks!

Thank you very much. I enjoy your vintage lens videos. Recently I bought a Zenit Helios 44 58mm for 40 €. Such a beautiful lens. On my 5D Mark 2 it works very good beside the 50 mm Pentacon 1.8. I can enjoy photography a it is when all is manual.

nice one mate, just got my takumar 300mm this week and have started testing.

Great video!!!

"No more Takumars." Bwaa-haa-haa! They're addictive, man! Especially when you also have a Spotmatic and like to shoot film as well.

Solid work.

Cannot remember the lens that was on My Asahi Pentax in the1960's but also cannot remember any disappointments. Recently picked up 50mm Super-multi-coated 1.4 /7 element in mint condition that I am using on a Nikon D850 have to admit that it is fast becoming My favoured go to lens, closeup/ macro and a bit of portrait. Price -quality comparison with My Nikkor lens there is none.

There's a sweet spot not talked about enough. It's the SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 with 8 blades. Mine arrived today, and typically, you're home, the light is fading, you're aiming it wide open at ISO 200 hopefully on an X-H1 with IBIS, checking out wide open sharpness along with living room bokeh. Maybe you got lucky and found the right combo. I had placed my watch on my knee to see if I could focus on it. It turned out to be my foreground bokeh while I focused on a yellow can in the background.Big beautiful soft balls floating in the foreground instead of the background. It only took me moments to realize the lens was sharper wide open than my Rollei Planar C.Z. 50mm 1.8 . (also on a converter to Fuji.) What kills me, is the lens looks brand new inside and out. Mint. $120 bucks. And it has that Multi Coating....I may need to buy a Pentax body....but first, it's dark, so I think I'll go stand in traffic! And by the way, my 8 element says Auto (in white,and Man.(In red)and the little red mark IS to the left of the 4. And it has the soft (rubber) focusing wheel. So, THIS lens needs to be talked about. By the way, I think YOU have it at 3:22. Your lens number, 63963655, is about a million higher than mine. I think I counted 8 blades in it.

Hahaa, "No more Takumars.... [for now]"

Great video.. Like always 👏 I have this 2 versions.. But want wider angle

I like these so much, I have both! They're both pretty much unbeatable, even by modern standards imo. I'm always floored by how nice the negatives look when I use these with film. Yeah, the radioactive one definitely has a more yellow tint. Actually very useful with films that have a cooler white balance, like Ektachrome. Almost a built in warming filter. I blame your videos for my Pentax M42 mount addiction! :-) Only need the 85mm now, and I'm done.. ish.

0:30 Nothing is centered on the table! D: Just kidding, amazing video as always! :)

last year lucky i found one 8 Element in good condition but the aputure ring lost control, but i was able to open it up found the small fault and fixed it up, very happy now.

Thumbs up for funky jazz soundtrack!

I think I've tried all versions ! They are all awesome and the 55mm f1.8 is a sleeper. After getting the Contax 50mm f1.4 I sold all the Pentax lenses. Same excellent build quality and feel, but more contrast and sharpness.

I've recently read a lot about the legendary skateboard and music photographer Glen Friedman, who was a true passionate Pentax user: that's probably one of the reasons I like his style so much

Found the eight element 50mm f1.4 SUPER TAKUMAR in a second hand shed, ( attached to the ASAHI- PENTAX SPOTMATIC) four month ago. I am getting good colours and fine BOUKET .

That was a fun video.

Very interesting as always and a presentation that warranted and deserved concentration. Hopefully no cabin fever, and did I hear 'no more tacos' ? 🙄

I have both these lenses and they’re both lovely bits of glass but despite all of their similarities there certainly are differences between, really looking forwards to watching this to see if your copies echo the results of mine, excellent!!!

A very nice comparison. However, you have to keep in mind that the 8-element has 6 aperture blades, the third and fourth versions have 8 aperture blades. The "Super Takumar" 7-element has 6 aperture blades just like the "Super Takumar" 8-element Super Takumar. Anyway they are great lenses.

"No more takumar.." I know you lie Mark LOL . just found this gem channel and iam the big fans of vintage lenses. Love this channel really really love. subscribe instantly +1

You make it hard for me to want to do more on my KZfaq channel cause.......your videos are so good!!! Fun to see what you have kicking around. My God, the Canon XL1 was my first 'real camera'. 3CCD don't you know! Nespresso too! My sister showed me that magic! Anyway, I think a good review video would be to compare different aperture designs. To be honest, I fail to see why any lens manufacturer makes anything less than 9 blades or more. I really don't care for hexagon bokeh. I just love smooth creamy backgrounds from round apertures. I really don't like oval bokeh. Don't see the fuss over that. I almost don't even watch reviews when I see 8 blades or less. Yes, that's how ill I have become with yummy goodness like the Jupiter and Meyers that have 13 or 15 blade apertures. Anywho.......doesn't matter what I think. Just thought it would make a great review video.

Hey Mark my second watch of this videos as I also decided to purchase the 8 elements. May I respectfully suggest watching Simon’s Utak video on the matter? He makes a masterful demonstration of the dreamy look that is unique to the 8 elements and that has generated such a following

I totally agree with you. It's near impossible to spot the difference between the two lenses - the the obvious exception of that colour shift. I love the warm tones created in the 7 element, but if I was looking to buy for professional purposes, I'd have to get the 8 element to save time on editing. Ace video man. Catching up on your content from the last few weeks now!

Nice video! Talk about super takumar 85 f1.9

Funny I’ve been listing after the 8 element design but after watching your vid I much prefer the “cheaper” version. Love that yellow tint!

WTH this vid totally needs an iconic cool motorcycle, bicycle and guitar, and Nakamichi!!!! :)

Interesting. I think I prefer the 7 element version. Much warmer colours for the reasons you mentioned. I guess this shows that sometimes internet hype isn’t always warranted

I think about buying 7 element version for my fuji and about radiation a little bit too...but i love images from it) Thanks for your vids, thay are so inpspiring)))

I'm using the Pentax-A 50mm SMC f1.4 and I always thought it to be the second generation Takumar. Apparently it isn't so. Is the Takumar optically better in your opinion? I have used the Pentax quite a bit on my Fuji where it produces results that I can't reproduce with my far more expensive Fuji lenses. The pictures this little gem makes are less sharp but the bokeh is far more pronounced (it's prone to flares though) and it gives more of a dreamy/out of this world look.

I know it takes a pretty significant lens to get you to purchase one and then review one especially outside of the takumar realm, but I hope someday you find a deal on a Carl Zeiss Ultron 50 mm 1.8. I just found one for one for a steal, and I need you to make an amazing video to validate my purchase lol

Congrats on 20 k subs - just noticed. Not the best idea when your “rear element” is protruding (drafty😁). Prefer color rendition of 7 element. Great how you picked up on the subtle lens marking differences. How often do you really use the vintage lenses compared with contemporaries?

I love my 7 element Tak. No more Takumar's! - (for now)😂. Wait till you wake up at night, wet and shaking, let me tell you, its NO FUN😂😂. That's why I had to get the (Missing Link) Asahi Eltro Zeiss Takumar 500mm f4.5. The best and biggest fix I will ever have🤪 Looking forward for the comparison 👍 Stay safe.

I use the 55mm 1.8 lens. It is radioactive. I love the glass. I also use my 58mm Rokkor 1.4 Radioactive lens and I like it just a tad better than the Takumar because it is a fast lens. I have a 58mm Canon 1.2 but its a softie wide open. Nice but too soft to get used much. My favorite 55mm is my Sony Zeiss 1.8 I use all the time now on my Sony A7rIV. But I digress. The Takumar glass is rock solid. Can't go wrong. I do like the old radioactive glass. Excellent portrait glass. The 58mm Rokkor is the best for that.

I love my hot 7 element esp since I found it handed down to me unknowingly along with a 20mm/3.5 super tak and a 200mm super tak. Given the age of both I'm in favor or the 7 element, which sort of shows it's vintage age and nature with the color change. There are plenty more vintage and new lens that can accurately reproduce color.

Love it. However I've always been concerned about taking 7 element on vacation because I'm worried airport security may pick up on the radioactivity lol

I have the luxury of having no better 50 mm lens than my Super Takumar, 50 mm; f:1.4; seven elements. I adore it, the sharpness and IQ is superb. Handling is excellent, and it does not suffer from radio active matter.

Mine is the 7 one. I know that. I have to use it more often. I just don't find the time to shoot with it at motorsport events as for grid walks its "too slow" (i am focusing) and later on never did tried. But have to find a way to use it.

When I did a direct comparison, I've noticed that the 7-element is much sharper in the corners +it has less vignetting and less purple fringing. The sharpness in the center was about the same. The biggest difference is the color rendition.

Mark, you should really try the radioactive Canon FD 35mm f2 concave version Thorium lens. It has character and not to mention that its extremely sharp!

I read long time ago about how to turn the thorium yellow element back to white. You have to put a mirror beneath the lens whit caps taken off and place it under the sun for a day or more, depending of how neutral you want the lens to become. Apparently sunlight clears the yellow tint. It might be UV lighth and then you could use an UV lamp, but I'm not sure though...

🍿

Still waiting for your Tak 50mm vs Planar 50mm video. I recently got 8 element as shown in your video purely for collection as well. Currently sitting in a sandwich bag inside of my camera bag. Another good comparison is Tak 85mm 6 element vs Planar 85mm. I recently got the Planar. Since then, my Tak 85mm have been nicely cleaned and packed in a Sandwich bag. :D

The 7 elements that you have is the SMC version so it will have 8 blades, the “super” version will have 6 blades like the 8 elements

Recently found a Pentax Spotmatic with the 7 element lens while going through my dads boxed up items. Any recommendations on where I could have the lens serviced? Thanks in advance!

Hi great vid. Using it with an adaptor on a digital camera wont show you much difference . I use this lens on my Pentax Spotmatic F . When used in a film camera the sharpness at F2 to Ff8 is more evident. I know the fashion now is to shoot wide open all the time for the shallow dept of field and the digital sensors can handle that . When using the 8 element at say 5.6 the extra elements really help sharpen the image which would be a concern say if you had to enlarge a 35mm negatives . Photographers had different film stocks most topped out at 800 iso for years until 3200 iso film stock appeared so the F1.4 could be used to let more light in but had its downsides. The lens was the key when shooting film . I use vintage lenses on my Fuji gear I love them . I guess what I’m saying is now everyone wants super fast lenses to shoot wide open . Back then it was looking for sharp lenses for film stocks shooting wide open had its problems a lot of work was shot at f4 or f3.5 . Great content.

Your 8 element is noticeably sharper. This may be sample variation, but I was surprised you didn't mention this. The 8 doesn't have to be too painful to buy; I paid $100 for mine, and the only flaw is a slightly sticky/rough aperture ring

Looks lovely on the S1H!!! 🔥

6:15...I'm just getting started bro!

Awesome! Dont apologize for not going outside and being responsible - many people where I live are not listening right now. Many arent wearing gloves and masks when they do go out, and I've seen dozens at my work coughing into the air or on their hands. I just dont get it... As far as the lenses - I cant believe how similar they are. I think the 8 element was sharper in the center but overall pretty Similar. Goddamn it I cant wait to get this lens. The 200mm may have to wait. Or I'll just get them at the same time. ...I cant resist these lenses either mark. Same with the Zeiss.... By the way, are you a musician Mark? Do you do any filmmaking aside from your videos or do you mainly do photography?

I just got the 7 element version. Need to clean it a bit first before I can use. Plan on shooting a micro-wedding with it in the spring. Interested to see what it's like on my APS-C camera with a speedbooster too as I think it could make for a great low-light lens.

Great work as ever Mark despite being homebound, and your findings match my own completely, although I must confess I hadn’t twigged the lower number of aperture blades and therefore stopped-down spectral highlights difference, though comparing show merit in both and I’d shoot quite happily with either. And of course with a lens like this one is often tempted to shoot wide open anyway :) I guess that means that the newer, and less expensive version is quite a steal, although the bargain end of the Takumar range for my money is the 55mm f2, which I’ve also compared the the f1.8 version and it really is ‘cheap as chips’ for anyone looking for a great way in to the joys of these classic lenses. The other interesting point of note for me has been the recent Voigtlander lenses which seem to have 99% of the Takumar’s DNA with the benefit of modern communication between a body and the lens. But really the charm of these older lenses can’t be ignored. Incidentally I recently did a ‘shootout’ of 11 different Takumars against a bunch of modern glass equivalents and I’d be happy to send through some snaps if you were curious.

Very nicely done video. I just purchased the 8-elements version. I snagged it at a good price. Condition is great! Now I need a Pentax body. I'm looking for a film body of the same production year (plus/minus a few years). I spent several hours today searching the web for information as to the production year of my 8-element lens so that I can date the lens and then find the corresponding camera body. No such luck. If you know if a good Takumar S/No. data base, please let me know. Then some blogs are saying not to use a Pentax body if the "R" on the rewind knob is painted green. Only rewind knobs that have the "R" painted in orange will be compatible. This is due to the protrusion of the rear element of the lens. If not compatible, then the rear element can be damaged - I suppose by the mirror flipping up and down. But every Spotmatic that I saw on eBay has the green "R". I'm thinking that I have the wrong information, so appreciating if you could help me out here. Thanks! Steve

In a perfect world…the 8-element. For now, give me some of those radioactive Thorium tinged negatives / files. Some of that good shit. ;) Well done showcase.

Thanks for another one! By the by, have you come across any Japanese marketing for any SuperTak lenses in your searches? I'm doing a special 'project' and would love to find some older marketing in Japanese.

I bought my 7 element version in 1975 along with a Spotmatic F; I still own/use both. I am curious about M42 to Fuji X lens adapters for my late model 50/1.4 which has an aperture feedback link for the Spotmatic full-aperture meter. I have a couple of M42 Fotodiox adapters but they will not work with my Tak because the aforementioned link prevents the lens from screwing all the way into the adapter. Anyone know of a Fuji X mount adapter that works with this lens?

Nice video. At 4:46 ... the projector image side by side...it seems the 8 element pushes a bit more blur. I'd clean up a radioactive lens personally. After all, I am paying for that f/1.4 aperture. Why lose a stop.

Hey I was thinking about picking up the Takumar SMC f/4 300mm for a video project. Have you used it?

Hello Mark. Nice video. I was probably lucky to buy the Planar killer for 150€ in January (eBay auction). As an off track rant, I do not know what happened during the last months, but now I can find only crazy prices on European eBay (Covid-19 infected?). When I received my 8/7 Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4, I was surprised to notice that the front lens clearly showed some distinct yellow tint. Measured radioactivity was practically irrelevant (about 0.10 μSv/h both near the front and the rear lens). I wonder if your lens will show the same coloring after keeping it in the dark for some time. For the sake of clarity, of the eight known variations of the Planar killer, mine is IIIA or IIIB (I did not open the lens to check the helicoid...) S/N 1221802. The first two version are easily recognizable because the zero DOF marker is a red dot with a line - start of production: 1962. The second has a red diamond but there is small R next to the red infrared line. With the next two variations the height of the diaphragm ring increased from 5.5 to 6.5mm (which caused the red R to disappear) - c.a 1964 (my lens belongs to this period) On the following version, the serial number was moved from before to after "Super-Takumar" - c.a 1965 The last two versions saw the introduction of tecnopolymers in the barrel construction (helicoid rotation stop) and the printing of the distance index on an aluminium plate, glued to the focusing ring. I read somewhere that thorium coating was applied only to product numbers 37800-37801-37802 (the last three variations of Super-Takumars that were produced), so, according to this source, 37902 (Super-Multi-Coated) and 37908 (the SMC one with the rubberized aperture rings and six rows of squares focusing rings) should not be radioactive... To tell you the truth, my Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/1.4 marked 37902 is extremely radioactive: about 0.6 μSv/h measured near the front and about 2.2 μSv/h (!!!) measured near rear lens -much more radioactive than the Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 35mm f/2 (1.4 μSv/h near the rear lens) or the Super-Takumars 55mm f/1.8 (0.55 μSv/h near the rear lens). It would be interesting to know if the last version of this lens (eg. the one appearing in the Armando Ferreira video here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ic2nl8x5sb-4lI0.html) is radioactive or not. Anybody with a Geiger counter out there? P.S. If you are not familiar with microSievert, bananas are radioactive (0.1 μSv). Dental X-ray is 5 μSv. Hopefully you do not eat a lot of Brazil's nuts (one bag = 10 μSv). If you stay next to Fukushima these days you will receive 0.5 μSv/h, but if you fly long distance you will receive 10-20 times that amount of radiation (less atmosphere to shield you from the nasty cosmic radiation). Be careful and don't spend a lot of time with these lenses close to your eyes. I put some thick lead linings all around (sarcophagus style) inside the case in which I keep these lenses....

Another excellent Video Mark. Sadly I have neither lens, having not found a single one so far near me. But one day. Do you have the Super-Takumar 55mm F1.8? I have both the M42 and the SMC K-mount versions and they are another lens that is a bit special.

Great video. Don't worry about radioactive elements. You have a kid..

I have a pristine copy of the 8 element version. I got it with it's original leather case, caps and hood. I use it both on my Sony bodies as well as on a Pentax Spotmatic. I believe this lens really shines with Black & White as well as low light photography. I also found for video work the 8 element is easier to color grade. I honestly prefer the 8 element hands down over the 7.