Pentax (Takumar) Pentax Takumar 135mm f3.5 Heritage

Overview

The S-M-C/Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 was produced by Asahi Optical Co. between 1965 and 1975 as a compact, manual-focus telephoto prime for full-frame 35mm film cameras using the M42 screw mount. It exists in two main iterations: the earlier Super-Takumar and the later Super-Multi-Coated (S-M-C) Takumar, the latter introducing Asahi's 7-layer SMC coatings and open-aperture metering compatibility with the Spotmatic F, ES, and ESII bodies. Both versions share a 4-element/4-group optical formula. No specific nickname or community jargon is evidenced in the reviews. Its cult following stems not from any exotic optical trickery but from its excellent all-metal build, buttery-smooth long-throw focus ring, characteristic 'vintage color rendering à la Takumar,' and remarkably low price, making it a beloved budget entry point for vintage lens enthusiasts and adapters to digital bodies. For many, like one reviewer, it was the very first vintage lens they ever acquired.

Verdict: The Takumar 135mm f/3.5 is a characterful, beautifully built budget telephoto ideal for portraits, landscapes, and vintage lens lovers who value tactile handling and warm Takumar color over speed and clinical sharpness. It won't dazzle with dramatic optical effects, and its modest f/3.5 aperture limits low-light and separation potential, but for the money it delivers pleasing, classic rendering and a genuinely enjoyable shooting experience—best paired with a stabilized digital body and the original hood.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Smooth, classic 'pulpy' bokeh that outperforms kit lenses, though f/3.5 limits achievable separation.

Color

Warm, classic 'vintage color rendering à la Takumar,' a defining and likeable characteristic.

Sharpness wide open

Good from wide open, improving by f/5.6; sharp when needed but not as sharp as the faster f/2.5 version.

Flare resistance

Prone to flare despite multi-coating; SMC coatings mitigate but do not eliminate artifacts, so a hood is recommended.

Community Insights

What people love

Excellent all-metal build quality typical of Takumar lenses, consistently praised as never disappointing.
Long-throw, smooth focus ring that aids accurate manual focusing.
Characteristic warm vintage Takumar color rendering.
Smooth, 'pulpy' classic bokeh that outperforms any kit lens.
Extremely budget-friendly price, averaging around $45.
6-bladed sun stars when stopped down for long-exposure work.
135mm is a great focal length for portraits on full frame with little distortion.

What people dislike

The f/3.5 maximum aperture is not 'fast' and limits low-light and shallow-DOF use.
Prone to flare and artifacts in backlit situations despite multi-coating.
Chromatic aberration visible in extreme high-contrast/backlit scenes.
Front-heavy balance that can cause uneven framing and vibration blur, especially on film SLRs.
Difficult to focus on moving subjects due to the long focus throw.
Image quality described as competent but 'not something overly special.'

Pro Tips

Use a hood or avoid shooting directly into bright light to minimize flare and artifacts.
Adapt to a digital body with IBIS to counter the front-heavy vibration and capture sharp images.
Shoot RAW and post-process to tame chromatic aberration in high-contrast scenes.
Stop down to f/5.6 for improved sharpness, or shoot wide open at f/3.5 for the smoothest bokeh.
Stop down and use long exposures to render pleasing 6-bladed sun stars from point light sources.
When adapting via M42-to-EOS or similar adapters, remember the lens works only in Manual aperture mode.
Dial in exposure compensation if shooting JPEG stopped down, as some bodies over-expose progressively.

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The S-M-C/Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 was produced by Asahi Optical Co. between 1965 and 1975 as a compact, manual-focus telephoto prime for full-frame 35mm film cameras using the M42 screw mount. It exists in two main iterations: the earlier Super-Takumar and the later Super-Multi-Coated (S-M-C) Takumar, the latter introducing Asahi's 7-layer SMC coatings and open-aperture metering compatibility with the Spotmatic F, ES, and ESII bodies. Both versions share a 4-element/4-group optical formula. No specific nickname or community jargon is evidenced in the reviews. Its cult following stems not from any exotic optical trickery but from its excellent all-metal build, buttery-smooth long-throw focus ring, characteristic 'vintage color rendering à la Takumar,' and remarkably low price, making it a beloved budget entry point for vintage lens enthusiasts and adapters to digital bodies. For many, like one reviewer, it was the very first vintage lens they ever acquired.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/S-M-C-Super-Takumar-135mm-F3.5.htmlhttps://jerfareza.camera/post/lens-review-pentax-smc-takumar-135mm-f35http://yattang.blogspot.com/2015/06/pentax-super-takumar-135mm-f35-m42-lens.html