Pentax Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 - A Brief Look

So much for the EOS M Canon EVIL camera.  I was kind of expected that it wouldn't be a revolutionary camera, but still a bit disappointed that it has nothing really that stands out from the mirrorless crowd.  Oh well, back to photography.

There are two versions of this Takumar lens: the original pre-set aperture that has a 1:1 magnification ratio, and the later version that has a 1:2 (half life size) magnification ratio.  I have both of them, but don't use them much, partly because they are pretty slow lenses.  Using them on DSLRS with mirrors make the view finder very dark.  Of course, mirrorless cameras don't have this problem.

Twins -- NEX-5N & Macro-Takumar 50mm f4. Click for larger.

The copy of the Macro-Takumar I have is very well used.  There is a bit of play between the mount and the focusing ring, possibly a screw is loose inside, after decades of use but it still focuses smoothly.  In terms of image quality, I know of no macro lenses that are optically bad at close up. This Macro-Takumar is extremely sharp for what it was designed for - close ups, even wide open at f4 it's very good, but depth of field at this aperture is very thin at macro range.  While it's not surprising the lens is optically good at macro, but I find it also very sharp at intermediate distance and at infinity.

Playground -- NEX-5N & Macro-Takumar 50mm f4. Click for larger.

One thing I am not a big fan of is aperture blades that have a saw-tooth like shape when stopped down a little.  This shows up in the out of focus areas.  I like more rounded shape.  The later version of the lens fewer blades but more rounded shape, which I like better.

Sunflower -- NEX-5N & Macro-Takumar 50mm f4. Click for larger.

After many decades, this lens performs almost as good as most modern macro lenses.   The only area where the lens shows its age is the coating (flare) and contrast, especially at larger apertures.  This particular version of the lens does not have the famous Super-Multi-Coating.  Due to its small maximum aperture, it's best used on mirrorless cameras.  Next time we will look at the sister lens, the S-M-C 50mm f4 macro.

Downtown Towers -- NEX-5N & Macro-Takumar 50mm f4. Click for larger.

The Canon NEX-3 EVIL Camera

So the spec is pretty much solid for the Canon EOS-M: Reheated 18 MP APS-C sensors as the one used on the T4i, presumably with the same contrast detect/on-chip phase detect AF.  What puts me off though, is the same design principle as the Sony NEX-3, designed for the Point & Shoot upgraders with minimal number of buttons, but worse.

- The EOS-M has no provision for an external EVF.
- No tilting LCD screen
- No Built-in flash, or includes an external flash

It is a huge let down to so many people with high expectations from Canon's long waited entry to the mirrorless market, saved for the APS-C sized sensor.  This camera has no revolutionary features, or features that stands out from the mirrorless camera crowd.  I could be wrong, but I think the AF will be subpar compared to the AF system used on the Olympus EM-5 or the latest Panasonic M4/3 cameras.  So far, Olympus is the only player in the mirrorless market that has an in-body image stabilization, other than the Pentax K01, which, more of an SLR design than a pure mirrorless design, which to me, is a huge incentive, as I use mostly old manual focus lenses.

Perhaps, Canon is going the way of Sony: introduces simple cameras for P&S upgraders first, and then a more sophisticated version (like the NEX-7) for the serious amateurs later.

I will wait for the next version of EOS-M, when it will include an EVF and more direct controls.  I do like the EF to EOS-M adapter though, because I have many Canon lenses that I could use with, but then again, why not just use them on my 1D Mark III, or a full frame camera?

All tangled up - NEX-5N & Macro-Takumar 50mm f4 (1:1). Click for larger.