Takumar

Takumar was the lens designation used by the Japanese optical manufacturer Asahi Optical, particularly for lenses supplied with or made for the company's own photographic cameras. The name was applied across several generations of products rather than to one single lens series. It appeared on lenses for 35 mm cameras, 6×7-format cameras, and certain specialized or third-party camera applications. The designation is connected to Takuma Kajiwara, a Japanese-American portrait painter. Kajiwara's brother, Kumao Kajiwara, founded Asahi Optical, and the company used the family name as a distinctive identity for its photographic lenses. Early Takumar products were made for Asahi's original Asahiflex cameras and used the M37 screw mount. As Asahi's 35 mm SLR systems developed, the brand continued through the M42 screw-mount era, becoming closely associated with the company's Pentax and Spotmatic cameras. Several technical generations carried the name. Auto-Takumar lenses used a preset-style stopping-down arrangement: the photographer selected an aperture and a mechanism operated when the shutter was released. Super-Takumar lenses introduced improved coating and a more advanced automatic/manual aperture system. In automatic mode, the lens stayed open for viewing and focusing until the camera activated the stopping-down pin; in manual mode, the lens remained at the selected aperture. The most technically significant M42 generation was Super-Multi-Coated Takumar, commonly abbreviated SMC Takumar. These lenses used Asahi's multi-coating process to reduce internal reflections and flare. They also incorporated a rear-aperture-position lug that could communicate the selected aperture to compatible camera bodies for open-aperture metering. The system was used with cameras including the Spotmatic F and the ES/ES II. The range included wide-angle, fisheye, standard, macro, telephoto, and very long telephoto lenses, with focal lengths extending from ultra-wide designs to a 1000 mm lens. The original Takumar identity was closely tied to the M42 screw mount. In 1975, Asahi moved its principal SLR system from M42 to the bayonet K-mount, and the company's K-mount lenses were generally branded SMC Pentax rather than Takumar. Some Takumar-labeled lenses were nevertheless produced in K-mount form. During the 1980s and 1990s, Pentax revived the name for a more budget-oriented group of zoom and prime lenses. These later lenses were marked Takumar (Bayonet) or Takumar-F and did not use the Super-Multi-Coating associated with the classic SMC Takumar line. Takumar lenses were also used on cameras outside Asahi's principal product range. Examples identified in reference material include lenses branded for the Suzuki Press Van and two versions of the Takane Mine Six. Today, Takumar is primarily encountered as a historical lens designation and as a subject of vintage-camera collecting, manual-focus photography, lens adaptation, and optical equipment research. The brand's significance rests on its association with Asahi's development of screw-mount SLR lenses, its multi-coating technology, and the large variety of optical designs sold under the name.

Takumar began as the lens identity of Asahi Optical, the Japanese optical company founded by Kumao Kajiwara. The name honored Takuma Kajiwara, Kumao's brother and a Japanese-American portrait painter. Rather than describing one fixed product family, Takumar was used across successive generations of photographic lenses and across more than one camera format. The earliest lenses carrying the name were made for Asahi's Asahiflex cameras and used the M37 screw mount. The designation continued as Asahi developed its 35 mm SLR products and adopted the M42 screw mount. In this period, Takumar became closely associated with Asahi's interchangeable-lens cameras and was applied to lenses ranging from standard and wide-angle optics to macro, telephoto, and specialized long-focus designs. The brand was also used for lenses intended for 6×7 cameras and for some applications outside Asahi's principal camera systems. Asahi used additional names to distinguish important technical stages. Auto-Takumar lenses employed a preset or stopping-down mechanism that allowed the photographer to select the working aperture and have the mechanism actuated during exposure. Super-Takumar lenses refined this arrangement and added improved lens coating intended to reduce flare. Their aperture-control system allowed automatic operation for viewing and focusing while retaining a manual mode for photographers who wanted the lens stopped down continuously. The Super-Multi-Coated Takumar generation represented a further optical and mechanical development. Asahi's multi-coating reduced reflections and flare more effectively than earlier coating approaches. Compatible camera bodies could also use a mechanical lug on the back of the lens to determine the selected aperture, enabling open-aperture metering. Cameras identified with this capability include the Asahi Spotmatic F and the ES and ES II. The M42 range became notable for its breadth, including rectilinear ultra-wide lenses, a full-frame fisheye, standard lenses, macro lenses, portrait-length lenses, telephotos, and extreme telephotos. A major transition occurred in 1975, when Asahi changed its SLR lens interface from the M42 screw mount to the K-mount bayonet. The new K-mount lenses were generally given the SMC Pentax name rather than the Takumar name. This change made Takumar strongly associated with the earlier screw-mount era, although some Takumar-labeled K-mount products were also made. Pentax later brought the designation back during the 1980s and 1990s for a budget-oriented range of prime and zoom lenses. These products were identified as Takumar (Bayonet) or Takumar-F, separating them from the older M42 lenses. Unlike the classic SMC Takumar products, the later budget lenses did not carry the Super-Multi-Coating designation. The Takumar name also appeared on lenses used with cameras not centered on Asahi's main SLR lines. Reference material identifies the Suzuki Press Van and two versions of the Takane Mine Six as examples of non-Asahi cameras associated with Asahi lenses branded Takumar. The designation is now chiefly important as a historical photographic brand. Collectors and photographers continue to distinguish its M37, M42, and K-mount variants, as well as the Auto-Takumar, Super-Takumar, SMC Takumar, Takumar (Bayonet), and Takumar-F generations.

• 1980

  Takumar name revived for budget lenses

  [1]Takumaren.wikipedia.org

  Pentax reused the designation for a lower-priced range of bayonet-mount prime and zoom lenses marked Takumar (Bayonet) or Takumar-F.

• 1975

  Asahi changes its principal SLR mount

  [1]Takumaren.wikipedia.org

  Asahi moved from the M42 screw mount to the K-mount bayonet. K-mount lenses were generally branded SMC Pentax, although some Takumar-labeled K-mount lenses also appeared.

• Takumar name introduced for Asahi Optical lenses

  [1]Takumaren.wikipedia.org

  Asahi Optical adopted the Takumar designation for photographic lenses, naming it after Takuma Kajiwara, the brother of company founder Kumao Kajiwara.

• M37 Asahiflex lens period

  [1]Takumaren.wikipedia.org

  Early Takumar lenses were made in M37 screw-mount form for Asahi's original Asahiflex cameras.

• Expansion into M42 screw-mount optics

  [1]Takumaren.wikipedia.org

  The Takumar designation continued into Asahi's M42 period and became associated with a broad range of interchangeable lenses for 35 mm SLR cameras.

Historically, Takumar positioned Asahi Optical's lenses as technically developed photographic optics for the company's camera systems. The classic M42 products were associated with precision manual-focus SLR photography, improved lens coatings, and broad focal-length coverage. Later Takumar (Bayonet) and Takumar-F products served a more budget-oriented position within Pentax's lens range.

• M42 and earlier screw-mount photographic lenses

  Auto-Takumar

  Auto-Takumar lenses used a preset-style aperture mechanism. The photographer selected an aperture in advance, while a lever and related mechanism allowed the lens to be stopped down when the camera released the shutter. The design represents an intermediate stage in the development of automatic aperture control for Asahi's screw-mount SLR systems.

• M42 screw-mount photographic lenses

  Super-Takumar

  Super-Takumar lenses improved on earlier Takumar designs with enhanced lens coating and a more sophisticated aperture-control system. A selector allowed automatic or manual operation. In automatic mode, the lens stayed wide open for focusing until the camera activated the rear stopping-down pin; in manual mode, it remained at the chosen aperture.

• M42 screw-mount photographic lenses

  Super-Multi-Coated Takumar

  Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lenses introduced Asahi's multi-coating process to reduce reflections and flare. Many also used a rear mechanical lug that conveyed aperture-position information to compatible camera bodies, supporting open-aperture metering. The range covered focal lengths from ultra-wide and fisheye designs through standard, macro, portrait, telephoto, and very long telephoto lenses.

• K-mount photographic lenses · 1980

  Takumar (Bayonet)

  Takumar (Bayonet) was a later Pentax designation for budget-oriented K-mount prime and zoom lenses. The marking distinguished these products from the earlier M42 screw-mount Takumar lenses and from the SMC Pentax range. These lenses did not use the Super-Multi-Coating associated with classic SMC Takumar optics.

• K-mount photographic lenses · 1980

  Takumar-F

  Takumar-F was another later budget-oriented designation used for Pentax-branded prime and zoom lenses. It belongs to the post-M42 revival of the Takumar name and should not be confused with the earlier Super-Takumar or Super-Multi-Coated Takumar screw-mount generations.

• 1980

  Revival of the Takumar name for budget lensesStrategy

  Background

  After the main transition to K-mount and SMC Pentax branding, Pentax reused the familiar Takumar designation for a lower-priced lens range.

  Action taken

  The company applied Takumar (Bayonet) and Takumar-F markings to selected K-mount prime and zoom lenses that lacked the Super-Multi-Coating associated with SMC Takumar products.

  Aftermath

  The revived name served a different market position from the classic M42 Takumar lenses and helped distinguish budget products within the Pentax lens offering.

  Source

• 1975

  Transition from M42 to K-mountStrategy

  Background

  Asahi Optical changed the lens interface used by its principal SLR system from the M42 screw mount to the K-mount bayonet.

  Action taken

  The company shifted its principal new SLR lens branding toward SMC Pentax, while some K-mount lenses continued to carry the Takumar name.

  Aftermath

  Takumar became strongly identified with Asahi's earlier screw-mount lens era, while SMC Pentax became the main identity for the company's K-mount SLR optics.

  Source

1. 1Takumaren.wikipedia.org