According provided by SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN many thanks to Ivan Koronevsky.
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN
In short
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN is an old classic macro lens with moderate aperture. Nice to use, with good image quality.
Nowadays, it can act as an inexpensive solution for enthusiasm for macro photography. Unfortunately, unlike similar lenses of the 90/100/105 / 2.8 class, the F / 2.8 aperture is devoid of, and also has a reduced magnification factor, which is 1: 2. To get 1: 1, you should use the original macro-extender or the very most ordinary macro rings.
There was a subversion of SMC PENTAX-M DENTAL MACRO 1: 4 100mm (unlabeled ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN), which was used with a ring flash and several optional DS9 or DS25 macro attachments for dental use.
At one time SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN was a replacement for an older similar SMC PENTAX MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT lens. CO., JAPAN (K-series). And in 1984, he was replaced by a similar SMC PENTAX-A MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN (A-Series)
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN
Key Specifications SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN:
| Review Instance Name | SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN 6740159 |
| Basic properties |
|
| Front Filter Diameter | 49 mm, metal thread for filters |
| Focal length | 100 mm |
| Zoom ratio | 1 x |
| Designed by | for film cameras with a frame size of 24 x 36 |
| Number of aperture blades | 6 non-rounded petals. At F / 5.6, the diaphragm blades form a hole with small notches. |
| Tags |
|
| Diaphragm | from f / 4 to f / 32. The lens has an aperture control ring. There are marks on the ring for F / 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32. You can set one additional value between each pair of numbers (except between F / 4 and F / 5.6, as well as between F / 22 and F / 32) |
| MDF | 0.45 m, maximum magnification ratio 1: 2 |
| The weight | 355 g |
| Optical design | 5 elements in 3 groups
|
| Lens hood | Threaded, PH-R49, screwed into the thread of the front filter |
| Manufacturer country | LENS MADE IN JAPAN (lens made in Japan) |
| Period | From 1977 to 1984. Later it was replaced by the SMC PENTAX-A MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN |
| Price | About 80-100 cu for used option.
Prices for modern Pentax macro lenses are available see here. |
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN well assembled, has metal case... On the mount side there is a 'cine' cut-off hood, as well as a large velor insert that is designed to absorb dust and reflections (this is the longest insert I have ever seen among lenses).
New SMC PENTAX-DFA MACRO 1: 2.8 100mm WR and the old SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN
The focusing ring is very wide and rubberized and rotates approximately 315 degrees (7/8 of a full turn). The movement of the ring is smooth and pleasant. During focusing, the front of the frame extends, the 'trunk' of the lens, focused on the MDF, is 6 centimeters long. Unfortunately, the maximum magnification ratio is 1: 2, and a 1: 1 ratio is considered good form for a macro lens.
During focusing, the front retractable body does not rotate. Focusing occurs by moving the entire lens block. Most likely the lens does not use a system with floating elements to improve image quality at different focusing distances (this is important for such lenses).
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN
Sample Photos
All sample photos were taken with a camera. Pentax K-70on camera JPEG, image setting 'AUTO' with default settings. Highlight compensation: auto, shadow compensation: auto or strong, distortion correction: on, optical correction vignetting: auto, diffraction correction: on, chromatic zoom correction: on, everything else: off.
Archive with source files can download from this link (101 file JPEG, 1GB).
SMC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm ASAHI OPT. CO., JAPAN
Video review
You can watch the video review at my humble Youtube channel by this link, or below:
Results
Despite its age, the MC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm copes well with a 24 MP sensor on a cropped sensor. At the same time, I had a modern expensive SMC PENTAX-DFA MACRO 1: 2.8 100mm WR, which was not so much superior to PENTAX-M in open values. But still you need to consider that PENTAX-M uses only the maximum F / 4 value, while a contemporary can open the aperture up to F / 2.8. Also, the old version gives colder tones in photos, as its enlightenment is not optimized for digital cameras.
The MC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm pleased the small chromatic aberrationbut, unfortunately, the lens doesn’t feel well in backlight.
Usually, these lenses are not bad as portrait lenses, but because of the low aperture, portraits on the MC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm turn out to be rather 'tough'. The lens copes with its direct task well.
MC PENTAX-M MACRO 1: 4 100mm in the secondary market costs about 70-100 dollars, which is more than an acceptable price tag for such a lens.
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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval.
For a focal length of 100mm. F4 aperture is quite enough. With a higher aperture, the depth of field is too small for these focal lengths. For portraits on a hundred square meters, F4 is also more than enough. Background washes in the trash. I once dabbled in the diaphragms on these focal. I came to the conclusion that it is almost never necessary to open more than 4.
For bosom portraits, f / 4 is really enough, but at least for waist-length or full-length portraits it’s not very much)
It would be cool and interesting to see the macro-hundredths rating. At the top will be a Zeiss 100 2.8 or something else?
Canon weaving is very good, especially due to the stub and all-weather performance.
At the top will be Zeiss 100/2 and not 2.8 with a large margin, it has not only macro capabilities, but also one of the highest levels of micro contrast, spatial resolution, mechanical quality and, in general, the very nature of the image. the same Zeiss Zonar 135/2. The bad news is that the first reptile costs about $ 900 in a state closer to the new one, and the second even a little more ...
Macro-planar f2 does not remove 1k1 without macro rings.
Zeiss even half a century old are very expensive. And from 100mm 2.8 Tokina is perfect for price and quality. I have it myself.
Recently received a Zeiss 100 f2.8 from Japan. In excellent condition, without a hood. 30k with a ponytail. It is expensive?
Zhenya, well, for tasks and optics)
If it burned as I want - the price does not really matter. For a portrait of the same Komura, it is three times cheaper with a head. For a macro victim, too much - for this money, again, you can buy 2-3 manuals. I don’t know, I don’t trudge from Zeiss ... On the way out, they are all plus or minus for the Japs the same thing. Then why pay more for a macro? Xs
Arkady, I followed a link from Facebook here, I wonder how you manage to post such vivid photos on Facebook? Facebook pinches my photos, even if I prepare them specifically for the web.
I convert them to size 2048 on the long side for facebook, this reduces the quality loss when re-converting by Facebook itself. And just in case, check if sRGB space is in your camera and handler profile
"Several other lenses use the same optical design." Yes, for example, some Voigtlander lenses, and this scheme is very famous and one might say legendary among portrait photographers - Heliar. Many of these hundred square meters, as in other things, and in my portrait, they even went.