A Legacy of Precision: The Asahi Super-Takumar Story
The Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 sits firmly in the golden age of Japanese optics, when Asahi Optical Co. (better known through its Pentax cameras) was building lenses to last a lifetime. This compact telephoto embodies what many photographers love about vintage glass: a precise mechanical feel, a timeless focal length, and rendering that favours character over clinical perfection.
Mounted on the classic M42 screw mount, the Super-Takumar line was designed to be universal long before “mirrorless” became a buzzword. Decades later, these lenses are still finding new life on modern digital cameras and cherished bodies from our analog cameras collection.
The first time I turned the focus ring on a fully manual vintage lens, everything slowed down. The long, silky throw forced me to anticipate the moment instead of chasing it, and that one tactile experience completely changed how I thought about composing and timing a shot.
Technical Charm: What Makes the 135mm f/3.5 Stand Out
Optical character and rendering
The Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 is not about clinical sharpness from edge to edge at 200% zoom. Instead, it offers a pleasingly sharp centre, smooth falloff, and gentle contrast that flatters portraits and detail shots. Stopped down, it becomes impressively crisp, but wide open it keeps just enough softness and vignetting to add mood to your images.
Backgrounds melt away into a classic vintage blur, especially at medium distances. Specular highlights render with a distinct, rounded look that feels different from most modern, highly corrected telephoto lenses.
Build quality and handling
Built from metal and glass, the Super-Takumar 135mm feels reassuring in the hand without being overly heavy. The long focus throw allows for precise manual focus adjustments, which is particularly helpful at 135mm where depth of field can be quite shallow. The aperture ring clicks confidently into place, offering full manual control from wide open to stopped down.
Signature details: coatings and built-in hood
Super-Takumar coatings deliver good contrast for their time, with some versions showing the characteristic warm or slightly yellow tint that many vintage shooters enjoy. Flare can be both a creative tool and a challenge, which is why the built-in telescopic hood is such a welcome feature on this lens.
Modern Compatibility and Creative Uses
Mounting the M42 Super-Takumar on digital cameras
One reason the Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 remains popular is how easily it adapts to modern systems. Most mirrorless bodies can use a simple, affordable M42 adapter, turning this vintage telephoto into a unique creative tool for today’s sensors.
- ✔ Use M42-to-native adapter for your camera.
- ✔ Enable focus peaking to assist manual focusing.
- ✔ Experiment with black-and-white or film simulation modes.
- ✔ Use a step-up ring for modern ND or UV filters.
- ☑ Check for yellow tint under daylight.
- ☑ Confirm aperture and focus mechanism move smoothly.
- ☑ Inspect front and rear elements for marks or haze.
- ☑ Test built-in hood and overall build integrity.
On APS-C digital bodies, the effective field of view becomes closer to a 200mm equivalent, making it an excellent option for tight portraits, stage work, or picking out details in the distance. Full-frame shooters will enjoy a classic 135mm perspective that sits between candid-friendly and truly telephoto.
Creative photography and video applications
For photographers, the 135mm focal length is ideal for head-and-shoulder portraits, compressed landscapes, and detail shots that isolate your subject. The gentle contrast and bokeh give images a cinematic, almost painterly feel when used thoughtfully.
Videographers appreciate the long, smooth focus throw and de-clicked-by-nature manual aperture operation (even though it still has physical clicks). Focus pulls feel organic, and the lens’s vintage rendering pairs beautifully with modern log or film simulation profiles on digital cameras.
Second-Hand Buying Guide
What to look for in a used Super-Takumar 135mm
Shopping second-hand is both sustainable and smart, especially for a lens like this that was built to last. Still, a few checks will help you find a copy that performs at its best.
Inspect the front and rear elements under a strong light. Light cleaning marks are often cosmetic only, but deep scratches or fungus can affect contrast and sharpness. Look through the lens from both ends to spot haze, internal dust, or separation.
Understanding yellowing and thorium
Some versions of the Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 contain slightly radioactive thorium elements, which can cause a yellow tint over time. This tint is usually more of an aesthetic quirk than a problem; many photographers simply correct white balance in-camera or in post. When handled normally, the radiation risk is considered minimal.
Price expectations on the second-hand market
The Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 remains one of the more affordable classic telephotos. On the used market, you can typically expect to pay between $50 and $120 depending on condition, coating version, and whether original caps or case are included. Lenses with clean optics and smooth mechanics are worth the slight premium, especially if you plan to use them heavily.
Why Creators Still Love the Super-Takumar 135mm
A tactile, mindful shooting experience
In a world of autofocus and endless automation, the fully manual Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 invites you to slow down. Every adjustment is physical and deliberate: you feel the focus ring glide under your fingers, hear the click of each aperture stop, and consciously decide where to place your subject within the frame.
Character-rich images on modern sensors
Mounted on today’s high-resolution digital bodies, this lens delivers a look that stands apart from modern designs. Edges may not be razor sharp wide open, and that is precisely the point. The Super-Takumar adds a touch of imperfection, subtle flare, and three-dimensional separation that many creators now seek out.
For photographers and filmmakers who enjoy the blend of old and new, pairing a vintage lens like this with our curated range of camera lenses and bodies is an inspiring way to expand your toolkit sustainably.
FAQs
Is the Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 compatible with digital cameras? Yes. With a simple M42 adapter, it fits most mirrorless mounts and offers full manual operation for both focus and aperture.
Does the Super-Takumar 135mm have radioactive elements? Some versions contain a small amount of thorium glass, which can cause yellowing over time but is considered to pose minimal risk when handled normally.
What is the price range for a second-hand Super-Takumar 135mm? You can usually find this lens between $50 and $120, depending on condition, coating version, and included accessories such as caps or a case.
What makes this lens special for videographers? Its long, smooth focus ring and consistent manual aperture control make it excellent for precise, cinematic focus pulls and controlled exposure changes.
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