An Unappreciated Gem.
200 mm. Takumar f.3.5 telephoto lens. by Asahi Optical Company
By Carl Kuntze
3 April 2008
AN UNAPPRECIATED GEM
by
Carl Kuntze
Despite a lingering distrust for electronic cameras, I bought a Contax Aria with a 28 to 70 mm. Vario-Sonnar f.3.5 lens. I did own a Contax 139Q, an aperture preferred elec-
tronic model, which worked satisfactorily, but I used it principally manually, only setting it on AE when covering fast moving events. I bought another body and a full complement of six
lens from 16 mm. semi-fisheye to a 100 mm. portrait lens. They were ripped off in The Philippines. I tried to look for used models, also including an RTS II, but it seems, Contax
owners only relinquish their cameras close to the end of their useful life. I tend to evaluate
their cosmetic appearance, which I believe is an excellent clue to its potential performance.
Unwilling to risk purchasing a 139Q rated a bargain at Keh's fairly accurate rating, I had to buy either an RTS III or an Aria. The latter was more practical for a travel photographer.
It came with a 258 page instruction manual, two and a half times thicker than the one
that came with the 139Q. A mode selector lever for the five options. Program, aperture-
priority, shutter-priority, manual, flash, and bulb. At program mode, it selects the highest
shutter speed, and widest aperture, even with high speed film, and bright light, forced to
shoot at f.3.5, which reduces depth of field. The 28 to 70 mm. f.3.5 Vario-Sonnar was not sharp at either its widest or smallest opening, yielding satisfactory results only at mid aper-
tures. The camera does not operate efficiently at manual mode. The first exposure is usually
incorrect. The ABC mode has to be used, that is three shots, one half a stop over, and one
half stop under. Not only does it waste three frames, It fails to capture the "Decisive Moment." as outlined by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Images do not remain static. I was parti-
cularly unhappy because I could not use my 200 mm. Takumar f.3.5, with a Contax mount
adapter. I purchased this lens with my second camera, a Pentax H-2 with a 55 mm. f.2.2
lens, and a 35 mm. Takumar f.3.5. This manual camera, while comparatively flimsy was a
reliable piece of equipment. Modestly priced, the fact that springs needed to be replaced
after a year of hard use did not bother me. The configuration of the first Pentax was similar to
the Contax D SLR, which is what attracted me, since my first Camera was a Contax IIA.
2
The Pentax H-2 had 100% viewing, an instant return mirror, a 55 mm. lens and 35 mm. lens with a spring for aperture control (cocked for viewing), and the pre-set 200 mm.
telephoto. The optics of the normal and wide angle lens were adequate, but the 200 was
excellent. Asahi Optical Company was experimenting with their own formulas, while the
bigger companies were renting patents from Germany to get started. Camera bodies were
modified to bypass patents. Nikon, for instance, used a Leica type cloth shutter, and The
Contax focusing system. It took a while for Pentax to develop uniformly excellent optics,
which started with The Spotmatic Cameras. I stayed with Pentax through the KX and K-2's,
but went back to Contax because of nostalgia for the superlative resolution of my early
shots. I retained the Pentax Takumar 200 because of the value it delivered. Pentax later
came out with a multicoated 200 mm. f.4 automatic lens, which I tried, but it was not as good
as the old pre-set one. I was able to use it with the 139Q with a Contax adapter, which still
fits The Aria, but as I mentioned previously, does not perform as efficiently.
I used the 200 for news shots in The Philippines since it allowed me to take pictures
far from the subject and competitors. Since definition was as good as the more expensive
lenses, I saw no reason to replace it, even if the fact that I had to take a reading, then close
down manually to shoot the picture. In fact, there's the challenge. I can now gauge the light
accurately for black and white film, since I use Kodak Tri X or Plus X exclusively. Color is
another story. An exposure meter, particularly TTL is necessary. The sensors in new cam-
ras do not respond as sensitively with old manual lenses.
I've recently converted to the digital format, obtaining a Canon XTi EOS Rebel 400D with 18 mm to 55 mm EFS, and a 55 mm to 200 mm EF lens, which are currently adequate for my needs. A 50 mm, 60 mm or a 100 mm macro would sufficient supplement my gear. One regret is that my 200 mm. Takumar cannot be adapted to my new camera,
but since digital optics are slightly different, I can make comparisons with results.
More My Precious Stories
A dream, with pictures in it!
By frederikke Svarre. 13 May 2008.
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