Hey-lately I've been acquiring and using these fun old-school shooters. right now I have a Sears (Ricoh) 500MX body, a Petri TTL body, along with a Ricoh f2/50mm and f2.8/135mm lenses, also Penneys 1.8/55mm, 2x Telesor, and Kotaishi 4.5/80-200zoom. the crazy thing is the 55mm and zoom both focus reverse of every other lens I own. The Petri has the shutter release on the front of the body reminisent of a 1930's Contax. It takes some getting used to, just loaded the first roll in it to test out. These babies make me wish I still had my Olympus FTL(very first SLR owned)that I bought back in '69.

Well, just dug out an old Hanimex, the 55mm 1.7 looks more than usable, came with a 28 and 135 2.8 that I'll try as well. This stuff falls in to generic 1970's Camera, so I'm interested as to what kind of images it makes. Sure is tough.

And I might add, looks stupendously cheap.

Hello. I have been using M42 s on a few cameras. I have a Kamero 35mm f 2.8 and a 135 f.2.8 Vivitar. I am currently using the Vivitar on Canon EOS which work very well together. It is light weight and it seems to be a an excellent combination. I have a few more large mm M42s that don't see the light of day often. I have adapters for my FD & EOS Canon mounts as well as the usual K1000 and a Ricoh KR 5 Super II

I use my wife's old Vivitar 220l 35mm camera in M-42 mount with a Russian Helios 44M (58mm F2) lens... It has a great lens signature. Then I have a Jupiter 9 f2 85mm lens Great for portraiture.

I'd forgotten how wonderful and fun these(universal mount cams and lenses) were to own. Back in the 60's and early 70's, all my friends had different brands of cameras, but m-42 lenses. We all would swap(loan)each other different focal length lenses, and marvel at the different attributes of each. I can still remember when my best friend returned from a visit to NYC, with a Spiratone 400mm(tho I dont remember the f/stop), that was our first foray in long telephoto glass. I owned an Olympus FTL, as I've said before, wish I still had that one. Looking back, I suppose we had an unofficial club, but we were all good friends sharing a mutual hobby.

Hello, i only have have Zenit cameras that are natively M-42. i have a Pentax with converter i love swapping the lenses around to get a good prime lens on a auto body (more fun is putting the automatic lenses on the Zenit bodies and taking photos of peoples reactions). My favorite of the Zenits is the 12s Photosniper with its original Tair 300mm f4.5 , but also with its (i presume unused) 58mm f2 Helios-44m-4. oddly enough i have a second one on my Zenit 12xp, and finally a Tasman 135mm f2.8 that came with my Zenit E. To be honest i mostly use these cameras for fun shots and if anyone wants to borrow a camera (yes i have friends that i can trick into coming on photo outings with me, and then get them to use MF cameras) however i just love how easy it is to acquire M-4 lenses and how inexpencive they are to get a respectable library of prime lenses to give you fun and fast results even in relatively low lighting without a flash (but probably using 3200 iso).

Good morning;

M-42 camera bodies. Right now, I have only one; a Vivitar 450 something that is hiding in bag somewhere. It was purchased just to have some place to mount a non-descript collection of M-42 lenses that I seem to have accumulated. Debby does have an Asahi-Pentax that she inherited, but that camera and the Takumar lenses are hers, although she has let me use them a couple of times. My own lenses range from a 28 mm up to a 300 mm made by a variety of manufacturers. I would like to get a 400mm Soligor to go with the 300mm. They are kind of fun to use.

In normal photography, I have not found any real disadvantage in turning the lens to mount it or take it off in comparison with the admittedly faster bayonet mount system for the Minoltas and Nikons. If I am in a place where I need to quickly switch to another lens, normally it will already be mounted on another camera body. Much faster.

That thing about a lens focusing backwards is one that I also run into with the Nikon lenses in comparision with almost all the other lenses I have. The bayonet mount is backwards also; counter-clockwise instead of the more common clockwise to install. It does keep me thinking about what I am trying to do.

Enjoy;

Ralph
Latte Land, Washington

Hi; I may beyond therapy.
I have a Mamiya-Sekor 500 DTL, and a 500 TL. The 500 TL has a light leak, therefore it is a lens holder, the 500 DTL, has a poor meter, however is great. My lens are a Vivitar 50 1.8, a Fuji 100 2.8, and a Sears 135 2.8. The Fuji has had a lot of use. As I shot in a church, I shot until I found the right exposure. Perfect pictures. My current meter is my digital Fuji P/S, as it has a spot and matrix meter with great readout.
Mark
West of Denver

Hi mark54, the light leak should be fairly straight forwadr fix. In a pinch, I use the light traps from discarded film cassetts. Keep shooting, and post your shots here, or shots of your M-42 gear. Dont you just love "screwing" around with these oldies.

Rick

Hello Guys,
I had heard that I could pick up some inexpensive or better M42's to use on my bayonet cameras. So I bid/won a Fujica ST605n with the kit 55mm lens and a sears 135 zoom in nasty condition. However I took the whole gang to a spring training ballgame and if any shots come out focused I'll post them here.

Good morning;

Well, an update is available. I know that there is the question of why it took so long to find the camera, but all that I can say is that it was in the radio room.

The M42 body in use here is a Vivitar 450/SLD 35mm SLR camera. There is no owner's instruction manual for it here yet. It does have a Copal Square Vertical Metal Focal Plane Shutter which has an excellent reputation, but when just listening to the shutter speeds after finding the camera again, they sounded slow at first, but now seem to be OK. Perhaps it is time to hang it on the camera tester. A high probability that a CLA will be needed. At least I am keeping my local camera technician in business in spite of the current state of the economy. Regarding that Copal Square Shutter, the one in the Nikon Nikomat FTn is so close that it could just about be used to check the calibration of the camera tester.

The "normal" lens is not really normal right now; it is an Asahi Optical Company Super Takumar 1:1.4/50mm lens that may have some fungus growing on an internal lens element surface. Dismantling the lens for a cleaning may be in order. "Little things" like this may be a main reason why people seem to occasionally give to me old film photographic equipment that has a problem.

There is a zoom lens that will also go on it; a "vintage" Tamron-F 1:4.5 f=85-210mm from the 1960's with what looks like a rainbow colored oil sheen over most of a surface of the back lens element. It may be time for a CLA there too. It is surprising how much of the older equipment here seems to need work. But then, most of what is here is 30 to 50 years old. Some are even older (the argus C3 and Kodak Retina IIIc stuff).

And, if I put the TAMRON Adaptall-2 M42 lens adapter on them, there is a collection of Tamron lenses from 17 mm to 500mm that can go on the Vivitar 450/SLD. I did not realize just how much is here that can go onto many camera body lines until thinking about what could fit onto an M42 body.

Enjoy;

Ralph Javins
Latte Land, Washington

Good morning;

OK. This is my third attempt to post this message. I finally just went out and bought a new computer to replace the one that died back in December, but this one does some really strange things. Twice in the last 10 minutes it has just left the message writing panel and dumped me back into the listing of the forum topics. At least it did not post a partial message. Anyway . . .

Now to the embarrassing part: I lost the Vivitar 450/SLD. Well, I was actually sure that it was still here, but I had no idea where. I know that I had brought it home last summer following the CLA, and I had put it into a case, and stuffed it all into a bag. However, I had no idea which one located where. My searching through the camera bags was fruitless. Tonight I found it in a cardboard box in the radio room. I have no idea how, but at least it has been found and now I can take it to a fellow and show it to him, at which point he has promised me that he will hand to me a Vivitar Owner's Manual for the 450/SLD. I like that idea.

And, it does not have a 1.4/50 lens on it. Instead it has an Asahi Opt. Co. Super-Takumar 1.8/55 lens. Another surprise for me.

And, with the snow we are having and the approach of spring, this will be a nice time to see what this camera does, and how my M42 mount lenses will do on it.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Hi All,
This is my first post on APUG but I am sure you will see more posts soon. I have recently got a lot of M42 stuff. Here is my preliminary list.

Bodies:
Praktica FX 3
Praktica Super TL 1000
Praktica Super TL2
Praktica LLC
Hanimex Praktica Super TL
Praktica LTL 3
Praktica LB2

Yashica TL Electro

I have these lenses:
Pentacon Auto 35mm/2.8 (?)
(2) Pentacon auto 50/1.8
Pentacon Electric 50/1.8
Domiplan Automatic 50/2.8
RIKENON Auto 55mm/2.8 (loose)
Hanimar Auto "S" 135mm/2.8

some accessories like flashes and cases.

I am not particularly attached to anything so I am open for trades etc. pm me.

Peace,
np

I just got these also:

Zenit 3M with Helios 44 Lens
Mamiya 500DTL with 50mm Sekor lens

I am looking for a Pentax Spotmatic with Takumar lens. Does anyone know which specific models shine?

Good morning, n0npr0phet;

Welcome to the group. In reading over your list, for someone who is just beginning in the UTM or M42 Mount System, you have quite a bit there already. If you have looked at the previous messages, you can tell that this is not one of my stronger fields, but I do have a couple of bodies, including that Vivitar 450/SLD, and a few lenses. Also, of all things, I do have an adapter to go from a Prakticar MF mount to an M42 body. The Prakticar 5.6/500mm lens in P6 mount is a lens I would like to find at some time, both for the MF equipment here and for use on the M42 bodies.

My memories of the Asahi-Pentax / Honeywell Spotomatic are all from the 1960s. I cannot really offer any definitive suggestions, other than looking over on the Pentax forums and perhaps asking there. I do know that the Asahi-Pentax Super Takumar MC 1.4/50mm normal lens was considered to be a very good lens. I also have one of those here, and it has not yet yellowed. I rank it right in there with my Minolta Auto ROKKOR-PF 1/1.4 f=58mm and the later MC versions.

Enjoy;

Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Thanks Ralph,
I was happy to read that you found your camera and from what I have been reading the f/1.8 isn't bad either.

I bought a Spotmatic SP and Spotmatic SPII and the Super-Takumar 50 f/1.4 yesterday. I am looking forward to posting some photos from these cameras soon.

Has anyone posted images taken with these M42 systems? What is UTM?

Peace,
np

Good morning, n0npr0phet;

It is a bit of a surprise that no one has answered your question. And in this case, it is not the Universal Transverse Mercator map grid system.

UTM. Universal Thread Mount. M42. 42.0mm diameter by 1.0mm thread pitch. Developed originally by Carl Zeiss Jena (CZJ) after World War II for use on their Contax S, and also their Pentacon, to enable interchanging of lenses with a few more features and bigger lenses than that available with the LTM (Leica Thread Mount, M39, 39mm by 1.0mm) or the common CZJ lens mount of that time of 40.0mm by 1.0mm. It was adopted by Praktica, Asahi-Pentax, and a host of other SLR camera manufacturers to the degree that it became known colloquially as the "Universal Thread Mount," and the name stuck.

It is a very simple but robust lens mounting system, and when machined carefully, results in the aperture and focusing scale being on the top every time when the lens is seated. While the bayonet lens mount may be more convenient for us to use quickly, there are still many camera people who will explain to you at length why the UTM is still superior and much easier for the average machinist to make correctly and repeatedly. Some of the argument has been softened in recent years with the development of CNC or Computer Numerically Controlled machine tools that use computers to program and operate the machines to make the pieces. And then there is also the point that so much more communication is going on between the lens and the camera body with so many of our cameras today.

It is similar to, but not the same as, the T-Mount or "Tamron Mount" system (yes, the Tamron people, or Taisei Kogaku Kogyo K. K., developed the Interchangeable Camera Lens Mounting System that carries their name, or at least the "T"), but again, it is not the same. Both are 42mm in diameter, but the T-Mount is only 0.75mm thread pitch. An attempt should not be made to try to screw the two different threads together; it will not work.

Enjoy;

Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Good morning, all;

Yes, I know that this is supposed to be for telling about what we have, but not much has been posted recently. However, that does not mean that we are not trying.

Just a little while ago, I came across an advertisement for a couple of lenses in M-42 mount; a 2.8/35 and a 2.8/135. No, not really anything exotic, but certainly representative of what a lot of people would have. However, I mised them. I tried. It is not really clear that I even came close, but I did try. I need to watch for things like this, or perhaps to go to one of the photographic equipment shows that are around. The main local one out here in Latte Land was earlier this month, but I did not bail out enough money to really take full advantage of what was seen there. Next year.

Enjoy;

Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Good morning, all;

Sometimes you get a surprise.

I visited one of the other camera repair shops here in Latte Land yesterday. They have a bargain shelf that I like to look through when I go there. I am glad that I did.

On the shelf was a Soligor lens, a SOLIGOR C/D ZOOM+MACRO 28-55mm 1:3.3-4.5 fd55mm serial number MC with a Hoya Skylight 1b filter and a back lens cap on it, and it is in the M-42 Screw Thread Mount. The little sign did say "This Shelf $5.00." So, for the price of either a Pentax Lens Back Cap, or a Hoya filter, I found the lens and the accessories all in one package. Nice. I admit that it does need a front lens cap, and it will get one of my favorite Tamron Type squeeze latch lens caps for the front. The Tamron Lens Caps work very well with my large fingers. (I am 6 feet 3 inches or 190 cm tall.)

No, I have not put it onto the Vivitar 450/SLD yet; I just got it, and it is raining right now here in Latte Land. I will. Yesterday was a nice day with sunshine, but today is our normal clouds with rain. Maybe later.

Perhaps today would be a good day to get out the portable test equipment and see how the camera bodies are working.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

My first was the Sears (Ricoh) 500MX... just like my mom's Ricoh SLX 500. The Sears kicked the bucket, and was stripped for parts to save the Ricoh. I have a 55/2 Super Takumar and a Fujica 43-75mm zoom, as well. Not much, as most of my money has gone into my Nikons, but it still has a special place in my heart.

Good morning;

Today I added another M-42 lens to the group here; a TELE-LENTAR 1:6.3 f=400mm pre-set T-mount lens with an M-42 Adapter screwed onto it. $5.00 at a local camera shop, and that included the sales tax. It looks like something from probably the 1960s or possibly into the1970s. I think that it has 4 elements in either 3 or 4 groups. It is a fairly long lens at about 15 inches long, plus the lens hood. It will be interesting to see what it does on a camera after I clean it and relubricate the focusing helicoid.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Good morning;

Sometimes you get a surprise. I was handed (no charge, for free) a VEMAR 6.3/400mm Pre-set Telephoto Lens also with the M-42 mount. This thing is almost exactly like that LENTAR 6.3/400mm telephoto lens I purchased very cheaply last month. It is obvious that they were both made by the same company, but at somewhat different times. There are some minor differences, such as the tripod mount collar, and the VEMAR does have a thoughtful mount on the focusing collar for attaching a handle convenient for focusing. But the VEMAR does have a problem. With any of the normal auto-stopdown diaphragms on our modern lenses, we do worry about them getting oil on the blades that make the diaphragm very sluggish or they do not move at all. With a pre-set diaphragm system, you normally do not worry about that, because we can supply much more torque to get the stopdown mechanism to move the blades anyway. Usually. Normally. I have found an exception.

The pre-set diaphragm on the VEMAR was truly stuck. The oil had gelled and really glued the leaves together. It would not move. Taking it apart and cleaning it really did help in this case, although reassembling the diaphragm was something of a challenge, and there are twelve leaves, so the lens opening really is close to a true circle. I do want to get this lens back into operation. It is almost done now, and if the time becomes available, it may be tested this coming weekend. Otherwise I may still be working on other projects. There is a major display to be ready for next weekend, and I really do need to have everything ready for that one. They have me on the program for the event.

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

I just inherited some miscellaneous photo gear. I was going through a box of lenses to see if there were any large aperture primes that may have value, and quickly determined the 35mm, 50mm, and 135mm primes wouldn't have much if any resale value. Then I came across a little adapter for mounting a lens to a rail and bellows system for macro photography. I also found a nice little hood for the tiny 135mm prime. Once I felt the smooth focus mechanism of the tiny 135mm -I couldn't resist it. My digital bodies are huge as are the L-series lenses. I would never take them on a vacation. But these little m42 lenses on a small Pentax could be a lot of fun for getting shots without drawing so much attention. They also would fit well in a suitcase.

Unfortunately, there was no camera among the equipment! I may pick up a Pentax spotmatic on eBay.

I own a pair of Yashica TL Electro X bodies, one chrome, and one black. Lenses include a Yashinon DX 50/1.7, a DS-M 50/1.7, a DX 50/2, a Sears 28/2.8, a Yashikor 35/2.8, a Hanimar 135/2.8, and a Yashinon Zoom 90~190/5.6. I also have a Ricoh Singlex TLS body. I have been shooting with a TL Electro X for about twenty years now.