Fun & Affordable Pentax ME Super Lenses

The Pentax ME Super uses K-mount lenses. Lenses need an aperture ring to work.

If you want to use aperture priority mode on the ME Super, use a Pentax-A or later lens.

Newer lenses without an aperture ring will not work.

That’s because the K-mount has been used since 1975. Changes have been made over time to add auto focus and electronic controls.

The recommended lenses are all affordable and fun to use.

Lens Compatibility

Any K-mount lens with an aperture ring should work. (Like a Pentax-F lens.)

However, I’m not going to recommend early autofocus lenses that have apertures. It isn’t worth pay for a feature that will only add size and weight.

If you already have one, go ahead and use it.

Pentax-M vs Pentax-A

Pentax-M lenses have a mechanical stop-down coupler, but require stop down metering. That means the aperture of the lens must be closed down for the light meter to get a correct reading.

The aperture stay open to let light in for focusing. When the shutter button is pressed, the aperture will stop down to it’s setting.

The Pentax-A series made changes to support aperture priority and shutter priority modes. The camera can automatically set the aperture on the lens.

They are also newer lenses, which means they have better optical coatings.

Any of the Pentax-M lenses recommended also have Pentax-A versions.

Lens Won’t Mount

Are you sure the lens has a k-mount?

Third party lenses are usually marked with a K or PK. Look at the rear mount and around the aperture ring.

Minolta MD, Contax/Yashica, and Nikon F-mount, are similar looking.

M42 Adapters

The M42 screw mount was used on cameras before the K-mount. A popular example would be the Spotmatic.

There are adapters that allow M42 lenses to be used. Pentax Takumar lenses are my favorites.

50mm Lenses

These were originally offered as “kit lenses” for various cameras.

I haven’t checked old catalogs for what was originally bundled with the ME Super. My starting point was with the K1000, because of how popular it is.

50mm is my favorite focal length. They’re cheap and easy to find in good condition. The optics aren’t difficult to manufacture.

Books from the 1970s and 80s were written with the assumption the reader would own a 50mm lens. It was the default. They’re perfect to learn film photography with.

If you’re hunting for a “vintage look,” start with one of these.

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SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7

• Light, small, and compact.
• Cheap!
• Easy to find.
• 49mm filter threads.

This lens is small, light, cheap, and easy to find in good condition.

The large aperture lets in lots of light. Focusing will be easy.

It’s great for casual every day photography. It’s so much fun to use, you’ll always want to have your camera with you.

Portraits, street, travel, cat pictures, it can do it all.

One of the versions would be my first choice. The Pentax-A version will allow you to use aperture and shutter priority modes.

The character Jonathan Byers, seen in the third season of Stranger Things, used this lens with his Pentax ME Super. The electronic flash used is a Vivitar 283 Auto Thyristor.

SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4

• Optically better than the f1.7.
• Improved optical multi-coatings.
• Easy to find.
• 49mm filter threads.

It’s half a stop faster than the f1.7. It will be easier to focus in low light.

The larger the lens aperture, the more light will hit the focusing screen.

I’m not a fan of f1.4 because of their size and weight. If you already have experience with digital cameras, get the Pentax-A version.

If you’re a newer photographer, go light! The lighter and simpler your setup, the more you’ll use your camera.

SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2

• 52mm filter threads.

A big, heavy, halo lens. Pentax made it to show off.

It’s half a stop faster than the f1.4. That makes it a full stop faster than the f1.7.

I would rather have a Pentax LX than this lens. The size and weight would annoy me. There isn’t an image quality advantage.

Yes, shooting the lens wide out will create lots of bokeh. You never have to see the background. However, it’s going to be very difficult to nail focus.

Wide Angles

It isn’t always possible to backup. These are good for street, travel, landscapes, and architecture.

SMC Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8

• Great combination with a 50mm lens.
• Very small, perfect for travel.
• Relatively cheap.
• 49mm filter threads.

It has the best price to performance.

Wider lenses are 3 times more expensive, larger, and heavier.

The 28mm would be the second lens I would want. The wider field of view gives a different perspective than a 50mm.

It easily fits in a coat pocket or bag. Mounted, the camera is still thin enough to be tucked under a jacket.

More Options

These are expensive enough to where I’m not going to recommend them. There will be multiple versions, including older M42 lenses.

• SMC Pentax-A 20mm f/4
• SMC Pentax-A 28mm f/2
• SMC Pentax 18mm f/3.5
• SMC Pentax 24mm f/2.8

Portrait & Telephoto Lenses

A 135mm lens is less expensive to make than an 85mm. There are also fewer 85mm lenses.

For the price of an 85mm, you might be able to get a 50mm, 28mm, and 135mm. Or one of those lenses and more film.

SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5

• 85mm substitute.
• Good value.
• Widely available.
• 58mm filter threads.

For portraits, use this lens outside at golden hour. That’s during sunrise and sunset. It’s when light looks the best.

You want to be outside so you have lots of room. The further away your subject is from the back ground, the more bokeh you will get.

Use a circular polarizer to get rid of reflections. It will add contrast, increase saturation, and remove atmospheric haze.

That’s why having 58mm filter threads isn’t great. Larger filters and more expensive. Plus that’s another thing to carry around unless you want to use step-up rings.

Alternatives

These can get expensive.

• SMC Pentax 85mm f/1.8
• SMC Pentax 85mm f/2.2 Soft
• SMC Pentax 105mm f/2.8
• SMC Pentax 120mm f/2.8

Zoom Lenses

I always expect vintage zoom lenses to have problems. Primes are more durable.

Here are the common problems:

• Lens fungus.
• Haze.
• De-centered elements.
• Oily aperture blades.
• Dried up focus or zoom helicoid grease.
• balsam separation.

That said, there were some awesome third party zooms. Some outperformed Pentax lenses.

In the US, many of them were imported under the Vivitar brand. (The brand is still around, but the original company went bankrupt.)

Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5

Alternatives

• SMC Pentax 85-210mm f/3.5
• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5
• SMC Pentax 45-125mm f/4

Macro Lenses

These allow you to take close up photos.

If you don’t have experience with macro photography, I would not suggest learning with film.

Start by using the camera on a tripod. Exposure times will be longer than what can be hand held.

SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro

• Ideal focal length for 1x magnification.
• Widely available.
• Mediocre value.

Check the front doublet. It is prone to balsam separation. That will look like a milky or reflective spot. It usually starts on the edge.

The front element is recessed. That means you probably don’t need a lens hood.

Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 Macro

• The second best vintage macro lens I’ve used.
• An outstanding lens for close-up photography.
• Can achieve life-size magnification without needing an extension tube.

The best vintange macro lens I have owned, the 90mm Vivitar, was made with a variety of camera mounts. Unfortunately, it will be tough to find a copy that’s got a Pentax K mount.

The Vivitar 55mm is the best vintage standard focal length macro lens I have used. Take into account that it does have less working distance compared to the 90mm. It is great for close-up and table top photography, but a longer lens will be easier to use if you would like to capture true macro images at 1x magnification.

Both of the Vivitar macros were manufactured by Komine and were sold under several different brand names. If you search for one also look under the Panagor, Elicar, Quantaray, Spiratone, and Rokunar brand names.

There is a Vivitar 90mm Macro Review and a Vivitar 55mm Macro Review.

For shooting photographs at life-sized magnification, focal lengths in the 90mm-105mm range are going to be the most desirable option. You will have enough working distance to be able to use flash, while avoiding substantial weight and high costs that longer focal lengths have.

Alternatives

• SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/4 Macro
• Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review
• Vivitar 90mm f/2.8 Macro Lens Review