5 Great Pentax ME Super Lenses
The Pentax ME Super is an excellent 35mm film SLR camera. This web page will go into the 5 best lenses for the Pentax ME Super, plus a handful of alternative lenses.
This is the 5 best lenses for the ME Super:
- Kit Lens - SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
- Wide Angle Lens - SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
- Portrait Lens - SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
- Zoom Lens - Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
- Macro Lens - SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro
The best Pentax K mount lenses are separated by type of photography and price. There are a number proposed alternatives to select from that have a wide range of prices suited to the value of the camera.
Standard Focal Length Lenses
Here’s an assortment of 50mm focal lengths that can be used with the ME Super. Back when the camera was sold as new, there was typically a offer available to buy a 50mm lens with the camera as a kit.
They are referred to as standard lenses since the angle of view is close to what the human eye sees.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
- “Kit” lens for the ME Super.
- Fantastic value.
- Light, small, and compact.
- 49mm front filter threads.
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If you do not currently own it, a capable initial lens to get a hold of is the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7. The 50mm f1.7 is easy to find, is light, has fantastic photo quality, is cheap, and streamlined . It is the most used lens on the camera.
{You can also buy the second version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7|The 2nd version, the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, is also a good buy}.
SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4
- Exceptional optics.
- Optical multi-coatings to improve performance.
- Easy to find.
- Comparatively inexpensive.
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At the added cost of weight and size, the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 is almost a stop faster than the f/1.7. Expect to pay more than you would for an f/1.7 or f/2 lens. The subsequent revision, the SMC Pentax-A, and earlier version, SMC Pentax, will both work with the ME Super.
SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2
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Similar to other camera companies, Pentax released a 50mm halo lens. The resulting SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2 is a high-priced, fast, and huge hunk of glass.
The lens can be tough to get since it can be used on Pentax DSLRs so the appeal includes more than usage with 35mm film cameras. If you want to locate one you might need to check and track what’s available through weeks or months.
Wide Angles
SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8
- Great combination with a 50mm lens.
- Super Multi Coating (SMC) to improve performance.
- Many copies are available.
- Relatively cheap.
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Not the best option, the SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2.8, is still a good choice. The truth is, many people might not actually consider it a wide angle lens. However, it is substantially less expensive than any wider option.
There are plenty of wider Pentax focal lengths to select from, but they’re frequently significantly higher priced or third-party options have visible amounts of barrel distortion. Also, it is easy to see chromatic aberrations and other optical flaws in third-party lenses.
More Options
When it comes to pricing, the relationship is easy to understand. As the field of view gets wider, the lens will be more expensive. Lenses with large apertures will also be more expensive.
Be aware that vintage wide angle lenses don’t have all the corrections that modern wide angle lenses have. The issue you are most likely to see with older wide angles is going to be apparent barrel distortion.
- SMC Pentax-M 20mm f/4
- SMC Pentax-M 28mm f/2
- SMC Pentax 18mm f/3.5
- SMC Pentax 24mm f/2.8
Portrait & Telephoto Lenses
SMC Pentax 135mm f/2.5
- 85mm substitute.
- Excellent value.
- Relatively inexpensive.
- Widely available.
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The 85mm focal length wasn’t as widely used as they are currently in comparison to when the ME Super was initially released back in 1979. Thanks to being less expensive, 100mm and 135mm focal lengths were more commonly used.
You can see the price difference when you view what’s available.
Alternatives
There are plently of telephoto lenses to select from. 85mm and focal lengths longer than 135mm are going to be higher priced.
- 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
Prior to the introduction of autofocus, in the 1980s, there were a small number of lenses made by third-party companies that performed better than what Pentax was offering.
A good deal of these top performers were released with the Vivitar brand name. Any zoom featuring the Vivitar Series 1 branding on it is going to have the best optics you can expect to see from an older zoom lens.
Sadly, obtaining copies of these lenses in usable condition can be extremely hard. Keep in mind, no vintage zooms offer exceptional performance. If you find a copy available for purchase that is cheap enough, it could be worth picking up.
Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
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Alternatives
Here are several more options that you can check out if you need a zoom for your ME Super. None of them are going to be amazing, and you’d probably be better off acquiring a couple of primes instead.
- SMC Pentax 85-210mm f/3.5
- Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5
- SMC Pentax 45-125mm f/4
Pentax Macro Lenses
Macro lens choices for the Pentax ME Super suffer from supply problems. The supply of Pentax K mount options is small, which increases prices higher than you will pay for equivalent Canon FD mount or Nikon F mount options.
SMC Pentax 100mm f/4 Macro
- Ideal focal length for 1x magnification.
- Widely available.
- Mediocre value.
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Some people online have encountered balsam separation of the front doublet. This is worrying because even a little bit of separation will expand gradually and make it unusable. If you see any evidence of balsam separation, avoid that copy and keep looking.
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.
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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-f-2-8-macro-lens-review](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.
More 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
Used Pentax Lens Prices
Prices change all the time depending on interest and supply in manual focus glass. Over the last several years, shooting film has gone up in popularity, which has pushed prices higher.
Further upwards pricing pressure is caused by Pentax DSLR users purchasing and collecting lenses. Third party companies tend not to manufacture anything for the K-mount, unlike the Nikon F or Canon EF mounts.
Marketing conditions are constantly changing, and unexpected changes can lead to big price movements. Even so, the price differences between options should stay the same.
Taking a look at a couple of sites is a very good way to get accurate pricing information. If you’re fortunate enough to discover a great deal, buy it because the best deals don’t stick around.
What Lens Mount Does the Pentax ME Super Use?
The Pentax ME Super has a Pentax K lens mount.
Released in 1975, the Pentax K mount is still used in cameras today. It replaced the M42 screw mount Which was previously used on cameras like the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic. Over time alterations have been done to add CPU contacts, electronically controlled apertures, autofocus, and metering information.
As long as a lens has a physical aperture ring, it will be compatible with Pentax film cameras. Keep in mind, it isn’t a smart idea to waste money on expensive features that can not be used by the camera. An exception would be if you already use a Pentax DSLR.
It’s also possible to use the older M42 mount lenses with an adapter. The older Takumar lenses will be the best to use. Even so, I wouldn’t encourage doing this as finding them without a tight focus ring can be tricky.
Lens Cap Size
The standard lens cap and filter ring thread diameter used on most vintage manual focus Pentax K mount lenses is 49mm. Lenses were originally sold with slip on caps, not the more commonly used center-pinch design today. Looking at what is available, you’ll discover a lack of original caps sold with the lenses.
Be aware that large front elements will need larger caps and filters.
The benefit of having a standardized thread size is that you only need one set of filters.
Pentax-M vs Pentax-A
Pentax-M and SMC Pentax lenses have a a stop-down coupler that allows the camera to have a mechanical linkage to the lens. The stop-down coupler will allow the camera to know the aperture is set to so the light meter is able to meter correctly without needing to rely on stop-down metering.
The Pentax-A series introduced the ability for the camera to control the aperture in the lens. Which means cameras that support the Pentax-A changes have the ability to do aperture priority and shutter priority modes.
Having said that, due to the fact that that capability isn’t compatible with the camera, it doesn’t make financial sense to spend money on features that the camera is unable to use.
Related Posts
That’s it for info regarding the best lenses for the ME Super. Here’s additional information that will give you more info about the camera can be found below: