S u p e r - T a k u m a r 1 : 1.8 / 55 late M o d e l 1
Produced 1963 to October 1965. Serial Numbers 751xxx - 1403xxx. AOCo Product No. 345-5. Updated May 2023.
Produced 1963 to October 1965. Serial Numbers 751xxx - 1403xxx. AOCo Product No. 345-5. Updated May 2023.
(Research Note: Since 2010 I have seen 0.97% (1976 copies) of the total estimated 203,500 copies made.)
INTRODUCTION
This version completes the long journey of development from manual Takumars to fully automatic Super-Takumars. The aperture control operating mechanism is re-engineered to reverse the direction of turning for the aperture ring but the optical design is unchanged. Most aperture rings on Takumars generally turn clockwise to close the aperture manually (See NOTES). It's a more natural movement when focussing through the lens and needed to be reinstated after mastery of the internal mechanism was achieved. This was completed before the Super-Takumar 1:1.4 / 50mm so that only one focal length (1:1.8/ 55 and 1:2/ 55) is affected.
It has a wide aperture control switch overlapping the aperture ring. The f-stops on the ring are labelled 16 - 1.8 and the ring turns clockwise to reduce the aperture (345-2 moves anti-clockwise). There is no model number inscribed into the aperture control switch and the setting labels are a red letter M and a white letter A.
This version completes the long journey of development from manual Takumars to fully automatic Super-Takumars. The aperture control operating mechanism is re-engineered to reverse the direction of turning for the aperture ring but the optical design is unchanged. Most aperture rings on Takumars generally turn clockwise to close the aperture manually (See NOTES). It's a more natural movement when focussing through the lens and needed to be reinstated after mastery of the internal mechanism was achieved. This was completed before the Super-Takumar 1:1.4 / 50mm so that only one focal length (1:1.8/ 55 and 1:2/ 55) is affected.
It has a wide aperture control switch overlapping the aperture ring. The f-stops on the ring are labelled 16 - 1.8 and the ring turns clockwise to reduce the aperture (345-2 moves anti-clockwise). There is no model number inscribed into the aperture control switch and the setting labels are a red letter M and a white letter A.
DESCRIPTION
VARIATION
- The focus ring formula varies as below (See Collection for explanation).
- Copies with 6 digit SN's have 6 (unmarked) half stops on the aperture ring; those with 7 digit SN's have 5 (unmarked) half stops on the aperture ring. (Half stop f=16 to f=11 is missing from later copies.)
NOTES
- The Focus ring formulae are variable.
- Besides 345, 345-2 and 345-3, the aperture rings of Asahiflex telephoto lenses 50/3.5, 100/3.5 and 135 /35 turn anti-clockwise to close down their apertures.
LENS PRODUCTION (∑ lenses) ∑n = 1976 Serial Numbers observed in 217 Batches covering 176,092 SN min. < ∑ lenses < 230,994 SN max.
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 217 batches
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
Letter font is "printed", round monotype with closed "4". The serial number is before the lense's name; and a comma follows the makers name.
Aperture ring has fine knurling. Focus ring formula is generally F=8/12 throughout except; ▼ sometimes F= 9/12 ▲, or ▼ ▼ F=7/12 ▲▲.
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 217 batches
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
Letter font is "printed", round monotype with closed "4". The serial number is before the lense's name; and a comma follows the makers name.
Aperture ring has fine knurling. Focus ring formula is generally F=8/12 throughout except; ▼ sometimes F= 9/12 ▲, or ▼ ▼ F=7/12 ▲▲.
▼ 751765 (1/ 1) 802158 (1/ 1) 822446 (1/ 1) 842054 (1/ 1) 842453 to 842490 (2/ 37) 842827 (1/ 1) 842959 (1/ 1) 857070 to 857250 (6/ 180) 857119 861266 (1/ 1) 861359 (1/ 1) 863452 (1/ 1) 863600 (1/ 1) 864152 (1/ 1) 864326 (1/ 1) 864586 (1/ 1) ▲ 864939 to 865039 (2/ 100) 865319 to 865422 (2/ 103) 865921 to 866249 (4/ 328) 867616 to 867820 (2/ 204) 870879 (1/ 1) 871064 to 872057 (10/ 993) 873944 to 874203 (3/ 259) 875137 to 875437 (6/ 300) 876738 to 877393 (11/ 655) 878035 to 878317 (2/ 282) 880079 to 880341 (7/ 262) 345-2 SN ends 880654 to 881246 (6/ 592) 883071 to 885000 (24/ 1929) 885250 to 885440 (4/ 190) 885574 to 885697 (2/ 123) 888790 (1/ 1) 888841 (1/ 1) 888844 (1/ 1) 889170 (1/ 1) 889361 (1/ 1) 889422 (1/ 1) 889696 (1/ 1) 889730 (1/ 1) 890003 (1/ 1) 890111 (1/ 1) 890398 (1/ 1) 890538 (1/ 1) 890566 (1/ 1) 890589 to 890590 (2/ 2) 890632 to 890665 (2/ 33) 890862 (1/ 1) 891012 (1/ 1) 891465 (1/ 1) 891590 to 893345 (12/ 1755) 893944 to 894832 (15/ 888) 896279 to 896764 (7/ 485) 899178 to 901797 (31/ 2619) 902214 to 904516 (22/ 2302) 904825 to 904876 (6/ 51) 908061 to 908127 (3/ 66) 908537 to 911084 (28/ 2547) 912314 to 912459 (4/ 145) 912616 to 913536 (7/ 920) 913644 (1/ 1) 914111 to 915895 (17/ 1784) 916518 to 916839 (4/ 321) 916944 to 916977 (2/ 33) 917687 to 919313 (13/ 1626) 919662 to 923514 (35/ 3852) 924612 to 928060 (30/ 3448) 928888 to 929457 (9/ 569) 929892 to 930322 (4/ 430) 930875 to 931082 (4/ 207) 931765 to 932214 (6/ 449) 932627 to 934106 (15/ 1479) 934360 to 934625 (5/ 265) 935652 to 936737 (10/ 1085) |
Serial Numbers in 217 Batches
(n /SN range) Collection 938767 to 941167 (20/ 2400) 941728 to 942057 (7/ 329) 945955 to 946431 (3/ 476) 946780 to 949519 (31/ 2739) 949773 to 950208 (5/ 435) 951337 to 955608 (43/ 4271) 956048 to 956415 (6/ 368) 956765 to 957474 (4/ 709) 958237 to 958621 (9/ 384) 958825 to 960046 (6/ 1221) 960866 to 961140 (3/ 274) 963153 to 963156 (2/ 3) 965799 to 966082 (4/ 283) 968891 to 971548 (33/ 2657) 971705 to 973555 (15/ 1850) 974409 to 976550 (17/ 2141) 980189 to 980315 (3/ 126) 984772 to 984847 (3/ 75) 986454 to 986786 (7/ 332) 987611 987761 (5/ 149) 989357 to 989578 (3/ 221) 990828 to 991768 (9/ 940) 994787 to 995744 (13/ 957) ▼ ▼ 996160 to 997754 (20/ 1594) 996947 997977 (1/ 1) 999624 to 999862 (6/ 238) 999896 to 999962 (3/ 66) (▲6) (▼5) half stops 1020019 to 1023784 (47/ 3765) 1025124 to 1025958 (7/ 834) 1027300 to 1031118 (47/ 3818) 1033352 to 1035360 (25/ 2008) (7ridges) 1034843 1035757 to 1036822 (11/ 1065) 1038801 to 1039342 (4/ 541) 1040216 to 1040246 (2/ 30) 1042376 to 1043203 (12/ 827) 1045011 to 1045339 (7/ 328) 1046798 to 1047093 (4/ 295) 1048071 to 1048777 (9/ 706) 1049621 to 1051557 (21/ 1936) 1052504 to 1053459 (12/ 955) 1053532 to 1053612 (3/ 80) 1055390 to 1057451 (20/ 2061) 1058776 to 1060179 (14/ 1403) 1061096 to 1061393 (5/ 297) 1061728 to 1061751 (3/ 23) 1064215 to 1064752 (12/ 537) 1065035 to 1066136 (13/ 1101) 1066351 to 1067259 (13/ 908) 1067772 to 1069413 (14/ 1641) 1069770 to 1070743 (17/ 973) 1071064 (1/ 1) 1071545 to 1072092 (4/ 547) 1072795 to 1072866 (2/ 71) 1073310 (1/ 1) 1073376 to 1075709 (19/ 2333) 1077862 to 1078618 (6/ 756) ▲▲ 1081352 to 1085282 (29/ 3930) 1086417 to 1087632 (16/ 1215) 1088091 (1/ 1) 1088902 to 1091338 (23/ 2436) 1092240 to 1093425 (10/ 1185) 1105732 to 1106137 (6/ 405) 1106366 (1/ 1) 1107889 (1/ 1) 1111881 to 1114261 (19/ 2380) 1116113 to 1118067 (25/ 1954) 1119154 (1/ 1) 1119181 to 1123547 (49/ 4366) 1124800 to 1125748 (16/ 948) 1126868 to 1128357 (17/ 1489) 1129795 to 1130547 (10/ 752) 1131326 to 1131825 (6/ 499) |
1133303 to 1133937 (13/ 634) 1135595 to 1137035 (18/ 1440) 1137439 (1/ 1) 1138310 to 1139100 (7/ 790) 1139742 to 1139950 (6/ 208) 1140046 to 1140582 (7/ 536) 1144043 to 1144922 (11/ 879) 1145979 to 1148045 (23/ 2066) 1148417 to 1149416 (7/ 999) 1149563 to 1150087 (7/ 524) 1151441 to 1155322 (31/ 3881) 1156234 to 1160334 (41/ 4100) 1161639 to 1162282 (9/ 643) 1162843 to 1164758 (18/ 1915) 1165874 to 1166759 (8/ 885) 1166889 to 1167296 (5/ 407) 1167826 to 1168740 (12/ 914) 1169959 to 1170688 (5/ 729) 1172728 (1/ 1) 1173772 to 1174639 (9/ 867) 1176357 to 1177128 (5/ 771) 1178104 to 1178923 (10/ 819) 1189943 to 1192511 (19/ 2568) 1193192 to 1194021 (8/ 829) 1195995 (1/ 1) 1197267 to 1197955 (10/ 688) 1202242 to 1202287 (2/ 45) 1203557 to 1204323 (10/ 766) 1205328 to 1211660 (49/ 6332) 1214136 to 1216634 (26/ 2498) 1216925 to 1219692 (28/ 2767) 1232865 to 1232932 (4/ 67) 1233374 to 1234817 (15/ 1497) 1235457 to 1235530 (5/ 73) 1235868 (1/ 1) 1236258 to 1236704 (6/ 446) 1237597 (1/ 1) 1237888 to 1238333 (7/ 445) 1243470 to 1244660 (3/ 1190) 1245556 to 1247279 (16/ 1723) 1248673 to 1251451 (29/ 2778) 1252721 to 1253302 (6/ 581) 1253356 to 1253909 (9/553) 1267225 (1/ 1) 1274079 to 1274797 (11/ 718) 1276024 to 1276876 (10/ 852) 1277172 to 1277755 (9/ 583) 1278869 to 1279777 (6/ 908) 1280855 to 1280889 (2/ 34) 1282005 (1/ 1) 1282465 to 1283207 (8/ 751) 1282887 1284786 (1/ 1) 1285241 (1/ 1) 1285496 to 1286449 (9/ 953) 1287106 to 1287514 (7/ 622) 1288928 to 1290943 (23/ 2015) 1292799 to 1292801 (2/ 2) 1294891 to 1295311 (7/ 420) 1299020 (1/ 1) 1300735 to 1302623 (14/ 1888) 1304299 to 1304450 (2/ 151) 1305161 to 1307272 (15/ 2111) 1307371 to 1307534 (5/ 163) 1307670 to 1308566 (5/ 896) 1308608 to 1310058 (19/ 1450) 1311977 (1/ 1) 1312274 to 1312821 (10/ 547) 1313237 to 1313829 (3/ 592) 1325257 (1/ 1) 1335052 (1/ 1) 1359096 to 1359657 (6/ 561) 37100 SN starts 1369751 (1/ 1) 1403557 to 1403673 (2/ 116) |