A u t o - T a k u m a r 1 : 1.8 - 22 f = 55mm
and A u t o - T a k u m a r 1 : 1.9 - 22 f = 55mm (Tower 29)
Produced May 1958 to May 1959 Serial numbers 156xxx - 235xxx. AOCo Product No.332. Honeywell Pentax Cat.No.723. Updated Feb. 2024.
and A u t o - T a k u m a r 1 : 1.9 - 22 f = 55mm (Tower 29)
Produced May 1958 to May 1959 Serial numbers 156xxx - 235xxx. AOCo Product No.332. Honeywell Pentax Cat.No.723. Updated Feb. 2024.
(Research Note: Since 2010 I have seen 3.28% (737 copies) of the total estimated 22,150 copies made.)
INTRODUCTION
This first Auto-Takumar was launched in early 1958. It represents the first step in the journey from preset to fully automatic Super-Takumars achieved over the next 2-3 years. Both cameras and lenses for the amateur market needed simplifying to succeed commercially.
Production began immediately after the last accessory lens (the Takumar 1: 8 /1000mm) for the AP, K and S camera models was launched. This semi-automatic lens was sold with the Asahi Pentax K and superseded by slower less distinctive standard Auto-Takumars until actual automation arrived. The estimated number produced (above) is close to the number of cameras produced (21,150) as estimated independently by Gerjan van Oosten (2021).
Production of this lens was short-lived and style changes are minimal despite there being three distinct versions. Contemporary "zebra" styling used by some other manufacturers was adopted on standard versions of this lens but rejected thereafter. Totally black versions were made throughout to match completely black Asahi Pentax K camera bodies. Midway through production (approx SN 172716) a slower version (F=1.9) was sold on Tower 29 cameras by Sears, Roebuck and Co. the North American distributor. This commercial arrangement gave a small advantage to Asahi Pentax K camera sales over Tower 29 camera sales in north America and became an established marketing strategy of AOCo.
The appearance of this lens was unchanged until half-stops marked by black dots were added to the aperture ring (5 in this case from approx. SN 187788). These simplified aperture rings, avoided crowded numerals and were also adopted for later lenses.
Auto-Takumars use a lever, or cocking mechanism, to drive the diaphragm to a pre-selected aperture setting prior to exposing film when the shutter fires. Meanwhile the aperture remains wide open for convenience of viewing to focus the lens until the shutter is released. The desired aperture must be set and the lever actuated prior to each shot. Despite keen publicity at the time these semi-automatic lenses are not automatic. In effect the cocking lever of the Auto-Takumars replaced the dual aperture setting rings of the preset lenses that preceded them with marginally improved convenience.
This first Auto-Takumar was launched in early 1958. It represents the first step in the journey from preset to fully automatic Super-Takumars achieved over the next 2-3 years. Both cameras and lenses for the amateur market needed simplifying to succeed commercially.
Production began immediately after the last accessory lens (the Takumar 1: 8 /1000mm) for the AP, K and S camera models was launched. This semi-automatic lens was sold with the Asahi Pentax K and superseded by slower less distinctive standard Auto-Takumars until actual automation arrived. The estimated number produced (above) is close to the number of cameras produced (21,150) as estimated independently by Gerjan van Oosten (2021).
Production of this lens was short-lived and style changes are minimal despite there being three distinct versions. Contemporary "zebra" styling used by some other manufacturers was adopted on standard versions of this lens but rejected thereafter. Totally black versions were made throughout to match completely black Asahi Pentax K camera bodies. Midway through production (approx SN 172716) a slower version (F=1.9) was sold on Tower 29 cameras by Sears, Roebuck and Co. the North American distributor. This commercial arrangement gave a small advantage to Asahi Pentax K camera sales over Tower 29 camera sales in north America and became an established marketing strategy of AOCo.
The appearance of this lens was unchanged until half-stops marked by black dots were added to the aperture ring (5 in this case from approx. SN 187788). These simplified aperture rings, avoided crowded numerals and were also adopted for later lenses.
Auto-Takumars use a lever, or cocking mechanism, to drive the diaphragm to a pre-selected aperture setting prior to exposing film when the shutter fires. Meanwhile the aperture remains wide open for convenience of viewing to focus the lens until the shutter is released. The desired aperture must be set and the lever actuated prior to each shot. Despite keen publicity at the time these semi-automatic lenses are not automatic. In effect the cocking lever of the Auto-Takumars replaced the dual aperture setting rings of the preset lenses that preceded them with marginally improved convenience.
DESCRIPTION
NOTES
- Half-stop dots, instead of extra numerals, were first introduced to aperture rings on Auto-Takumars. This was the first lens to do so (using 5 dots at approximately SN No 187788). Others followed (e.g. Takumar 1:3.5/135mm SN No 190462 using three dots) in the next consecutive batch. Not all copies in immediately following batches have them.
- There are 23 black copies in a total of 412 observed to date which suggests approximately 5% of lenses were of this type. This is the last Takumar lens to be produced in regular, all black, or any other version contemporaneously.
- There are 8 copies with minimum apertures f=1.9 in a total of 726 lenses observed to date which suggests less than 2% of this type were sold. Two of these were still attached to Tower 29 cameras* with which they were sold. They are ( SN's 172716, 188018*, 188027, 188034, 188098* 188121, 196759, 196800 from 3 batches late in the production period. It is estimated from SN 's collected that approximately 200-300 copies were produced.
- The one and only "zebra" Takumar. All other zebra-style Takumars that may exist will be found to be customised.
VARIATION
- Apart from adopting half-stop dots (as above) and providing all black, or slower copies (F=1.9) for North American distribution, all are similar in appearance.
- All have serial numbers that are located after the name and begin with an identical prefix. All lettering is white including the infinity symbol. The central focus arrow and aperture set point are red. There is no Infra-Red focus marker and the diaphragm has 10 blades. Focus ring formulae are identical (i.e. F10/12, or 10 grooves in 12 focus ring finger grips)
LENS PRODUCTION (∑ lenses) ∑n = 737 Serial Numbers (SN) observed in 66 batches covering 18,836 SN min.< ∑ lenses < 25,472 SN max.
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 66 batches.
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
Two Styles:▼SN prefix "No"▲, ▼▼ 9 available full stops ▲▲/▼▼▼14 available stops. Batches in bold contain one or more all Black or f=1.9 copies.
(5 new half-stops indicated by black dots from approx. SN187788) ▲▲▲
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 66 batches.
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
Two Styles:▼SN prefix "No"▲, ▼▼ 9 available full stops ▲▲/▼▼▼14 available stops. Batches in bold contain one or more all Black or f=1.9 copies.
(5 new half-stops indicated by black dots from approx. SN187788) ▲▲▲
▼/▼▼ 156797 (1/ 1) 157417 to 157620 (11/ 203) 159164 to 159391 (7/ 227) 159502 to 159685 (7/183) 159822 to 160097 (12/ 276) 161364 (1/ 1) 162442 to 163130 (24/ 688) 163200 to 164042 (25/ 842) 164291 to 164395 (2/ 104) 164622 to 164909 (15/ 287) 165147 to 165262 (8/ 115) 165416 to 165510 (2/ 94) 165655 to 165773 (6/ 118) 166054 to 166139 (6/ 85) 166547 to 167379 (28/ 832) 167452 to 167459 (2/ 7) 167670 (1/ 1) 168457 to 168831 (13/ 374) 168965 to 169518 (17/ 533) 168970 (1/1) 169891(1/ 1) 170005 (1/ 1) 170077 to 170078 (2/ 2) 170111 (1/ 1) |
Serial Numbers in 66 Batches (n /SN range)
Collection 170154 (1/ 1) 170283 (1/ 1) 170327 (1/ 1) 170399 to 170419 (4/ 20) 170454 to 170474 (2/ 20) 170524 (1/ 1) 170542 to 171170 (32/ 628) 171531 to 172184 (38/ 653) 172559 to 172716 (7/ 157) 173389 to 175989 (93/ 2600) 177254 to 177419 (11/ 165) 177727 to 178267 (27/ 540) 178492 to 178732 (14/ 240) 179112 to 179621 (14/ 509) 179674 to 179876 (9/ 202) 180780 to 180988 (14/ 208) 180953 181085 to 181330 (16/ 245) 181409 to 181701 (9/ 292) 182629 to 182824 (7/ 195) 183026 to 183774 (39/ 748) 184627 to 184891 (12/ 264) 185412 to 185485 (3/ 73) |
185655 (1/ 1) 186054 to 186405 (11/ 351) 186750 to 187310 (20/ 560) ▲▲/▼▼▼ 187647 to 188222 (21/ 575) 188732 to 190214 (34/ 1482) 190345 (1/ 1) 190758 to 191155 (16/ 397) 190782 191886 to 192136 (6/ 250) 192300 to 192323 (2/ 23) 192389 to 192523 (3/ 134) 192578 (1/ 1) 193130 to 193153 (3/ 23) 193193 (1/ 1) 194772 to 195344 (20/ 572) 195456 to 195689 (10/ 233) 195774 (1/ 1) 195805 to 196650 (22/ 845) 196759 to 196800 (2/ 41) 213186 to 213499 (10/ 313) 235417 to 235689 (3/ 272) ▲/▲▲▲ |
MARKETING
This first standard Auto-Takumar was made for the Asahi Pentax K ("King") camera model that followed the initial Asahi Pentax (AP) single lens reflex camera.
This first standard Auto-Takumar was made for the Asahi Pentax K ("King") camera model that followed the initial Asahi Pentax (AP) single lens reflex camera.