A u t o - T a k u m a r 1 : 2.2 / 5 5
Produced 1961 to 1963. Serial Number range 316xxx - 686xxx. AOCo Product No. n/a. Honeywell Pentax Cat.No.736. Updated June 2024
Produced 1961 to 1963. Serial Number range 316xxx - 686xxx. AOCo Product No. n/a. Honeywell Pentax Cat.No.736. Updated June 2024
(Research Note: Since 2010 I have seen 1.80% (578 copies) of the total estimated 32,100 copies made.)
INTRODUCTION
A distinctive lens created for Asahi Pentax S1 /H1 cameras and the last of its kind. It is a "crippled" version of the long-lasting Auto-Takumar 1:2 / 55mm, a much more common lens whose optical design life is thus extended to 1963 in the form of this final standard Auto-Takumar. Accordingly, it did not acquire an AOCo product number or even patenting(?). (Could it have been 341-2?).
The Auto-Takumar 1:2.2/55 was competing with all black Super-Takumars. Half-way through production it had a make-over. Metal aperture rings changed from silver metal to black and the lettering from black to pastel blue colour. The number of grooves in focus ring finger-grips on some copies was reduced to 9 and an attempt was made to introduce the infra red mark to the crowded DOF guide at the end of its production period. All these changes were moving it closer to Super-Takumar traits.
A distinctive lens created for Asahi Pentax S1 /H1 cameras and the last of its kind. It is a "crippled" version of the long-lasting Auto-Takumar 1:2 / 55mm, a much more common lens whose optical design life is thus extended to 1963 in the form of this final standard Auto-Takumar. Accordingly, it did not acquire an AOCo product number or even patenting(?). (Could it have been 341-2?).
The Auto-Takumar 1:2.2/55 was competing with all black Super-Takumars. Half-way through production it had a make-over. Metal aperture rings changed from silver metal to black and the lettering from black to pastel blue colour. The number of grooves in focus ring finger-grips on some copies was reduced to 9 and an attempt was made to introduce the infra red mark to the crowded DOF guide at the end of its production period. All these changes were moving it closer to Super-Takumar traits.
DESCRIPTION
VARIATION
The last made copies are the second lens to introduce the "R" Infra Red focus marker following its (second generation) initiation by the Super-Takumar 1.8/55 (345-2). (The R symbol is first introduced in 1957 on the late Takumar 1:2 f = 58mm and earliest Takumar 1:3.5 135 batches ). The idea of miniaturising the number following the decimal point (of the central numeral 2.2 as below) to save space occurs from approximately SN 608146 to SN641518. The abbreviation includes only some copies in at least four batches. The idea was soon discarded and the IR marker introduced without it. I have not see copies with the red IR symbol "R" and a miniaturised decimal point numeral. The earliest copy with the IR marker I have seen is SN 608014.
The last made copies are the second lens to introduce the "R" Infra Red focus marker following its (second generation) initiation by the Super-Takumar 1.8/55 (345-2). (The R symbol is first introduced in 1957 on the late Takumar 1:2 f = 58mm and earliest Takumar 1:3.5 135 batches ). The idea of miniaturising the number following the decimal point (of the central numeral 2.2 as below) to save space occurs from approximately SN 608146 to SN641518. The abbreviation includes only some copies in at least four batches. The idea was soon discarded and the IR marker introduced without it. I have not see copies with the red IR symbol "R" and a miniaturised decimal point numeral. The earliest copy with the IR marker I have seen is SN 608014.
NOTES
The product number for this lens is not known. I conclude that it is based upon a modification of the previous model (341)?
An estimated 32,200 copies of the Auto-Takumar 55/2.2 were sold on S1 and H1 Asahi Pentax camera models from 1961. The best available estimate of the combined number of these two camera models made is currently 46,500 copies (Gerjan van Oosten, 2021); differing by 30% (assuming a 1:1 match up). The 30% was probably made up by the contemporary (341) and slightly faster Auto-Takumar 55/2.
The product number for this lens is not known. I conclude that it is based upon a modification of the previous model (341)?
An estimated 32,200 copies of the Auto-Takumar 55/2.2 were sold on S1 and H1 Asahi Pentax camera models from 1961. The best available estimate of the combined number of these two camera models made is currently 46,500 copies (Gerjan van Oosten, 2021); differing by 30% (assuming a 1:1 match up). The 30% was probably made up by the contemporary (341) and slightly faster Auto-Takumar 55/2.
LENS PRODUCTION (∑ lenses) ∑n = 578 Serial Numbers (SN) observed in 59 batches covering 26,121 SN min.< ∑ lenses < 38,047 SN max.
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 59 batches
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
SN without prefix, Aperture ring with 13 marked positions including 5 half-stops (marked by dots):
▼ Silver Aperture ring with black symbols. Finger grips in focus ring only contain 10 grooves ▲ / ▼ ▼ Coloured distance scales.▲▲ /▼▼▼ Black Aperture ring with blue symbols. Finger grips in focus ring contain 10 or 9 grooves ▲▲▲
Infra-Red symbol "R" appears on copies from batch 50 onwards, but only when the 2.2 numerals on DOF guide are of equal size.
SN min. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed within 59 batches
SN max. = accumulated total of serial numbers observed between adjacent batches of other lenses.
SN without prefix, Aperture ring with 13 marked positions including 5 half-stops (marked by dots):
▼ Silver Aperture ring with black symbols. Finger grips in focus ring only contain 10 grooves ▲ / ▼ ▼ Coloured distance scales.▲▲ /▼▼▼ Black Aperture ring with blue symbols. Finger grips in focus ring contain 10 or 9 grooves ▲▲▲
Infra-Red symbol "R" appears on copies from batch 50 onwards, but only when the 2.2 numerals on DOF guide are of equal size.
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▼ 316531 (1/ 1) 317911 to 318067 (5/ 156) 318099 to 318519 (14/ 420) 329597 to 330111 (10/ 514) 330257 (1/ 1) 335686 (1/1) 339558 to 340189 (13/ 631) 343711 to 344029 (9/ 318) 350070 to 350224 (7/ 154) 351692 (1/ 1) 357914 (1/ 1) 360378 to 361146 (19/ 768) 368711 to 368766 (2/ 55) 368873 to 369124 (7/ 251) 371190 to 372165 (19/ 975) 403771 to 403910 (7/ 143) 403800 silver 2.2 404418 to 406211 (30/ 1793) 413639 (1/ 1) 414114 to 414139 (4/ 26) ▼▼ 423027 to 423609 (15/ 712) 423219 423688 to 423756 (2/ 68) |
Serial Numbers in 59 Batches (n /SN range) Collection 425334 (1/ 1) 430183 to 430271 (3/ 88) 431653 to 432203 (15/ 550) 434283 (1/1) 435708 (1/ 1) 449805 to 450745 (17/ 940) 452686 (1/ 1) 458097 to 458492 (11/ 495) 468405 to 468999 (14/ 594) 486721 to 486891 (6/ 170) 486912 to 487474 (15/ 562) 488461 (1/ 1) 500131 to 501671 (37/ 1540) 505626 to 506035 (13/ 409) ▲/▼▼▼ 507321 (1/ 1) 508113 to 508737 (14/ 623) 508542 518163 to 518344 (6/ 181) 519432 (1/ 1) 519814 to 519816 (2/ 2) |
528095 to 528413 (7/ 318) 528598 to 528730 (3/ 132) 540955 to 540956 (2/ 2) 541770 to 542021 (4/ 251) 552355 (1/ 1) 556711 to 559232 (44/ 2521) 602565 to 603000 (10/ 435) 603141 to 603451 (5/ 310) 606366 to 608272 (38/ 1906) R with 2.2 but not 2.2 609343 to 609458 (5/ 115) 609587 to 610292 (16/ 705) 610698 to 611014 (8/ 316) 610746 2.2 611645 to 612431 (21/ 786) 612303 black R with 2.2 619681 to 621274 (34/ 1593) 628769 (1/ 1) 641367 to 641795 (11/ 428) 645226 to 645992 (12/ 766) 645795 black R with 2.2 646024 to 646222 (6/ 198) 684690 to 686854 (21/ 2164) 684822 black R with 2.2 ▲▲/▲▲▲ |
