Pentax's Super-Takumar 24mm f/3.5 — a classic M42 wide-angle for landscape and architecture.
The Super-Takumar 24mm f/3.5 is a wide-angle prime made by Asahi Optical for the M42 screw mount in the late 1960s. It sits in the Super-Takumar generation with automatic diaphragm operation and was the wide-angle choice below the 28mm and 35mm options in the Pentax system of the Spotmatic era.
This is a manual-focus M42 screw-mount lens with a 24mm focal length and a maximum aperture of f/3.5. Focus and the automatic diaphragm are operated in the standard Super-Takumar way. It is a compact all-metal wide-angle. Detailed optical specifications such as element count and filter thread are not stated here beyond the verified focal length and aperture.
At 24mm the lens delivers a genuinely wide field of view for landscapes, architecture, interiors and expansive travel scenes, with the depth of field that a moderate f/3.5 aperture at this focal length provides. Well-made Takumar wide-angles of this era are respected for their controlled distortion and pleasing rendering when stopped down a little.
Used prices sit above the standard primes owing to the wider focal length. Check the front and rear glass for haze, fungus and coating marks, confirm the automatic diaphragm functions and blades are clean, and test focus smoothness. Watch for possible thoriated-glass yellowing on some Takumars. An M42 to mirrorless adapter allows modern use.