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Asahi Pentax

FotoGearLensAsahi Pentax SMC

Pentax Lenses:

Pentax: • Soft 85mm

200mm

Green Star ★ 300mm

135-600mm

200-400mm

f4.5 500mm

f5.0 500mm

1000mm

1 • Rare Asahi Pentax SMC Soft 85mm f/2.2 PK + Hood

The SMC Pentax 85mm f/2.2 Soft is a rare, manual-focus prime lens built for the Pentax K mount. It was manufactured between 1986 and 1990. Unlike normal lenses, it uses intentional lens flaws to create a dreamy, glowing "soft focus" effect/
How the Softness Works: The lens relies on uncorrected spherical aberrations. The aperture ring has no click-stops and acts as the "softness control". Shooting wide open at f/2.2 gives the most dreamlike, glowing effect. Stopping the lens down toward f/5.6 cuts away the outer light paths and makes the image significantly sharper.

• Production Year: 1977 • Minimum Focus: 22.4" • Weight: 235 grams • Dimensions 72 x 52mm
• f2.2 - 5.6 • Filter: 49mm

2 • Asahi Pentax SMC Telephoto 200mm F2.5 PK

The SMC Pentax 200mm f/2.5 is a classic, manual-focus telephoto prime lens made for Pentax K-mount cameras. Released in 1977 and produced until 1986, it holds the title of the fastest 200mm lens Pentax ever produced.

• Production Year: 1982 • Minimum Focus: 6.6 ft. • Weight: 950 grams - 2.1 lbs • Dimensions 89 x 145mm
• f2.5 - 32.0 • Filter: 77mm Front

3 • Rare Asahi Pentax SMC M ★ Green Star 300mm F4 200mm f2.5 PK

The SMC Pentax-M★ (Star) 300mm F4 (often called the "Green Star" due to the green accent ring and star logo) was a groundbreaking, professional-grade manual focus telephoto lens. It holds a special place in history as the very first "Star" (★) lens Pentax ever produced, a designation reserved for their elite, high-performance optics.

• Uniquely Compact: Pentax designed this lens to be incredibly small and lightweight compared to previous 300mm lenses. Users often note that the rear body feels thin like a 200mm lens, while the front bulges out to hold the large 77mm glass element.
• Elite Glass: As a "Star" series lens, it utilized early extra-low dispersion (ED) glass and Pentax’s premier Super Multi-Coating (SMC). This setup yields high contrast, minimal color fringing (chromatic aberration), and excellent sharpness even when shot wide open at f/4.
• Built-in Hood: The lens features a built-in sliding hood. Curiously, Pentax also created a very rare, separate matching screw-on hood that could be reverse-mounted for storage.

• Production Year: 1982 • Minimum Focus: 13.1 ft. • Weight: 830 grams • Dimensions 84 x 132mm
• f4.0 - 32.0 • Filter: 77mm Front

4 • Rare Asahi Pentax Zoom Lens 135-600mm f6.7 PK + Hard Case

The SMC Pentax Zoom 135-600mm f/6.7 is a legendary, ultra-rare super-telephoto manual focus lens built like a tank. It was introduced by Asahi Pentax in 1975 alongside the launch of the original K-mount system. Known for its massive size and unique drop-in filter system, it was primarily aimed at professional sports, press, and wildlife photographers who needed ultimate reach.

• Production Year: 1977 • Field of View: 6.2-4.1° • Minimum Focus: 20.0 ft or 9.3 ft with Close Up • Weight: 4,070 grams 9 lbs • Dimensions 105 x 589mm
• f6.7 - 45.0 • Filter: 52mm Rear - 95mm Front

5 • Rare Asahi Pentax Reflex Zoom Lens 400-600mm f8.0 PK

The SMC Pentax 400-600mm F8-12 Reflex Zoom is an exceptionally rare and unique piece of photographic history, widely recognized as the only mirror zoom lens ever produced by a major camera manufacturer. Produced between 1984 and 1999, this extreme-telephoto manual-focus lens utilizes catadioptric (mirror) design principles to offer a massive focal range in a remarkably short barrel length.

• Production Year: 1982 • Field of View: 6.2-4.1° • Minimum Focus: 9.8' • Fixed at F8 (at 400mm) changing dynamically to F12 (at 600mm). • Filter: 67mm Filter

6 • Asahi Pentax SMC Lens 500mm f4.5 PK + Case

• Production Year: 1980 • Field of View: 5.0° • Minimum Focus: 32.8 feet • Dimensions: 128mm x 386mm • 3,370 grams 7.43 lbs • f4.5-45.0 • Filter: 52mm Rear Filters

7 • Rare Asahi Pentax SMC Lens 500mm f5.0 m42/PK + Leather Case

Version 4 (SMC Pentax K-Mount, 1975–1986): Very Rare. When Pentax transitioned to the K-mount, they kept manufacturing the 1000mm f/8 on a limited basis. Total production numbers remain exceptionally low across its 11-year run. Finding an Asahi Takumar 500mm f/5.0 complete with its original hard trunk case and metal push-on front cap elevates it from "very rare" to a true museum-grade collector's item. While roughly 2,700 lenses were manufactured], it is estimated that fewer than 10% to 15%survive today on the market as a complete, matching kit.

• Production Year: 1965 • Field of View: 5.0° • Minimum Focus: 34.4 feet • Dimensions: 143mm x 738mm • 2850g 6.28lbs • f5.0-22.0 • Filter: 52mm Rear Filters

8 • Rare Asahi Pentax SMC Lens 1000mm f8.0 PK + Hard Case

Version 4 (SMC Pentax K-Mount, 1975–1986): Very Rare. When Pentax transitioned to the K-mount, they kept manufacturing the 1000mm f/8 on a limited basis. Total production numbers remain exceptionally low across its 11-year run.

• Telescopic Focus: The lens completely lacks a traditional focusing ring. Instead, dual side-mounted knobs control a rack-and-pinion focusing mechanism, operating exactly like an astronomical telescope.
• Built-in Sighting Scopes: Because the field of view is incredibly narrow, it features mechanical front and rear sighting scopes on top of the barrel to help you locate and align distant subjects before looking through the camera.
• Drop-in Filters: Due to the enormous size of the front glass element, standard front filters are not used. The lens relies on 52mm filters inserted via a rear drop-in slot.

• Production Year: 1975-1986 • Field of View: 1.4° • Minimum Focus: 98.0 feet • Dimensions: 143mm x 738mm • Weight: 11.66 lbs with case 25.5 lbs
• f8.0-45 • Filter: 52mm Rear