Asahi Super-Takumar 35mm 3.5

When I got my first camera and started reading up on technical details, I gave too much importance to things I did not understand. I read about sensor crop factor, how much better full frame is, and all sorts of stuff that made me feel like I needed better or different gear. That's the easy way, isn't it? Lack of knowledge or experience? Nah, you just don't have the right lens. I was shocked my 50mm lens was actually an 80mm. How would I use it now?! Everyone stresses the importance of a 50mm in your kit. This was at a time when I didn't fully realise the benefits of different focal lengths. Silly, wasn't I?

The 35mm Super-Takumar was my first wider lens. I used it when I didn't understand it, and I loved it. Years later I used it again, with a bit more learning behind me (and tons more to go), for this review, and I still love it.

The condition of my copy is brilliant. The glass elements are near perfect. Focus: my god, smooth as butter. There is some wear on the paint that I personally like. (What better way for an item to show it's been loved than slight signs of use?) The focus, the focus, the focus! This is the most enjoyable lens I've used in regards to focus. The build quality is absolutely brilliant, from the aperture ring to the A/M switch.

The 49mm filter size makes it easy to use with a fairly common filter size. When I bought it, I was very happy it took the same filter as my 50mm 1.8 Canon lens.

One thing I absolutely adore about this lens is how tiny it is. It feels like a little mechanical marvel. If I'm travelling light and need a 35mm, I usually grab this one.

The minimum focusing distance is slightly annoying, but that's most likely me being biased, and a Carl Zeiss Flektogon whispering sweet close-ups in my ear.

My weeks of use for this review coincided with a spark of interest in night urban photography. This lens has trouble with flaring during the day (if you're not careful). Well, it's the same at night. A park with a few lamps had light ricocheting all over the frame, bouncing and ghosting.

Decent enough wide open, as expected of a slower lens. It sharpens up nicely between f5.6 and f8, so no complaints there. It serves its purpose for shots that require more detail. Contrast was superb, and I was really happy with it.

Nice and vivid colors, with some "punch", as annoying as that sounds.

This lens isn't that special on paper. Some might call it mediocre. But the combination of size, sharpness, and handling really gets me. It might be a sentimental thing, but I really like this lens. It's a bang-for-the-buck lens that likes landscapes and details, and doesn't weigh my bag down. If I sat in a cardboard box that had "Time Machine" written in marker on it and went back, I'd buy it again in an instant.