How to (Easily) Fix the Mirror Hang Issue with an SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Hello everyone. I discovered a very quick and easy way to solve the mirror hang issue with Canon full frame bodies and the SMC Takumar (or Super Takumar) 50mm f/1.4 lens. These lenses are still very intriguing and are inexpensive to grab off Ebay or a pawn shop. If you're interested, check it out:

http://bit.ly/1EW5Jxx

Here's a few unedited shots taken at either f/1.4 or f/2 the day I created the video. (More on the blog post and in the video).

 

[JumboShrimp]

Good idea and well done. I have one of these and will try it soon.

You sort of hint that with the added tape, infinity focus is not possible except by using hyperfocus. Is that true? If so, does that also mean that infinity focus is not possible at f/1.4?

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Good idea and well done. I have one of these and will try it soon.

You sort of hint that with the added tape, infinity focus is not possible except by using hyperfocus. Is that true? If so, does that also mean that infinity focus is not possible at f/1.4?

Check out the image above - it is shot at f/1.4 and infinity seems pretty good (the sign that I was focusing on was roughly 45 feet away). The aperture controls are rotated not quite one quarter turn to the right side now, so the the position is definitely different, but I don't think that infinity focus is compromised, particularly when stopped down a few stops. How often are you shooting that lens at infinity and f/1.4? Considering the somewhat "dreamy" character of the lens wide open, that seems like a recipe for disaster anyway!

If anything, I feel like the lens is actually in better alignment with the sensor and feel my images since the little modification have looked better.

 

[Snodge]

For the most part, hyperfocal for infinity is fine as during the day most of the time where infinity is needed, f/8 ot f/11 is what I use, however with my lens with this fix, night time handheld shots that require f/1.4 are definitely problematic. It may depend on the subject as to how noticeable the focus or lack of focus is.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

For the most part, hyperfocal for infinity is fine as during the day most of the time where infinity is needed, f/8 ot f/11 is what I use, however with my lens with this fix, night time handheld shots that require f/1.4 are definitely problematic. It may depend on the subject as to how noticeable the focus or lack of focus is.

Wide open I would say the natural infinity distance with this fix is roughly 45-50 feet away. Stopped down about two stops recovers full infinity focus. That works perfectly for my applications of the lens; it may not work for yours.