Vintage lens recommendations

[cathouse42]

What are good vintage lenses for astrophotography?

Ideally to fit onto a Canon EF mount, via adapter.

Knowing a lot of vintage lenses are physically connected rather than electronic (K-mount variations), aperture control arms etc, What are things that are known to NOT work also.

Primes preferably , for wide field and perhaps up to 300mm.

[michaelmorris]

The Pentax Takumar SMC lenses are excellent. I have the 200 mm f4 and I'm pleased as a pleased thing with it.

[Merlin66]

+1 from me!

I also use all my ol' Olympus Zuiko lens on the Canon. They work very well.

[happy-kat]

my vintage lens all things don't work so control is fully manual, focusing, aperture, shutter speed, only exposure and iso the camera can deal with directly.

[cathouse42]

So the main mounts I have to adapt are M42 (SMC Takumar's, screw threads) and K-Mounts (Bayonet) or variations of K-mounts.

[Merlin66]

You'll find all the adaptors you need on eBay

[cathouse42]

You'll find all the adaptors you need on eBay

I will search Amazon. I am more concerned with proper flange distances rather than some cheap hacked up adapter ( I see a lot with glued on contacts ).

[happy-kat]

k mounts can/might stick in quite far possible get mirror contact. I did a bit of measuring with my k mount to feel confident the mirror would not hit the mount on the lens I had.

[DaveS]

I think you won't get infinity focus with K-mount. M42 is fine.

Nearly all my primes are Leica R with adapters for EF, though I think the sharpest is my '60s 35 f/2 SMC Takumar. Yes, the one that sends Geiger counters clicking   

[wxsatuser]

I will search Amazon. I am more concerned with proper flange distances rather than some cheap hacked up adapter ( I see a lot with glued on contacts ).

If you want no nonsence adapters that work, go Fotodiox.

I got all mine direct, great company to deal with and if you keep orders small no import taxes.

[Andy Mitchell]

Pentax Lenses (K and M42) http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/

Third party lenses (K and M42)http://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/

[Xplode]

Asahi M42 and Pentax K mount are both usually good, note that there's also Pentax M with K mount and they aren't always as good as the older lenses.

135mm f/3.5, 200mm f/4 are cheap lenses that gives great results. Longer focal lengths aren't that easy to find at a reasonable price if they are f/4.

For the shorter focal lengths you will probably want to stick with shorter exposures, longer exposures that get stacker will just have too many stars and be very hard to process

If you have a crop sensor the 135mm f/3.5 is a good choice since you can fit orions nebula and the 3 belt stars in the FOV at the same time  Many other large targets will fit it's FOV too.