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Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . .
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:21 am    Post subject: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
I open with saying sorry if this comes off really dumb, but then I'm looking to the more experienced . . . Embarassed

FIRST - If I ever get the shot at a lens like a Zeiss (etc.), do I just have to look for a standard M42 to Minolta adapter? (I've tried for one, though I remember it noted an association with the Russian lenses etc.)

SECONDLY - Can anyone advise me on a "dark-horse" lens I should keep an eye out for? (This would be a little known lens that people might right off, but is a gem.)

Thanks in advance for any and all advice, as well as your tolerence.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You are in the right place, and someone with far more knowledge than I will put you right (Lucis, Orio, Attila). I can help with nikkors, but they are typically expensive, with a few exceptions (one being the 50-135/3.5 zoom) and you will certainly need an adaptor - of which I am completely ignorant. Welcome - no questions are stupid, but answers can be.


patrickh


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here in Eastern Europe the most common (cheep) lenses are the Helios 44-2 and Industar 50-2 (at least here in Romania). They are good lenses and a good way to star your MF adventure. Of course there are many others (Pentacon, Meyer, Carl Zeiss/Jena, Jupiter, Tair, etc.......) and don't forget those many Japanese lenses begining with the Takumars (Pentax) which you may find more easily than Eastern German or russian lenses in you country.

PS. About the adapter, I think its ok any M42 adapter (no metter what minolta you have - A or MD mount) but it would be better to look for manual lenses or lenses which have the A/M swich button (in case your adapter can not push the diaphragm pin inside).


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
"There is no stupid question, if at all there are only stupid answers..."
(Famous saying here in Germany.)

You should keep your eyes open for a Jupiter-37A 3.5/135 (in any version). These lenses can still be found for a very nice price and offer great performance.
If you are looking for a longer tele lens the Jupiter-21M 4/200 is almost unbeatable as far as price/performance value is concerned.

Tamron SP lenses are usually very good, but often rather pricey.

M42 50mm lenses are mostly good, no matter which one you take.
A Pentacon auto 1.8/50 or a Helios-44-2 2/58 can be found very cheap.
An Auto Revuenon 1.4/55 (Tomioka) or a CZJ Pancolar 1.8/50 go for more money, but mostly are worth it.

I also like my MIR-1B 2.8/37 a lot, but here opinions diverge.

For 28mm lenses my recommendation are: Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 2.5/28 (Kiron) or Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 2.8/28 (Komine). Both are excellent lenses.

A Nikkor lens which often is affordable is the pre-AI Nikkor-H 2.0/50, but I don't know how easy it is to use Nikkors at a Minolta.

You also can find some nice Yashica M42 lenses for good priced and those lenses also are good ones.
And Soligor lenses are mostly really cheap, although most of them are really good. But quality there is not always constant, so you should be prepared to get a lemon and look for another one (which is not too bad, since you probably have not paid a lot. Wink)

Good luck!


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Supprise package for me has been Helios 44-4. Dirt cheap but is an excellent lens with killer bokeh.

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 3.5/135 is also a 'must have' lens.

The most anoying thing with MF lenses is that quite often you get dud lenses (falty Mad ). I've virtually thrown away a third of all MF lenses I bought Sad . Mind you we are dealing with 40+ year old lenses.

cheers
Ed


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
esrods wrote:
The most anoying thing with MF lenses is that quite often you get dud lenses (falty Mad ). I've virtually thrown away a third of all MF lenses I bought Sad . Mind you we are dealing with 40+ year old lenses.


I am sorry to hear that. Of all the lenses I have bought, I only had to "throw away" three (or rather I gave them away for free Wink).
I tend to be very careful if I cannot check the lens beforehand.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Maybe I am spending so much time at the bargain basement Wink


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
j.lukow wrote:

FIRST - If I ever get the shot at a lens like a Zeiss (etc.), do I just have to look for a standard M42 to Minolta adapter? (I've tried for one, though I remember it noted an association with the Russian lenses etc.)


Is the Minolta autofocus register distance the same as manual focus Minolta? If yes, a M42 adapter is perfectly doable.

j.lukow wrote:
SECONDLY - Can anyone advise me on a "dark-horse" lens I should keep an eye out for? (This would be a little known lens that people might right off, but is a gem.)


My suggested Russian lenses to buy cheap:

Jupiter-37 in any of it's four versions
Jupiter-21M
Helios-44 in any of it's countless versions

These should be found easily for a very little money (typically from 10 to 30 Euros)
.
Just a little more expensive (around 50-70 Euros), you should look for:

MIR-24 any version
Volna-9
Kaleinar-5N
Jupiter-9

A very good lens in the 70-90 Euros range is:

Tair-11A

Around 90-110 Euros you should find the superwides:

MIR-20M
MIR-47 any version

And finally, around 120-150 Euros, you should begin to find some Helios-40 copies

All the above lenses are M42, but sometimes they are also found as M39, so be careful to read well the description. M39 is no tragedy because it can be adapted, but you will lose a little bit of infinity focus.

j.lukow wrote:
Thanks in advance for any and all advice, as well as your tolerence.


You're most welcome and all questions are gladly accepted, especially from respectful people like you! Smile


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
... M39 is no tragedy because it can be adapted, but you will lose a little bit of infinity focus.


Really? I've got a M39 lens (J37) adapted with a M39-M42-ring and then with a M42-EOS-adapter to my EOS and I have full infinity. Hmmm... strange.


PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Orio wrote:
... M39 is no tragedy because it can be adapted, but you will lose a little bit of infinity focus.


Really? I've got a M39 lens (J37) adapted with a M39-M42-ring and then with a M42-EOS-adapter to my EOS and I have full infinity. Hmmm... strange.


Just a tiny bit, yes. At or around f/8 it is undiscernible.


PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:50 am    Post subject: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
montecarlo wrote:
PS. About the adapter, I think its ok any M42 adapter (no metter what minolta you have - A or MD mount). . .

Thank you for the advice (You too Orio) - I run MD mounts, my XGM is in for repairs under warranty and my back-up is an SRT201 (I'm old school - not into AF), so I'd hope not to have any issues.

Lucis:
"There is no stupid question, if at all there are only stupid answers..."
(Famous saying here in Germany.)
I always thought that saying was famous everywhere.(I don't think "meine Mutter" had said anything about that Wink )

So the jist of this so far is there's lots out there if you watch - many dark horses and plan to buy a M42 adapter for my Minolta and maybe an adapter ring set.

To add to the flurry of info - any good suppliers of adapters?


PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have good experiences with Camerapartner (UK), Roxsen (Hong Kong), Phototools24 (Germany) and big_is (Hong Kong).
But I know that others were complaining about some of these...


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:12 am    Post subject: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
I have good experiences with Camerapartner (UK), Roxsen (Hong Kong), Phototools24 (Germany) and big_is (Hong Kong).
But I know that others were complaining about some of these...


Shocked Lucis you timing is truly great! Very Happy Last night I was cruising eBay and I was thinking about a post asking about Roxsen.When you speak of good experiences-are you talking shipping and receiving item ordered or do you include quality of product and value for money.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've bought a LeicaR-EOS-adapter from them for $22,- incl. shipping. The adapter arrived (from Hong Kong to Germany) ten days after I had paid and is of excellent quality.
I also bought a fantastic quality M42-EOS-adapter from them that I won for about Euro 10,- incl. shipping!

Qualitywise these perhaps are the best adapters I have. (Although the one I got from Camerapartner is really good!)

Four days ago I bought a PK-EOS-adapter from Roxsen and I should get within the next days.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Orio wrote:
... M39 is no tragedy because it can be adapted, but you will lose a little bit of infinity focus.


Really? I've got a M39 lens (J37) adapted with a M39-M42-ring and then with a M42-EOS-adapter to my EOS and I have full infinity. Hmmm... strange.


There are two sorts of M39 lenses. The M39 lenses which were originally made for rangefinder camera's. With them you'll have the infinity problem. And the M39 lenses made for Zenit camera's. Those you can use via two adaptors on your DSLR.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Advice (I hope I don't look stupid) . . . Reply with quote
Ivo wrote:

There are two sorts of M39 lenses. The M39 lenses which were originally made for rangefinder camera's. With them you'll have the infinity problem. And the M39 lenses made for Zenit camera's. Those you can use via two adaptors on your DSLR.


True, but I was not talking of rangefinder lenses. The M39 lenses that I have (Helios-44; MIR-1; Helios-40) all miss infinity focus by a little.
Then I read somewhere that there is a tiny difference in the register distances from M39 (M39 reflex) to M42.
So this explaines it.
The difference is not dramatic, for tele lenses you rarely use infinity focus, for wide lenses you usually use them stopped down and from f/5.6 on, the infinity looks acceptably focused also with M39 lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Even wide open I don't remark this problem with my Jupiter J9 (a silver M39 version).


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess this is the sad part of Eastern Block quality control Sad


PostPosted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ivo wrote:
Even wide open I don't remark this problem with my Jupiter J9 (a silver M39 version).


Well, not all lenses are born equal. And neither adapters or cameras.
If you found a good working combination, stick with it.
But it's fair to warn new potential buyers of this combo, that the infinite focus can be an issue with many M39 reflex lenses, so they have to purchase informed.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Qualitywise these perhaps are the best adapters I have. (Although the one I got from Camerapartner is really good!)

Four days ago I bought a PK-EOS-adapter from Roxsen and I should get within the next days.


Well I got my M42/Minolta MF adapter $14.03 CD shipping included . . .

Quality looks good, now I just have to buy me an M42 lens . . .
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