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Chinon 300mm f/5.6
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 11:32 pm    Post subject: Chinon 300mm f/5.6 Reply with quote

I did a search but didn't find reference to this lens. Does anyone have experience with it? I had never seen it before. It can be seen here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Objectif-CHINON-1-5-6-f-300-mm-avec-etui-/400144816561 I believe this is the Multi-Coated version.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 1:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks exactly like my Revuenon 5.6/300 which, I suppose, is Tokina made.

Very sharp lens with good contrast. Unfortunately, it suffers from strong CAs. @f5.6 sharper than my Tair-3S at same aperture, @f8 it's tie. But @f8 Tair exhibits almost no CAs.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You don't suppose Chinon made the lens for Revuenon? The one I'm looking at is the Chinon multi-coated with the green lettering. I was hoping it was a Chinon manufacture.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tokina RMC 5.6/300 except the colors of lettering and slightly different rubber grip, looks exactly the same. I don't know Chinon history, but wiki states, that it was camera company. Probably Chinon lenses was built by other manufacturers.
BTW. my Revuenon has too green lettered "multi coating" on front ring.






PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder. I find it difficult at times to identify lens makers, or even lenses that may have been made by same makers. There are always subtle differences, and sometimes subtle similarities. Since basically they are all round and cylindrical in shape, we need to look at other characteristics. Does this one look like it too can be the same maker? There are subtle differences.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hard to say, but this one looks quite different to me. Especially the aperture ring. Which looks on Chinon, my Revuenon and Tokina exactly same. The front part of focusing ring and transition to the lens hood is on the other three lenses same too, but different from your last picture.


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woodrim, The lens in your post is one I've not seen. It definitely looks different from the Tokina style so I guess a different maker. What brand is on the lens.

Bill


PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote





PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chinon seemed to MAKE either very good or average lenses. I'm not aware of them putting their badge on other lenses but they did make lenses for other companies.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woodrim, The screw pattern on the rear surface of the lens is like that used by Cimko but the orientation is different.

My thoughts on Chinon are that they probably assembled some lenses using designs and elements bought from others and used their own mechanical components (barrels and grips). Other lenses were bought and labeled. I think it depends on the time frame. There are also examples carrying the Tomioka name on the ID ring in addition to the Chinon brand. I see them on e-bay at outrageous prices!

A Chinar lens caught my eye last week but it was clearly marked made in Korea and I passed it by.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Think the lens is worth a go? As for Chinon, I find it confusing with all the different and conflicting information. Surfing the net will reveal comments saying they made their own lenses, didn't make lenses, lenses are all good, some are average, yada yada. I find it very disappointing how little is really known about many of the Japanese lens companies. Wouldn't you think there were records still in existence or at least people who worked at the companies who would remember? I suppose to research it better, it would need to be done by an enthusiast in Japan.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Worth a go? That's between your conscience and your wallet and the advice of others may be all for naught if you really want it. I know I have a few that I just had to have!

Yes, Chinon's is an interesting situation. I could fill a few paragraphs with what I know from selling their cameras in the '74-'77 screw mount era, faded recollections of what I read in magazines of the '71-'86 period and a few anecdotes from the web.

Marshaling and attributing published or physical evidence is something I haven't done and that is why my statements are opinion, not fact.

We really need to correspond with people who worked in the industry then. We also need a very good interpreter!

Follow this link to read an article by a writer who followed the industry very closely.

http://keppler.popphoto.com/blog/2006/03/whats_in_a_name.html


PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting reading there!

There seems to be complete series of such Chinons. Quite nice i must say:

2.5/24mm M42 Click here to see on Ebay.de
2.8/28mm M42 Click here to see on Ebay.de
2.8/35mm M42 Click here to see on Ebay.de
2.8/135mm M42 Click here to see on Ebay
8/500mm M42 Mirror Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pancolart wrote:
There seems to be complete series of such Chinons. Quite nice i must say.

These Chinon lenses seemed to be re-branded versions of the Tamron F-System range, sold by Dixons in the UK. They're very similar to the Adaptall 1 range, but in fixed mount M42 screw fitting. Perhaps they were sold in other fittings elsewhere?

http://www.adaptall-2.org/brochures/Product_Brochures.html


PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That last one looks a lot like the 70's Adaptall-1 from Tamron from the lettering to the coating!



PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got one of those Chinon 300's last week, and I'm already impressed. I've also got a Tair and a Soligor 300, this Chinon is way lighter than either so it's easy to hand hold on my NEX5.
It's fractionally slower that the Soligor and a stop slower than the Tair, but the ability to hand hold makes up for that.
Is it as sharp ? I haven't done a good shootout of all three on a tripod yet, but the Chinon is OK. One fault is the CA / fringing, which although it isn't as much as some other lenses I have used, is red. Which makes it harder to remove in PP.
The bokeh is lovely, and the colours are good. It's got a lot going for it.

I posted a 5 image stitch taken with this lens in the 'Digital Darkroom' forum.

http://forum.mflenses.com/microsoft-ice-for-stitching-t46910.html

I'll post some more pictures with no PP in this topic later on.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ChromaticAberration wrote:
That last one looks a lot like the 70's Adaptall-1 from Tamron from the lettering to the coating!


I compared pictures of 135mm and 200mm Chinon lenses from this line with Tamron lenses and they also look identical.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No PP or cropping, the flower was in a patch of long grass and everything was blowing in the wind, which is why there is some bokeh in front of the flower which was probably 20 feet away, just about the closest this lens will focus.
Hand held shot, wide open at 5.6, ISO 800 and 1/1000sec



I was pleased with this shot, I think the lens stamped a certain style on the image which I like.