Manual Focus Lenses Forum

Sven · Expire: 2011-12-29

Not without some influence from this forum I treated myself to a Flektogon as a late Christmas present (it's not so often I see them on Swedish Ebay).
Today was my first chance to test it.
It seems to produce sharp images with high contrast when correctly used. For some reason I missed focus on a number of shots.
It should be very good for close ups with a limit just below 0.2 m.
The sky on some shots came out with a deeper blue colour than normally, almost like my MIR 20
The only complaint is that the focus adjustment can be set beyond infinity. That is when used on the Pentax DSLR with an M42 adapter. I haven't tried it on the Nikon yet.

Some samples from the test run:

no-X · Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:54 pm

#3 is wonderful! Excellent atmosphere Smile

Paul · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 173 Location: Hamburg-Germany

I tried this lens on film-slr and found it to be less sharp than my Pentax 2.0/35 - so I sold it.
Interestingly the 2.0/35 is one of the sharpest lenses on my Pentax-dslr-equipment. So maybe the Flektogon might win as well quite a lot on (crop/aps-)dslr as well!

BTW: Nice landscape shots!

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

I think the 35mm flek is a superb lens. I use it all the time for close-up food shots for stock and it has also done an excellent job for me as a landscape lens. It is far sharper across the frame and much more convenient for tight close-ups than the Canon 24-70 f2.8L (which also needs a short tube to focus as close as the flek will get).
However, both copies I got suffered from sticky irises that completely jammed up after exposure to a few months heat in the Middle East. I was so impressed with the image quality that I had them both professionally cleaned (at considerable expense) and they are now like new.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Yes, weakest part of East German lenses after 30-40 yrs blades can be dirty , need to clean sometimes. Flektogon 35mm one of my best lens too. Currently I love my newest 35mm an Olympus OM 35mm f2 , I like Flektogon 35mm better than 35mm f1.4 Nikkor Shocked

Sven · Expire: 2011-12-29

Thanks for your replies!
Fortunately the iris seems to be quite clean and snappy on this one.

A difficult question maybe with lo-res shots, but would you say that based on my samples, that the lens performs as expected?

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I see nothing wrong, surely better light produce better result.

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

The Flektogon bokeh is not the world's best. The background to your Apple is pretty much as expected.

I don't see anything desperately wrong with the other shots. The name on the boat appears to be sharp but you are obviously shooting wide open.

There does seem to be a hint of magenta/green aberration on some of the backlit subjects. I've not noticed that with my copies but I may not have used them in lighting conditions that would show that up.

Ballu · Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:48 pm

I also have the same issue with my Flek... goes much beyond infinity...
The problem is, its designed to go to infinity just around 15-20ft. any little movement (in focussing ring) makes the pic OOF.

Whenever I see the samples of this lens, always think of taking out of closet.. but end up forgetting.. Embarassed

Seems like its time to use this gem... But its almost difficult to use (for me) to use beyond portrait limit (esp wide open or below f4).

PaulC · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 2318

Perhaps these show the lens to better advantage:

Sven · Expire: 2011-12-29

Attila:
I'm sure it will improve in better light. The thing is that the sun never comes up very high this time of year. Not so bad for creating landscape shots but less useful for lens evaluation.

PaulC:
I recognize the bokeh from other posting on this forum. Not great (like the 135 Orestor), but still usable in my opinion.
The boat is shot wide open as you so correctly noticed.
I didn't notice the fringes before, but yes, it's there on some other shots as well. I tried to correct one in PS with reasonably good result.

Ballu:
Good to know that the beyond infinity issue is not isolated to my lens. I guess i won't reach infinity anyhow when i try it on the Nikon.

Thanks all for your answers !

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

This is my problem too Sad

NO GOOD LIGHTS Sad

Wormhandler · Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 106 Location: Sweden

For me, the sometimes disturbing bokeh is the only drawback.
A really competent lens. If I could chose only one prime for a trip, this is the one I would choose.
Luckily I have had no problem with sticky aparture.

/Jan

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Oh for goodness sake, don't get me started on this lens again Laughing

Great shots Sven and PaulC, especially that last fruit one, talk about sharp Shocked

voytek · Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 892

There are many lenses usually with opinion of good or very good performers. When I bought 2.4/35 I wasn't sure is it true or a myth. Until time when I took this picture.

Ballu · Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:41 pm

voytek · Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 892

Sorry not for this one and all taken 2008. My external storage HDD crashed last week with hundreds of photos in PEFF, TIFF format. But I can take other photo and then you will choose part of it to crop.