MFlenses - A new life in a digital age
MFLenses 2026

Manual Focus Lenses Forum

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
logovectorizer.com
Spotlight

Featured partner placement for the forum front page.

INA 180mm
View previous topic :: View next topic  


Reply

I had mentioned some time back that I had bought this lens. Finally got to using it. I think this would qualify for that post about worst lenses. I suspect there is a missing mount. The current thread goes only part way into an M42 adapter before binding, so I suspect it's a different pitch. Somewhere I read about such an animal - what kind of adapters were they? Here's a couple of pictures of the lens. Is it missing a mount?




I haven't been able to get one decent picture from it. Check this out...


Reply

Is that not a t-mount then?


Reply

MF-G: Sent you a PM.


Reply

It's a T2 mount lens. If using without the mount, it won't fit into the M42 threads and will have weird focusing (the infinity will be way off).


Reply

I understand the infinity, but what causes the weird focusing?


Reply

I agree that picture looks very strange even for a lens without a proper mount.

I suspect a missing rear element. Or other damage, loose element, etc.

Its almost certainly a T-mount. T-mount lens-side is M42x.75 male. It will partly screw into M42x1 . You are @7mm beyond infinity by doing this.


Reply

It looks like it has been reassembled wrong.Take a look at the 1st image and look at the preset ring? Should that be the bottom f stop ring? Only a guess but it does look odd.


Reply

I have 2 lens with this type of odd mount.

One is my Quantaray 500 mirror and the other is my Taisei - Rokunar 200-400. The thread on each of these will not take a m42 or a T-mount adapter. My Taisei - Rokunar came with an adapter that changes the lens to a m42 adapter that will mount to both of these lens. I use a m42 to Canon EOS adapter and both of these lens will work fine on my 300d. I can post a picture of the adapter that will fit on both of these lens. I need to take out some set screws to get the adapter off the lens. I do not have my tools with me tonight.


Reply

woodrim wrote:
I understand the infinity, but what causes the weird focusing?


T-mount and M42 have different thread pitch, so forcing it onto an M42 adapter may result in having this lens visibly tilted on the camera. For a telephoto lens, the tilt can bring part of the image out of focus.


Reply

I didn't force the lens into the adapter, I just threaded it until it met with resistance. If it's out of kilter, it can't be by much. I've clumsily hand held lenses in front of the camera with better results. I wonder if I should get a T2 adapter or just give up on it. I was able to unscrew the focusing portion from the rest of the lens, leaving all glass in the front part, and confirm that the elements are not loose. There seems to be conflicting opinions on the mount type. Too bad because this lens has a wonderful round diaphragm.


Reply

Woodrim,

You might want to check if the lens has tell-tale signs that it has been opened up. For lenses of this type, very often the glass groups are dropped into the cells, with spacer rings if applicable, and then a locking ring is used to hold them in position. Therefore it would be easy to have one group flipped over during reassembly, that would create the severe swirlling effect as shown in your test picture.


Reply

Hi,

woodrim wrote:
I understand the infinity, but what causes the weird focusing?


If i remember well, the "native" T2 mount has a register distance of 55mm, so, mounting the lens directly on the camera you are almost 9.5mm off ...
Moreover, as aoleg said, the lens may have tilted a bit ...

T2 adapters can be found really cheap, no need to buy a +20$ one. If i were you, i would give it a chance ...

Cheers


Reply

I really don't have the inclination to screw with this lens. It was cheap enough, but I'll still take a loss to hand it off to someone else if anyone would like to have it. $10, shipping included anywhere in the US.


Reply

Pm sent.


Reply

Woodrim if you don't mind I will take over this thread, instead of starting a new one.
As soon as I get the lens, I will see if i can figure out what's wrong with the lens, and post some results. I still don't know the maker yet, but I have done some research, and found very little. Laughing

I would expect a version in Soligor, and a few other companies.I did find a Vivitar version on the forum. Check out this link, looks like the same maker to me.
http://forum.mflenses.com/vivitar-180-3-5-t-mount-preset-t9230,highlight,vivitar+180mm.html


Reply

Well, those pictures were a whole lot better than what I was able to accomplish. Hopefully you will solve the riddle. With three 200mm lenses, I really won't lose any sleep not having a 180mm. Maybe someday I'll pick up a Sonnar or Jupiter 180mm.


Reply

I had a few minutes free time today, so I was messing around with the lens.
Minimum focus is marked at 10' but the lens adjusts past that. I tried it
with a measured distance of 10', and it was out of focus.I hit focus at 12',
when I should of hit it at 6'.
So time to take the lens apart. There are 3 setscews at the rear of the lens, that need to be loosened, not removed.

I removed them, and dropped one. Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed
I will get my super magnet out tomorrow and find it.
The next step was to unscew the lens into 2 sections, then the rear section also unscews.
It took me 3 times to get it right. At least I hope it's right. Smile

I have the minumum focus set at 6'. Measured it and dead on focus at 6'.

Tomorrow I will check for infinity. I hope I nailed it. I will test a roll of film and see how the pics come out, so I know where to go from there.
It is a T-mount lens.


Reply

Wish I had been as smart.


Reply

woodrim wrote:......

According to my quick comparison with APO Lanthar 180mm f4 , INA 180mm f3.5 isn't so bad. I purchased it 10 $ only , it has M42 thread.

First Apo Lanthar 180mm wide open
Second INA 180mm f4





Reply

That lens looks very similar to 135 and 200mm lenses I've seen before in the Paragon or Super Paragon brand, i have a 200mm Super Paragon and it's a decent lens.

I'm pretty sure what is missing from your lens is the T mount adapter. It's a T-mount lens and needs the appropriate mount fitting. I've had a few T mount lenses like this over the years, they all had a short (approx 10-12mm) tube fitted that has a t thread one end and an m42 on the other which screws into the body.

Without the T mount adapter it won't work, as you have found out. If you have a 10mm M42 extension tube lying around you could use that as a makeshift adapter. Whether or not this will then hit infinity is anyone's guess.


Reply

I had a couple minutes this evening so I thought I'd get a couple shots in. Saturday I should be home at least part of the day. So I will do some testing then.


Reply

Kinda a head scratcher. I will test it at different f stops, but I don't think this lens will produce a sharp image at any stop. Lens miss alignament?
I will post the results no matter how bad or good.


Reply

Lens element missing or turned on wrong side. On rear part i guess. Nice effect though.


Reply

Pancolart wrote:
Lens element missing or turned on wrong side. On rear part i guess. Nice effect though.


I agree that it looks that way. Kind of looks like a posting where someone removed the rear element from a 44-2. Still not a big improvement from when I owned it (initial post). Maybe just the reversed element?


Reply

woodrim wrote:
Pancolart wrote:
Lens element missing or turned on wrong side. On rear part i guess. Nice effect though.


I agree that it looks that way. Kind of looks like a posting where someone removed the rear element from a 44-2. Still not a big improvement from when I owned it (initial post). Maybe just the reversed element?


Much more extreme effect than my modified 44-2, but definitely the same type of effect imho.






I have a cheap 135mm I could remove the back element from to see what happens if you like.

This is why I keep buying very very cheap lenses - if they are junk they become a source of spare parts for diy projects. I just removed all the elements from a Mirage 2.8/135 that had been dropped so the second element from the front was badly chipped. I then mounted a 1913 16,5cm Tessar in the front to utilise the M42 mount, aperture and helicoid. Just off out to try it now, will post samples soon.