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MC Quantaray 85-300mm/F5 - Any good?
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:00 pm    Post subject: MC Quantaray 85-300mm/F5 - Any good? Reply with quote
Seems no info online about this lens.

Got it from ebay, looks great, but is for C/FD mount, so what about image quality? does it worth to be converted to modern mount?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
No tellin'! Ritz Camera went to several different suppliers for their Quantaray branded lenses. Some are Sigma. Probably all are from the lowest cost supplier.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's zoom ring "click shifts", and enables macro down to 1:2. Maybe this give a clue?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Seen fairly often in other brands like Soligor.

My guess is most likely made by Sun, one of the last series before they got out of the consumer lens business.
No idea about quality, not many people have properly tested it, probably.
Why dont you test it and tell us.

BTW, what camera have you got ?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Definitely a Sun - here is a Spiratone ad from 1981 identifying it as such -

http://books.google.com/books?id=vN2DsQuik3oC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=sun+85-300+f/5&source=bl&ots=BuIvCrN38e&sig=LwvztRchZBF26BCet2JX_5COSv4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7BhMU6KNLqWEygHEsYDIAw&ved=0CCUQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=sun%2085-300%20f%2F5&f=false


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have SLT-A57, so not easy to mount. I bought it for another purpose, where I need separate zoom and focus rings, but it looks so solid, it's tempting to try.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-FD-Lens-to-Minolta-MA-Sony-Alpha-Mount-Adapter-Ring-Infinity-focus-Glass-/271218519769?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item3f25e22ed9

There is an adapter available, not that expensive, but it has a correcting lens. This will degrade quality, increase effective focal length, decrease effective aperture, etc.

Better is to change the mount. I have done this often, and with third party FD mount lenses its not usually that hard.
I do this regularly to Pentax PK, Alpha is almost the same register so it should work just as well. I get a little past infinity on all the ones I have converted (requiring adding spacers), so there should be some margin of error for Alpha.
Your lens may be different, but its worth looking. Its a fun project anyway.

Start with a glassless M42 adapter like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/M42-to-Minolta-AF-Sony-a100-a300-a350-a700-a900-adapter-/301152356067?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item461e1446e3

Dismantle the FD mount on the lens, until you reveal the mount screws (that hold the FD mount on the lens body)
drill and countersink screw holes on the M42 adapter to match the screws holding the FD mount.
Replace the FD mount with the drilled M42 adapter, if possible using the same screws.

Voila, an Alpha mount lens.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, I have adapting experience of the following systems to Sony Alpha:

Petri breech lock:

Easy, unscrew there, cut off that pin, manufacture new shim, install.

Vivitar PK mount lens made by Kobori:

Same as Petri, since these Vivitars have HUGE rear brass component, which can be easilly removed and new mount fitted.

Konica Hexanon series:

Real pain in the back, too much machine working and new part manufacture, does not worth.

Osawa for Mamiya ZE:

As long as you have CNC, no significant problems found, but you need to manufacture a part, which will connect aperture ring with aperture adjustment hardware. But does not worth trying, nothing special for these lens.

Vivitar for C-FD (Tokina made):

Needs a lot of machine work, and also has a specific issue - due to silly design of C-FD mount, it is not simply possible to change the mount, you have to re-calculate reduction ratio of a mechanism that connects aperture to dial, since original one has kind of reduction ratio, so movement of dial by say 10mm, translates into 5mm movement of aperture lock.

Vivitar for OM (Kobori made):

Same as PK Vivitars by Kobori.

Forgot to mention, I have acces to CNC and lathe, so none of above modernisations done by me, can be done without that hardware.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This one is probably not a problem for you then.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
As said, C/FD mount is very tricky Sad


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tried today.

As hard as Hexanon adaptation Sad


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thats unfortunate.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Did some indoor tests today. Since have no control over aperture currently, all shots @ F5. I had to hand held the lens vs camera, so results does not worth uploading, but in general, look promising. Will do some outdoor tests tomorrow.

If anyone would like to re-work this lens, you should note that there is two ways of achieving the desired result:

1. Shorten rear tube (it allows so) and all corresponding prongs, pins etc. And use some C/FD adapter to your mount.

2. Completely remove the aperture control mechanisms, excluding the ring dial, and incorporate new (slimmer) one, which will allow adapter to fit in a way, allowing infinity focus (the way I'm doing it).


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pictures of the mount+conversion would be interesting.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm in desperate need for damaged Minolta AF lenses, but with intact mount Smile


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Use an M42-Sony Alpha adapter. These are very cheap.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes I'm using but they are very thin and have no holes pre-drilled to mount on lens body Smile making holes im them makes them even weaker, and using thick ones means infinity focus go away.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Same with the PK adapters.
I am just careful in making the holes and especially the countersink.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Did some shots today. Nothing to write home about, especially at 300mm.

Here are two crops from top left corner @F5, 85 and 300mm.





PostPosted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Corners arent that big a deal with long tele.
The important part is center sharpness and CA, etc.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 4:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Centers also won't get anyone excited Smile

85mm:


300mm:


PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
No, thats pretty poor.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
In absolute terms, quality not that bad (compared to other el cheapo lens).

Here's Tokina 60-300/4-5.6 Minolta AF @ 300/5.6:



But ye olde Tair-3, 300@4.5 shows who is who:

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