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Mirror lens: Perkin-Elmer 680mm f/12 Compact Telephoto
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:04 pm    Post subject: Mirror lens: Perkin-Elmer 680mm f/12 Compact Telephoto Reply with quote
Click here to see on Ebay.de


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very interesting. At f/12, that is probably a very compact lens -- hard to tell its size from the photos. And I suspect that it is critically sharp as well.

Check out the serial number: 0101. I would not be surprised if this lens was the 1st one made, and not the 101st -- because manufacturers don't typically start their s/n's with 00001.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
At f/12, that is probably a very compact lens -- hard to tell its size from the photos.

If you scroll down there are some pictures of the (Nikon) mount.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
sichko wrote:
cooltouch wrote:
At f/12, that is probably a very compact lens -- hard to tell its size from the photos.

If you scroll down there are some pictures of the (Nikon) mount.


Yeah, I know. It was still kinda hard to judge until I picked up my Tamron 90/2.5 macro with Nikon mount and compared. The Perkin Elmer looks to be not much larger than my Tamron 90. So, yeah, very compact. And I'll bet you it's very sharp as well.

It does look like somebody buggered up the retaining ring for the rear element, though.

Last edited by cooltouch on Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:49 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Look here and you know what we are talking about.

http://www.tamarkin.com/catalog/auction/spring99_lot_image.cfm?mLotID=149


Shit. Lost the auction by 1 Euro Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rolf wrote:
Look here and you know what we are talking about.

http://www.tamarkin.com/catalog/auction/spring99_lot_image.cfm?mLotID=149


Shit. Lost the auction by 1 Euro Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad


Well, you were outbid by a 1 euro increment. The successful bidder's maximum bid may have been much more.

Interesting link. I stand corrected regarding my above s/n comment, since Tamarkin has 001. Good ol' Stan Tamarkin -- haven't seen that name in years. He used to be a regular advertiser in Shutterbug magazine, back when it was large-format newsprint.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, of course by 1 Euro increment. The last I found was sold in 2003 or 2004 for 440 $, so my bid was to low.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:12 pm    Post subject: I am a total newbie when it comes to mf-lenses, and I won .. Reply with quote
So i decided to take the jump and risk it when I saw the 440usd prices and somewhere 1500usd and above. But I have no idea what I really bought. Can anybody give som information, much appreciated!

It says:
Das Objektiv hat einen Adapter für Nikon aufgeschraubt
Dieser kann ausgetauscht werden

does anybody know what the screwmount behind the Nikon is? Nikon is ok, but ... good to know


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi welcome to the club.

No, I have no idea what´s behind the nikon mount. Maybe something for Leica SL, but I´m not sure whether there was an adapter from Leicaflex to Nikon ?

Would be great if you can post here some pics with this lens. Where are you from ?

regards


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi, thank you, and thank you to everyone here for making a great place to learn about old glass for newbies Smile

Yes I was hoping smth Leica, but we shall see. I found this:

149. 680mm Perkins Elmer
Comments: engraved "S/N 001." Apparently specially manufactured by Perkins Elmer for NASA and used with a Leicaflex in the space program.

I shall do my very best to test this and post some samples.

Greetings

Thommes Ulfeng, Norway.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, please do so.

Personally I owned a little collection of different mirrors. At the moment my "best" one is the Leica-MR 8/500 mirror. That´s why I´m looking and bidding for the Perkin-Elmer. With this history maybe it´s better than the Leica (Minolta),

regards


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That is encouraging to hear for a beginner, I will definitely post some samples. I feel I owe it to many of you folks on here, I have learned so much from your comments and samples.


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Rolf wrote:
No, I have no idea what´s behind the nikon mount.


It looks like the outer ring of a Nikon-T2 mount. So, with luck, removal of the 3 grub screws will release it and it can be replaced with another mount.

Last edited by sichko on Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:37 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you, lets see when it arrives.


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
sichko wrote:
Rolf wrote:
No, I have no idea what´s behind the nikon mount.


It looks like the outer ring of a Nikon-T2 mount. So, with luck, removal of the 3 grub screws will release it and it can be replaced with another mount.


T2-mount can be simply unscrewed. The three screws are for adjusting the lens position on the camera. (The Russian A-mount used in many lenses like Jupiter-37A, Mir-10A, all Russian mirror lenses etc., is actually an outer part of the T2-mount. A-mount is actually being held on the lens by the three screws.)


PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
"T2 can be simply screwed off" That was good to know. Thx.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:30 pm    Post subject: Trouble, asking for advice: Reply with quote
Hello friends, after some time I finally figured out that this was not a T2 lens (it came with a T2 adapter attached) but a std M42. Which is great.

But I also found out that the images are hopelessly washed out and milky/hazy. Not sharp at all, at any distance.

I have put a std rubber sun-shade on the lens, to fend off light hitting the front element, but to no avail.

What are the steps I should pursue to resolve this? 1 - 2 - 3 ...

Thommes

PS. The lens is quite easy to pick apart, so Id love to hear if there is something I could do myself. Attached is a typical image.



PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yeah, you might want a hood for that one! Surprised

I've found mirrors to suffer vibrations when screwed directly onto a tripod as well, and have been better off with just screwing the camera onto the tripod. Or did you hand hold these? Shocked


PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi Thommes,

the first thing I tought when I saw your image was that at the end I can be happy not have won the auction. Shocked

Sorry to say that but this result was not expected. If I remember correct the seller wrote within his description that this is a very good mirror and he will miss this lens. Perhaps you should give him an info and ask him what is wrong.

This mirror was used by the NASA and I cannot believe that they shot with lenses which such a IQ. There must be something wrong because this IQ is not standard even for low cost mirrors.

What is with contrast etc if the light is better, so at sunshine or so. Are the mirrors fogged ?

Hope you will find a solution because for that result the lens was too expensive.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hm, ... thanks for the response, ... what to do .... there should be super sharp potential in a lens like this


PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
As written before I would ask the seller. He should send to you some images he has done with this lens.

If there are differences you can make the next step. If the images will show the same effect or you will get no answer maybe you bought a lemon and then you have perhaps a chance via paypal.

Wink


PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
... Keine Garantie, Gewährleistung und Rücknahme ... Sad


PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just curious - what camera are you using this with, and how close will this lens focus?

I'm trying to think of some tests that might help narrow down what is wrong...


PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ulfengen wrote:
... Keine Garantie, Gewährleistung und Rücknahme ... Sad


Yes of course - but anyway this actions costs no money and you should try it.
Wink


PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would open the lens up, clean every surface properly and then reassemble it. Unless the shot was just a bit OOF?

When my 500/8 mirror lens arrived it also had rather bad IQ, worse than that actually (though in a different way) - the solution was to add some tapemass between the main mirror and the back plate that tightens the mirror in it's place - evidently the main mirror was just a little too tightly pressed in it's position and that destroyed the IQ.

---

I toyed a little with that picture of yours and it seems that there is much more vignetting in the top corners than the bottom ones. That is not normal.
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