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My lens roster... (Careful, long post!)
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:08 pm    Post subject: My lens roster... (Careful, long post!) Reply with quote

Hi!

I have "tested" and use most of those lenses at a Zenit-EM, a Spotmatic SPII, a Ricoh KR-10x, a Nikon EM, an EOS500 and 50e and preferably at my EOS350D and 40D. Of course, these are no objective, scientific tests but rather some kind of experiences, although I shot a Siemens star with some of these lenses.

In order to "classify" the lenses and to provide an idea of what I paid, I put each lens into one price category.
I can't remember exactly what I gave for each lens, but I can tell approximately:

Quote:
I: Under € 10
II: € 10-30
III: € 30-50
IV: € 50-100
V: more than € 100


As you can see, I got most of my MF lenses for less then € 10, but for some I paid too much for sure, I just wanted to have them. Wink

To indicate the performance of the lenses I adapt the American grading system:

Quote:
A+ / A / A- : excellent to very good
B+ / B / B- : almost very good to good
C+ / C / C- : mediocre
D: rather disappointing
F: completely useless


So the capital letter does not refer to the condition of the lens, but to its picture quality!
And each lens that achieves a "B-" or better is satisfying and a good buy, the "A" lenses are really good, almost "must-haves". None of my lenses got an "A+" - well there has to be some room for Leica lenses... Wink

Fisheye lenses:

MS Peleng 1:3.5/8 AC Fisheye | cat. V | A-
Wow! The Peleng (my copy has a fixed EOS-adapter) is absolute fun to use. Of course you have lens flares, but then, this is a 8mm fisheye! It is crisp sharp and offers an overwhelming perspective. Compared to other lenses of this angle, it is a bargain. Go for it!

Zenitar 1:2.8/16 Fisheye | cat. V | B+
That was my first fisheye. Nice at film cameras, the fisheye effect is reduced at digital crop SLRs. Still well built and fun to use with a really good picture quality (and much lower danger of flares than with the Peleng).



Wide-angle lenses:

Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 1:4/20 (Zebra)| cat. III | B
This a legendary lens. And it's a fascinating one indeed. I was kind of reluctant, but now that I have tried one, I understand.

Nikkor-N.C Auto 1:2.8/24 | cat. IV | A
My third Nikkor lens and a wonderful one. 24mm work like 38mm at my 350D which turns this superwide into a perfect walk-around wide-angle lens. It is fast enough and offers very good performance and very pleasant image character. I like it a lot.

Rollei 2.8/28

Tamron 2.5/28

Vivitar Wide–Angle 1:2.8/28 | cat. I | A- (manufactured by Komine)
Nice, really nice. The Viv 28 is quite a small lens but its performance is not bad at all. I think it's among my best 28mm.


MC MIR-24N 2.0/35 | cat. IV | A-
This lens is amazing. It offers almost the performance of the Summicron for approx. 1/6 of the price!

Steinheil 2.8/35


The "50ish mm" lenses:

Asahi Super-Takumar 1:1.4/50 | cat. III | A-
That's a classic and a very nice lens that renders pleasant pictures.

SMC Pentax-M 1:1.7/50 | cat. II | A-
Wow! What a lens! Actually, I guess this is at least one of the best 50mm lenses I have. It seems even better than the Mamiya 55.

Helios-44-2 1:2/58 | cat. I | B+
This lens shows a very nice rendition. The pictures are sharp but not extremely sharp, the resolution is good but not amazingly high, still it is a very pleasant lens that can produce very nice captures.

Industar-50-2 1:3.5/5cm | cat. I | B+
The Industar-50 is extremely small. It is a M39-copy of a Carl Zeiss Tessar-M39-lens with a surprisingly high performance. I am kind of proud of this lens, since it has the name in Russian letters and "5cm" printed on it.

Industar-50-2 1:3.5/50 | cat. I | B+
The Industar-50-2 is extremely small. It is a M42-copy of a Carl Zeiss Tessar-M39-lens with a surprisingly high performance. I just bought it for fun reasons. (Having such a small lens at an EOS body looks hillarious.) But it really produces fine pictures.

Leica Summicron-R 1:2.0/50 | cat. V | A
Wow! At least among the best three 50s I have. What a fantastic lens!

Mamiya Auto Sekor 1:1.8/55 | cat. II | A-B
That's one of my favourite manual 50mm-lenses (although it is a little "longer"). OK in sharpness and resolution, very nice colours, a fine bokeh, excellent contrast - not much left to be wanted!

Meyer Optik Görlitz Primoplan 1:1.9/58 V | cat. II | A-B
What a pleasant surprise! I really like this lens because of its character.

Nikkor-S.C 1:1.2/55 | cat. V | A/A-
What a lens! Fast as fast can be. Very sharp from f4 on. Great colours and bokeh. Will love to test some more...

Olympus Zuiko Auto-S 1:1.4/50 | cat. III | A-
A compact yet fast lens that perhaps is not the sharpest lens I have, but a very pleasant one and definitely sharp enough! Not much left to be wanted, really. Maybe my favourite f1.4/50...

Rollei Planar 1:1.8/50 | cat. III | A-
What a beauty! This is a gorgeous lens. And it produces very nice pictures. Colour rendering and sharpness are very pleasant and bokeh is wonderful. With my adapter it just misses infinity focus.

Yashica Yashinon 1:2.0/50 | cat. I | B+
A lens I almost got for free. It is a very nice lens, not stellar but really good!


Tele lenses (85-135mm):

Nikkor-H 1:1.8/85 | cat. IV | A
I still do not know which level this lens can reach, but I already know that it is surely is one of the best lenses I have. It even outshines the Jupiter-9 and it takes a lot to say that! What a lens!

Jupiter-9 1:2/85 | cat. IV | A-
That is a fine lens! I have read a lot about it and many users are very pleased with it. Now I know why. Definite recommendation!

Asahi Super-Takumar 1:2.8/105 | cat. III | A-
This is an extremely nice lens. Smal and still fast, great details and a very pleasant overall character.

Will Wilon 1:4.5/105 | cat. I | A-B
A projector lens with large format usabilty that I use with bellows on my EOS-DSLRs. A surprisingly fine lens!

Zeiss Novar-Anastigmat 4.5/105 | cat. II | A-B
A very interesting lens when used with bellows.

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 1:4/135 (newer version) | cat. II | A-B
This lens is something special. A camera mechanic has mechanically adapted it to the EOS system for good. So it only can be used at an EOS body. Its only disadvantage is the lowest f-stop of 4. Otherwise this is a very good lens.

Carl Zeiss Super-Dynarex 1:4/135 | cat. II | A-B
That's a very nice lens. But since I have got it in an Icarex mount, I had to change it which did not work 100%.

Jupiter-37A 1:3.5/135 | cat. II | A-
I have read many good things about it and the first shots seem to prove all the praise right.
After some more shots, I can second all the good reports about that lens. A fantastic lens! Even open very sharp and an excellent bokeh.

Schneider-Kreuznach Rollei SL - Tele Xenar 1:3.5/135 | cat. III | A-
My first Schneider-Kreuznach and a winderful lens in any respect, sharp and at the same time creamy bokeh.

Tamron Twin-Tele 1:2.8/135 (5.5/225) Taisei Kogaku | cat. II | B- (135mm) / D (225mm) BROKEN
A weird lens (or should I say lenses?) The "Twin-Tele" is a regular 135mm-lens (with a mediocre to good performance but a very nice bokeh!) that can be changed by a special adapter to a 1:5.5/225. But then it loses a lot of its quality: lower contrast, sharpness, worse colours. Thus fine as a 135mm, poor as a "225mm".



Tele lenses (180mm +)

Soligor 1:3.5/180 | cat. II | B-
A length I didn't have so far. Kind of closes or better narrows the gap between my 135mm lenses and my 200mm lenses. After the first tests, I realized that it was not in that good condition. It appeared to be new, but when you handled it, you realized that is had a slightly shaky focus ring. The pictures were OK, but sometimes not really good. It seems that the wobbly focus ring had some influence on the picture quality. Meanwhile I was able to fix it, well, sort of. It produces fine pictures, but nothing amazing.

Leica Elmar-R 4/180 | cat. V | A
The most expensive tele lens I have but it was worth every single cent! Fantastic!

Telear-N 1:3.5/200 (Nikon mount) | cat. II | A-
A rugged lens that produces fantastic pictures, in most regards even better than the Varexon. It shows excellent picture quality, it's sharp and it produces fine colours. Even the bokeh is quite nice, although its aperture blades close to some unusual shape. Aperture problems!

ENNA München Tele-Ennalyt 1:4.5/240 | cat. II | B-
Also a strange lens. OK in resolution, fine in bokeh and colours, its aperture has to be controlled by a separate cable control, otherwise it is always open at f4.5. Quite OK.

Beroflex 1:8/500 | cat. III | B-C
The most affordable way to get 500mm with a fine performance, I guess. Of yourse with f8 for a start you need good weather and/or a good tripod.

Tamron SP 8/500 | cat. V | B
Mirror lens with the well-known advantages and draw-backs. I really like it.


Zoom lenses:

Tokina RMC 4/28-85 | cat. III | A-
Perhaps the best universal MF zoom lens in my collection. Rugged and a very good performer.

Tokina SZ-X 1:4-5.3/28-105 SD (Nikon mount) | cat. II | B
A nice, well-built lens that provides for a good picture quality. Probably not on the same level as some top-class primes, but if you consider that this is a zoom lens, you will really be satisfied with it.

Soligor C/D 1:3.8-5.3/35-200 MC Zoom+Macro (Nikon mount) | cat. II | B+
This is an exceptional lens! Much better I expected from a zoom lens with that focal range. It is sharp even wide open and shows a great close-up performance. Misses the "A-" only because of CA at high contrast edges. If you can find, go for it!

Soligor MC 1:4-5.6/60-300 (Nikon mount) | cat. II | B+
About as good as the legendary Tamron SP 60-300 but much cheaper to find.

Zoom-Rolleinar MC 4/80-200 | cat. III. | A-
A little difficult to mount on an EOS cam, but well worth the effort.

Soligor MC 1:3.5/70-220 Macro (Nikon mount) | cat. IV | A-
A lens that evokes different opinions. I think that this is one of my best manual lenses. I’m very pleased with its results, and it is quite fast for a tele zoom lens.




Here are my lenses that I can use at other cameras...


To be used at my Canon FTb QL (and only there):
- Super Albinar SC 1:2.8/28, Canon FL 1.8/50, FL 3.5/135; FL 3.5/28; Soligor MF 1:3.5-4.5/28-105, Hoya HMC Macro 1:3.8/80-205, and all my Adaptall-2-lenses


To be used at my FED-3 Rangefinder:
Jupiter-12 1:2.8/35, Jupiter-8 1:2.0/50

Yeah, I know that is a lot of text. But maybe there is lens you've always wanted to read about. If you need further information on one of these lenses, don't hesitate to ask. Maybe I can help...

More about those lenses:
http://www.nicanet.de/mf

And about my complete collection:
http://www.nicanet.de/mf/list.htm

Why do I like old glass so much?
Well, what you get is creamy bokeh, sometimes pastel-like sometimes vivid colour rendering, high enough sharpness on the spot (if you like) and some almost legendary and hard to describe or prove image character that only older glass has.

I suppose that in lab tests every modern Japanese AF-prime will be "better" than my old lenses - whatever "better" means here!
It is a matter of liking or disliking the lens character. Most will go for the neutral (if we were nasty, we could also say "sterile") but very high performance of modern Japanese lenses, some (like us) will prefer the particular image "personality", perhaps with some rough edges, our MF-lenses produce.

At the moment, I consider my collection complete, apart from maybe these lenses (in order of priority):
- Summicron 90 or Elmarit 135mm (mainly for "having" and comparing reasons)
- Jupiter-3 1.5/50 M39 for my FED-3

Carsten


P.S.: Sold lenses...

Olympus Zuiko Auto-W 1:3.5/28 | cat. II | A
This is a surprising lens. I like it very much. Although it only offers f3.5, it might even be my best 28mm lens. If there is something to critizes, it is some slight CA at high contrast edges, otherwise this is a very fine lens. Defintely recommendable!

MIR - 1B 1:2,8/37 | cat. III | A-
A lens in absolute mint condition. This lens is very solid, typical for Russian lenses and what is more, it offers very good picture quality. I like it a lot.

Nikkor-O Auto 1:2.0/35 | cat. IV | A
What a lens! Not just an excellent performer, it also is faster than most of the other great 35mm lenses I have! Fantastic!

Carl Zeiss Tessar 1:2.8/50 | cat. III | A-B
A beautiful lens and a typical Tessar, not fast but sharp at the centre!

ENNA Tele-Ennalyt 1:3.5/135 | cat. II | B+
Really feels like a plastic lens that does not make you expect a lot. After you've used it for the first time, you realise: very pleasant colours and very nice sharpness. The focus ring turns nicely and helps to focus exactly.

Jupiter-11 1:4/135 | cat. II | A-B
A solid lens with a nice performance and a pleasant bokeh. Have to test some more...

Jupiter-21M 1:4/200 | cat. II | A-
Big and heavy but a great performer. This lens is definitely underrated. If you find one, go for it!

Tokina AT-X 1:2.8/24-40 | cat. III | A-B
This lens is even a bit better (and faster) then the Hoya.

Pentax-A 1:3.5-4.5/28-80 Zoom | cat. II | B+
Pretty nice, nothing spectacular but I really like it on my Pentax Z-10.

Sigma Zoom-0 II 1:3.5-4.5/28-85 MC | cat. IV | A-B
Wow, this lens is really a match for my Tokina-Zoom (80-200). 28 to 200 with two lenses and with a fine quality that I didn't expect in zoom lenses. I would say that's another recommendation!

Cosina Wide-Angle 1:3.8/20 MC | cat. III | B-
Quite nice. Not stellar, since there is some distortion and CA, but for the price it is a very affordable superwide.

Nikkor-UD 3.5/20 | cat. V | A-
I guess this is (was) my best superwide lens.

Hanimex Automatic 1:3.5/23 | cat. I | B-
Well built, much better than I've expected. Great condition. The image quality of this lens is good, not amazing - there are CAs at the the edge of the picture and it is only sharp in the centre when stopped down. But it meets my expectations about a cheap 23mm lens.

Vivitar Wide Angle 1:2.0/24 MC | cat. IV | A-B
My fastest 24mm lens and it still performs well. There is some lack of details at the edges when wide open, but otherwise very nice.

Cosina 1:2.8/24 MC Macro | cat. II | B+
Quite nice but not stellar.

SMC Pentax 1:2.8/24 | on loan | A-
A little gem. This lens performs really well and is a pleasure to use.

Tamron 1:2.5/24 | cat. III | A-B
Very nice first impression. Not bad at all. It does not get to where the Nikkor 24 waits, but it is a decent performer. Nice glow when wide open.

ENNA Ennalyt 1:3.5/28 | cat. I | ---
Not a bad lens. Unfortunately my copy was not really in good condition, thus its performance was hard to determine. I've sold it.

Kiron 1:2.0/28 | cat. II | A-
Really sharp and great rendition. Very good lens - and fast! Sold!

Petri 1:2.8/28 MC Macro | cat. I | A-B
An interesting lens. "Macro" because it can focus on close objects. A 28mm lens, however, will not produce real close-ups. But this Petri lens rightly bears the name "Macro" since it can produce very sharp pictures and the bokeh also is rather nice. A surprising lens at the 350D. Sold.

Raynox Auto 1:2.8/28 | cat. II | B- ---
Maybe a little soft for sharpness fanatics but very pleasant when it comes to colour. I like it, also because it it nice to handle. Sold.

Yashica ML 1:2.8/28 | cat. III | A-B
Very nice first impression. Really a nice lens that gets close to the Zeiss "original". Nevertheless, Sold.

SMC Pentax-M 1:2.8/28 | cat. III | A-
Thanks to a PK-EOS-Adapter I can use the Pentax K-lenses at my EOS. And this 28mm is a very nice lens.

Auto Exaktar 1:2.8/35 (two versions) | cat. I | C+
An average lens. Comparable to the Soligor but a little weaker in every aspect. Sold.

ISCO Göttingen Westron 1:3.5/35 | cat. I | C-
A well produced lens that has some problems with its resolution and sharpness. Nice colours, though. Sold.

Revuenon–Special 1:2.8/35 | cat. II | C
Stepped down a good lens, open not that good. Sold.

Soligor Wide-Auto 1:2.8/35 | cat. II | B- --- Sold!
This is fine lens. No problems with sharpness, colours or bokeh. Surely not a world champion but a good choice, if you can get it for a good price.

Porst WW 1:1.8/35 MC Auto H | cat. III | B+
An incredibly fast lens (f1.8 at 35mm!) for this price. Quite soft wide open, I mean, of course! Good at f4 and pretty sharp from f5.6 on. Prone to some CAs at the edges, nice colour rendering. So not a sharpness monster and no perfect performance, but f1.8 is priceless in certain situations.

Auto Rikenon 1:1.7/50 | cat. II (nearly I) | B+
A really nice lens, well built, good colours, very sharp and nice bokeh, just the highlight bokeh could be a little better.

Nikkor-H 1:2.0/50 | cat. I | A-
Not as fast as the bigger brother, but a great little performer.

Industar-61 1:2.8/50 | cat. II | A-B
Nice close-up, good handling, good performance.

Jena T 1:2.8/50 | cat. I | B
This is a later version of the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50 with a quite nice performance. Nothing spectacular, though, and not really fast.

Pentacon auto 1:1.8/50 | cat. I | B+
A really nice lens. Can produce sharp and pleasant pictures.

Pentaflex 1:1.8/50 | cat. I | ?

Helios-81N 1:2.0/50 | cat. II | B+
A modern Russian lens with Nikon mount. Pretty good nd amazingly shrap, but without the personality of the 44 and prone to flare.

Auto Reflecta 1:1.7/55 | cat. II | C
Pretty fast, mediocre performance. No champion, somewhat of a disappointment for a 50mm. Sold.

Auto Revuenon 1:1.4/55 | cat. III | A-B (manufactured by Tomioka)
Finally, I've got a lens with f1.4. Even wide open it is surprisingly sharp. There is some "glow" but you can see details. Stopped down to f2 (!) it gets sharp and from f4 on pictures get really details - and colour rendering gets a little warmer. A very pleasant lens and due to its fast aperture universally usable. Sold.

Fujinon 1:2.2/55 | cat. I | B-
The Fujinon also prouces very pleasant pictures. I've sold it because I haven't used it often after I got the Mamiya. The Fujinon is not as fast a lens as most of the other 50mm.

Voigtländer Color-Ultron AR 1:1.4/55 | cat. III | A-
My copy is in perfect condition. This lens produces very neutral images which is great if you need reliable results. There is no strong "personality" in this fast lens which some people are looking for. This can be either good or bad, depending on what you expect from a lens. Anyway, it is a great performer and usable even wide open.

Helios-44 1:2/58 | cat. I | ?
Well, my copy was really old and used. So I can't really say something about its quality. I sold it as broken.

Helios-44M-6 1:2/58 M52×0,75 MC | cat. II | B+ Sold!
My newer version of the Helios is a very good lens in absolute mint condition. Fun to use and producing very good pictures. But since it has no manual aperture control, I can’t use it at the Zenit-E or the Praktica L2 without adjusting the lens. Sold.

Pentacon auto 1:1.8/50 | cat. I | B+
A really nice lens. Can produce sharp and pleasant pictures. Despite its good performance, I've sold it (too many 50mm lenses!)

Pentacon auto 1:1.8/50 | cat. II | B+
A really nice lens. Can produce sharp and pleasant pictures. Sold.

Petri Auto C.C. 1:1.7/50 | cat. I | C+
I would not risk to use this lens under tough conditions, since the Petri is somewhat ramshackly. But it produces better pictures than I expected. Pretty fast. Sold.

Yashica ML 1:1.7/50 | cat. II | A-B
A very good lens with no real drawbacks, sharp when stopped down a little and excellent for portraits, since pleasantly soft and with nice tones at f2/f2.8. Wide open (f1.7) a little soft. Sold.

Zeiss Biotar 1:2/58 T | cat. I | B-
Good pictures, but my copy was very "sensitive" as far as the adapters were concerned. It focused on infinity only with one out of six M42-EOS-adapters. That's why I sold it again.

MIR-38 1:3.5/65 MC | cat. II | B

Hanimex Tele-Lens 1:4/100 | cat. I | B+
This lens is really small. It is as long as my index finger and about 4,5 cm in diameter. Of course, such a lens will not offer more than f4. But the pictures you can take with it are amazingly good. Another really surprising lens that is fun to play with.

Meyer Görlitz Trioplan 1:2.8/100 V | cat. III | A-B
A nice little lens, excellent for portraits if you want the background blurred a little more.

Tair-11 1:2.8/133 | cat. II | A-
Quite a monster, big and heavy, but fast and a very special rendering. Very nice!

Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 1:4/135 (old version) | cat. I | A-B
A heavy lens (though not that big) with a very good performance, a little slow (f4) still.

Nikkor-Q.C Auto 1:3.5/135 | cat. III | A-
An extremely nice lens. My copy has been professionally rebuilt to AI.
It is amazingly sharp, even at f3.5! Nice bokeh and very pleasant colours. One of my best 135mm lenses, definitely! It probably shares the lens design with a Zeiss Sonnar, but I have to find our more about that.

Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 1:3.5/135 | cat. II | A-
What a beautiful lens! It look gorgeous and performs really well. And it is so small that you can put it into your bag each time you go on a photo tour. You won't realise if it is there or not. So this is the 135mm lens to have and only take a faster one, if you really need it and accept the additional weight of a Tair-11. Wink

Auto Revuenon 1:2.8/135 | cat. I | ?
I got this one for free, since its aperture mechanics didn't open any more. Unfortunately, I was not able to fix it, so I gave it away to someone with more experience.

Greens London 1:3.5/135 | cat. I | B-
A "Thirteen-Fiver" that is much smaller than my other ones. With aperture preset and in very good condition. I was surprised by this Greens London lens. Much more than I expected. But then, it is not very robust, after some time the aperture began to make problems and doesn't close to a circle anymore. Given away.

MC Jupiter-37AM 1:3.5/135 | cat. II | A-
As far as I can judge, the "AM" version is pretty similar to my "A" version, although it is multi-coated. Perhaps I did not shoot in a situation where an MC is needed. Sold.

Panagor Auto Tele 1:2.8/135 | cat. I | C+
An average lens, not bad but not excellent either. My copy has a small scratch on the front lens which doesn't show on the pictures. A nice feature is the build-in hood. Sold.

Pentacon auto 1:2.8/135 | cat. II | A-B Sold!
This is the best of my 2.8/135 lenses. It is solid and performs really well. One of the rare 135mm lenses, that open to f2.8 and still are almost as good as the f3.5 lenses. Not razor-sharp but fine colour-rendering and very nice bokeh! Sold.

Porst Automatic-Tele 1:2.8/135 | cat. I | B-C
Quite average. Sold.

Raynox Auto 1:2.8/135 | cat. I | B-
Similar things are true for both the Raynox 135 and the Raynox 28. They live a little on the soft side but are suprisingly nicqe when it comes to bokeh and colour. I like it, because it is nice to handle. It seems that Raynox Rubinar follows some internal policy: soft but pleasant colours. Sold.

Revuenon-Spezial 1:2.8/135 | cat. II | B+
A little weaker than the Zeiss but a little better than the Opticam. Quite a nice lens. Sold.

Weltblick 1:3.5/135 | cat. I | B+
Even a little smaller than the Greens, it shows really good results. It is better than the Revuenon and the Opticam and knocks at the Zeiss door without getting there, really. Sold.

Super Varexon 1:3.5/200 | cat. II | B+
Not very common, I guess, but really good. I like to shoot with the Varexon. Its perfomance is good enough to be used with a 2x tele converter (and it's fast enough, too). Sold.

Pentacon 1:4/200 | cat. II | A-B
Very solid lens that offers a really good performance. Nice!

(Zenit) TAIR 3-S 1:4.5/300 | cat. III | A-B
Wow! This part of a "Snaiper" [sic!] is a tele champion! Either all the Tairs are that good or I got a really fantastic copy! Excellent resolution, great contrast and colours, no CAs whatsoever. It is much better than my Tamron 28-300 (of course, you might say) and better than my Canon EF 75-300 at 300mm. A definite recommendation!

Tamron 3.8-5.6/28-200 Asph. LF IF 171A (A2) | cat. III | B?
This is a strange lens. It looks like an AF lens but it an MF-Adaptall-2 superzoom. Have to test it...

Fujinon-Z 1:3.5-4.5/43-75 | cat. II | B-C
Not bad but not excellent either. Quite good pictures at when stopped down, open a little soft. Interesting focal range. ON SALE!!!

Tamron SP 1:3.5/70-210 CF Macro BBAR MC 19AH (Adaptall-2/Nikon mount) | cat. II | A-
I was really lucky when I got this zoom lens. It was sold as broken, but actually it isn't. That's why I got it so cheap. This lens is amazing. A constant f3.5 and such a great performance!

Compact Auto Zoom S 1:4-5.6/70-210 Mulitcoated | cat. I (This lens is similar to a Maginon G HQC 4-5.6/70-210.) | B-
Apart from the rubber zoom ring, it is in a good condition, and the pictures it produces are much better than expected.
Nothing spectacular and the bokeh is not really nice, but it is pretty sharp and the colours are not bad. Well, do I have to complain? I got it for 1,- Euro! I have adjusted it to manual diaphragm only.

Hoya HMC 1:3.5/25-42 Zoom&Macro | cat. II | B+
Great focal range, esp. for film. Performance is better at the wide end than at the long end. Some barrel distortion though.

Spiratone Plura-Coat 1:3.8-5.6/28-200 H/D-MC Zoom | cat. I | B-
If the Soligor 35-200 is a "super-zoom", this lens is a "mega-zoom". This Spiratone offers the greatest focal range of all my manual lenses, actually of all lenses I've got. It is surprisingly well built, but - of course - you have to accept some drawbacks as far as picture quality is concerned. The lens is a little soft and there is some considerable CA.

Soligor Auto Zoom 1:3.5/35-140 Macro MC | cat. II | D
The picture quality resembles the condition of my copy. It is a quite solid lens that rarely produces nice pictures but has an interesting zoom range. I have adjusted it to manual diaphragm only. Sold!

Tamron 1:3.8-4/70-210 Macro 46A (Adaptall-2/Nikon mount) | cat. I | B+
This 70-210 is a later model of the traditional Tamron 3x zoom lenses. It is pretty fast, almost as fast as the legendary 19AH, but it comes in a plastic finish that does not comply with the other Tamron SP-series lenses. However, this 'standard' 70-210 produces very nice pictures and can server as a versatile tele-zoom lens.

Kiron 1:4.5/70-210 Macro 1:4 MC | cat. I | B+
Nice, not that fast, but quite sharp. Sold.

Soligor C/D 1:3,8-4,8/75-205 MC Zoom+Macro (Nikon mount) | cat. II | B+
A good lens. Despite the smaller focal range it is only close to the 70-220 or the C/D 35-200. Still, the C/D 75-205 is by no means bad and if you can get for a nice price, you'll enjoy this zoom lens. Sold.

Danubia 1:3.8/85-205 Macro | cat. II | B-
Only almost as good as the comparable (but much smaller) Tokina, it still is a good and very, very solid lens. I guess you could take it to the moon and it still would work. But since I did not need more than five of those lenses with such a similar zoom range, I sold the Danubia again.

Tokina RMC II 1:4/80-200 | cat. IV | B+
One of my telezoom-lenses, the Tokina shows surprisingly good quality. I once had this lens with a PK-mount and now as a M42-version. Fast enough and good in all respects.

Tamron SP 1:3.8-5.4/60-300 BBAR MC 23A (Adaptall-2/Nikon mount) | cat. IV | A-
Despite offering such a wide focal length range, this lens is simply amazing! Very sharp but still pleasant pictures as far as colours etc. is concerned. Definite recommendation!

Nikkor 1:2.0/50 AI | cat. I | A-
Also a really great lens. Not particularly fast but usable even wide open. Quite resistant to flare.

Volna-3 1:2.8/80 MC | cat. II | A-
The only medium format lens I use adapted to my EOS DSLRs. A very nice lens. I really like the way it renders details, colours and bokeh.

Opticam 1:2.8/135 | cat. II | B-
Although the Opticam shows several signs of usage on the outside, the lenses are clear and its performance is fine. It is a good 135mm-lens, but not spectacular. Aperture removed.

Cosina 5.6-6.7/100-300 MC Macro | cat. II | B- (ON SALE!)
A little slow at the long end, but not too bad a lens.

Kiron 4/70-210 (PK) | cat. III | A- (ON SALE!)
That's a fascinating lens. It's performance really surprised me. Everything you need in a tele zoom lens.

Leica Elmarit-R 1:2.8/35 | cat. IV | A
A simply fantastic lens! A pleasure to use and an excellent performer.

Vivitar 1:3.5/17 MC | cat. III | A-B
Really nice, better than the Cosina 3.8/20. A decent performer manufactured by Tokina and thus probably quite similar to the Tokina 3.5/17. The Viv might go for a lower price, though. So this Viv 3.5/17 might be a nice "budget" superwide.

Vivitar MC Close Focus Wide Angle 1:2.0/28 (Komine) | cat. II | A- (manufactured by Komine)
Absolutely amazing! This lens really surprised me. From my other two Vivitar 28mm lenses I knew that they can be good, but this lens is really fantastic. It's my fastest 28mm lens (witht the Kiron) and my best one (with the Zuiko) - this combination makes it my No.1 28mm lens.

Vivitar 1:2.5/28 | cat. II | A- (manufactured by Kiron)
This is a very nice lens. My copy is in mint condition and produces excellent pictures. Another Vivitar-surprise!

Asahi SMC Takumar 1:3.5/35 | cat. I (since it came in a lot) | A-
This is my first Takumar lens and I guess it is one of my best wide angles. It definitely is a great lens!

Leica Summicron-R 1:2.0/35 | cat. V | A-
At least as good as the Elmarit and one stop faster = a fantastic lens!

E. Ludwig Meritar 1:2.9/50 | cat. I | B
This little three-lenser is, when stopped down a little, much better than you might expect.

MC Volna-9 1:2.8/50 Macro | cat. III | A-
Wow! This lens is a stunner. You don't need it if you are looking for a fast 50mm, but if f2.8 is enough or if you need a extremely sharp lens that focusses to a very close distance and additionally renders colours nicely, this is the lens you want. Just the highlight bokeh can be intriguing sometimes, due to the star-shaped diaphragm.

Kaleinar 1:2.8/100 | cat. II | B+
As far as I can already say, this is a nice lens. I like the pleasant pictures it produces, but I need to test it some more...

Pentacon 1:3.5/30, Meyer-Optik Görlitz 1:2.8/50, Isco Isconar 1:4/135, Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 1:2.8/50 (disassembled), Schneider Curtagon 4/28


EDIT: Later sigs...

Cheers, Carsten |"KAPCTEH" | "Karusutenu" | T-shirt?
Cams in use: EOS 5D, 40D, 300D, Sigma SD10, EOS 50e, Spotmatic SPII, EXA 1c, Nikon F, Canon FTb, Rollei 35XF, Minox 35 GL, Yashica Electro 35 GS, FED-3b, Kodak Retina Ia and some others...
Lenses in use: Asahi Pentax:1.4/50;1.7/50;2.8/105;3.5/135 | Former GDR: CZJ Flek 4/20; CZJ 2/50,2.8/50; Meyer 1.9/58; CZJ 4/135 | Leica: Summicron 2.0/50; Elmar 4/180 | Mamiya: 1.8/55 | Nikkor: 2.8/24;1.4/50;1.2/55;1.8/85; | West German: Steinheil 2.8/35, 2.8/85; Will 4.5/105; Zeiss 4.5/105; Schneider 3.5/135; Zeiss 4/135; Schacht 4.5/135; Enna 4.5/240 | Olympus: 1.4/50; | Rikenon: 35-70 | Rollei: 2.8/28, 1.8/50, 80-200 | Russian: Peleng 3.5/8; Zenitar 2.8/16; MIR 2/35; Volna 2.8/50; Industar 3.5/50; Industar 3.5/5cm; Helios 2/58; Jupiter 2/85; Jupiter 3.5/135; RF: Jupiter 2.8/35; Jupiter 2/50 | Soligor: 28-105;35-200;60-300;70-220 | Tamron: 2.5/28;2.5/135; 8/500 | Tokina: 28-85; 28-105 | Vivitar: 1.9/35;2.8/28 | Yashica: 2/5cm |
Green is the gear I use the most. More? http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=65 (Not up-to-date, sorry!)
AF-lenses: Canon: 1.8/50 | Sigma: 1.8/24; 15-30; 28-105; 18-125 OS | Tokina: 24-200; 28-70 | Tamron 80-210 |
Digital compact cams: Lumix FX37, Fuji 4800Z, Oly C3030, Pentax Optio S
http://lucispictor.weebly.com
http://www.alensaweek.wordpress.com

Cams in use: EOS 5D, 40D, 300D, EOS 50e, Spotmatic SPII, EXA 1c, Nikon F, Canon FTb, Rollei 35XF, Minox 35 GL, Yashica Electro 35 GS, FED-3b, Kodak Retina Ia and some others...
Lenses in use: Asahi Pentax:1.4/50;1.7/50;2.8/105;3.5/135 | Former GDR: CZJ Flek 4/20; CZJ 2/50,2.8/50; Meyer 1.9/58; CZJ 4/135 | Leica: Summicron 2.0/50; Elmar 4/180 | Mamiya: 1.8/55 | Nikkor: 2.8/24;1.4/50;1.2/55;1.8/85; | West German: Steinheil 2.8/35, 2.8/85; Will 4.5/105; Zeiss 4.5/105; Schneider 3.5/135; Zeiss 4/135; Schacht 4.5/135; Enna 4.5/240 | Olympus: 1.4/50; | Rikenon: 35-70 | Rollei: 2.8/28, 1.8/50, 80-200 | Russian: Peleng 3.5/8; Zenitar 2.8/16; MIR 2/35; Volna 2.8/50; Industar 3.5/50; Industar 3.5/5cm; Helios 2/58; Jupiter 2/85; Jupiter 3.5/135; RF: Jupiter 2.8/35; Jupiter 2/50 | Soligor: 28-105;35-200;60-300;70-220 | Tamron: 2.5/28;2.5/135; 8/500 | Tokina: 28-85; 28-105 | Vivitar: 1.9/35;2.8/28 | Yashica: 2/5cm |
Green is the gear I use the most. More? http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=65
AF-lenses: Canon: 1.8/50 | Sigma: 1.8/24; 15-30; 28-105; 18-125 OS | Tokina: 24-200; 28-70 | Tamron 80-210 | http://lucispictor.weebly.com/


EDIT: Old sig...

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don’t.
"KAPCTEH" | "Karusutenu" | "Carsten" | T-shirt?
Cams in use: EOS 40D, EOS 350D, EOS 50e, EOS 500, Spotmatic SPII, EXA I & 1c, Zenit EM; Oly 35RC,Minolta Hi-Matic E & F, Ricoh 500RF, Yashica Electro 35 GS, FED-3b and some others...
Lenses in use: Asahi Pentax: 2.8/28;3.5/35;1.4/50;1.7/50;2.8/105;3.5/135;28-80 | Canon (AF):1.8/50;17-85;75-300 | Former GDR: CZJ Flek 4/20; Pentacon 3.5/30; Pentaflex 1.8/50; CZJ 2.8/50; CZJ 4/135; Pentacon 4/200 | Fujinon: 43-75 on sale! | Hanimex: 3.5/23 on sale!; 4/100;80-200 | Hoya: 25-42;80-205 | Leica: Elmarit-R 2.8/35; Summicron 2.0/50 | Mamiya: 1.8/55 | Minolta: 1.7/50 | Nikkor: 2.8/24;2/35;2/50;1.2/55;1.8/85;3.5/135 | West German: Zeiss 2.8/50; Ludwig 2.9/50; Meyer 2.8/100; Will 4.5/105;Schneider 3.5/135;Enna 3.5/135; Zeiss 4/135;Isco 4/135; Enna 4.5/240 | Olympus: 3.5/28;1.4/50;3.5/135 | Rikenon: 1.7/50 on sale!;35-70 | Rollei/Voigtländer: 1.4/55;1.8/50 | Russian: Peleng3.5/8; Zenitar2.8/16; MIR2.8/37; Volna2.8/50; Industar2.8/50; Industar3.5/50; Industar3.5/5cm; Helios2/50; Helios2/58; MIR38 3.5/65; Volna2.8/80; Jupiter2/85; Kaleinar2.8/100;Tair2.8/133; Jupiter3.5/135; Jupiter4/135;Telear3.5/200;Jupiter4/200; Tair4.5/300;RF: Jupiter2.8/35;Industar2.8/53 | Sigma: 28-85;28-105(AF);17-70(AF) | Soligor: 28-105;35-200;70-220 | Tamron: 2.5/24;2.5/135;60-300;70-210 | Tokina: 28-105;80-200;12-24(AF);70-210(AF) | Vivitar: 3.5/17;2/24 on sale!;2/28;2.5/28;2.8/28 | Yashica: 2/5cm | Other Japanese: Cosina3.8/20; Albinar2.8/28; Porst1.8/35; Beroflex 8/500; Spiratone28-200; Maginon70-210
Green are the lenses I shoot the most.
More? http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=65


Last edited by LucisPictor on Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:40 pm; edited 124 times in total


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't say enough big thank you! Very important for search engine feed, you did a great job for getting more popular our forum.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DANG it's long !! Shocked


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Carsten, very impressive (and lengthy) list. The report card grades to
each lens is most helpful, thanks! Smile

Bill


PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Orio wrote:
DANG it's long !! Shocked


Yes, Orio. I guess I'm pretty close to a "gearhead". Wink


PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Geezzzzzzz, Carsten, that was looooooooong, but definitely interesting! Glad to read that you didn't consider the lenses that you sold to me absolute duds are anything like that.
Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil
Oh yeah, so far the English language forum is much more entertaining.

Take care,
Monika


PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ambidexy wrote:

Oh yeah, so far the English language forum is much more entertaining.
Take care,
Monika


Welcome here, Monika!


PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, Monika!

Nice that you've joined this "club". Wink

Carsten


Last edited by LucisPictor on Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:12 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Carsten, an absolutely great set of opinions. Clear, concise, and a nice way of utilizing a "real world" grading system of the lens quality.

Really nice and really appreciated.

Laurence[/list]


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Updated!


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
Updated!


Did you forget to remove the SP 60-300 in the wanted list above the sig? Wink


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks very much, this is excellent, and with a few surprises.

Jules


PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterqd wrote:
LucisPictor wrote:
Updated!


Did you forget to remove the SP 60-300 in the wanted list above the sig? Wink


Oh, yes! Thanks! La la la la... I can remove this lens from the wanted list... la la la la! Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

Done!


PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rikenon, Hanimex, Yashinon, Tamron and Nikkor added!


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Helios-40-2" no longer in short list. Just do not think I need it anymore.
But I would like to find a nice Leica-R-lens.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Carsten,

Try some more,

RMC Tokina 2.8/28, Zuiko 1.8/50, Micro Nikkor 3.5/55, SMC Takumar 3.5/135, Vivitar 3.8/85-205 (Kiron). All are great.

If you have Oly 4/3, Konica Hexanon AR 3.2/135, 1.4/57, 1.8/40 will be matched with your camera with some adaption. These are very superb lenses.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd love to see some pictures taken with the Jupiter 85mm f2 - have been thinking about this one alot....


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Old M39 Silver version
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/jupiter/jupiter-9_85mm_f2_m39_silver/
Latest black MC
http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/jupiter/jupiter_9_85/
In portrait action black MC
http://www.pbase.com/hqdesign/brunette


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the lovely lady in the latter link, your lady, Attila?


PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.pbase.com/hqdesign/blonde
She is mine Smile Previous lady was her friend.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

EDIT: Updated. Spiratone 28-200 added.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Carsten

I can endorse the Tokina 17 (the non-pro is better than the pro version). Also check out the nikkor 50-135/3.5 E series, which is a real sleeper. The weirdest lens I have is a Vivitar 200/3.5 autofocus, with the (broken) focusssing mechanism builtin and battery driven. It cost $10 and is an amazingly sharp lens, but very cumbersome because of the size of the focussing engine. I am also checking out a Kiron 75-150/3.5 which has some encouraging early results.

patrick


PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Patrick!

I guess the Series E Nikkor 50-135 sounds really interesting.
The 17mm Tokina is a great lens, unfortunately rather expensive.

Since I bought another personal dream lens recently - I will tell later, as soon as I get it - there is no money left for new lenses. I'll have to wait for the tax refund. Wink But this takes awfully long in Germany. Sad


PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cant wait to hear about your new acquisition LucisPictor


PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Updated!