P. ANGENIEUX F 35 1:2.5 RETROFOCUS is the best lens or not?

KhanX

Hi everybody,

My last post give me a lot of knowledges. I've more question about Paris Angenieux F35 1:2.5. exakta mount. How about the quality? I saw it on ebay.com, the price is 395 USD (not including shipping cost) do you think it's valueable? If I win, I need to buy exakta adaptor to Olympus 4/3. The adaptor price is 170 USD from the Kindai shop, Japan.

I've search the information of this lens on internet but it's too little to decide. Could you please introduce me for any detail of this lens?

Thanks a lot for all answer.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I don't know the Angenieux 35mm, probably is very good but for that money, you could buy a Distagon 1.4/35 or a Summicron 2/35, both of which are faster and (much probably) better lenses.
And if you consider the price for the adapter, you would also end up saving quite a lot of cash.

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

I didn't know there was an Exakta adapter extant for 4/3. But 170USD?
That seems awfully steep!

Bill

Abbazz · Joined: 23 Jun 2007 Posts: 1098 Location: Jakarta

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

"Ang�nieux" - this name sounds like a thunder in the ears of some collectors. They are said to be legendary lenses, but there is always a considerable amount of myth in any legend. Wink

If you look at some test done by photo magazines in the 70s and 80s, Ang�nieux lenses did not outperform Nikkors or Canon lenses and did not get close to Leica and Zeiss lenses.

It's a bit like driving a Rolls Royce. A Mercedes is at least as good, but not as expensive. Still some people want to have the badge "Rolls Royce" at their car... Wink

KhanX · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all reply.

I'll test it when I receive this lens from Ebay.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Please, do not misunderstand us. An Ang�nieux is by no means bad! It is just a little too expensive. Wink

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Your country is beautiful, please select nice subjects and share your results here. Many thanks in advance!

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

Hi , I own a couple of Angenieux M42 Lenses . They are very good , not more . In the 90/100 mm range , takumars 105 and 85 are better , and my 100 f/2,5 Rokkor too , but nor far away ... than the 2,5/90mm . In the 135mm focal length , Apo-Zenitar 135 , Takumar 3,5/135, J-37, are undoubtly over . The 135 is at the level of some oldies from germany , such as Schneider Tele-Xenar , Steinheil Tele-Quinar , Czj Sonnar . I compared 30 years ago A retrofocus ang�nieux 28mm vs smc-Takumar 3,5/28 . I bought the tak (brand new) , because the contrast was better , and colors more saturated .
So I left a second hand retrofocus (not cheap , 400 frf 1970 = 250 today euros ! )
I own a second copy of the 2,5/90 with some work to do on it (filter thread shocked, fungus, dust , helico?d grease completely dry , etc .... )
Yet , if you want the "nec plus ultra" , in 100mm range , what about a Kinoptik Apochromat f/2 100 mm ? a true legend in terms of overall quality . Price are far away from Ang�nieux .... ($2000)

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Nice to see you here Helios! Thank you for inform us about these lenses. Personally I don't have any clue about French lenses.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I searched for a Kinoptic Apochromat once on Ebay. Found one, at the cost of about half of my car. Shocked

I never searched since.

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

Older Ang�nieux lenses (First Exakta range, M42) are not among the bests Ang�nieux produced . It is said last Alpa and Exakta Ang�nieux range were better , but what about Kern and Leitz optics of this time ? I appreciate to own some .I think french optics can be very good to excellent . One of my first 35mm camera I used was a Foca PfIII (Leica III clone ) with a collapsible 3,5/50mm lens (did you say Elmar copy ? ....)
This lens was fantastic , I took dias with Kodachrome 25, and they are among the sharpest pictures I ever took . Some owners of Foca Universal with the Oplarex 1,9/50 say that this camera and lens give results as good as Leica M3 with Summicron. Yet this camera was a bit more expensive than a M3 ...
So , glory for Ang�nieux, Berthiot , Kinoptik ....

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Helios - welcome indeed. Oh no - now we pursue French lenses as well as Russian, German, etc?

patrickh

PS I will have to look but I think photodo had some resolution tests on an Angeieux.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

Thanks for the welcome , everybody ! I picked a portrait with Ang�nieux 2,5/90
http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/94/3348/1024/IMGP2303.jpg

Hope this url work . otherwise see my blog !

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

This is pleasant result, looks nice for portrait. I remember for your Pentacon 135mm zebra shoot in portrait action, that lens is my favorite.

KhanX · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject:

Thank a lot for all comments.

Helios, you details is great for me. I'll take any comment of yours for me to decide before buy Angenieux lens.

Very Happy

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

Yes , it is sharp . Anyway these two lenses (135mm too) are prone to huge flare until f/8 ! and this picture was made using a 60mm sunshade ....In the "sharpness" "tray" , SMC Takumar 1,8/85 is a bit more contrasty ... And for absolute sharpness , the 1,7 / 50mm SMC M and the 1,4A are undoubtly better ...
I took some pictures in 2002 at a weekly vintage show , and this picture is one of the most saturated I'd ever took (On film Agfacolor, scanned with sprintscan 35+ Polaro?d) I think the american lab did a good "saturation boost job" , the other picture are also very warm and saturated . Lenses I used this day were : smc takumar 3,5/28, 1,8/55 , and the Ang�nieux Y12 2,5/90 .
Ang�nieux lenses of my range are not perfect but near ... Mr. Green

Another tip : only alpa and exacta mounts provide automatic diaphragm . Other mounts such as Rectaflex, M42 , LTM39 (of course...) have only manaul setting ring , without any "click" ...

So , if I had the oppotunity to buy a third, fourth, fifth "Lens from Paris" , I 'll do so . The only problem nowadays seems to be the price .... Wink

Here the Ang�nieux Y12 :

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2175855338_fe6f1c3359_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2382/2175843556_32313870ce_b.jpg

More pics on Flickr's....