Quick check 10x Pentax PK 28mm

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

(top) SUN F2.5
(bottom) PORST / SUN
PETRI= COSINA
SOLIGOR=SUN (early)
REVUENON=SAMYANG (Korea)
Super Albinar SC = RMC (or EL) Tokina
Super Albinar MC Auto (late SUN most probably)

Guess the winner?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I've had the Tokina, the Petri/Cosina and the Albinar, the Tokina was good, the Cosina poor and the Albinar average.

I've also had the Pentax-M 2.8/28 and it was better than all three.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

The only one I've got, or used, is the Soligor CD. And I know that's a good lens. I'll go with the Soligor just on the basis of my ignorance of the others! Wink

Oldhand · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:43 pm Post subject:

Hmm, I haven't had any of these.
My only experience is with Kiron, Soligor (Tokina Serial No 17XXXXXXXX) and Takumar 28mm's.
Your Soligor looks like it might be made by Sun 27XXXXXXX
Based on my experience with the Tokina/Soligor, I rate it highly so I am going to guess that the Tokina will do well in your test.
OH

caspert79 · Joined: 31 Oct 2010 Posts: 2925 Location: The Netherlands

I think the Tokina wins.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

I have 3 tokina copies, none of them exceptional.
The pentax K/M/A smc is better.

Petri is soft wide open.
Have only one Haminex MC 135/2.8, but really bad.

Can't tell which will win, no idea.

tao · Expire: 2015-03-12

A vote for Tokina. Mine is sharp.

I smell a surprise here but please don't tell me it's hanimex.

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

Well I have the Rikenon and it's very good on film (for the few shots I took).....and would guess it's the best of the bunch.
Oh wait misread Revuenon for Rikenon Laughing

so I'm disqualified.

Oldhand · Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:35 pm Post subject:

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Sorry i decided to rob you of the best: photos to comment and make conclusions. I only managed to get shots from quite murky and ugly surroundings.
But vague categorizing was in fact easy. And there is a little surprise indeed. Here are five groups:

I. These are best lenses. I can hardly differentiate among them. I promise to make photos soon so you can pick favorite.

a. Super Albinar SC: Tokina EL Clone (I wonder does E really stands for economy? My sample seems a bit better then RMC).
b. Super Albinar MC: i wouldn't bet on it but i am convinced this is late compact SUN design. Since Albinar distributed many brands you can see it on this link. Funny it's called SC: http://forum.mflenses.com/refunding-selling-some-lenses-to-buy-a-new-one-photos-t41432.html
c. RMC Tokina. I am convinced it's not the best sample. I think (i've tried few a while ago) it can do better.
d. The surprise: It's called PETRI, which is very compact COSINA model.

II. Following closly behind it's:
e. Hanimex but i am able to distinguish it's weaknesses compared to above selection.

III. Still acceptable wide-open:
f. Soligor (old SUN): I've had better samples of this lens.
g. SUN (F2.5)

IV. These are very softish wide-open:
h. PETRI (COSINA non-compact)
i. PORST (SUN), probably defective, i've had better

V. unusable wide-open, bad even at F4, probably some defect.
j. Revuenon (Samyang Korea)

Here a glimpse of PETRI / COSINA compact (top left lens) wide-open on NEX-C3 (2950px on click):

See the jet plane top above:

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

I can already say i was unfair to two lenses. Big Petri (non-compact) Cosina is OK lens. I found another sample of the same lens so first one has probably been tinkered.

Next that i found better then initially: SUN F2.5. It had grease condensation on few glass layers. This lens needs to be put on rear side when stored!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

You need to test them stopped down as well as wide open, they weren't intended to be used wide open and a lot of 28mm lenses don't give their best until f5.6. That is true of lenses from the major makers as well as third-party budget ones. If you test them both wide open and at f5.6, you are giving them a fair chance.

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I just mention it for two reasons - not many people shoot a wide angle at distance wide open; secondly in my testing of some cheap lenses, quite a few were less good at 5.6 than a very good lens. A good example is the Hanimex 2.8/28 in M42 I tried a couple of months ago. It was very poor wide open, poor at f4 and only became acceptable at 5.6. You could definitely discern a noticeable difference at 5.6 to a very good lens like the Konica Hexanon 3.5/28 or Minolta Rokkor-SG 3.5/28. Thirdly, wide open represents a worst-case scenario for performance, and 5.6 should represent a best case, as that is what most lenses are optimised for, so if you want to be balanced in the testing, it might be better to try both best and worst case situations.