Soligor 35mm f2.8

sakujin · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Posts: 5

Oh yes, the lens most peoples would dodge. I got my mine in mint condition for $10 along with a bunch of other lenses as well but I had to try this one out first since everyone is treating it like a plague.

I used a Canon 5d II with a m42 to eos adapter which you can find on eb@y for less than $10 and it works great, not the lens I meant the adapter.

Pictures are straight from the camera with no pp or resize.
And here are the results:

@ f8

@ f2.8

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

This is the preset I assume? It must have a nice round diaphragm stopped down as all the bokeh looks nice and round Smile

Sadly, the lens looks a bit soft, but I guess only 100% crops will tell us that.

Can't complain for $10.00 though Laughing

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

I'm guessing the preset too. I have the next version with interchangeable mount, 8 blades; similar softness, low contrast, helpful in rendering high-contrast lighting as shown above, I think perfect for use in soft flower and people portraits (not too close Wink

). A lens with character, if you will...

BTW, I just counted 4 versions of the 2.8/28 Shocked

going through collection...

sakujin · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Posts: 5

To be honest, I don't really know what it means when the lens is preset or not. The lens has a auto/manual switch and a pin in the back to close aperture in auto mode.

I just noticed there is a red "P" in the back of the lens, maybe thats the indicator thats its a "preset lens"?

Overall the IQ is soft across all apertures and doesn't really really improve much except from the bokeh. At f8-f11 the bokeh is more acceptable than when it's wide open.

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9031/jpg00005.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8571/jpg00006.jpg

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

These lenses are one of the crappiest one that for sure, I have a pre-set one I couldn't make any sharp image with it. Worst prime lens what I ever try.

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3437 Location: Netherlands

That is no preset but auto version.
Preset has no such pin on the back side.Aperture for a preset is done by chosing an aperture on one ring, another ring is really moving the aperture from WO for focusing to turn to the chosen aperture for the shot. So you can do that closing withoout looking for it, just on feeling.
Most Russian preset lenses work with one ring, to press in and choose the aperture to use. Then you can freely turn the same ring between WO and chosen value.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Ditto, you have an auto lens.

Since the Soligor brand was placed on at least 12 different makers lenses, its not possible to identify what you have from the description.

The auto one with the T4 interchangable mount was made by Tokina. I find mine quite sharp actually. I certainly have worse.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

does not look like preset, it's an auto lens.
preset has two aperture rings, the first sets it to a max. aperture where the second closes down to running free from wide open. This design dates back to before SLRs had a lever stopping down only at release which keeps the lens wide open when switched to 'A' and thus avoids the viewfinder to dim when stopping down. On a preset one focuses wide open and then in one fast clickless turn can stop down to the aperture value preset by the first ring, very convenient for dSLRs sinve they lack the lever to be using the 'dimless' function of an 'A' lens. Sakujin check out the two rings of my 105mm Takumar preset:

I have two Soligor presets, one a f3.5 180mm which outperforms my Takumar f4/200mm specially wide open and in corners and really is my best Tele over 150mm, another f2.8/25mm was rather dissappointing.

casualcollector · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:30 pm Post subject:

Your Soligor looks like it may be a second generation Tokina made lens. The first gen. had a 49mm filter thread and was well regarded. "P" on the mount indicates Practica/Pentax 42mm screw mount.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I too have a Soligor 35mm f/2.8, but of the T4 type. I perceive it as reasonably sharp with good contrast and colors. It was my wide of choice back in the 1970s and 80s and I have since changed the mount to M42 for current use. Now it comes in second to my Flektogon, so it doesn't get that much use anymore.

Yours does look soft, or possibly just not focused. I've found that the adapters sometimes allow focus past infinity, so with a wide angle that has a short infinity distance, you could be suffering that problem. I typically test this by taking a few pictures while backing off very little from infinity.

Here are some pictures from my T4 version - someone said by Tokina:

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

The OP's lens looks pretty awful to be honest. Woodrim's looks fairly good though. I guess many variation and QC.