Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!

SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Sunagor 80-205mm F/3.8
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:38 pm    Post subject: Sunagor 80-205mm F/3.8 Reply with quote

I just picked this up on evilbay for not much, I unwrapped it not long ago and it's in amazing condition too.

I know Sunagor has nothing to do with Sun and I have seen this lens labelled as a Promaster and a Bell and Howell which doesn't inspire confidence but it is also available under the Hoya name so it might not be too bad after all.

It has a pseudo macro mode that I almost missed, it's a one touch design and if you push the ring further after it seems to have reached the end of it's travel it then clicks and goes a little bit further revealing the macro markings on the lens barrel, it feels pretty well made on the whole and quite well damped for what must have been a budget lens even when new.

I have no idea who made it, the only possible lead I have is someone saying on a forum that the Hoya was made by Ozone optical.

When I get home I will take a few snaps with it if the weather gets better, it's terrible at the moment!


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The name Sunagor, a contraction of Sun-Solagor, is questionable clever marketing tactic, building on top of reputation of others. Wink


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:29 pm    Post subject: One-touch "quick macro" Reply with quote

Interesting. I, too have a zoom lens with this macro feature. It is an "Ozeck" 75-150 zoom in Canon FD mount and the last 5mm of the zoom travel reveals the legend "QUICK MACRO" in very garish capitals. Someone has led me to believe that the Ozeck brand may well have been made by Ozone as well? Are they a respected maker? I can post pictures of my lens if you are interested.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:32 pm    Post subject: Sun - or not Reply with quote

visualopsins wrote:
The name Sunagor, a contraction of Sun-Solagor, is questionable clever marketing tactic, building on top of reputation of others. Wink

Hmmmm. I have a Sunactinon lens - any idea of its history?


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:37 pm    Post subject: Re: One-touch "quick macro" Reply with quote

martyn_bannister wrote:
Interesting. I, too have a zoom lens with this macro feature. It is an "Ozeck" 75-150 zoom in Canon FD mount and the last 5mm of the zoom travel reveals the legend "QUICK MACRO" in very garish capitals. Someone has led me to believe that the Ozeck brand may well have been made by Ozone as well? Are they a respected maker? I can post pictures of my lens if you are interested.


Mine too has the term "quick macro" in garish letters so we might be getting close to the truth as super ozeck is indeed the name ozone optical use. It seems the quality of ozone lenses varies between decent and excellent from reviews and personal opinions I have read


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:57 pm    Post subject: Re: One-touch "quick macro" Reply with quote

fatdeeman wrote:
martyn_bannister wrote:
Interesting. I, too have a zoom lens with this macro feature. It is an "Ozeck" 75-150 zoom in Canon FD mount and the last 5mm of the zoom travel reveals the legend "QUICK MACRO" in very garish capitals. Someone has led me to believe that the Ozeck brand may well have been made by Ozone as well? Are they a respected maker? I can post pictures of my lens if you are interested.


Mine too has the term "quick macro" in garish letters so we might be getting close to the truth as super ozeck is indeed the name ozone optical use. It seems the quality of ozone lenses varies between decent and excellent from reviews and personal opinions I have read


Sounds too similar to be different Smile Can find nothing in VM or on the interweb about ozone optical though Sad

That garish writing Smile

Full zoom

Macro


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah it's definitely related.

I tried the lens out a little, wide open it's not so great, probably one of the worst lenses in this focal range I have ever tried.

There is an insane amount of spherical aberration wide open, especially at the tele end. It could prove to be an interesting portrait lens though!

I'm not sure if this is normal for the lens or if there is something wrong but going by the condition of the lens I would be surprised if it was in any way damaged or malfunctioning but on the other hand would Hoya have chosen such a bad lens to put their name on? There is of course the possibility that Hoya put their own superior glass inside.

A shame, I was hoping it would be half decent!

I shall probably put it back on eBay, I might even try another copy to rule out sample variation, they never fetch much money.

On a side note, The only lens I have used of this type that was worse was also branded Sunagor! This one was a different beast though, it was plasticy and had zoom an focus creep and was just terrible altogether, this one is at least nicely put together.

On an interesting note, I picked up another cheap lens today and it was the total opposite of what this forum stands for, a Canon EF 100-200mm F/4.5A one of only two Canon EF lenses to feature no manual focus ring at all, it appears to be a very decent lens! I got it cheap because it is old and mostly forgotten.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm pretty sure it's the lens as seen in this review manualfocus-g provided

http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz4.jpg

The only difference being that Sunagor have pushed the truth a little with the maximum aperture, not an unusual practice at the time. Yours is there too Martyn.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fatdeeman wrote:
I'm pretty sure it's the lens as seen in this review manualfocus-g provided

http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz4.jpg

The only difference being that Sunagor have pushed the truth a little with the maximum aperture, not an unusual practice at the time. Yours is there too Martyn.


Good spot! Need to read the rest of it to see if they give any clues about Ozone Optical.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 7:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz1.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz2.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz3.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz4.jpg

Wink


PostPosted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManualFocus-G wrote:
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz1.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz2.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz3.jpg
http://www.monkeyjumpers.co.uk/Pics/oz/oz4.jpg

Wink


Thanks Graham. Knowing what you computer types are like, I'd already worked out the sequence Wink. Have you any info on Ozone Opticals? The article just has these lenses down as coming from Comet?

PS how's it going Smile


PostPosted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took this lens down to the where we keep the horse the other day, the glowing effect wide open and at the long end is actually quite pleasant!

I think it could definitely be quite good for portraits, I would have had someone stood near the rope on the fence ideally but the wife was busy doing horse stuff Razz



PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fatdeeman wrote:
I took this lens down to the where we keep the horse the other day, the glowing effect wide open and at the long end is actually quite pleasant!

I think it could definitely be quite good for portraits, I would have had someone stood near the rope on the fence ideally but the wife was busy doing horse stuff Razz



This lens seems defective in many ways but photo has a lot of charm! Perhaps like in movies of David Hamilton.