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The Great Cheapo Lens Challenge - 2 (Super Travenar 2.8/28)
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pst wrote:
Hi!

Unfortunatly I have been off MFlenses for some months, due to work. But, now I'm back.

When I left, the challenge seemed quite dead. It's alive now, albeit somewhat chaotic Wink
After reading this thread, I take it, there are two lenses going round, the Travenar and the Focal. Peter PMd me, that I'll be up for the Travenar soon! How cool, looking forward to that!

To get back into the swing of things, can someone post links, to the running threads, I don't know what to look for anymore - "cheap lens" "crap lens"...???

EDIT: Stupid me, I just found the threads in the Café.

Many thanks!

There are three cheap lenses doing the rounds Patrick - Optomax, Travenar and Focal, all 2.8/28. I don't like the "crap" label because, from the results we've seen so far, they're all better than that.

The first one you'll see is the Focal which Michael has donated, which is currently on its way to Carsten and then on to you. The other two will get to you later as they get passed around. Each lens has its own thread to for posting pictures, Challenge I, II & III, all here in the CAFE-STICKY section. The Focal is Challenge III.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So far, it seems this lens is quite sharp at close distances but a bit soft at long distances. Bokeh seems okay, bit busy.

It's interesting to see how different cameras do with this lens though.

It's a bit of a shame all three lenses doing the rounds are 2.8/28s. I have some candidates sitting here for further challenges such as a mint Hoya 2.8/135 that sadly has three spots of fungus near the front, never tried it. I've got a very nice condition Panagor (Kiron) 3.5/200 that's has a bash that deformed the aperture ring and is therefore stuck wide open, that might be quite interesting, restricting people to wide open shooting.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are from (full-frame) Canon 5Dc

1 A building

fail

2 A close up


3 A landscape (or two Smile)




4 A portrait type picture ( could be a person or a statue or some object that will be isolated by narrow depth of field )



5 A street shot (or country lane) (or two Smile).





PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, nice work. You make it look like a good lens. Impressive. The last one I really like indeed.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thanks! I think it is a fine lens; it doesn't seem to have any obvious optical problems; handles difficulties as well as any good 28mm.

Fact: focus screen calibration must me more accurate when using wide angle lens -- focus screen calibration might be okay for 50mm lens and have back or front focus with 28mm lens. Best to calibrate focus screen using fast wide angle with least dof at minimum focus distance.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It certainly works well on the 5D, maybe more demanding sensors with worse pixel pitch will make it look not so nice.

But of course, the skill of the shooter helps a lot.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just letting you all know it is now in Australia...my cat is getting acquainted with it as I type (It is in a plastic bag)...Vis do you have a few cats?? Very Happy My first impression of the lens it has a good weight about it (heavy in the hand) and I like the look of it....not that that means terribly much!

We have a festival this weekend so I hope the weather holds and I can get a few images.....it usually rains.. Confused


PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm looking to seeing your pic's Mo. Very Happy


PostPosted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mo wrote:
Just letting you all know it is now in Australia...my cat is getting acquainted with it as I type (It is in a plastic bag)...Vis do you have a few cats?? Very Happy My first impression of the lens it has a good weight about it (heavy in the hand) and I like the look of it....not that that means terribly much!

We have a festival this weekend so I hope the weather holds and I can get a few images.....it usually rains.. Confused



(Super Travenar 28/2.8 on 5Dc)

Cats did sleep in the box of old packing materials Wink That's one reason for the baggie! The other reason was to protect lens from humidity while en route; it was bagged when humidity was only 45%.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laughing I thought they were Ginger cats.The bag was a good idea.The festival is today and there is sunlight...fingers crossed it holds!


PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The limitations of this lens are much more obvious on a FF camera. Does anyone else see the distortion in the bottom corners of this last pic? It clearly demonstrates how modern lenses for APS-C cameras (Canon EF-S lenses for example) don't need the high corner performance of good quality 35mm lenses.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are a few...
Taken using a K200D with the UV filter on that it came with....no PP straight from the camera,I may have adjusted #4,#5,#6 I took a few of the Town for you Peter.....2 pubs and 2 banks Laughing There are of course 3 more banks and 4 more Pubs I could take a photo of.I am not sure if the lack of sharpness is me or the lens...these are all handheld (I may have been guilty of rushing the town images)

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mo, you rocked that lens. Those are the best examples yet.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lloydy wrote:

I'll add this one in place of the 'street scene' as I haven't got a street scene picture taken with this lens anywhere.
But it's got a lot of the same principles, just imagine the gravestones are very stationary people and the church is a line of shops. Wink



Well, in fact, they are - or at least they were Laughing


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

David wrote:
Mo, you rocked that lens. Those are the best examples yet.


+1 Fantastic autumn colours too.
Thanks for the little tour Mo, it looks a very nice place.


PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2012 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks,I was trying to work with what was available...Autumn colors and buildings. Wink I still have some time before the lens moves on...I will see what else I can come up with.


PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2012 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice Autumn colors -- looks like November here.

Town looks old; maybe from before automobiles?

Lens performs even better without that UV filter. Wink


PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Peterqd now has the lens and its on its way to Sydney. Very Happy I did not use it after those images were taken...so hope fully Peter can get some magic out of it.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mo wrote:
Peterqd now has the lens and its on its way to Sydney. Very Happy I did not use it after those images were taken...so hope fully Peter can get some magic out of it.

I don't know how much magic is left in it after your lovely pics Mo! Smile

I haven't taken all my pics with it yet but here are a few to be going on with. Mo knows where this is! Wink
All at f16 on the NEX-7

1a. A building


1b. Another building


2. Close-up


3. A street scene


4. A landscape


My feelings so far -

The IQ of the Travenar is reasonable at small apertures, a lot better than the Optomax anyway, but a long way below my favourite Vivitar 2.8/28. I'll be posting some wider aperture shots later on, but my efforts so far have been poor, with much reduced resolution in the corners and a lot of flare around the highlights, typical of a cheapo lens.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They look ok, I am wondering does the camera you use also have an effect on "quality images" when using this lens? You managed to get the white bridge white,I have struggled with that.. Very Happy


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mo, I think that's white balance application, either in the camera jpg or in PP.

Super-Travenar seems to be resting some time after long journeys Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

C'mon, lets get this gem on the move again. Wink


PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, I must own up - it's my fault. I still have to take a portrait shot but I forgot all about it! Embarassed

I'm on hols from tomorrow morning for a week, but I'll take the lens with me and post it to Graham while I'm away.


Last edited by peterqd on Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:16 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The lens was posted off 1st Class on Friday so look out for it on Monday or Tuesday Graham.

I saw this while I was on holiday and thought it would do as a portrait. All I know is it's an old ship's figurehead on a building in Brading on the Isle of Wight. Don't know why they sawed off her arms but there's plenty still left to feast your eyes on! Smile

f5.6 - still some glow showing here and there (cropped)


PostPosted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well thanks Peter, this was a nice surprise Rolling Eyes Laughing

OK, here's my first entry...a piggy portrait! I used my GF1 to give a longer effective focal length and shot at f/4 Wink



Initial thoughts: The lens is horrendous! But a resize and a bit of pp never hurt anyone!


Last edited by ManualFocus-G on Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:41 pm; edited 1 time in total