Trying the MIR-26B 3.5/45

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

The surprise of the day was the MIR 45mm, which in medium format, is equivalent to a 28mm.
Again, I read very bad reviews about this lens, especially in comparison with the Flektogon 50mm.
I have to say that I have not made architectural tests (and I should, but there was no time, it was late and the light was fading).
But from the "natural" landscape test shots, I see an evidence of a good lens with a real character of its own.

This is a wide open shot:

As you can see, the performance is good. Like with all MIRs, the colors are full and saturated. The image quality is good, and quite consistent from center to corners, there is a bit softness on the edges but it's more than normal for a wide angle design wide open. The sharpness is more than acceptable considering that it's wide open.

Another wide open shot:

This one really made me fall in love with the lens. Because of the bokeh and the differentiation between the various distance planes. The 1024 resize does not really give justice to what I see at larger sizes. It is a bokeh that I would define like "discreet", but very very finely smooth and progressing from plane to plane. The result, together with the fine detail in the focused foreground, is that of a real spacial perception.
Again we notice the good image quality, the same slight blur near the edges but also the luminosity very constant from center to edge, which is really remarkable for a wide angle that is supposed to be "cheap".

Another one wide open:

Here you can see maybe even more what I mean about the bokeh. It's not blatant or enormous, but sort of silently progressing. The effect is that of a great quiet as opposed to more dramatic effects. I really love what I see. And I don't have this in another lens this way. It makes me feel this lens like really unique. A very nice find.

Finally, a f/5.6 shot:

There isn't much difference in sharpness - it is more or less the sharpness that you find wide open. What changes is the depth of field - I'd say that stopping down with this lens deepens the depth of field without altering significantly the perception of sharpness, which remains that of a moderate sharpness, but very constant. You feel the detail but at the same time perceive an organicity in the scene.

This lens is really a good surprise and one with a personal character - a thing that I value most. I already know that I will be using it a lot, although on the 35mm format it becomes a normal lens and not a wideangle anymore.

Directs:
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6573/mir26b1ur4.jpg
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/6228/mir26b2ae3.jpg
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/650/mir26b3px9.jpg
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/1811/mir26b4kq8.jpg

EDIT to add: sorry Michael, now you really have another one to envy me for! Laughing

But the lens comes cheap, if you find one around you can surely get it with no big pain. You only need a P6 to EOS adapter, it's a bit pricey but it's really worth it, it opens the door to very good lenses both CZJ and Russians (such as the Jupiter-36B)

Borges · Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 646 Location: Moers, Germany

Stop it immediately! I have no time at the moment, not enough money for all my wishes and a wife who's asking if I hadn't enough lenses. Just kidding - she tries to understand me. More or less Very Happy

I have to restrict myself to M42. For the next month. Or weeks. Or... I will see.

Added to my wishlist...

Michael