Kinoptik Apochromat 2/100mm

[kds315*]

Well, another dream lens at dream prices Click here to see on Ebay

[F16SUNSHINE]

That was a high finish by any standard.
I think I remember seeing one go for a grand before.
Has this really become a $3K lens?

[Helios]

The best 100mm ever . Proudly made in France.

[wol]

[kds315*]

BEST EVER made in France!

[Razster]

Whoa, $3k for glass and metal?
Maybe if it was built by one of NASA's contracted mirror productions teams, it would equal $3k.

[Helios]

Here you are : http://www.kinoptik.com/optik_obje_photo.htm

[exaklaus]

I had it with Exakta mount. Very, very good lens, focusses down to 1:1. But I'm an idiot, sold just because of the money. Around 2000, if I recall correctly ($$ was higher in those days!).

Klaus

[Abbazz]

Ah, eBay's magic... $3000 is about the price you'll pay for buying the lens new from the factory!

As for its optical quality, here's an excerpt from a Camera35 test:


Image Credit: Alpareflex.com

Cheers!

Abbazz

[madamasu]

Tests are good, but pictures are better:
on the Fred Miranda Page is a thread of 234 pages called the Alternative Image Thread, and there are some extraordinary photos by a user
zhangp, some of them made with this Kinoptik 100/2 lense. Astonishing! Klaus knowsthis certainly, as he is active there too.

See here:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/597185

Look at page 35 for an expample.

[cooltouch]

Took a look at p35. Certainly nice results with great looking bokeh. Unfortunately viewing an 800 or 900 pixel wide image on a computer screen is not the best way to evaluate lens quality. Most of the photos on that page, in fact, appeared to rival the Kinoptic's photos in terms of quality.

But that test chart certainly doesn't lie, does it. I cannot recall the last time I've seen any lens with a score of over 80 lppmm in the center, never mind the corners!

Me want.

[madamasu]

Michael, of course you are right that test-charts don't lie and that the data for the kinoptik-lense are incredible. But I still prefer to see actual pictures taken with a lense (not brick-walls) to be able to judge colours, bokeh etc.
That many pictures on these pages look very good is probably due to the fact that there are a lot of very good lenses, with which very good pictures were taken. Some pictures taken with Vivitar lenses are absolutely stunning, not to speak of Zeiss and Leica, but that is expected anyhow. The dark background for the pictures helps a lot too, because it makes the colours stand out more.

Thomas

[F16SUNSHINE]

Sorry guys.
You can have it. I would not pay 2x-3x the price of the CV 2.5/125 for this lens.
Even if I had the dough laying about. Unless god bestows some new ability to see what others can not. .....It's folly to pay so much for a 35mm lens with others at a fraction of the price doing the same work.

[madamasu]

+1

I don't want it either - at least not for money. But if I'd find one growing on tree, I would take it.

Thomas

[Attila]

[stevemark]

There's one for sale locally here, looks to be in a good state (Alpa mount). I don't expect it to to sell for a crazy price, but I might be wrong of course. PM me if you're interested; I can send you images of the gear.

I'm no way related to the seller, and I hope it's OK to post that information here. If not => mods please delete my message!

PM

[paulhofseth]

tried to click on the ebay ad,but no result. Perhaps due to my paranoid computer- safety settings. I presume it was the alpa auto diaphragm version, There is also the extensan version which is totally manual. I find that one easier to use as it is narrower and marginally easier to transport. My other Kinoptik 100/2 is a very early version numbered 10001 in a curious cine-mount which I currently use on my NikonZ7.

I store them in a safe place and they do not get much use, so given the apparent market price, maybe I ought to send them to Westlichts successor.

p-