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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Arsat N 50/1.4 - first pics
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I bought this Nikon- mount Russian (Ukrainian, actually) lens from an auction. Seems that I was the only bidder, paid 50 euros + postage.

1. At f/4


2. At f/2.8


3. At f/1.4


The price/quality ratio seems very good (at least my copy seems sharp even wide open).

I´ll try to make some comparison shots with my Nikkor 50/1.4 AI next.


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It looks brilliant with fantastic colours, pop and bokeh Smile Thanks for sharing, a really good deal I reckon!


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congrats! beautiful rendering, #1 superb winter landscape!


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It looks fantastic. No need to buy Nikkors after all!


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Seems realy good, nice colors and bokey as well, nothing to say about sharpness......I remember to have read some quite bad reviews about this lens on the Net.....but when I see your samples, it seems that this lens is much better than his reputation!
Comparison with Nikkor 1.4/50mm could be interresting....


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Wow. It looks like a kind of turbocharged Helios

Is it only available with Nikon-mount Question


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Toeteraar wrote:
Wow. It looks like a kind of turbocharged Helios

Is it only available with Nikon-mount Question


Russians usually made lenses with NIKON, M42 mounts perhaps some others available also or they are come with T mount. Mine was also with Nikon end.


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Congrats for this great series, my Nikon 50mm f1.4 AI was quite crappy , Arsat was way better lens. I think my Nikon was tampered by an amateur because it was worst than oldest NON-AI and AIS.


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Toeteraar wrote:
Is it only available with Nikon-mount Question


I believe this Arsat N started life as MC Helios-123 (the booklet, which came with the lens, shows the pic of Helios on front page). I don´t know if it´s available in other mounts, but there is at least two other Russian 50 mm f/1.4 lenses,

Volna-4, manufactured by LOMO and Arsenal factories, in Kiev (Nikon) and
Almaz (Pentax K) mounts and

Zenitar-K and -M 1,4/50 manufactured by KMZ, in Pentax K and M42 mounts.

All three are 7 lenses in 6 groups designs, maybe they are optically close each other.

There´s a great site about Russian cameras and lenses (in Russian, but some English, too) at

http://www.photohistory.ru/1207248187230500.html


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normal lenses for 35mm camera;
the Arsat isn't listed..but my Russian is poor.
- "Вега-1" / "Vega-1"
- "Вега-3" / "Vega-3"
- "Волна-8" / "Volna-8"
- "Волна-4" / "Volna-4"
- МС "Волна" 1,8/50 / MC "Volna" 1,8/50
- "Восход-2" 1,6/32 / "Voshod-2" 1,6/32
- "Восход-3" 1,4/52 / "Voshod-3" 1,4/52
- "Гелиос-44" / "Helios-44"
- "Гелиос-65" / "Helios-65"
- "Гелиос-70" / "Helios-70"
- МС "Гелиос-77" / MC "Helios-77"
- "Супер-Гелиос-М", 1,8/52 / "Super-Helios-M", 1,8/52
- "Гелиос-79" / "Helios-79"
- "Гелиос-81" / "Helios-81"
- "Гелиос-88" / "Helios-88"
- "Гелиос-89" / "Helios-89"
- "Гелиос-94" / "Helios-94"
- "Гелиос-97М" / "Helios-97M"
- "Гелиос-101" / "Helios-101"
- "Гелиос-103" / "Helios-103"
- "Гелиос-123" / "Helios-123"
- "Зенитар" 1,4/50 / "Zenitar" 1,4/50
- "Зенитар" 1,7/50 / "Zenitar" 1,7/50
- МС "Зенитар-МЕ-1" 1,7/50 / MC "Zenitar-МЕ-1" 1,7/50
- МС "Зенитар" 1,9/50 / MC "Zenitar" 1,9/50
- "Зенитар" 2/50 / "Zenitar" 2/50
- "Зенитар" 1,8/55 / "Zenitar" 1,8/55
- "Индустар" 5,6/30 / "Industar" 5,6/30
- "Индустар", 2,5/50 / "Industar", 2,5/50
- "Индустар-10" / "Industar-10"
- "Индустар-22" / "Industar-22"
- "Индустар-26" / "Industar-26"
- "Индустар-50" / "Industar-50"
- "Индустар-60" / "Industar-60"
- "Индустар-61" / "Industar-61"
- "Индустар-62" / "Industar-62"
- "Индустар-63" / "Industar-63"
- "Индустар-70" / "Industar-70"
- "Индустар-71" / "Industar-71"
- "Индустар-75" / "Industar-75"
- "Лира-4" / "Lira-4"
- "Меркурий-1" / "Mercury-1"
- "Рекорд" 1,8/50 / "Rekord" 1,8/50
- "Рекорд-4" / "Rekord-4"
- "Рекорд-5" / "Rekord-5"
- "Орхидея-1" / "Orchidea-1"
- "Орхидея-3" / "Orchidea-3"
- "ФЭД", ВООМП, 3,5/50 / "FED", VOOMP 3,5/50
- "ФЭД-С" 2/50 / "FED-S" 2/50
- "Эра-1" / "Era-1"
- "Эра-6" / "Era-6"
- "Эра-18" / "Era-18"
- "ЗК", "Юпитер-3", 1,5/50 / "ZK", "Jupiter-3", 1,5/50
- ЗК, "Юпитер-8" / ZK, "Jupiter-8"
- "Юпитер-17" / "Jupiter-17".
- "Триплет-22", "Триплет-22М" / "Triplet-22", "Triplet-22M"
- "Триплет-32" / "Triplet-32"
- "Триплет-42" / "Triplet-42"
- "Триплет-43", "Триплет-43-1" / "Triplet-43", "Triplet-43-1"
- "Триплет-48" / "Triplet-48"
- "Триплет-69-3" / "Triplet-69-3"


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Welcome Aspen!


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Attila wrote:
Welcome Aspen!


thank you, Attila. My apologies for not introducing myself. I've been an appreciative reader for many months.