Can't get sharp images on MC Soligor 200/3.5...

[MaXXXic]

Hello to all!!
Few weeks ago I get MC Soligor 200mm/3.5 non-1 series with Nikon mount. I tried it and was surprised - there are no sharp images! I compared it with my first manual lense Jupiter-21M 200/4 - it really sharper! That's inspite all my manipulations with J-21M - adjusting the infinity on Nikon, making justifying rings thinner etc. Can somebody who owned such Soligor take a look at my pictures, please! Any ideas what's wrong with it?
Thanks, Max.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132042857@N08/albums/72157657800072491
All pictures converted to jpegs from RAW on my Nikon D200 with/without corrections.

[Attila]

I believe this lens is not really capable to produce better images, your J-21 is a damn fine lens, only heavy , probably miles a head before this Soligor...
I had Soligor 200mm f2.8 in past it was okay ,but step behind Jupiter 200mm f4 surely.

Check it out all lens element perfectly in it's cage, I think not reversed any of them , that is produce lot more worst images.

[MaXXXic]

Hmmm, that's was a question for me - maybe I'm waiting something wery special from this Soligor? I have one more cheap soligor - 80-200/4.5, and i liked it wery much! It's little bit dark, but the colors and sharpness are okay:
https://flic.kr/p/wRSqGJ

[ManualFocus-G]

I have this lens and it is pretty decent stopped down a little (don't just shoot at f/3.5!).

However, your lens looks like it has a fault - possibly with an element de-centered as the right hand side of your images don't look right. Also, your shutter speeds are a little low (one of the photos has camera shake). It looks to me though that the lens is indeed faulty.

[MaXXXic]

I checked Soligor, it has no tracks of dissasembling or other damages, it looks scratched and used on metal parts, but the lenses and focusing/ aperture rings are good and have soft rotation. Who knows...
I am not shooting at 3,5. EXIF does not write any other apperture because of Non-Ai lense. I'm using the EV correction +0.7-1 to each apperture stop to make correctly exposed frame in A-mode. Or I'm using full manual mode.
J-21M is sharp at wide-open at f4!

[ManualFocus-G]

In that case your lens is most probably faulty What are the first few digits of the serial number.

By the way, the Jupiter is indeed a sharp lens, I wouldn't buy another in that range anyway

[MaXXXic]

Serial is 17103291 (Tokina?)

[ManualFocus-G]

Yep, Tokina 1967 probably. I'll try to test mine in the coming days, but I remember it being much better than that. It was previously my Grandfather's lens, and he was a wedding photographer!

[Oldhand]

I owned this Tokina Soligor lens once and it wasn't bad.
I have since sold it.
Here is an image from it:
OH

[WNG555]

I had a similar problem once with a Minolta MC Rokkor 200-f/3.5 that just wouldn't focus sharp as it could/should. Had to return it.

Your photos aren't that bad, just missing that last bit of sharpness.

I see it has already been suggested the Soligor may have an issue. Possibly de-centered from the factory, or an impact. Sometimes it's shipping to blame. Just read about the numerous complaints of FedEx or UPS dropping shipments of new lenses!

If you have lens spanners, try loosening and checking the front elements. I had great results with several lenses that were de-centered when I carefully reassembled the front elements.

[Lloydy]

Soligors can be very mixed quality, I've got great one and one's I wouldn't give away.

[Oldhand]

I have just noticed your link to images - don't know why I missed it earlier.
Those images are similar in IQ to what I was getting from mine as well.
I think that maybe there is nothing wrong with the lens but as Attila suggested that these are as good as this lens can produce. As Lloyd has said, Soligors can be a mixed bag and some are excellent - others not quite as good. I have a Siligor (Tokina) 250mm that is much better than the Soligor (tokina) 200mm that I had.
OH