My brand new Hanimex 400/6.3 + Sony a65

[dudu75]

Hi guys,

I've been reading for a couple of weeks your very interesting posts which led me to buy my first M42 lens : Hanimex 400 f6.3.
For 15€ only, that was a good deal even if I found absolutely no information about it.
I first thought it was a Tokina-made one, reading the Tokina review : https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/tokina-rmc-400mm-f63.html
It is not exactly the same shape as you can see below, so not sure it is a clone :








There is a A/M mode for aperture set-up, I used M off-course.

Here are the "raw' pics I took this afternoon to test the lens, very cloudy weather, few light, could not stop-down f6.3 ans ISO 800/1600.

I'm pretty glad with Images quality given the conditions and the fact that focus is a bit challenging due to the ring lenght (thank you Focus peaking !)

[KEO]

I've got a Tokina-made, T-mount, Tele Lentar 400 6.3 with preset aperture, which looks a bit different from yours (older, though they may be related). It takes nice pictures, but the minimum focus distance is something like 9m, which can be a problem at times. I put extension tubes on it for closer shooting, which works great.

I screw a small tripod into the collar and use it as a hand grip, which makes the lens much easier to control and makes hand-held shooting possible if I can lean against something.

[dudu75]

Yes, I should have Taken a monopod, there is dedicated collar.

[fotografiasol]

perhaps another brother in this family

http://forum.mflenses.com/various-400-63-t67488.html

[marcusBMG]

I've tried about a dozen generic 400mm f6.3's, various nameplates (D&N, Impakt, prinz-galaxy, paragon [last two are quite common], hanimex...). These are all distinct from, and generally inferior to, soligors and the tokina made ones. The tokinas are two main generations, the 1st gen "stovepipe", no hood, mainly 1960's which can be found as tele-tokinas and as hanimex. palinar, cunor, prinz-galaxy and numerous other marques; the 2nd gen (1970's), with built in hood, as a tokina RMC and as soligor, optimax, hanimex.
TBH I don't recommend the generics. Two reasons; the tokinas and soligors are readily and cheaply obtainable, and the generics can frequently suffer from a milky haze of the rear optics due to glass deterioration.
Your lens however, dudu75, is different again. I have just about never seen this style 400mm f6.3 with a hood, you've got a rare one. As a rule the generics never have a hood. I incline to the notion that this is a late hanimex 400-6.3, in the period before 400-5.6 became the new norm. I have no idea who made it, only that I doubt it was tokina.
I recommend a say 80mm plate on the TM, in order to sit the lens on a bean bag. Your pics look quite decent (and by and large most 400mm 6.3's are quite decent), to really try to get a better sense of the best resolution then tripod mounted pics with a shutter release cable, magnified live iew to nail focus is the usual way to go... and good light. Typically that is normally achieved at f11 ish.

[dudu75]

Hi MarcusBMG,

Thanks for your feedback, I've read tons of posts from you regarding this 400mm f6.3 and I remember one where you made a rancking with Tokina 2nd, Soligor 3rd (9xxxx serial) and 1st Tamron if I remember well.
Glad to read mine is a rare one I've seen another clone of it branded "Makinon".

That's funny to see your recommandations for better shootings since I'm just back from a session with a fairly good light, a monopod, lower ISO (400/800) and isis stopped-down to f8 and f11. Yesterday ones were shot wide open f6.3 and ISO 1600, bad light. It is absolutely night & day !!
I'm using "focus peaking" function which is great even if I could certainly improve sharpness with magnification feature (step by step).

See below results, no post-processing, original & crop :

[EDIT] I can clearly see a loss of sharpness with these uploads compare to my pc screen, what platform would you recommand to keep original quality ?

[dudu75]

Here is my Hanimex clone : the Makinon.
Everything similar, design and technical aspects.

[marcusBMG]

Right so it's a makinon - one of the smaller manufacturers should've guessed that actually, that green ring around the end is quintessential makinon livery.

[dudu75]