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Finally Domiplan 2.8/50, a lens with character
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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 7:16 am    Post subject: Finally Domiplan 2.8/50, a lens with character Reply with quote

As all humans know, every man once in his life should test Domiplan. I guess my turn came. I've stumbled upon it attached to an old GDR reflex camera, put in a box "all for 5 quids" exposed outside of a camera shop. Put on Sony Nex, then applied autocontrast.

#1 f5.6


#2 f5.6


#3 WO


#4 WO


#5 WO


#6 f5.6, simple colour desaturation


#7 WO, simple colour desaturation


Colour rendering by the lens is really attractive, almost schneideresque, after PP. In some cases Domiplan lets think of another triplet, Iscotar 2.8/50. Meanwhile Isco gives a lighter, bleachier picture. Domiplan renders colours of better consistance (and easier boosted). Yellow and blues do not lack purity. Simple colour desaturation gives nice tone. At f5.6 its rendering of building geometry is not the worst, wide open it generates a vintage feel thanks to sharpness faults, like some other triplets, kind of 50mm Trioplan in its BW version.

In general, I expected much of fuzzyness and glow wide open. There are some, but not at the level of my expectations. I know, that sounds a bit unconventional, but the lens has character.


PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

you're lucky the aperture still worked. Often gets stuck


PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You've got a good copy of the lens, very nice pictures, #3 is the one for me Smile


PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Congrats

There are some 50mm triplets with good sharpness at F2.8. Wink


PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you fellows! I was glad to get a nicely working copy. I imagine it could be even more precisely adjusted, like some soviet Jupiters. But without a bold practical knowledge that could be destructive for the lens.

Here is a couple more test shots, all with autocontrast applied.

#1 WO defocused


#2 The same at f5.6 in focus


#3 At f4


#4 WO


PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2021 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a spontaneous allusion of the Domiplan rendering to a projection triplet Rollei Heidosmat 2.8/85. Went to look at Heidosmat shots and acknowledged they are sharper WO. Here is a couple of shots, while the full series may be found here.





The colours is a different story, as I remember to boost more Heidosmat contrast and saturation, as compared to those by Domiplan.


PostPosted: Sat May 29, 2021 7:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Domiplan is a super soap bubble highlight maker too, if you're in to that sort of thing.


PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 5:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am not too much into bubbles, giving preference to various urban captures. But this makes me curious, I'll try to get some later on. Thanks for the suggestion.


PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 10:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Under de right conditions they can be pretty defined (Backlit through foliage)
Bokehplan by The lens profile, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your sample clearly hits the bubbles target.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got a half dozen of low end enlarger triplets and among them there was a pretty unexpected combination. The previous owner used Domiplan as enlarger lens. That is a triplet aficionado!

#1


#2


PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice pix Smile
I've got three Domiplans, one in M42 and two (slightly different) examples in Exakta mount.
I tried the M42 lens on an APS-C DSLR a few years ago and wasn't excited … nothing wrong with it, but nothing special, … however, the Exakta-mount examples, used on b&w film, are quite nice … I really need to spend some more time with them Smile


PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got one attached to a nice, working Praktica Nova 1B that I got for free. Presently it's airing, previous owner with plug in 'air fresheners' and a hairy dog. Both of which I'm highly allergic to.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote



From a couple of weeks ago … one of my Exakta-fit Domiplans on my Samsung NX11


PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 7:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kypfer wrote:


From a couple of weeks ago … one of my Exakta-fit Domiplans on my Samsung NX11


Great capture! 👍

I really like the Domiplan but it seems you really got to have a lot of luck getting a decent one...

Properly exposed by simple.joy, on Flickr

Overgrown by light by simple.joy, on Flickr

One leaf left to the right by simple.joy, on Flickr

Finally, food for fence fans... by simple.joy, on Flickr

Packed and ready! by simple.joy, on Flickr

Having too much fun with our toys? by simple.joy, on Flickr


PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

simple.joy wrote:
I really like the Domiplan but it seems you really got to have a lot of luck getting a decent one...

As with a lot of cameras (and lenses especially) it's all too easy to find examples that have been extensively mis-handled or suffered ineffective repair attempts!
I look carefully for burred screw-heads and scratches on the ring that retains the front element … sure signs that "inexperienced and ill-equipped hands" have been in there Wink
Best bets are "one owner from new" loft and garage clear-outs … might need a bit of TLC but at least they haven't already been messed with!

I particularly like this one Smile
Quote:

One leaf left to the right by simple.joy, on Flickr


PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2023 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very attractive and finely elaborated pictures, simple.joy, as usual!

As long as I have now two copies of Domiplan in my hands, I decided to compare them. Put both Sony Nex, no PP.

I found out that the difference is both in edge performance (keep in mind that I used an APS-C, so the FF difference should be even more pronounced) and in contrast.

To make it simple, I noted "clean" my first lens from this post (which some of you qualified as a good copy), and the second came from an enlarger as "fungused" because of fungus filaments on the lens' edges. Still it does not mean the main factor making the performance differ. I don't think this is crucial. This just lets distinguish them.

Click on the image to see it at 100% zoom



I started from infinity test and found out that the Domiplan which was attached to an enlarger was really weak WO. Then I was especially intrigued to see if it performed much better at MFD. No, it smears quite hard the image out of the center, especially in the left part. And even at F5.6 this distortion is kept, as you see in the test shots. It has also more glow than the first, better copy.

Finally the difference between the two copies is clearly visible but not that crucial, and both improve considerably at f5.6. Besides, both gain much from autocontrast applied (not seen in this bunch which was not PP), just as the first pictures shown in this thread.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 29, 2023 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a triplet i was avoiding for a while, mostly due to bad reviews all over.
Finally got one...and I like it.
It does bubbles and is quite decent at close up distance ( factory MFD of only 0,75m sucks, have to use focusing helicoid or a small extension tube )

#1


#2


#3


PostPosted: Sun Jul 30, 2023 3:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice shots that show well the capacity of the lens!