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Welmy 28mm 2:5 Pentax PK mount (serial no. partially hidden)
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:54 pm    Post subject: Welmy 28mm 2:5 Pentax PK mount (serial no. partially hidden) Reply with quote
I nearly forgot I purchased this £5 lens on Sunday, the same day as the 1920's Contessa-Nettel.

So, when I got home from work a little while ago, I went into the garden with it.

The lens:


As usual all photos below are straight off the memory card.

This was taken at F8, ISO 400, 1/80 sec:


This was taken at F8, ISO 400, 1/200 sec


This photo was taken at F2.5, ISO 400, 1/400 sec


Certainly good value for £5.00 ($7.73), although I can find little information about this lens.

Last edited by zelda_n64 on Fri Jun 14, 2013 2:28 pm; edited 7 times in total


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I own a Sun 28mm F2.5 which similar to your Welmy lens year ago. It is exactly the same lens as in the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/365610@N21/discuss/72157611800340555/

I do not know who make this lens. Perhaps someone here will know more about this lens?


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83, Thank you for the link and info.

There does seem to be similarities, although not sure what the auto refers to on my Welmy, this one is quite long about 65mm total:



PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It's probably made by Sun, seen under many different brands. The Auto just refers to the aperture, it has a lever to connect to the camera so that it automatically stops the lens down to the shooting aperture when you press the shutter button.

Interesting to see the wide open shot, it's soft and glowy due to uncorrected spherical aberration. Not seen this level of SA in a 'normal' lens before, only in soft focus portrait lenses that deliberately have uncorrected SA in order to produce the soft glowy effect they use. You can see it still has some residual SA at f8.

I suspect there's something wrong with this lens, probably an incorrectly spaced element, a normal lens shouldn't have this much SA, it should be anastigmatic. Probably it left the factory in this condition, someone didn't screw a spacer or retaining ring in correctly.

I say use it for artistic work where a soft, glowy look would be desirable, portraits, flower shots etc.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1, Thank you!!

I will practice and get used to this lens, from the 4 photos I have taken so far Smile it doesn't seem too bad. Albeit I am only a casual photographer so I do apologise for my compositions not being up to the standard some are on this forum.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
For 5 bucks, this is acceptable Wink

First time I heard about this brand, GB have a few OEM Brands.

As an example, Sankor made Zebras from the UK is usually branded "Seriese" and you can find the same lenses as Spiratone in the US Wink

I bet somebody can see who really is the maker of this lens, it looks Japanese, but who?


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Every lens has different characteristics, the key is to learn how to make best use of them. I'm actually in the middle of modifying a lens so it has lots of uncorrected SA in order to use it as a soft focus portrait lens, the look I'm seeking is just like your f2.5 example, so what is an undesired abberation to a lens designer is actually a useful feature to an artistic shooter.

Have fun with it! Smile


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the great input.

I do like the wide open shot, there was a little breeze so it kept moving - patience is sometimes a virtue. I will give this lens a good workout over the next couple of days and try various settings and subjects.

Just out of interest I did put the wide open image into the Serif program I have and pressed auto levels, I like this a lot, especially the background, I guess each to their own taste:



PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The background is very nice, the smooth swirliness is created by the SA, most 28mm lenses aren't anything like so smooth and swirly.

The halo-like glow on the pine cones is due to the SA too.

So now you know you have very nice smooth and swirly rendering of out of focus areas and a soft warm glow on highlights.

That, to me, is the ingredients for lots of artistic fun, people pay a lot of money for soft focus portrait lenses that use SA to create the look your lens has, so your fiver was well spent.

I'd use a different lens for general purpose work, but for the right type of shot, this one will be great and will produce images most lenses couldn't.

Enjoy!


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1, kind words, Thank you.

It will be used sparingly, perhaps I will get a good photo of something that will even shock me Smile and I have never seen swirls/softness like that, so I am 1) shocked, in a nice way and 2) shocked that people pay lots of money to purchase lenses that create this effect and 3) shocked that I have learnt so much just by posting these few pictures, thank y9u again iangreenhalgh1.

As it happens I do have an M42 28mm 2.8, that doesn't perform like this, so I am stuck for words.

All the best with the modifying of your lens and I sincerely hope you get some awesome results with it.


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Shoot at F8-F11 much as you can and any lens will serve you pretty well. Shoot wide open with a wide lens , pretty silly anyway. Enjoy your find. I did know only Welmy Six 6x6 camera before , now I know a lens also exists Smile


PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nordentro wrote:
I bet somebody can see who really is the maker of this lens, it looks Japanese, but who?


Yes, it was made in Japan, according to what is written on the underside, not sure of the year, although I would hazard a guess of sometime between 1900 - 1999 Wink

Attila, advice noted - Shoot wide open with a wide lens , pretty silly anyway, I know, but one has to experiment.

Enjoy your find - Thank you!


PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2013 3:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This afternoon I took my Welmy 28mm F2.5 into the windy garden, these shots all wide open 1/1250s

They have been resized and in my Serif program levels auto adjusted.











This photo wide open at 1/800s


I really do like this lens.


PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 7:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Earlier this evening I took some more shots using the Welmy 28mm 2.5 lens.

All photos are shot wide open, 1/400s, and levels auto adjusted in Serif photoplus




The auto level adjustment has made this look more like a HDR photo:


The above image cropped


The image below is straight off camera and only resized:




Last edited by zelda_n64 on Tue May 21, 2013 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 8:15 pm    Post subject: Pictures of the Welmy 28mm f2.5 Reply with quote
If it helps to identify the manufacturer of this lens, please find below images of the actual item, taken with a mobile phone, so apologise for the quality.













The next 2 photographs are the Welmy 28mm (left) next to my M42 Cosinon auto MC 28mm f2.8 (right)





Last edited by zelda_n64 on Tue May 21, 2013 3:06 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I love how you're able to make the softness work so well for your photos!


PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
MacTak wrote:
I love how you're able to make the softness work so well for your photos!


Thank you MacTak, I am slowly getting used to the quirkiness of this lens. It probably isn't everyone's taste and looking at some of the early examples I know I have to be careful as they will know doubt cause headaches to some people (especially those purple flowers).

Here are a couple more examples that I had original posted in the undesired aberration, artistic shooters thread.

This first one I do really like - the colours have come out really good and the background looks more like an oil painting than a photo, these are all taken with the hoya multi-vision adapter attached to the Welmy 28mm 2.5 lens.

All shots are wide open at about 1/50, these have been resized and the levels have been auto adjusted in my Serif program. No other computer effects have been used to manipulate the images.









Is this lens more suited to artistic effects?, I will take some normal photographs with it, as it is a very sharp lens and a joy to use.

What are your thoughts: bin it Wink , sell it (really Sad ), artistic shots only Idea or general purpose, obviously all comments are welcome.


PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2013 6:44 pm    Post subject: Into infinity and the Sun - oops Reply with quote
Just a little earlier, I decided to point the Welmy lens towards the sunshine and to see if I could manage to get a shot of the clouds.

I know I shouldn't look through the eyepiece - and you'll be glad to know I was looking away on yet another breezy day here in the UK.

The actual point of this exercise was to see how much fringing (chromatic aberration) would occur along the edge of objects when used normally. I am pretty happy with this result, but I will continue to see what will provoke the problem.

A boring shot/composition, but I only wanted the clouds really, photo resized, straight off of camera, number plate blocked out. No other manipulation

This photo was shot at

ISO 200, 1/6000 sec and F8, exposure bias -1,7 step, metering mode = spot.



This next shot was slightly too slow/wrong settings:

ISO 200, 1/800 sec, F8, exposure bias +3 step, metering mode = spot



PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 3:35 pm    Post subject: The more I use the greater this lens becomes Reply with quote
This bright Sunday morning, I decided to take a couple of morning shots with the Welmy.

The more I use this lens the greater I feel it (or me) becomes. The following photograph is straight off the memory card and has only been resized.

ISO 200, 1/320 sec, f8


Crop of the above:


A crop from another shot this morning:

ISO 200, F8, 1/160 sec, f8



I cannot find any information about this lens (I have come across 3 Welmy 28mm lenses in all my web searches from around the globe) but it would be nice to find out which lens manufacturer manufactured it and who's optics are in it because to my eyes this is one sharp lens (when focused correctly).


PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The last one's are very nice Wink


PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 6:35 pm    Post subject: My Welmy 28mm and aliens Reply with quote
Today, early evening here in the UK I have taken a few more shots with the Welmy 28mm 2.5.

Will I ever get bored of using this lens wide open.

ISO 200, wide open, 1/640 sec, image cropped, shadow adjusted in my Serif program:



ISO 200, wide open, 1/800 sec, image cropped, shadow adjusted in my Serif program:



ISO 200, wide open, 1/640 sec, image cropped, shadow adjusted in my Serif program:



ISO 200, wide open, 1/640 sec, image cropped, shadow adjusted in my Serif program:



ISO 200, wide open, 1/640 sec, image cropped, shadow adjusted in my Serif program:



PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
zelda_n64 wrote:
calvin83, Thank you for the link and info.

There does seem to be similarities, although not sure what the auto refers to on my Welmy, this one is quite long about 65mm total:



iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
It's probably made by Sun, seen under many different brands...


I think not. SUN F2.5 28mm is quite thin lens. This is interesting whodunnit.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:53 pm    Post subject: I like it so much - I bought another one Reply with quote
Quote:
Pancolart - I think not. SUN F2.5 28mm is quite thin lens. This is interesting whodunnit.
- will we ever find out.

As this is such an interesting lens for my eye with the effects it creates, I literally just found one on ebay - albeit for a whopping £19.99 ($31.13) and decided to buy it.

Not sure what made me do it, but I thought it would be a great idea to test the 2 side by side and see if mine (original one, with all photos posted so far on this thread) is a one off or if they perform exactly the same from wide open to stopped down. Hopefully the new arrival will be as sharp.

When it arrives, I will of course be testing it out and posting photos - I will include a side by side shot of the lens.


Will it be as bad, better or exactly the same?

If it is the same, then we will know that the lens has been designed this way. Although, to some that may not be a good thing. We will wait and see. I am excited already for the tests to come.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 6:26 pm    Post subject: Me, My Welmy & a Reversing Ring Reply with quote
Saturday 8th June, 2 little reversing rings turned up in the post, one 49mm and a 55mm.

The 55mm is purely for the Welmy, so just a little earlier, in yet another breeze I took it into the garden.

These are all handheld, fighting against swaying plants and with a 28mm reversed they certainly sway.

All wide open, resized and levels auto adjusted in my Serif program.

ISO 200, 1/100 sec



ISO 200, 1/80 sec



ISO 200, 1/80 sec



ISO 200, 1/100 sec, cropped



I cannot wait for a day without a breeze, as I think this will be awesome mounted on a tripod.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:25 pm    Post subject: Me, My Welmy x 2 Reply with quote
Today, Monday 10th June, my other Welmy 28mm 2.5 turned up.

Just now I quickly went into the garden to try it out, again with a breeze.

ISO 200, 1/100 sec, wide open, resized in my Serif program



ISO 200, 1/100 sec, wide open, resized and levels auto adjusted in my Serif program



ISO 200, 1/80 sec, wide open, resized in my Serif program



My Welmy's, with the new arrival on the left hand side



It looks like this will give the same effect as the 1st Welmy, by looking at the water bowl on 2nd photo. If it does then is that cool or what. We need some sunshine to make doubly sure.
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