What's the latest lens you added to your collection?

Sciolist · Expire: 2021-04-16

The Universal Japanese Camera Lens.

This iteration is the mid to late 60s? Palinar Telephoto 3.5/135mm...

...although I've read it can be obtained in Soligor, Hanimex, Sears, Lentar, Solitel and no doubt other guises. I've also read that it was manufactured by Tokyo Koki (Tokina), although considering the esteemed company that may be reading this post, that is a bold statement to make. I'll put my steel hat on just in case I'm way off the mark.

But if it is Tokyo Koki, then that would make some sense to what I'm finding with this recent purchase. It's actually not too shabby -

Taken with Fujifilm X-E1. 5.6 @ 5m. Std setting, all parameters zeroed, no pp. Or indeed lens hood, which would have helped with the slightest of flare I can see coming from the facing window just out of shot. The light is coming from the right, but being a bay, a window is also providing light directly to the lens. Pretty good resistance I'd say.

The 'budget' lens owners best friend (or at least mine) - a touch of dehaze -

1:1

1:1 (From dehazed version)

The ST prefix in the serial number gives the clue. Charles Strasser had an eventful enough life to have a book written about him (from Refugee to OBE). But for us, he was a photographer who in 1947 borrowed £350 and with his single camera, set up a photographic studio in Newcastle Under Lyme, UK. Import restrictions on Japanse photographic equipment was lifted in 1957 in the UK and Mr Strassr was there to take one more adventure. By 1963 we find him being feted as a business 'go-getter', and presiding over a photographic empire that included Photopia International Ltd, Photopia Ltd, and Japanese Cameras Ltd. And this is where we find the Palinar, as part of a Mr Strasser's importation & wholesale national distribution business. Photopia itself is an interesting subject, having survived the slings and arrows of outragous fortune and surviving to this day. As I believe, does Mr Strasser, although in the 1970s he had sold the businesses as going concerns.

The lens is a relatively small, well made, easy to use short telephoto that, I have to say, I'm rather enjoying. Thanks Mr Strasser. Have one on me.

And I must namecheck Ashley Pomeroy's quite excellent blog http://women-and-dreams.blogspot.com/2015/08/palinar-135mm-f35.html whom I've borrowed information from.

A brief history of Photopia - https://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Photopia_history.html

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

Two lenses arrived today. First a Vivitar 35-70mm 1:3.5 by Komine (project Komine). Attempt two. The first one was broken and extremely fungussy. This one looks pristine but zoom action is annoyingly uneven (probably why it was barely used).

Vivitar 35-70mm 1:3.5 MC Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr

Vivitar 35-70mm 1:3.5 MC Zoom by The lens profile, on Flickr

And the Auto-Panagor Zoom 1:4 75-150mm (made by I don't know who, maybe anybody here knows). Part of project Panagor and I want to try a few portrait range zooms (also want to get the Pentax-m 75-150 and the Vivitar 70-150 Kino version) Project Panagor was supposed to have only primes, but because of the range I got this one anyway. It also is quite big for a zoom of this range. As big as a 70-210 type lens. It has a 62mm front filter, while the Pentax and Vivitar are respectively. 49mm and 52mm. Maybe if there is a Komine Panagor zoom I will get it as well unless I already have the Vivitar version.

Auto-Panagor Zoom 1:4 75-150mm by The lens profile, on Flickr

Auto-Panagor Zoom 1:4 75-150mm by The lens profile, on Flickr

Both are K-mount.

DConvert · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 902 Location: Essex UK

I received a 500mm f/8 Panagor mirror lens today. It was listed as having fungus & I'd got it with the intention of just using the helicoid from it. But when I saw it it was significantly smaller than the other 500mm mirrors I've seen & I can't see any fungus at all!

The small size makes it unsuitable for the lens I was going to put in it, but does make it a more appealing lens to use as it is & the condition makes it a shame to scrap it.

Here's a quick test shot with it near MFD on my Nex6:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20196/3065_panagor_cat_near_MFD_2.jpg

IMO well worth the £20 cost
Whoo Turtle

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D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

The Flek has arrived. Let's hope it can live up it's fame,

Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Flektogon 2.4/35 MC by The lens profile, on Flickr

Alun Thomas · Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 631 Location: New Zealand

Nothing very out of the ordinary, but one of the less common Vivitar lenses, especially if compared to the very widespread Komine 28. Like the 28, it goes about its business with minimum fuss and a reasonable degree of competence. It's also reasonably compact.

Sciolist · Expire: 2021-04-16

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

I found a Vivitar 28mm 1:2.0 Close focussing for sale on ebay for just 25 pounds (Komine made). Imagine how fast I clicked the buy now button. It is looking like new.

Vivitar 28 1:2.0 MC Close Focus Wide Angle (Komine) by The lens profile, on Flickr

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

First lens purchase in several years! Scored a virtually unused Tamron SP 55BB 500/8 for $109 in case with filters including 82mm filter for the front, red orange yellow & ND 4x 30.5mm filters, and a 30.5mm aperture reducer, plus 2 hoods, one short, one long.

Click here to see on Ebay

photo by eBay seller shawn54638ppj

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

M42 Pentacon Auto MC 135/2.8 Click here to see on Ebay

Photo ebay seller caman90

benadamx · Joined: 25 Feb 2019 Posts: 329

well speaking of vivitar wides, i went up north last weekend and forgot to bring a wide angle lens, but i found an older Vivitar M42 28mm/2.8 (serial 6XXXX, is that olympus?) at the thrift store for $5 and it's totally good enough

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

aidaho · Joined: 29 Apr 2018 Posts: 456 Location: Ukraine

Might be a flipped element.

Otherwise I refuse to believe some company had an audacity to sell a wide lens with those corners and huge coma clearly visible in daytime.

Alun Thomas · Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 631 Location: New Zealand

I actually have one on its way to me now, $13 with a Pentax M 50/2 and Takumar-A 70-210. I don't have high expectations, but am curious to see if it is a Vivitar design, or similar to the widely available Samyang 28 'macro' which I tried under an Albinar badge, which did struggle somewhat in the corners, but had quite good coatings.

benadamx · Joined: 25 Feb 2019 Posts: 329

benadamx · Joined: 25 Feb 2019 Posts: 329

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

The build looks like a Kiron:
http://photografica.robinparmar.com/vivitar28detail.html#M12
But it isn't this one http://photografica.robinparmar.com/vivitar28detail.html#M21 speculated to be a Kiron because that is 2.5 and doesn't have a widened filter ring.

It is this lens, but without silver nose. http://m42lens.com/m42-lens-database/527-vivitar-auto-28mm-f-2-8-22

I can see it is made in Japan, so not Samyang, which means it predates Vivitar manufacturer related serial numbering. I've got a Panagor that is made by Kiron that also has a similar build.

Focus marks are the same. screws seem to be in the same spots.

So it is probably a predecessor to the 2.5 lens

benadamx · Joined: 25 Feb 2019 Posts: 329

D1N0 · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2495

Oldhand · Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:45 am Post subject:

This one:

#1

I have toyed with acquiring this lens so many times, but this one came along and was irresistible.
Tom

Gott23 · Joined: 10 Dec 2018 Posts: 250

Size isn't everything....

benadamx · Joined: 25 Feb 2019 Posts: 329

Gott23 · Joined: 10 Dec 2018 Posts: 250

Gott23 · Joined: 10 Dec 2018 Posts: 250

Not had too much of a chance to play with it but the contrast is quite something;