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What's the latest lens you added to your collection?
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 26, 2024 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DrBB wrote:

Meyer Optik Gorlitz Domigor 135mm f4 pentina (any idea how to non-destructive adapt this one?)


I managed to adapt without destroying a lens, but it did destroy a camera, although the camera was already in a failed state. I think for many of the more unusual camera/lens mounts this is the best you can hope for if you really want to use a particular lens. The Pentina mount did have two lenses not seen on any other system, the 135mm Domigor, and the 85mm Cardinar.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pentina adapter
Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just received this today, a preset Komura Sankyo Kohki 200mm f/3.5. Absolute bargain at £12.80 including shipping imho. Advertised as blooming in the lens, said blooming/ fungus was a single spot <2mm on the back of the 2nd from the front element which was very east to disassemble and wipe away with a bit of hydrogen peroxide and left no visible marks to the glass. Other than an odd bit of dust and a bit of oil on the aperture blades(which don't affect it in any way) it seems to be pretty pristine. Just waiting for a m48 to EF adapter to come tomorrow to give it a try with my 5D. Smile





PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some time ago, I've read that Jupiter 85mm f2 (m42 version) would come from the factory with some oil on the blades and that should be normal, so I wonder if it wouldn't be the case for these komura multiblades as well?


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiddo wrote:
Some time ago, I've read that Jupiter 85mm f2 (m42 version) would come from the factory with some oil on the blades and that should be normal, so I wonder if it wouldn't be the case for these komura multiblades as well?

Very possibly, I have oil on the blades of a few different high blade count preset lenses. It doesn't seem to affect any of them adversely like it would on an auto lens, possibly due to the user moving the blades as opposed to a tiny spring?


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, the blades on nearly all early 2-ring preset and manual aperture lenses are oiled by design. This is true across 35mm lenses, large format lenses, cinema lenses, etc. Without the oil and with so many crammed in there, the blades would tend to bind, causing them to easily get bent/kinked. As you surmised, the oil is dispensed with on auto aperture lenses because the spring pressure of the mechanism isn't enough to overcome the drag between the blades. This is also why nearly all auto apertures have 8 blades or fewer, while manuals and presets can have as many as 36(!), since even dry blades will drag too much for the mechanism to handle once you get too many.

I've seen people swear up and down that the oil on the blades of such lenses isn't by design and has migrated from the helical, but they're simply wrong. Early tech manuals show that oiling the blades was standard practice, and virtually without exception all unserviced examples of lenses of these types show some degree of oil on the blade, even large format barrel lenses with an iris only and no shutter that literally have no other lubricated parts from which the oil could have migrated! If they don't have oil, it means someone has opened it up at some point and removed it. The Komura in this thread is a particularly heavy example of it, but even drier-appearing manual/preset irises will have oil if you look closely.

sasquatch wrote:
kiddo wrote:
Some time ago, I've read that Jupiter 85mm f2 (m42 version) would come from the factory with some oil on the blades and that should be normal, so I wonder if it wouldn't be the case for these komura multiblades as well?

Very possibly, I have oil on the blades of a few different high blade count preset lenses. It doesn't seem to affect any of them adversely like it would on an auto lens, possibly due to the user moving the blades as opposed to a tiny spring?
[/i]


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you again for your input, I remember some time ago I had a Pentacon 200mm late m42 version with rusted blades , otherwise the lens was pristine, so it seemed weird to me
Anyway, that grease from the blades ,on time would get sticky so it might need to be replaced, so what kind of grease nowadays would fit for that purpose? Removing and inserting all those blades , probably might not be cheap neithe; I suspect in most of the cases ,that grease it's still the original from the factory, so it got to be a very good one to last 60 years.


Last edited by kiddo on Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:47 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BrianSVP wrote:
Yes, the blades on nearly all early 2-ring preset and manual aperture lenses are oiled by design. This is true across 35mm lenses, large format lenses, cinema lenses, etc. Without the oil and with so many crammed in there, the blades would tend to bind, causing them to easily get bent/kinked. As you surmised, the oil is dispensed with on auto aperture lenses because the spring pressure of the mechanism isn't enough to overcome the drag between the blades. This is also why nearly all auto apertures have 8 blades or fewer, while manuals and presets can have as many as 36(!), since even dry blades will drag too much for the mechanism to handle once you get too many.

I've seen people swear up and down that the oil on the blades of such lenses isn't by design and has migrated from the helical, but they're simply wrong. Early tech manuals show that oiling the blades was standard practice, and virtually without exception all unserviced examples of lenses of these types show some degree of oil on the blade, even large format barrel lenses with an iris only and no shutter that literally have no other lubricated parts from which the oil could have migrated! If they don't have oil, it means someone has opened it up at some point and removed it. The Komura in this thread is a particularly heavy example of it, but even drier-appearing manual/preset irises will have oil if you look closely.


Yes, thanks indeed. I haven't ever attempted to clean the oil off the presets I own but now I know it should be there I won't give into the temptation of making them shiny. I always lean towards if its working don't mess with it anyway, too much can go wrong and I don't have the tech knowhow to put it right if I screw something up.

I'm guessing from its age the Komura must have been serviced somewhat recently or is it possible that is original oil from the manufacturer? Doesn't look like its been used much in any case.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You'd want something that's an oil rather than a grease, but with high enough viscosity that it won't creep everywhere, especially if the lens gets warm. I've had success with a drop or two of fairly high viscosity motor oil, but the grade and amount used might have to be fine tuned to the lens.


If the blades are rusted, and you feel daring, you can remove them carefully buff them up with fine grade steel wool and apply gun blacking to restore their finish. The blades are typically just blacked spring steel in these earlier lenses, so if they're not adequately oiled they will tend to rust over time. Removing existing grime without reoiling will only accelerate rust. The auto aperture lenses by comparison tend to have permanent anti-friction coatings that also help prevent rust. One nice thing about reassembling oiled blades is that if you pre-oil them, the fact that they lightly stick to each other can make a many-bladed iris somewhat easier to put back together.



kiddo wrote:
Thank you again for your input, I remember some time ago I had a Pentacon 200mm late m42 version with rusted blades , otherwise the lens was pristine, so it seemed weird to me
Anyway, that grease from the blades ,on time would get sticky so it might need to be replaced, so what kind of grease nowadays would fit for that purpose? Removing and inserting all those blades , probably might not be cheap neithe; I suspect in most of the cases ,that grease it's still the original from the factory, so it got to be a very good one to last 60 years.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sasquatch wrote:


I'm guessing from its age the Komura must have been serviced somewhat recently or is it possible that is original oil from the manufacturer? Doesn't look like its been used much in any case.


It very well could be original; some of these oils can last a surprisingly long time without drying out.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fujinon EBC 1.4/50 mm (M42) with a loose focusing Ring, but otherwise OK; UV Topcor 2.8/50; plus a few well known Tokina RMC an Minolta MC/MD lenses Form the wastebin of a local photo Store. Curious to seehow the Fuji 1.4/50 will work. Sadly the accompgnying 801 has issues with its shutter (not blocked, but not working properly nevertheless)

S


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought 2 Pentaxes in an auction today. They will arrive with me next week. Tele-Takumar 200mm f5.6 and Asahi SMC Takumar - Zoom 1:6.7/135~600 Tele-Zoom M42.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

calvin83 wrote:
pentina adapter
Click here to see on Ebay


yeah, saw that one, but adapter + postage + customs (US-IE) will cost me more than 5x I paid for Domigor. If i find cheap Cardinar (and Lydith, love 'em), i would go for it


PostPosted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That Fujinon's an awesome lens. Focus shouldn't be too hard to fix. Depending on your setup/adapter, yo may have to file off the aperture coupling lug.

stevemark wrote:
Fujinon EBC 1.4/50 mm (M42) with a loose focusing Ring, but otherwise OK; UV Topcor 2.8/50; plus a few well known Tokina RMC an Minolta MC/MD lenses Form the wastebin of a local photo Store. Curious to seehow the Fuji 1.4/50 will work. Sadly the accompgnying 801 has issues with its shutter (not blocked, but not working properly nevertheless)

S


PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BrianSVP wrote:
That Fujinon's an awesome lens. Focus shouldn't be too hard to fix. Depending on your setup/adapter, yo may have to file off the aperture coupling lug.

stevemark wrote:
Fujinon EBC 1.4/50 mm (M42) ...


Good to know! I saw some screws under the rubber grip of the focusing ring; If I'm lucky tithening them will solve the problem. However the focusing thread itself may be stuck as well. Mounting it to my adater won't be a problem, and the M42 Adapter itself was specifically machined to narrow tolerances (<10 micrometers).


PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BrianSVP wrote:
That Fujinon's an awesome lens. Focus shouldn't be too hard to fix.


It in fact was pretty easy, even though I had to disassemble the lens almost completely. I'll publish the images in the corresponding thread about repairing the EBC Fujinon 1.4/50mm. The lens is very well constructed and easy to "understand"; it seems the mechanical engineer was pretty straight-minded indeed. Only caveat is that most screws were glued in and had to be treated with some acetone prior to their removal. Similarly removing the two parts of the lens block did require quite a bit of acetone soaking (5-15 min).

A quick'n'dirty comparison (landscape / infinity) of the EBC 1.4/50mm vs the Mamiya EF 1.4/50mm and the Minolta MD-III 1.4/50mm did not reveal outstanding properties, but I haven't been shooting at low light and closer distances yet.

S


PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
BrianSVP wrote:
That Fujinon's an awesome lens. Focus shouldn't be too hard to fix.


It in fact was pretty easy, even though I had to disassemble the lens almost completely. I'll publish the images in the corresponding thread about repairing the EBC Fujinon 1.4/50mm. The lens is very well constructed and easy to "understand"; it seems the mechanical engineer was pretty straight-minded indeed. Only caveat is that most screws were glued in and had to be treated with some acetone prior to their removal. Similarly removing the two parts of the lens block did require quite a bit of acetone soaking (5-15 min).

A quick'n'dirty comparison (landscape / infinity) of the EBC 1.4/50mm vs the Mamiya EF 1.4/50mm and the Minolta MD-III 1.4/50mm did not reveal outstanding properties, but I haven't been shooting at low light and closer distances yet.

S


Like 1 EBC-era Fujis are nearly all constructed similarly, so they tend to be pretty easy to figure out from a mechanical standpoint, but they do often use a lot of glue, particularly on the lens cell threads, so glad to hear you were successful in getting it apart! The main difficulty is often getting the rear mount (held by screws from the outside) off without bending the delicate interior aperture linkage, but it's easier on the squatter lenses such as these as opposed to the telephotos and macros.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kenko MC Soft 45mm f/4.5



PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice one, have it too and its larger brother!


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is the Kenko a genuine macro lens with "soft" characteristics, or did you use an extension ring for your flower images?

S


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
Is the Kenko a genuine macro lens with "soft" characteristics, or did you use an extension ring for your flower images?

S


No, it has no macro focussing ability, a tube or focusing helicoid is needed for that!


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
Is the Kenko a genuine macro lens with "soft" characteristics, or did you use an extension ring for your flower images?

S


If your question is for me, I haven't used Kenko yet because I bought this lens yesterday. Most of my photos (including flowers) were taken using MOG Domiron 50/2, MOG Primoplan 58/1.9, CZ Pancolar 55/1.4 and Wetzlar Wilon 50/2.8
I never use extension tubes.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

D. P. wrote:
Kenko MC Soft 45mm f/4.5



Interesting lens , I wonder what is it capable to do regarding soft focus .
By the way, who's the maker of this lens and are there any other lenses same focal length and characteristics (maybe same maker different brand)?
It does look like a quality lens as well


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Petri 135mm f3.8 CC Auto (petri breech mount) - lately i have pretty great results with unknown triplets, so i'm hoping this one will be the same
Meyer-Optik Görlitz Telemegor 400mm f5.5
Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 135mm f2.8 - older, metal version
LDP 300mm f5.6 - 135mm version was amazing find (komura triplet?), this one is probably generic telephoto from Japan, but it was cheap...


PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kiddo wrote:
D. P. wrote:
Kenko MC Soft 45mm f/4.5



Interesting lens , I wonder what is it capable to do regarding soft focus .
By the way, who's the maker of this lens and are there any other lenses same focal length and characteristics (maybe same maker different brand)?
It does look like a quality lens as well


As far as I know, the manufacturer of this lens is Kenko Co. (Kabushiki-gaisha Kenkō, since 2011 - Kenko Tokina Co.).
Other Japanese manual SF lenses: Kenko MC Soft 35/4, Kenko MC Soft 85/2.5, Kiyohara Kogaku VK50R 50/4.5, Kiyohara Kogaku VK70R 70/5, Fujinon SF 85/4, Nikon Fuwatto 90/4.8, Tamron SP 70-150/2.8 Soft, Minolta Varisoft 85/2.8, SMC Pentax Soft 85/2.2, Canon FDn 85/2.8 Soft Focus, SMC Pentax 67 Soft 120/3.5, and many others.
I plan to try this Kenko soon. I think this is a great choice for photographing cats, naked women and sunsets Laugh 1