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Zebra Flektagon 25 has arrived
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:23 am    Post subject: Zebra Flektagon 25 has arrived Reply with quote
Only two days from Pattensen, Germany: that was fast!
I was not expecting it, so it was a happy surprise. Smile
The lens is gorgeous, really looks like new. Only thing there is a couple of dust hairs inside, that show up when stopping down all the way... oh well. With such an old lens it was unavoidable. And some cleaning marks near the edges. But overall a nice peice of equipment.
Unfortunately, I had also a bad surprise a little later: at infinity, it does not clear the mirror of the 5D Sad
So until I will finally grind it, I'll have to use it only for midground or foreground objects - or, use it on the 400D.

As for qualities, the lens seems the twin of the 4/20 Flek.
Same incredible precision of the geometric lines - this lens too is the architect's dream.
Very sharp when stopped down (probably sharper than the 4/20), but soft wide open just like the 4/20.
The difference is that the 4/20 recovers immediately at f/5.6, while the 4/25 (at least my copy) needs to be stopped down to f/8 to begin produce a sharp image. This is no big problem for me, because I rarely use this kind of lenses at elss than f/8.
The sweet spot is around f/11, which is quite unusual.
The good news is that you can stop down fully to f/22 with this lens, the image quality will still be great. It is obvious that this lens was designed for architects and for use on a tripod.
The closeup performance is excellent: plenty of detail and although the contrast is low (just like the 4/20), the lens has an excellent resolution, so with a little sharpening all the detail comes to surface easily (here too, same behaviour as the 4/20).
The lens focuses amazingly near: on the barrel it says 20cm (!), but i think it's even less than this!!

Overall a great lens to have because I love shooting buildings and human structures with a wide angle. it will become a perfect buy the day that I will grind my 5D's mirror...


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congratulation for your new toy ! Smile


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congratulations!

You see, it was a good idea to keep your 400D! Wink


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Congratulations!
You see, it was a good idea to keep your 400D! Wink


Oh, I will never give up the 400D. It's an amazing camera. Smile


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats! looks like a great lens
Quote:
it will become a perfect buy the day that I will grind my 5D's mirror...

hehe you're looking forward to it Very Happy

You can also try another trick: focus closer but have infinity within the depth of field. It should work, It's usually done when you want everything in focus in a photo.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
naplam wrote:

You can also try another trick: focus closer but have infinity within the depth of field. It should work, It's usually done when you want everything in focus in a photo.


You need to stop down to at least f/16 for this on this lens because it can focus only to 2.5 meters before it gets in the way of the mirror.
So it's not really a comfortable solution.

Yes I have decided, after the guarantee expires next year, I will grind the mirror. I have already studied how to do it, my method will be much simpler and safer than the "origami method" published online by that Japanese guy.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is taken with the 400D, where I can focus to infinity:



You can see that the Flek 4/25 has nearly the same perfect geometrical rendering as the 4/20.
These lenses are real jewels, the engineer who planned them should be gloryfied Very Happy
And the one who dressed them zebra should be banned from any design work for at least 40 years Laughing

_


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Also 400D:



PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
400D again.
This is a great lens, look at what colours (untouched) as soon as I could shoot something that wasn't sun-flooded:



I will try some slides with this one.

_


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yep the colors are great indeed Smile


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Good catch, Lensmeister! How much did you pay for this little bauble?


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
Good catch, Lensmeister! How much did you pay for this little bauble?


One grand.
it was a good deal I think. I am not really informed about the value of this model, but since the 4/20 often sells for two grands, I assume that one grand for this one is a good price. Especially if you consider that it's really mint condition.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looking sexy on the 400D:



PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
One grand, one large? Shocked Sexy? Borders on the concupiscent, I
believe! Laughing The combo, 400 and 4/25, make a handsome pair! The
lens is much larger than I thought it would be, what lens filter size is
this? Somewhere in the 60's/low 70's looks like.

Bill


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I always thought "a grand" would be 1.000...
Can somebody teach me the "codes" for money?

Nickle - 5c
Dime - 10c
Quarter - 25c
a buck - 1$

in England they say
Fiver - 5 Pounds
Tenner - 10 Pounds

How does is go on?


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
@ Bill:
Quote:
what lens filter size is
this?


77mm - same as the 4/20.

@ Carsten:

?1 - "quid" or "pound" (London slang is "nicker")

?25 - "pony"

?100 - "ton"

?500 - "monkey"

And a "grand" is indeed ?1000

Nice lens Orio - I've also seen versions with the leather/vulcanite focus ring.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks, Bob!

I knew "quid", but didn't know the others. Thanks!


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
bob955i wrote:

And a "grand" is indeed ?1000
Nice lens Orio - I've also seen versions with the leather/vulcanite focus ring.


OK, then what I said is wrong. Smile
I didn't know that these things were coded! Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Katastrofo wrote:
The
lens is much larger than I thought it would be, what lens filter size is
this?


77, like the 4/20

Katastrofo wrote:
Somewhere in the 60's/low 70's looks like.
Bill


Absolutely. With some research one would probably also be able to tell which acid the designer was on when he thought of the zebra finish. Twisted Evil


PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
One grand.
Shocked 1000 euros!!???


PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hacksawbob wrote:
Quote:
One grand.
Shocked 1000 euros!!???


Like I already said, I wrote it wrong.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
interesting look at the time stamp on that post 2:29pm but arrived after 7:06post!

here's a list of English slang including some money terms
http://www.aldertons.com/english-.htm
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