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300mm battle
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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:54 pm    Post subject: 300mm battle Reply with quote

here is a battle with

Tamron 670au, 54B, Tair 3S and Sigma 70-300 AF APO

I am not satisfied with this test. I will try to find a better subject.

http://323i.e30.free.fr/galerie/MF/300/


PostPosted: Thu May 15, 2008 6:21 am    Post subject: Re: 300mm battle Reply with quote

WOW, the Tair-3S looks so much better than the rest.


PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ditto on the Tair.

I have 7 300mm lenses myself, though none of them are "quality".

I might give this a try.


PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How do you think about Pentacon 300/4 and CZJ 300/4 compared with above lenses?


PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have almost all lenses from above, every lens has different benefits.

My order is:

1) Tamron SP 300mm , Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 300
2) Pentacon 300mm , Tair 3s


PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 10:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
I have almost all lenses from above, every lens has different benefits.

My order is:

1) Tamron SP 300mm , Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 300
2) Pentacon 300mm , Tair 3s


I have to go along with Attila.
1) Tamron SP f5.6 300mm.
Somebody once wrote this is the lens I judge all other 300mm lenses by. I agree.
I have owned/ or own the Tair, Pentacon, the Adaptall 1 Tamron 300mm Sigma APO 75-300 and Sigma APO 70-300 and Sigma APO 70-300 macro. The Tamron LD Di 70-300 + many. many others. I have tested all with the SP 300mm in real conditions and none come near it.
# 2) On my list would be the Tamron SP 60-300mm zoom at 300mm. A zoom that is better than many primes.
When it comes to the Tair I do believe one has to consider that for a lens to perform it has to be usable?
The Tair 300 Ps has many quality problems, internal flare not being the least of them. A real drop in quality if the light is anything but bright and clear with lots of contrast and then one comes to actually using it. The aperture control !!! The focus control !!! The weight and balance of the lens!!! No. This lens is great for doing a test from the window with but to take out and use !!!
Mine has been in the back of the cupboard for two or three years and that is were it will stay unless somebody wants to offer me £20 + about £15 P&P for it. Or collect from Swindon for £20 cash.

Our last 300mm lens test. The Pentacon f4 300mm, Sigma f4 100-300mm and the little Sigma f6.3 100-300mm, on that day we also had the SP f5.6 300mm and the SP 60-300mm.
After the test my friend Mike (Sigma f4 100-300mm) went straight onto ebay and got himself a Tamron SP 300mm. I hardly see it off his camera.
Both my friends on this picture are Nikon users and both now use Tamron Adaptall lenses although their Nikons can’t meter manual lenses.
I'm the scruffy guy picture right.


PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having used both the nikon ais 300mm (non-ED) and the Tamron SP I:zd say the Tamron has the slight edge at the loss of half a stop.


PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I only know the Tair and all I can say is that I think this lens rocks.
Your test seems to confirm that. But I do not know the SP300, though.


PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tamron SP 300 in every feauture is lot better than Tair 300 as Rob said. If you think Tair is rock. Try one times better glasses, like Tamron SP 300mm or Nikkor 300mm f4.5 ED-IF or Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm f4. Difference is really, really huge.


PostPosted: Sat May 31, 2008 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am agree the Tair is heavy, but i was able to use it like any other lens.

But for a long photoshoot, it is sure the SP is better to use.

I found lots of chromatic aberation with 300SP, it is unbelievable since this lense has specific lense to avoir CA!

During my photoshoots SP has more CA than TAIR.

Moreover, i do not think than SP is sharper than TAIR.

I will show you, how i focus with tair 3S, it is not complicated. That is not the case for aperture, but i must admit than i use it at F4.5 most of the time.

I love SP 54B, but if i had to choose between all my 300s, i will choose the TAIR.

Today i bought a Meyer Optik 300 f4. It looks fine and may be heavier than TAIR Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 1:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to agree 100% with Attila.
If I had never tried anything else I would also think the Tair was great. I might also think it was great if I didn’t recognise its obvious optical faults.
I have found the opposite to Nelson.
CA on the Tamron SP 300 (And most of the Tamrons) is very well controlled. If under extremes it does occur it is easily dealt with.
CA on the Tair is uncontrollable and can often when shooting even slightly into the light be a blanket effect of red and blue CA which can’t be dealt with. When shooting into the light the Tair always suffers internal flair. This at best only shows as a lack of contrast, at worse it become a CA Haze.
Buy a Tair cheap (£10-20) only use in bright conditions with the sun behind you and avoid any highlights that might flair and it will give fantastic results. However most people want a lens that will perform in most conditions without problems.
I did hear that the photographer David Hamilton used a Tair 300mm for many of his high key ‘Romantic Glowing’ outdoor nudes he became famous for.
I must admit the lens was ideal for that.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rob Leslie wrote:

I did hear that the photographer David Hamilton used a Tair 300mm for many of his high key ‘Romantic Glowing’ outdoor nudes he became famous for.


Then I must have bought the copy that he used.
Someone must have inverted the front element by design. Every damned photo that I take looks like one from Hamilton calendars.
I was about to throw the lens in the bin. Now I should perhaps try with some young sexy models and make a lot of money out of that (to buy me a Schneider large format system!) Laughing


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Orio wrote:
Rob Leslie wrote:

I did hear that the photographer David Hamilton used a Tair 300mm for many of his high key ‘Romantic Glowing’ outdoor nudes he became famous for.


Then I must have bought the copy that he used.
Someone must have inverted the front element by design. Every damned photo that I take looks like one from Hamilton calendars.
I was about to throw the lens in the bin. Now I should perhaps try with some young sexy models and make a lot of money out of that (to buy me a Schneider large format system!) Laughing


I am so pleased to read your post.
My true opinion of the Tair 300 ps is 'Throw it in the bin' or make good use of it as a door stop.
I just can't understand how people rate it highly.
I have been trying to get £25 for mine but nobody will even offer me £10.

PS. I have 3 f4.5 300mm lenses. All cheapo.

The Tair-3 PhS. Rubbish

A Sankor f4.5 300mm. Also rubbish but slightly better than the Tair

The Rubinar f4.5 (True about f5.6) 300mm. An excellent lens. Very sharp and nice to use BUT a mirror lens which does have rather big donuts if you get it wrong.
There are simple ways to get round the donuts the simple way is to only use the lens when background are OK (No highlights etc) The other is to do an extra shot for the background and blend it in.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seems you had bad copy from Tair, mine Tair had very good optical quality. It was very unconvience for me only.

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/russian_lens/tair/tair_3s-300mm_f4_5/


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We all know that most old lenses are not sharp wide open, but this baby gets sharp enough when stopped down from f/5.6 to f/8. Actually I don't think mine is soft wide open.

For those of you who are not happy with you Tair-3S I believe you maybe have a bad copy. You know how it was with QC in old USSR, or may be the lens was mistreated by the previous owner, who knows..

Anyway the following links are 100% photos no resize or sharpening taken with my Tair-3S.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2310/2507916967_9bff487bd7_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2508731650_20e53b7916_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/2508720514_631b4aa512_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2508033781_c0f4b78609_o.jpg


Yes, the lens is not lightweight at 1.2kg but for the money I can't complain.

I also think it has an interesting rendering.







PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

here is an example of CA ihave with the Tamron 300SP.



Hi res http://323i.e30.free.fr/galerie/MF/Tamron300SP/IMG_8774.JPG

for now i do not remember i had such CA with the TAIR


here are some shoots when i bought the TAIR 6 months ago

take a look at the High res http://323i.e30.free.fr/galerie/MF/TAIR/IMG_3327.JPG



hi res http://323i.e30.free.fr/galerie/MF/TAIR/IMG_3333.JPG



I am not saying TAIR is the best lens ever Smile
I am just saying i love it and i think it is a very good lens.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can confirm Tamron SP 300mm can be provide CA in opposit lights


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
I can confirm Tamron SP 300mm can be provide CA in opposit lights


But I also like this lens !
It is lightweight, very sharp and easy to use. When i want to move light, i always take it.

The only think i can reproach it, it is a little bit slow f5.6 is not enough


PostPosted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

100% agree, this is a great lens even weakness. It has very good closest distance 1.4m only.


PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hello everybody,
I have the 300sp 54b, the 60-300sp, the tair3 phs, and was supposed to buy a 400/4 but the seller decide to give it to his nephew instead so my big big lense is a refractor orion 80ed i use for long distance birding.

the tair is quite good for my point of view, but the 54b and the 23a tammies are better.
for my point of view the only competitor for the tamron's is opticaly the sigma apo tele macro 300 f4 ( 77mm filter only / the macro one as the others are exactly what rob said to me previouly )...this screw autofocus for nikon i have is top at f5.6and f8 ...the same quality contrast compared to an mf nikkor 400 ifed



for the very long "lens" , it is a very goog quality but if you read some french have a look there:

or there:,12969.0.html

sorry for my bad english....i married a scott but did'nt learn much ...still a froggie
patrick


PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bienvenue Patrick
Plus on est de fous, plus on rit
un modérateur vas régler le problème des liens, sécurité anti-spam


PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:38 pm    Post subject: The Taylor-Hobson 12" (305mm) f4 is very good... Reply with quote

...But then it should be as an ex RAF aerial recconaisance lens:


And some samples: