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300mm f/2.8 - Yashma-4 anyone?
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:44 pm    Post subject: 300mm f/2.8 - Yashma-4 anyone? Reply with quote
Now this is something I've never heard of:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/for-Canon-EOS-Sony-MC-Arsat-Yashma-2-8-300-mm-Lens_W0QQitemZ200243801870


PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Time to time it was offered in average price $400. I suggest rather Tamron SP AD2 DL. It is posiible to get it in price about $600-700 in almost mint condition. Tamron has "memory" focus and aperture 2.8-32.


PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I remember seeing an article about this lens and a coupe of other Arsat lenses in Popular Photography many years ago. As I recall, they were said to be decent lenses at reasonable prices.
There was a used one with a Nikon F mount kicking around in a camera store here in Toronto a number of years ago. I took a look at it and was scared away by the air bubbles in the front element and the high price. Periodically, it would re-appear at camera shows and was sold over and over (likely to a whole host of unsatisfied users) before it finally disappered from sight.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have this lens and I must say that it is exceptional. CA absent, coma absent at 2.8. The backlight has flare, but I'm not sure if tamron and others are better in the same conditions


PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 11:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would love to see some photos made with your lens!


PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
fotohelios wrote:
I have this lens and I must say that it is exceptional. CA absent, coma absent at 2.8. The backlight has flare, but I'm not sure if tamron and others are better in the same conditions


Obviously, you don't have the same lens like the one I tried in the middle of the 1990s. My sample was soft wide open and only got decent by f/11, color fringing was readily visible (on film... ) and flare was hardly manageable in backlight. My verdict back then : hardly useable and not worth it since IQ is not good enough at the f stops that matter. So I definitely would recommend a Tamron or Tokina rather than this lens.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
fotohelios wrote:
I have this lens and I must say that it is exceptional. CA absent, coma absent at 2.8. The backlight has flare, but I'm not sure if tamron and others are better in the same conditions


Obviously, you don't have the same lens like the one I tried in the middle of the 1990s. My sample was soft wide open and only got decent by f/11, color fringing was readily visible (on film... ) and flare was hardly manageable in backlight. My verdict back then : hardly useable and not worth it since IQ is not good enough at the f stops that matter. So I definitely would recommend a Tamron or Tokina rather than this lens.


That's pretty much the definition of a Russian lens experience - you never know whether you will get a gem or dog.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
yes, as soon as I can I put photos.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



After a long period of time, and different manual cameras, I am using the lens now sucessfully on my SONY cameras also with APS-C A6500 camera, and 2x ZEISS converter up to 900mm, also hand held, without any problems!




PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's quite a lens hood! Looks like it could weigh as much as the rest of the lens Wink

I hope the lens can be reverse-stored inside the hood for carrying around.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I hope that we will be soon able to assess the IQ of this lens thanks to meaningful pictures. My own experience was that this lens was hardly useable with film cameras so I wouldn't bet to see clean digital images without heavy color fringing Wink


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:
That's quite a lens hood! Looks like it could weigh as much as the rest of the lens Wink

I hope the lens can be reverse-stored inside the hood for carrying around.


I call this metal lens hood a "oven pipe", and I don't use it not very often! It adds not much weight to the generally heavy solid lens! There is another shorter rubber type lens hood available for this lens, which I am using much more.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Probably optical illusion:
Camera end is looking just slightly droopy. Wink

-D.S.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
I hope that we will be soon able to assess the IQ of this lens thanks to meaningful pictures. My own experience was that this lens was hardly useable with film cameras so I wouldn't bet to see clean digital images without heavy color fringing Wink


I know very well, that the YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm, cannot be compared with the C/Y ZEISS T* Apo Tele-Tessar 2,8/300mm, which I guess is the world best available 2,8/300mm telephoto lens!

But at the start, many years ago, I could tested the lens with an NIKON mount, on a NIKON D90 camera! At that past time, I was shooting with CONTAX RTSIII and CONTAX AX cameras!


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OPAL wrote:


I know very well, that the YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm, cannot be compared with the C/Y ZEISS T* Apo Tele-Tessar 2,8/300mm, which I guess is the world best available 2,8/300mm telephoto lens!

But at the start, many years ago, I could tested the lens with an NIKON mount, on a NIKON D90 camera! At that past time, I was shooting with CONTAX RTSIII and CONTAX AX cameras!


At that time (1994), I concluded that the Yashma couldn't match any other 300 mm f/2,8 lens in terms of IQ so that would apply even in comparison to "lesser" lenses of this type, for example Sigma, Tokina and Tamron. According to my own tests (I checked two samples since I was evaluating them for a camera store in Taïwan who wanted to import them...), the lens was getting just OK by closing the aperture to f/8 since it didn't have any special glass. Contrast was exceedingly bad in everything but perfect light (forget about against the light or side lighting since coating was really bad...) and magenta color fringing was visible even on smaller color prints. Furthermore, focusing (IF) lacked precision. Anyway, I hope that somebody will post some sample pictures to prove me otherwise Wink


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2022 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
OPAL wrote:


I know very well, that the YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm, cannot be compared with the C/Y ZEISS T* Apo Tele-Tessar 2,8/300mm, which I guess is the world best available 2,8/300mm telephoto lens!

But at the start, many years ago, I could tested the lens with an NIKON mount, on a NIKON D90 camera! At that past time, I was shooting with CONTAX RTSIII and CONTAX AX cameras!
A good friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop, offered to me to change the NIKON mount, to an automatic CONTAX mount, which worked fine, up-to-date!

At that time (1994), I concluded that the Yashma couldn't match any other 300 mm f/2,8 lens in terms of IQ so that would apply even in comparison to "lesser" lenses of this type, for example Sigma, Tokina and Tamron. According to my own tests (I checked two samples since I was evaluating them for a camera store in Taïwan who wanted to import them...), the lens was getting just OK by closing the aperture to f/8 since it didn't have any special glass. Contrast was exceedingly bad in everything but perfect light (forget about against the light or side lighting since coating was really bad...) and magenta color fringing was visible even on smaller color prints. Furthermore, focusing (IF) lacked precision. Anyway, I hope that somebody will post some sample pictures to prove me otherwise Wink


Shot on my Sony A6000 with 450mm focal length, hand held!


PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2022 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!

My good old friend who has sold me this lens, just told me, that not more than 200 pieces of this lens were manfactured by the firm ARSENAL in the Ukraine, especially made for military use!

Last edited by OPAL on Fri May 06, 2022 5:33 pm; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
OPAL wrote:
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!



Nice picture, thanks Like 1
Nethertheless, it would be nice to see some higher resolution crops Wink

As for the availability of the Yashma, it was certainly not sold on flea markets since it was a rather rare and expensive lens.Thus it is very difficult to find meaningful pictures and reliable information regarding this lens. BTW you seem to be about the only one recommending this lens to users, i've already been reading your contributions on this forum (http://forum.mflenses.com/nikon-mc-yashma-n-arsat-2-8-300-t137.html) and on digicamclub.de where the pictures you presented weren't really convincing in terms of pure IQ. Care to show some 100% crops ?

In my opinion, heavy chromatic aberrations in fast tele lenses are not a problem you can easily correct with software - the correction basically removes the color in the fringes, while the latter stay and keep contributing to the general lack of sharpness. I consider the Yashma to be pure Russian "maskirovka" : pretending to be able to make and offer a 300 mm f/2,8 lens rivalling the IQ and build quality of Japanese lenses while not putting the necessary efforts into it, which is one or more elements with anomalous dispersion, a high quality multi-coating and a robust build. So I'm still convinced that the "worst" far eastern 300 mm f/2,8 lens of the time (Sigma) can still offer sharper images, less flare as well as smoother and more precise focussing.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
OPAL wrote:
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!



Nice picture, thanks Like 1
Nethertheless, it would be nice to see some higher resolution crops Wink

As for the availability of the Yashma, it was certainly not sold on flea markets since it was a rather rare and expensive lens.Thus it is very difficult to find meaningful pictures and reliable information regarding this lens. BTW you seem to be about the only one recommending this lens to users, i've already been reading your contributions on this forum (http://forum.mflenses.com/nikon-mc-yashma-n-arsat-2-8-300-t137.html) and on digicamclub.de where the pictures you presented weren't really convincing in terms of pure IQ. Care to show some 100% crops ?

In my opinion, heavy chromatic aberrations in fast tele lenses are not a problem you can easily correct with software - the correction basically removes the color in the fringes, while the latter stay and keep contributing to the general lack of sharpness. I consider the Yashma to be pure Russian "maskirovka" : pretending to be able to make and offer a 300 mm f/2,8 lens rivalling the IQ and build quality of Japanese lenses while not putting the necessary efforts into it, which is one or more elements with anomalous dispersion, a high quality multi-coating and a robust build. So I'm still convinced that the "worst" far eastern 300 mm f/2,8 lens of the time (Sigma) can still offer sharper images, less flare as well as smoother and more precise focussing.



Thanks, I have this solid and heavy lens now for a very long period of time, and I am personally are happy with!
And, I don't care about this stupid pixel-peeping! This is what I don't like, because an good photo does not exists for me personally, not out of an 100-400% crop and IQ! This is not my pitch of beer!

I am leaving it very gentle to other people!

Regards, Friends


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OPAL wrote:
Thanks, I have this solid and heavy lens now for a very long period of time, and I am personally are happy with!
And, I don't care about this stupid pixel-peeping! This is what I don't like, because an good photo does not exists for me personally, not out of an 100-400% crop and IQ! This is not my pitch of beer!

I am leaving it very gentle to other people!

Regards, Friends


The only sensible attitude for most amateur photographers Friends

If you like a lens, you enjoy using it, and it gives images that you are happy with, that lens is 100% fit for purpose.

Objectively, I think the importance of sharpness mostly makes sense if you are shooting professionally and your clients demand ever sharper images, especially in technical/scientific photography.

But whilst I personally share your disinterest in pixel-peeping myself, do bear in mind that judging by the prevalence of pixel-peepers across all photography forums, a fair number of amateur photographers simply enjoy the hunting down of sharp lenses, especially if they can identify a "hidden gem". I'm not going to dismiss their enjoyment of that quest as irrelevant. Everyone can find something different interesting in photography, which makes it such a universally enjoyed hobby Wink


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OPAL wrote:
Alsatian2017 wrote:
OPAL wrote:
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!



Nice picture, thanks Like 1
Nethertheless, it would be nice to see some higher resolution crops Wink

As for the availability of the Yashma, it was certainly not sold on flea markets since it was a rather rare and expensive lens.Thus it is very difficult to find meaningful pictures and reliable information regarding this lens. BTW you seem to be about the only one recommending this lens to users, i've already been reading your contributions on this forum (http://forum.mflenses.com/nikon-mc-yashma-n-arsat-2-8-300-t137.html) and on digicamclub.de where the pictures you presented weren't really convincing in terms of pure IQ. Care to show some 100% crops ?

In my opinion, heavy chromatic aberrations in fast tele lenses are not a problem you can easily correct with software - the correction basically removes the color in the fringes, while the latter stay and keep contributing to the general lack of sharpness. I consider the Yashma to be pure Russian "maskirovka" : pretending to be able to make and offer a 300 mm f/2,8 lens rivalling the IQ and build quality of Japanese lenses while not putting the necessary efforts into it, which is one or more elements with anomalous dispersion, a high quality multi-coating and a robust build. So I'm still convinced that the "worst" far eastern 300 mm f/2,8 lens of the time (Sigma) can still offer sharper images, less flare as well as smoother and more precise focussing.



Thanks, I have this solid and heavy lens now for a very long period of time, and I am personally are happy with!
And, I don't care about this stupid pixel-peeping! This is what I don't like, because an good photo does not exists for me personally, not out of an 100-400% crop and IQ! This is not my pitch of beer!

I am leaving it very gentle to other people!

Regards, Friends


Generally speaking, it is good to offer nice documentation on how such rare lenses perform- particularly uncommon Soviet ones like this made towards the end of the era.

If you upload some unedited raw or jpegs somewhere (e.g. Google Drive), everyone else can do the rest Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:

But whilst I personally share your disinterest in pixel-peeping myself, do bear in mind that judging by the prevalence of pixel-peepers across all photography forums, a fair number of amateur photographers simply enjoy the hunting down of sharp lenses, especially if they can identify a "hidden gem". I'm not going to dismiss their enjoyment of that quest as irrelevant. Everyone can find something different interesting in photography, which makes it such a universally enjoyed hobby Wink


Nethertheless, I feel that a 300 mm f/2,8 lens like the Yashma is not bought only for the nice rendering and big and pretty lens shade , unlike a Triotar Wink

Such a lens has a clear purpose (animals, sports, fashion, landscape, etc.) and most photographers wouldn't just drag it around to get some fuzzy flower pictures...

So a little pixelpeeping would be certainly warranted, given that most of Yashmas's rivals are quite sophisticated lenses.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
OPAL wrote:
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!



[/quote]

Well, i don't know anybody else who could provide us with larger pictures or, ideally, 100 % crops since I highly doubt anybody else with the Yashma in tow would read this thread ; -)

So, please, don't be a frog (that's a teutonism Smile ) and provide us with some samples.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
OPAL wrote:
Dear Alsation2017,

in the year of 1994, during the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Countries, there was a big pile of various photo junk very cheap available on almost any flee market! Good and less quality Eastern photo equipment was very cheap on sale! The better quality standards where produced generally for the military and other offical units! I don't know the general qualities of other brands of these 2,8/300mm lenses, except of the very costly peak quality of the C/Y ZEISS Apo Tele-Tessar T* 2,8/300mm, a friend bought for his CONTAX RTSIII.

The YASHMA MC 2,8/300mm was offered to me to try it out, by an good old friend of mine, owner of an camera&lens repair shop. The YASHMA has originally an NIKON mount, so I could test the lens on an NIKON D90 camera. The results were all fine to me and I decided to buy the lens. My friend assured me, that he could change the Nikon mount, to an totally reverse automatic CONTAX mount mechanics! I had used the lens quiet often for years, on my CONTAX RTSIII, also with 5 frames per seconds, without any problems! Later, I'v got me an digital CANON 5DMkII, and I've used the YASHMA with an adaptor, also without any problems. Than, I switched over to an SONY A7, which I have still in use, with the lens beside an A6000 und an A6500, also with an adaptor, without any problems. If there are some weak points, like color fringing etc. they can be easly eliminated, later in an post process! I've the lens now for many years, and I don't have any reasons not to use it, nor to sell it! I am still pleased with it, and what other people are stating about it, it's very fine with me!





Well, i don't know anybody else who could provide us with larger pictures or, ideally, 100 % crops since I highly doubt anybody else with the Yashma in tow would read this thread ; -)

So, please, don't be a frog (that's a teutonism Smile ) and provide us with some samples.[/quote]

OK, I am going to make some pictures with the lens ASAP to make you happy, using my solid heavy tripod, with my 24MP camera!

But, I like the statement the famous CARTIER BRESSON made once - "Sharpness is only a Bourgeois Term"!


PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alsatian2017 wrote:
RokkorDoctor wrote:

But whilst I personally share your disinterest in pixel-peeping myself, do bear in mind that judging by the prevalence of pixel-peepers across all photography forums, a fair number of amateur photographers simply enjoy the hunting down of sharp lenses, especially if they can identify a "hidden gem". I'm not going to dismiss their enjoyment of that quest as irrelevant. Everyone can find something different interesting in photography, which makes it such a universally enjoyed hobby Wink


Nethertheless, I feel that a 300 mm f/2,8 lens like the Yashma is not bought only for the nice rendering and big and pretty lens shade , unlike a Triotar Wink

Such a lens has a clear purpose (animals, sports, fashion, landscape, etc.) and most photographers wouldn't just drag it around to get some fuzzy flower pictures...

So a little pixelpeeping would be certainly warranted, given that most of Yashmas's rivals are quite sophisticated lenses.


Oh, I get where you are coming from, and if OPAL is happy to provide those crops that's no issue at all. Wink

I am more than happy that OPAL just showed what this interesting behemoth looks like. Sharpness details of this lens matter little to me personally.
Just knowing that it exists satisfies my curiosity here. Thank You Dog

IMHO there should be no perceived obligation (either explicit or implicit) on any members to post performance/IQ samples of their lenses, even if they are rare ones. Repeated requests for samples even after the poster has indicated they don't do "lens testing shots" because that is not their cup of tea, makes it feel like an implicit obligation... The result after a few of those experiences: they stop posting about their lenses... Sad

Unfortunately the vocal nature of a minority of pixel-peepers in the photographic community as a whole is implicitly forcing everyone into making pixel-peeping part of their hobby. It shouldn't.

I know that that is precisely why I have held off for so long becoming a member of any photography/gear forums.
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