Carenar 135 F2.8 examples inside (huge surprise of a lens)

newton · Joined: 10 Mar 2011 Posts: 343 Location: USA

Hey, what about my pics? I don't just post for nothing, you know. Wink

. Any CA?

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

Newton, your pics also look incredibly sharp i cant understand why one is so dark though if they where both shot the same.
As for CA i cant see any but i am viewing on the ipad.
As i say seems the korean lens is very capable. I hope to get some better shots this next week

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Newton your photos really don't say much: First much too dark, second a bit shaky and too bright with no contrast. In such conditions CA is the last thing to worry about.

I have Carena Zoomex 8mm cam that was made in Europe. Now that is like Swiss made watch quality. It was also equiped with Angénieux lenses.

newton · Joined: 10 Mar 2011 Posts: 343 Location: USA

I am glad you could tell that I was a little shaky in the last shot. I do not know why the two different lenses shot differently, one at a faster speed and the other at a slower speed in Av. I shot both shot wide-open to allow for an equal comparison but do not know why one shot at a faster speed and the other did not. I do agree that the first one is incredibly sharp though with little CA. The last pic has CA if you magnify it fully; it is slightly mixed with motion blur and is too bright, but it is wide-open: it was an extremely sunny bright day. I just tried to replicate the same settings to see the difference. How would you have taken that shot? Why did Carenar re-brand itself so much? It seems like a great quality lens. I noticed this when I first shot with it but seeing few little posts on it here on this forum, I assumed that it was not very good but in the back of my mind kept it that it shot pretty decent, which it appears may be the consensus.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

I didn't like my Carenar much at all, to be honest. One of the worst 135mm lenses I've used in terms of CA and resolution.

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

ManualFocus-G I would say that the one you had was a completley different lens, It looks rather different from the pictures diplayed, as mine does not have the M/A option, I had to modify mine to press the pin in.
It seems to have some kind of retractable hood?
And i think Sankor are japanese no?

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

I said it many time i don't like this lens. Mostly due to design of exterior and grease always leaking inside aperture and glass system. I admit if clean it can give good quality photos.

But besides criticism let me add two good things about this Korean lens (sold also as Varexon, Exaktar...).

1. You can easily break infinity barrier just by removing rubber grip (which looks darn ugly anyway / you can put it back later though i suggest nice leather one) and removing the only normal size screw (see first photo). This way you can shorten the flange (around 3-4mm) thus making lens cool for Nikon users: http://forum.mflenses.com/mf-lenses-with-easily-adjustable-infinity-for-nikon-ians-t26929.html

Lens stops turning automatically. But you'll have to be careful when going for close objects. You are in danger around 1m where aperture pin and focusing holders will depart (can be easily fixed). Here are two photos FIRST showing "past-infinity" and SECOND showing "macro" mode limits. Be careful with second.

2. This lens nearly always comes with grease-stuck aperture. But this is also easily solvable if you don't need auto function which you don't if using lens on DSLR.
If you need procedure let me know ill write it down.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I just bought a new copy of this lens, looks unused, optics are perfect as is the aperture, no oil or grease on the blades.

This copy is branded Exaktar, I only paid 3ukp inc shipping so I figured it was worth having in the collection at that price in mint condition.

Jesito · Expire: 2015-01-07

I've been enjoying this old thread when looking for info about my new Carenar 135mm f/2.8.
It looks like a decent lens, quite sharp and giving clean colours with little CA.
A little different from the others seen here, the aperture ring being silver, but the barrel has the same shape and the two silver rings on the extremes, so I think it's the same lens.

This is the lens:

And these some samples wide open from the NEX-C3, straight from the camera, no pp, only reduced to upload to the forum:

eddieitman · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 1246 Location: United Kingdom

Jesito excellent samples and shows that this is a rather better lens than it is credited with, i have shot several nice portraits with the lens, i should use more often

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

I have a Petri 135/2.8 that looks like this, I don't think it is the same lens as the carenar:

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

If the lens says made in Korea, it will be the Samyang, which is a good lens. If it says made in Japan, who knows, could be from almost anywhere.

By the time that lens was made, the Petri brand had become bargain basement low quality. I have seen a very similar lens with the large protruding screws in the aperture ring. I think it's fairly likely it's a Cosina as Cosina bought the rights to the Petri brand name after Petri went bust in 1978. I think your lens is a little older than that as it's M42 so would have been made for one of the late M42 Petris before bankruptcy.

There's a lot of these mid-70s 'Petris' floating around, I owned a few, thought they were among the worst lenses I ever owned, which is a crying shame because the lenses Petri were selling in their heyday were excellent.

Pancolart · Expire: 2013-11-18

Here is my Barebone edition (all functions intact):

Eugen Mezei · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 266

It was Foto Quelle who used the Carena (for cameras) and Carenar (for lenses) names. I always wondered why they choose to do this besides their Revueflex/Revuenon line.