My "new" CLAed Steinheil Macro Tele Quinar 135 M42

Marek

Not exactly my lastest purchase (in fact I've purchased before I left to Asia, unpacked after more than 3 weeks and sent to my mechanic immediately to fix the blades stuck wide-open) but been too busy working so I made some during today's sunset.

Here is the comparison to shorter (90mm) but overall bigger Kilfitt Makro Kilar 90 Praktina/Psix item (I plan to use both this year):

My mechanic told me the best days of this lens are over, especially aperture-wise, but the optics is good and outer look is perfect. The re-lubing seemed to be a solid pain-in-the-ass but both somewhat works now.

I rate this one to be similar construction porn just as some Killfitts and various weird wideangles like Westron 28 (I am now selling one on Ebay Very Happy

) or various Edixa-Mat lenses sb. could easily break his fingers on!

Apparently, the item is a little big shrinker Laugh 1

It "only" has two barrels unlike Kilfitt, but the second one may NOT be used unless first one is fully used (zoomed).

Acc. to my research, they apparently have never been a common/cheap items, basically under production only thanks to U.S. demand/market if I get the point right. I may be about to collect the whole set now, if I like this one in action, in M42 to keep some challenge, or maybe not...

Due to lack of time-weather-butterflies I have only briefly tested the lens, seemed to be pretty sharp WO and really crisp shut-down. Tried to match with Zeiss Makro Planar ZE2 100/2 I rate as a pillar of testing similar lenses, the Planar had higher sharpness and definitely better contrast, but only indoors where shorter fast modern lens just have to dominate, so I am now looking forward to see some proper sun...

The following thread will be on Pancolar 55/1,4 purchase that is relatively fresh Very Happy

Marek

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 595

Which mount is it in?

I got one in Exakta mount, with stop down/shutter release button that closed the aperture to the pre-set before firing the shutter, in 1975. Instant open when I took my finger off the button. That was the Exakta way.

I didn't have an Exakta, I had a Nikkormat. My choices for using the lens were a couple of Novoflex adapters (NIKLEI-K and LEINIK) that limited the far focusing distance to ~ 1 m or a close-out RTL-1000 body for only $50. I had a 105/2.5 Nikkor for distant subjects so got the adapters. That they were smaller, lighter, less expensive and more robust than the RTL helped me decide to get them.

I don't know whether mine was a bad example, but it wasn't as good as my 55/3.5 MicroNikkor. But it gave much better working distance and that was worth a lot. Might have been so-so from new, might have been abused. As we all know, used lenses are gambles.

When the 105/4 MicroNikkor came out I traded the Steinheil and got the Nikkor. It didn't have quite the working distance and it didn't look as odd but it took better pictures.

Good luck with yours and let us know how well it shoots for you.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Congrats, looks like a nice lens. I have the 100mm version somewhere tugged away,
maybe I find it someday again Wink