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Old fast glass?
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:56 pm    Post subject: Old fast glass? Reply with quote
I'm looking for some old fast glass - things like that Tamron 300mm f2.8. Other than this lens, who else made things in the 300mm+ with less than an F4 in a manual focus variant?


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 4:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Old fast glass? Reply with quote
whelmed wrote:
I'm looking for some old fast glass - things like that Tamron 300mm f2.8. Other than this lens, who else made things in the 300mm+ with less than an F4 in a manual focus variant?


I guess they are all very expensive made by Nikon, Canon , perhaps other top makers.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello, whelmed.
Canon FD 300mm f2.8 S.S.C FLUORITE
Canon FD 300mm f2.8 L
Canon FD 400mm f2.8 L
Nikkor 300mm f2.8 IF-ED
Nikkor 300mm f2.0s ED-IF
Nikkor 400mm f2.8 ED-IF

All of them quite rare and expensive

Cheers, M.-


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
So it's only, really, the Tamron 300mm f2.8 that's affordable for a fast long zoom then? Hrmph. Was hoping for cheaper than that.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
whelmed wrote:
So it's only, really, the Tamron 300mm f2.8 that's affordable for a fast long zoom then? Hrmph. Was hoping for cheaper than that.



Try to look one with scratch , fungus etc. It will be cheaper if you are lucky a lot and perfectly usable too.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tokina 300mm f2.8, but I think you can find the Tamron cheaper.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sigma 300/2,8 APO, came to mind but it's not gonna be any cheaper I'm afraid. I saw once one in Nikon mount, but probably was available in other mounts too.

M.-


PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:58 pm    Post subject: zoomatar Reply with quote
How about Zoomatar 240/1.2 (with a teleconverter)? Probably ridicilously expensive and not too good IQ Smile


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:26 am    Post subject: Re: Old fast glass? Reply with quote
whelmed wrote:
I'm looking for some old fast glass - things like that Tamron 300mm f2.8. Other than this lens, who else made things in the 300mm+ with less than an F4 in a manual focus variant?

Are you sure you need f/2.8 in the first place? An f/2.8 lens is more than twice as heavy as an f/4 lens and considerably more bulky too. It could be the difference between a lens that stays at home and a lens that comes in the bag! And don't forget that the Tamron 300/2.8 has no low dispersion (ED) glass elements (hence the relatively affordable price), which means it has quite a lot of chromatic aberrations when used wide open. So why paying for an F/2.8 lens to use it at F/5.6? For about the same price as the Tamron 300/2.8, you could buy a much better 300/4 or 300/4.5 lens with ED glass.

I speak from experience, as I have the Tamron 300/2.8 and many other 300mm lenses. When I just got it, I used the Tamron a bit for shooting birds perched on my neighbors' aerials (not enough reach and too much CA to shoot the moon Wink) but I must say I never bothered to carry it far from the house, even on a day trip. Now, it stays in the dry cabinet and I only use my Pentax F 300/4.5, which is a much better lens, smaller in the bag and weighting only 880g, which makes all the difference at the end of the day. It comes with me when I travel abroad and it doesn't take too much room in my always overcrowded hand luggage. And the Pentax lens is perfectly usable wide open...

Cheers!

Abbazz


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:45 am    Post subject: Re: Old fast glass? Reply with quote
[quote="Abbazz"][quote="whelmed"]I'm looking for some old fast glass - things like that Tamron 300mm f2.8. Other than this lens, who else made things in the 300mm+ with less than an F4 in a manual focus variant?[/quote]
Are you sure you need f/2.8 in the first place? An f/2.8 lens is more than twice as heavy as an f/4 lens and considerably more bulky too. It could be the difference between a lens that stays at home and a lens that comes in the bag! And don't forget that the Tamron 300/2.8 has no low dispersion (ED) glass elements (hence the relatively affordable price), which means it has quite a lot of chromatic aberrations when used wide open. So why paying for an F/2.8 lens to use it at F/5.6? For about the same price as the Tamron 300/2.8, you could buy a much better 300/4 or 300/4.5 lens with ED glass.

I speak from experience, as I have the Tamron 300/2.8 and many other 300mm lenses. When I just got it, I used the Tamron a bit for shooting birds perched on my neighbors' aerials (not enough reach and too much CA to shoot the moon Wink) but I must say I never bothered to carry it far from the house, even on a day trip. Now, it stays in the dry cabinet and I only use my Pentax F 300/4.5, which is [url=http://www.photozone.de/pentax/131-pentax-smc-fa-300mm-f45-ed-if-review--lab-test-report?start=1]a much better lens[/url], smaller in the bag and weighting only 880g, which makes all the difference at the end of the day. It comes with me when I travel abroad and it doesn't take too much room in my always overcrowded hand luggage. And the Pentax lens is perfectly usable wide open...

Cheers!

Abbazz[/quote]

Excellent advice if size and weight mean anything for what you are shooting.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Astro Berlin made a 300/3.5, but expect to pay $$$$ for it. Wink


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:13 am    Post subject: Fungus Reply with quote
Attila wrote:

Try to look one with scratch , fungus etc. It will be cheaper if you are lucky a lot and perfectly usable too.


I have a Canon FD 300 / 2.8 L with fungus - http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Canon-FD300-2.8-EF-Umbau.html. The fungus etched the lens permanently. I think the fungus scratchings also declines visible the contrast of the lens.
But I have not the opinon to test that with a clean lens - don´t have two of it.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hrm, what about the Tokina 100-300mm constant F4 that's in the marketplace right now? Google's not telling me all too much about it - some say it's alright, some say save your cash and get the siggy 100-300mm f4.

Anyone else here have it / can recommend it?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh, and by the way, thanks for all the advice so far Smile Also, if any of you want to get rid of your Tamron 300's (assuming either adaptall mount or PK mount) which are collecting dust, feel free to PM me - but you've made that a much less needed purchase for me Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I was actually just looking for this very same thing (a fast telephoto, but of a less expensive generation, haha). I picked up an optically sound Tokina 300mm f/2.8 manual focus for $530. Like you, I couldn't find a whole lot of info about it on the web, and certainly nothing in the way of comparisons. I can say from experience it is a very good lens. Super-low Dispersion (same as ED) glass and all. It noticeably soft wide open but very useable. I shoot it at f/4 more often.

I would agree with much of the advice here. I like having the f/2.8 but barring getting a deal on this fast of a lens, I would recommend looking at the f/4's. You can get 300mm f/4 with ED glass and sometimes auto-focus (I know Nikon's 300mm f/4 has a pretty good rep); all at half the size and nearly the same price as the faster, older MF lenses.

But again, I have only used this Tokina 300mm. I haven't tried the Tamron, though I still consider trying it just out of curiosity! I have more details on the Tokina on my blog if you want to take a look.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm left wondering how a newer APO sigma 70-300mm would fair against the MF Tokina F4 - it'd cost less, and it'd have AF on it.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
whelmed wrote:
I'm left wondering how a newer APO sigma 70-300mm would fair against the MF Tokina F4 - it'd cost less, and it'd have AF on it.


I can't compare to the Tokina, but compared to CZJ 300/4 Sonnars the Sigma zoom stinks (especially at 300, where it is f/5.6). That Sigma lens is quite all right in the wide end and below 200mm, though lacking in contrast and a bit in resolution. And with the autofocus it is very loud, with manual focus it is uncomfortable.

Anyhow, if f/4 is enough, maybe CZJ 300/4 Sonnar would be an option?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yeah, it might due. How much one of those normally set someone back?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
whelmed wrote:
Yeah, it might due. How much one of those normally set someone back?


CZJ Sonnar 300/4 can be fetched for rather low prices on eBay - a Zebra may cost about 100 euros. It's got a P6-mount, so an adapter is needed. Copies with original m42-adapter attached tend to be more expensive (the original adapter is much superior to the Chinese ones).

The All Black version (the newer optical design & lighter body) may be a bit more expensive, but with luck one can get it for at similar price (I think I paid roughly 100 euros for mine).

Of the last version, the PB-mount version I don't really know much about, pricewise or otherwise.

There is also the (pysically) ugly old version of the Sonnar, I know nothing about and between the All Black and Zebra there was a black version of the Zebra.

I'd buy the All Black, just for it's usability (much lower weight) - the PB-version interests me, but I have Pentax, so PB-mount isn't really an option, though I might be able to convert in into m42. Maybe someday.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you interest about slower lenses too.

I can recommend also 300mm CZJ Sonnars + I have good expereince with 300mm f4 Takumar

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/japenese/takumar/smc_takumar_300mm_f4/
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