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Sell me an 80's Super Zoom
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oh god that didn't take long.

There is a Pentax M 75-150mm f4 sitting in my letterbox waiting for me to get home already Razz

Today was a good day


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
In a first step i have tested the following Minolta MF and AF lenses on 24 MP Full Frame:

Stephan


Merci vielmals for this contribution.
I shall keep my Rokkor 70/210 and not look for something else. Colours and contrast are good for a zoom of those times . It is usually on those criteria that they fail.


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
WNG555 wrote:
+1 for the Tamron SP 60-300 23A. Big fan of it. And it fit definition of super zoom. It's my only travel manual-focus zoom lens, should I deem one is needed. It just performs and delivers the goods.

I would choose it over my Vivitar S-1 70-210 Tokina and Komine versions, and the Kiron Zoomlock.

Can't recommend the Vivitar (Kino) 75/85-205mm f/3.8. Even though it's cheap as dirt due to the millions out there. Useless at f/3.8.
It's my sacrificial zoom lens for adverse conditions that would risk losing a lens.

On the subject of 75-150mm, the Vivitar (Kino) two-touch and one-touch versions, plus its matched multiplier, makes for a better combo than the Vivitar 75/85-205mm f/3.8.


I agree entirely with what you've said. Vivitar 75-205/3.8 I had was just good when closed down, nothing to write home about and useless wide open. On my last vacation in mountains I took only Tamron SP 23A 60-300 and Viv S1 24-48/3.5 which was perfect combo and I'm thinking about selling Viv S1 70-210/3.5 as I don't think it will get enough attention after I bought Tamron.

One word of warning about this Kiron 70-150/3.8 lens and it's twin brothers branded Vivitar. I had 3 copies (two one touch and one two touch) branded Vivitar and they were no comparison to great Kiron version. I don't know why, as they suppose to be same optically, but I sold all Vivitar copies since they were pretty mediocre (low contrast, not as sharp as Kiron, useless wide open). I've also tried matched 2x teleconverter for the Kiron and it didn't work good at all. My no-name, cheap 2x teleconverter, that I was given for free somewhere, was significantly better than this supposedly matched one.

Nordentro: Thank you a lot for kind words and actually I was pretty surprised after I took this photo as I thought the same - Vivitar Series 1 Trioplan? Wink

tromboads: I'm really looking for some samples from your Pentax-M 75-150mm/4 as according to old reviews it was the best one from the bunch of the 70ish-150ish lenses (and they've tested Vivitars, Olympus, Tokinas, Canons, Nikons, Soligors and a few more if I remember correctly). Also my Pentax-M 80-200/4.5 was really very good performer, only it had trouble with a lot of CA wide open, but closing half-stop removed it almost entirely.


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 3:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well I have the lens, condition looks very good indeed. Everything moves and works nicely.

Surprisingly, the lens doesn't extend our retract when zooming, the collar moves and everything internally moves correctly, but the lens get any larger or smaller between the focal lengths. Neat.

I fired a few shots at my music stand and initially things look better at 150mm then they do at 75mm, images are promising, things look nice but I'll have to compare them to my 105 and 135mm Super Taks.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to play more with it tomorrow.


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I've tried quite a lot of them and the best two I have found (I haven't tried any expensive 2.8 ones) are these:

Konica UC Hexanon-Zoom 4/80-200
Minolta AF 4/70-210 1st gen 'beercan'

The Hexanon is probably better overall but the Minolta is more than good enough for me on my 24mp FF A850 for all but the most critical work, and then I would use a prime.
...


Yep, i forgot that one (the Konica UC 4/80-200mm). It's very well built, it's a 2-ring-zoom (unlike the Minolta MD 4/70-210), and it focuses down to 0.7 m (!) even at f=200mm. I can't really comment on its performance since i usually make my comparisons at "infinity" and it doesn't focus to infinity (a problem that most of my Konica Hexanon zooms have, the primes are OK). But it certainly is not bad.

Stephan


PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is the infinity issue due to the cameras you have to use it on or an adapter problem or is there a problem with the lens?

I haven't had the infinity issue with any of my Konica zooms, but have only used them on a NEX-3 and Konica film cameras.


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
DAM THIS PLACE!

Whilst I was sleeping, I won an auction with a Pentax A 35-70mm f4 zoom.

In my tired haze I meant to just ensure I was watching it, not bid on the dam thing.

Jesus matching Pentax zooms. What have I become. :S


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think that the Vivitar 75-205 f3,8 is a great lens,If you stop it down just a little it's sharper than the version 1 and 2 of the series 1 and the
Tamron 80-200 in the long end .in fact it's sharper att 200mm than some 200mm primes


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
tromboads wrote:
DAM THIS PLACE!

Whilst I was sleeping, I won an auction with a Pentax A 35-70mm f4 zoom.

In my tired haze I meant to just ensure I was watching it, not bid on the dam thing.

Jesus matching Pentax zooms. What have I become. :S


Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
You have my fullest sympathy Very Happy
OH


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zeeke wrote:
I think that the Vivitar 75-205 f3,8 is a great lens,If you stop it down just a little it's sharper than the version 1 and 2 of the series 1 and the
Tamron 80-200 in the long end .in fact it's sharper att 200mm than some 200mm primes


You must have a very good copy Zeeke or maybe not so good copies of your other Vivitars.
I had two copies of Vivitar Series 1 70-210 ver.1 and both were very consistent in performance, but one copy I had of ver.2 was very very weak. I had opportunity to directly compare Vivitar Series 1 70-210 ver.1, Vivitar 75-205/3.8, Tamron 103A 80-210, Tamron 46A 70-210 and Pentax-M 80-200/4.5 and long story short I could rate them like this: Vis S1 ver.1, Pentax-M 80-200, Tamron 46A, and Tamron 103A with Viv 75-205 at the same. I'm not saying those last ones are bad lenses, but my copies were worst then other lenses I had. The differences were not so pronounced when stopped down, but still visible, however wide open or even stopped 1EV differences could be easily seen, especially in corners (and I'm talking only about APS-C coverage).

But in the end, if your Viv 75-205 is better then your other lenses, then this is what really matters Smile .


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
JPEG's incoming Razz

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B54h0BnJ-q35fm90eGtmZzdMYUpRS2N6MkxIdWt4NWtKeG1TX2JHbUUxOTdqMUdhRk9GaE0&usp=sharing

So I lined them up;

-Super Tak 105mm f.28
-Super Tak 135mm f3.5
-Pentax M 75-150 f4

And shot my wall. well my bookcase.

EXIF will say:
Pentax K5,
ISO1600
f4 = 1/20
f5.6 = 1/10
f8 = 1/6

Subject was about 2m away.
Jpegs at max quality, shot with 2sec timer, no PP.

Super boring subject matter true, but maaaaaan next to the Super Taks, it's well.. the Zoom ain't so bad... well...

@100mm,
The Tak is sharper at f2.8 then this things is at f4. At 5.6 the 105mm Tak is still cleaner, but by f8 the zoom looks sharper.

@135mm
At f4, I'll give it to the Tak just. There isn't much in it at 5.6 either. By f8 I'm calling it a draw.

I've included shots at 75mm and 150mm for you to look over also.

Not a very scientific test, but perhaps consider a general overview.

Come Monday I might get a chance to you know, go out side and take actual photos with it.

"fingers crossed"

Sadly the 40yr old Taks are the only lens of similar focal length I have to compare it too. So... This 80's zoom is more or less at quality of the 135mm f3.5 Super Tak of 1975ish Razz


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tromboads wrote:
I won an auction with a Pentax A 35-70mm f4 zoom.


I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with it. Compared to the K and M lenses, and to the more "premium" A lenses, the A 35-70/4's a bit plasticky. However, compared to several other small zooms (such as the A 35-80/4.5-5.6 or the F 35-70/3.5-4.5), its build quality is actually pretty decent. I have heard user comments about a bit of play in the zoom ring or the focus ring (I don't remember which), but my copy is without play in either, and the lens does have nice and wide zoom and focus rings, adequate in feel (although with a wee bit less resistance to turning than I personally would like).

I think it's Pentax' only 35-70 zoom (besides the AF 35-70/2.8 lens for the MEF) with a constant aperture (which I always prefer). Optically, it's a bit soft wide open (but, of course, most lenses are), but it's really quite good at f/5.6 and f/8. It produces surprisingly nice bokeh, and it has a better-than-you-might-expect "macro mode" (better than the so-called "macro" mode on a lot of other zooms).

At the prices it is often going for, it's usually a steal, I think. Of course, it's not a full-frame "normal zoom" on an APS-C DSLR anymore. (Back in "Ye Olde Film Days of Yore", I used this nicely for a "garden tour" lens - good for sort-of-wide views and also for some decent macro shots, and very small and light for toting around on a light body, such as a Super Program/A.) On a Pentax DSLR it acts "sort of" like a 50-100 (or so) zoom, but that still can be useful for a small, light, and inexpensive walkaround lens (especially if portraits or macros might be a possibility).


PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Is the infinity issue due to the cameras you have to use it on or an adapter problem or is there a problem with the lens?


Good question - probably both, but main problems seems to be the zoom lenses themselves (not the adapter).

Some facts:
1) I have ten Konica primes (4/21, 3.5/28 [7-lens], 3.5/28[5-lens], 1.8/40, 1.7/50, 1.8/52, 3.5/135, 3.2/135, 4/200, and Hexar 4/200)
2) I have seven Konica zooms (2.8/35-100 Varifocal, 3.5/35-70 [twice], 4/35-70, 4/70-150, 3.5/80-200, and 4/80-200 UC)
3) I have a bunch of Tokina Zooms with Konica mount (RMC 3.5/70-220, RMC 3.5-4.3/35-105, ATX 28-85)
4) Most of these lenses are "like new" from outside

5) I have a "no name" Chinese "Konica-NEX" adapter

6) Using this adaptor on my A7II, all primes (including the 4/21 which certainly reacts sensitive) do quite exactly focus till "infinity" (maybe a trace less than infinity, but certainly not much)

7) Using the same adapter with the Konica zooms, most of them do not (or even not at all) focus to infinity, the only exception being one the two 3.5/35-70mm lenses:
* the 2.8/35-100mm does focus almost to infinity at f=100m, but not at all at f=35mm
* the 3.5/80-200mm goes about to 50m at f=200mm, and to only 5m at f=80mm
* the 4/70-150mm did give very unpredictable results (from "OK" to completely unsharp) until i discovered two loose screws in the zoom mechanism; unlike in Nikkors, they had NOT been secured by glue and therefore are prone get loose
* similar "infinity" problems with the Tokina zooms

At the moment i think that the tolerances of some Konica zooms were too high for modern digital cameras, but i'm not firm about this (preliminary) conclusion. I'll continue to get / check other Konica zooms. Hopefully there's some "trend" ... and probably i'll have my Konica=>E-Mount adapter have shaved down a bit, maybe 50 or 100 micrometers.

Stephan




6)


PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zeeke wrote:
I think that the Vivitar 75-205 f3,8 is a great lens,If you stop it down just a little it's sharper than the version 1 and 2 of the series 1 and the
Tamron 80-200 in the long end .in fact it's sharper att 200mm than some 200mm primes


The 75-205 f/3.8 may be a great lens. As to fair and honest, my statement is based on two copies of the 85-205. An early 69-71 version single-coated M42, and a 79 close-focus MC version with Minolta SR mounting. I lumped the 75-205 in there due to the similar build and source (Kino). Neither of mine were acceptable at f/3.8. Stopped down, they were both sharper but pixel peeping revealed they lacked that final amount of resolution to make them truly sharp. The later multi-coated copy produced better color rendering, more vibrant. Edge to edge sharpness was only average, some softness detected. But both were remarkably excellent with chromatic aberrations. Barely any, and purple fringing well controlled.
But being a constant f/3.8, it was misleading, must be stopped down. The Kiron 70-210 f/4 Zoomlock is superior. And can be found at times just as cheap as the 85-205. The later copy also had lens bubbling in its rear element! Easily visible to the naked eye....but somehow good enough for Vivitar.

You may very well have a much better lens than these 85-205's. Being a 75-205, I assume it's a later release with possible improvements.
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