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Tair-3
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:46 am    Post subject: Tair-3 Reply with quote
Is anybody have experience with this lens ?



PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:23 am    Post subject: Re: Tair-3 Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Is anybody have experience with this lens ?



It is very good and respectable tele-lens. I had it in the past and did with it some good pictures. It has the good quality of the picture even wide open. In my town it is possible to buy it by the price of $30-40, or the whole set for the photo hunting (in the metal case, with the butt, and Zenith camera) for $70-100. I considered some time to obtain it, but I don’t do today much work which needs something like that, so I decided to step away.

However, if I would really need it for the action it will be my first choice.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, I have the photosniper version and that one isn't, but I think they are the same.

Great for the price, better contrast than reviews have had me believe, reasonable shapness but not tack sharp. It does give red fringinging in strong backlit conditions.

Overall, not Canon L glass but at 1/100th of the price, it's a bargain.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Completely agree with Martin and Little Alex but would add its even better wtih B+W images than colour, contrast is really impressive then.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The lettering says 4.5/300A. Does that mean that it has an interchangeable "A" mount ?


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Could be John mine is a 300 'S' , as in photosniper and it has an 'A' type mount. I've had a Pentax t mount on it before now, to use with a K100D


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have it, Attila.
My copy was modified by someone to give soft focus effect.
It makes pictures that look like those arty flous that many fancy.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Richard. I've thought about this lens but I suspect that it's too heavy for me - I don't like using a tripod.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It is a brute to carry and I don't like to use a tripod either. I have used it with the K100d on the Photosniper rig, which worked very well, the Pentax was more or less a straight subsitute for the Zenit (btw it was that Zenit I rebuilt with your spare body) and fired by remote control. Unfortunately the Samsung I have is a bit too big to fit the gun without a lot of fiddling so I dont use it as much as I have done. The other option is my 500mm Russian mirror which is very good and reasonable to handle. still a bit heavy though.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Tair-3 Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Is anybody have experience with this lens ?



Yeah it looks like my FOTORUZHYO (PhotoSniper) which is quite old. Mine dates back to at least 1975 when my dad bought it back in Ukraine before immigrating. I shot with it a couple times back in the 80's when I first got into photography. The lens litterally weighs like 5-6 lbs. (maybe more) and is very front heavy and quite unweildy, even when stock mounted. Its just an unruly hunk of metal. But its quite fun to shoot with the stock.

I really need to grab that thing from my mom's house next time I go by. I'd guess its a M42 mount, since the PhotoSniper comes with a second lens as well (or perhaps my dad bought a second lens and mounted it in the auxiliary compartment in the case). Overall, its fun for the novelty of it, and as a showpiece its pretty awesome (in the long-since-forgotten meaning of the word) - it really gets AWE!'s and OOH!'s when people see the thing the first time. But the novelty of shooting with it runs out quick. I think part of the blame for me was the Zenit body that its on, even compared to my Yashica FX-3 of the time (let alone my AE-1 or Pentax Super Program), the ergonomics and control layout is just unappealing.

Just my .02

-Alan


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just recently got the Fotosniper version as well (it's marked as a TAIR-3S).

I guess I have a thing for stock mounted glass, as I also have a pair of follow-focus Novoflexes and usually shoot airshows with big Canon L lenses on a BushHawk. Smile

The Canons are white, though. I don't think I'd try to walk into a military airshow with either the Tair or a Novoflex, especially given the post 9/11 security paranoia. In fact, I'd have bought the orange BushHawk if it were in stock anywhere.

As far as I can tell, the Fotosniper kit always came with a normal lens. Most of the ones I'd seen online have a Helios-44 of some variety, but mine came with a Zenitar-M2. My camera is a Zenit-122s, and there's a cable that comes from the back of the lens that plugs into the camera. This appears to be an aperture indication for the meter.

The Fotosniper setup is a really entertaining contraption. The lens has a spring-loaded preset arrangement, where you set the aperture and then cock it wide open. Pulling the trigger in the stock releases the aperture first, stopping down the lens. Further motion on the trigger fires the camera through a special pin on the bottom of the body.

I've been thinking of rigging a remote to fire the Oly using the camera pin, and maybe even setting up the half-press to fire with the aperture.

"A-mount" is new to me. I took a few test shots through it with the Oly, but I was just using an M42 adapter.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
martinsmith99 wrote:

Overall, not Canon L glass but at 1/100th of the price, it's a bargain.


Well, not always so hard. Two days ago I was offered the Canon L lens 300/4.0 for $450 (which is not too bad).

However I still am not certain that I really need it. It is not the lens to carry every day with you, and it needs the especial task to use it/ So, at the end I decided to abstain from it.

There is the main question with that kind of the lens – whether you do really need it.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LittleAlex wrote:

There is the main question with that kind of the lens – whether you do really need it.


Yup, I rent the big Canon white lenses. I don't need a 300/2.8L IS or 500/4L IS every day, and you can rent them for a lot of weekends before you've paid for one. Smile

I did end up buying the 70-200/2.8L IS, though... I do use that lens a lot.

I know it's heresy around here, but AF does have its place: Salinas and Nellis AFB Airshows


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Orio wrote:
I have it, Attila.
My copy was modified by someone to give soft focus effect.
It makes pictures that look like those arty flous that many fancy.


Thank you for all posts!

I remembered for yours, I decided to take one. Mine copy is came with Canon FD mount, my local expert modified to Nikon mount. I sold my Nikon 300mm f4.5 IF ED glass. I hope this lens can be use as replacement. I was so satisfied with photo sniper version, I hope this at least same good.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's a quick test I did today focusing on a large matchbox. No PP was done at all. Just raw from camera and converted to jpegs.

See how edge sharpness improves as it's stopped down.

Tair Test


PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 7:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
love my tair 3s use it quite a bit hand held , i like the close focusing of this lens. only bad thing on mine s the aperture ring is a bit loose and is hard to keep set on F5.6-F8 and id a bit hard to hold in place.

Dave



PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is there anywhere except for ebay that sells photosnipers?

especially in N America


PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice new holland honey eater there Ausnapper.
I own one and quite like the lens. Some recent pics.






PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
WOW! nice shots!


PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have that exact model, it's a heavy old thing that you don't want to carry around all day!

I've had mixed results with it, it's a lens that demands concentration when you use it, but can then surprise you.

I bought an old Soligor 300 the other day, which is f5.5 and slower, but it's a lot lighter and also seems to be more forgiving when I use it.

I need to get them both out and do a shoot out between them. A project for the coming week. Wink


PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
dude163 wrote:
Is there anywhere except for ebay that sells photosnipers?

especially in N America


Here... Laughing

Insert an ad in the Marketplace room.
Maybe some north-american members would sell one ?


PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My wife talked some sense into me, walking around with a camera rig that looks like a rifle in this modern day political climate may not be the best plan

Helios 40 here I come!


PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dude163 wrote:
My wife talked some sense into me, walking around with a camera rig that looks like a rifle in this modern day political climate may not be the best plan

Helios 40 here I come!



Congrats dude! Very Happy


PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
dude163 wrote:
My wife talked some sense into me, walking around with a camera rig that looks like a rifle in this modern day political climate may not be the best plan

Helios 40 here I come!


I went to a camera fair today and saw three Photosniper outfits, I didn't see a big rush to buy them though.


PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:43 pm    Post subject: Tair-3S / Phs overhaul Reply with quote
Tair-3S / Phs overhaul:

I have repaired one having dead aperture set. It was my second Tair project - it really went smoothly - being finished in 2-3 hours.

You can manipulate infinity position with big silver knob. I suggest you unscrew four big screws holding the knob. Then you make proper infinity start by placing upper lens part correctly.

There is important thing: besides silver knob, front label ring can regulate how much inside upper lens part goes (towards infinity). So if you cannot get to infinity unscrew label ring (made in USSR) a bit. You'll need small screwdriver.

Here photos of aperture having a bath. You can also see traces of graphite (soft pencil) acting as superb aperture blades lubricant.



















And two sample photos wide open made half an hour ago on first day having few minus degrees Celsius.



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