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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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The Great Cheapo Lens Challenge - 1 (Optomax 2.8/28)
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The Crap Lens Challenge is now reincarnated! Smile

The credit for dreaming this up goes to Lloydy. The idea is that a cheap lens is being sent all round the globe for members to make the best possible images they can with it. It's just for fun, it's not a competition, nobody is judging and there are no prizes.

Anybody who wants to join in is still welcome - just PM me your real name and postal address.

This thread is for the pictures taken using an old beaten-up Optomax f2.8 28mm with M42 mount and preset aperture, which Graham (ManualFocus-G) has donated. Let's make sure he gets it back at the end! Smile


If you need an adapter for M42 lenses please let me know and we'll try to sort one out for you.

Everyone is to submit their best picture in each of these categories:

1 A building
2 A close up
3 A landscape
4 A portrait type picture ( could be a person or a statue or some object that will be isolated by narrow depth of field )
5 A street shot (or country lane if you like)

Any kind of post-processing is allowed, including a touch of sharpening, but no crops please. Remember the idea is to see what the lens can achieve. Please resize all pics to max 1024 px wide.

Please aim to get all your pictures taken and the lens posted on within a week, weather permitting, so we don't keep people waiting too long. I'll be keeping in touch so I can track where the lens is at any time.

22 members have signed up so far:
This is the order the lens will follow.
The lens is currently with the name in red.

ManualFocus-G pictures [23 November 2011]
DigiChromeEd [12 January 2012]
stingOM [28 January 2012]
Farside
GrahamNR17 [12 March 2012]
NewStuff
Lloydy [10 April 2012]
William [28 April 2012]
Xpres [17 May 2012]
peterqd [24 May 2012]
iangreenhalgh1 [3 June 2012]
LucisPictor
pst
dragom
hoanpham
Jesito
iangreenhalgh1
kukhuvud
mmelvis
David
cooltouch
visualopsins
mo
ManualFocus-G

I have everybody's postal address and I'll be sending a PM to each person with the next address to send the lens on to. Apart from that, all information will be confidential.









Last edited by peterqd on Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:29 pm; edited 31 times in total


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Nicely done Peter!...come on guys we need a few more volunteers from Down under!


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I'll be glad to join, if I'm still in time Smile

Regards.
Jes.


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William and Jesito are added to the list - thanks guys. Still room for more, how about you guys in Indonesia and Malaysia, or some more in US and Oz/NZ?

Map to be updated later.


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Wow, that is fun.

How about another fellow Irish added to the list? I am in Clare. Very Happy


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stingOM wrote:
Wow, that is fun.

How about another fellow Irish added to the list? I am in Clare. Very Happy


QUOTE: "Anybody who wants to join in is still welcome, especially if you live in a nice sunny place! Just PM me your real name and postal address please and I'll slot you in."


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peterqd wrote:
stingOM wrote:
Wow, that is fun.

How about another fellow Irish added to the list? I am in Clare. Very Happy


QUOTE: "Anybody who wants to join in is still welcome, especially if you live in a nice sunny place! Just PM me your real name and postal address please and I'll slot you in."


Thanks Peter. Sunny, Shocked well may be I am disqualified already!! Laughing Laughing
Tour de crappy lens: 2011 on its way to me then!


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stingOM wrote:
peterqd wrote:
stingOM wrote:
Wow, that is fun.

How about another fellow Irish added to the list? I am in Clare. Very Happy


QUOTE: "Anybody who wants to join in is still welcome, especially if you live in a nice sunny place! Just PM me your real name and postal address please and I'll slot you in."


Thanks Peter. Sunny, Shocked well may be I am disqualified already!! Laughing Laughing
Tour de crappy lens: 2011 on its way to me then!


Yep, you're added to the list - No 3 after Edgar. Smile


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And...we're off!!!

Didn't have time for a proper shoot this weekend, so instead simply ensured I always had a camera with this lens on me at all times! Laughing

1. A building



2. A close up



3. A landscape



4. A portrait type picture ( could be a person or a statue or some object that will be isolated by narrow depth of field )



5. A street shot (or country lane if you like)

(note the bin teddy!)

Will post the lens off during the week to the next luck recipient Smile


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Hey Graham you looks a winner candidate , I like these samples from every aspects!


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Thanks Attila, I reckon this thread will end up with many varied, but well taken photos. There are lots of great photographers on this forum Smile


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P.s. Attila, get your name on the list please!


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ManualFocus-G wrote:
P.s. Attila, get your name on the list please!



I hate to loose Laughing Laughing ... kidding .


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Thanks Graham! Off to a great start! Looks like the lens lives up to its title. Smile
So you were at the Saints v Brighton match! Smile

Farside has joined list (after StingOM). Welcome Dave! List and maps are updated.


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ManualFocus-G wrote:
There are lots of great photographers on this forum Smile

Not that I'm being smug or anything, but I think I'll change your mind on that one Wink


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GrahamNR17 wrote:
ManualFocus-G wrote:
There are lots of great photographers on this forum Smile

Not that I'm being smug or anything, but I think I'll change your mind on that one Wink


Laughing Laughing Laughing

And Peter, yes, I was there for the tonking of Brighton Very Happy The stewards have wised up to the Sony Nex now though and wouldn't let me take photos during the game Laughing


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Nice results Graham! I can't wait to see how much colour the K-5 can squeeze out of that lens.


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Nice samples!
Not so bad lens, I've seen some worse Smile

Or was the photographer who did the miracle? Wink

Regards.
Jes.


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Great shots Graham! Surprised


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Thanks guys, but mine were snapshots...I think we'll see some much better results over the coming weeks!

I won't go into too much detail about how this lens performs, but I think you will be surprised by some of the bokeh shots it's possible to get with this old beater Shocked

I should add...the lens will be posted out on Wednesday to the next lucky recipient Wink


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ManualFocus-G wrote:
Thanks guys, but mine were snapshots...I think we'll see some much better results over the coming weeks!

I won't go into too much detail about how this lens performs, but I think you will be surprised by some of the bokeh shots it's possible to get with this old beater Shocked

I should add...the lens will be posted out on Wednesday to the next lucky recipient Wink


Thanks Graham - I look forward to receiving it!


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The lens is too good, how about you ship it in an unpadded envelope for more of a challenge? =)


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Arkku wrote:
The lens is too good, how about you ship it in an unpadded envelope for more of a challenge? =)

Smile

Or, better still, why don't you join in and take some pictures with it up there in the frozen wastes! Smile

You know what to do, just click on
Private
V
V
V
V


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Lens was posted to DigiChromeEd today, should be with him for the weekend Wink


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Am I still on time to join in? I'm from sunny Porto, Portugal. Very Happy