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The Great Cheapo Lens Challenge - 2 (Super Travenar 2.8/28)
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ok, the lens is off to the next victim via 2 day UPS... that way he can have it for New Years celebrations Smile


PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 7:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kukhuvud wrote:
Ok, the lens is off to the next victim via 2 day UPS... that way he can have it for New Years celebrations Smile

Great! Many thanks.

I love the shots - especially the green house and the Christmas lights. About the focussing, this is supposed to be a challenge, remember! Smile
28mm lenses are always tricky to focus accurately wide open, and I'm not surprised you missed a couple - not by much though. You stand a much better chance of being in-focus with a greater depth of field.


PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lens arrived today will get started with the pictures


PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
#1 CloseUp

#2 Portrait

#3 Little Building

#4 Landscape

#5 More Landscape

#6 Road with Buildings


PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow. You did quite well with that lens. Those results are in no way unpleasing.


PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 7:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That "More Landscape" shot is a trip.... what IS it exactly? Wink


PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kukhuvud wrote:
That "More Landscape" shot is a trip.... what IS it exactly? Wink


The red berries are on what I thinks is a Ilex vomitoria, female version of this bush. The background is a local 10 acre lake along a walking trail located here http://binged.it/z7euSz . Switch to the birdseye view to see the tree and the lake.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I received the Travenar today. I'm going to put it through some major work next week and ship it a week from this coming Saturday to Mo. Can someone PM me with mo's address?

Also, I'm going to kick in a rear cap and UV filter that otherwise would continue to collect dust here. That will help it get safely around the world.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
PM sent re the Address,That's a good idea about the UV filter. I look forward to seeing your samples and receiving the lens. Cool


PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just now noticed this thread. Is it too late to request being appended to the list?

I've participated in a couple of these sorts of shared item events before. Last one was with a Minolta Hi-Matic rangefinder camera that the folks over at rangefinderforum.com put together. That camera went all over the world at least one time around. Same kind of deal as here. In the case of the Hi-Matic, it was, run a couple of rolls through it, then pass it on down the line, and post your best shots. So, same thing basically.

Also, if worse should come to worst and the lens is lost, damaged, stolen, etc., I have a Focal 28mm f/2.8 in M42 that is actually a good picture taker that I'd be willing to lend to the cause as a stand-in. And it even has front and rear caps!


PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
Just now noticed this thread. Is it too late to request being appended to the list?

I've participated in a couple of these sorts of shared item events before. Last one was with a Minolta Hi-Matic rangefinder camera that the folks over at rangefinderforum.com put together. That camera went all over the world at least one time around. Same kind of deal as here. In the case of the Hi-Matic, it was, run a couple of rolls through it, then pass it on down the line, and post your best shots. So, same thing basically.

Also, if worse should come to worst and the lens is lost, damaged, stolen, etc., I have a Focal 28mm f/2.8 in M42 that is actually a good picture taker that I'd be willing to lend to the cause as a stand-in. And it even has front and rear caps!

Not too late Michael. Please PM me your name and mail address. You will be directly after David, so it will fall to you to send it on to Mo in Aus. Please move fast because David has the lens right now and will soon be ready to send it on, otherwise you'll have to wait for the other lens.

If you haven't already done so, please read the first message in this thread, which I'm keeping up to date on progress.

Thanks very much for the offer of the lens. I've been wondering whether we might need one in case the Optomax is delayed any longer - I'll let you know.


PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
peterqd wrote:
cooltouch wrote:
Just now noticed this thread. Is it too late to request being appended to the list?

I've participated in a couple of these sorts of shared item events before. Last one was with a Minolta Hi-Matic rangefinder camera that the folks over at rangefinderforum.com put together. That camera went all over the world at least one time around. Same kind of deal as here. In the case of the Hi-Matic, it was, run a couple of rolls through it, then pass it on down the line, and post your best shots. So, same thing basically.

Also, if worse should come to worst and the lens is lost, damaged, stolen, etc., I have a Focal 28mm f/2.8 in M42 that is actually a good picture taker that I'd be willing to lend to the cause as a stand-in. And it even has front and rear caps!

Not too late Michael. Please PM me your name and mail address. You will be directly after David, so it will fall to you to send it on to Mo in Aus. Please move fast because David has the lens right now and will soon be ready to send it on, otherwise you'll have to wait for the other lens.

If you haven't already done so, please read the first message in this thread, which I'm keeping up to date on progress.

Thanks very much for the offer of the lens. I've been wondering whether we might need one in case the Optomax is delayed any longer - I'll let you know.


Can I squeeze in here someplace if Mo doesn't mind? I'm a 1/2 day drive from David and 3 days from Michael. Otherwise I can wait for next pass through US.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am fine ,I will let Peter work it out. Very Happy


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mo, there is the possibility that we can toss my Focal 28 into the mix, in which case I could ship it out to you much sooner. Peter and I have discussed this already. His last note indicated that he'd mentioned it to you and was awaiting your reply.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have PM'd him...once again timezone lag.. Very Happy I don't mind trying the focal 28.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hey now, I don't think the Focal 28mm qualifies as a cheapo lens. I have one and have taken some exceedingly well toned and sharp images with it. In fact, I think it's my sharpest 28 and has a nice hyperfocal range. In fact, I used it today on my Spotmatic! So there.

Edited to change verbiage to cheapo

Last edited by David on Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:32 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hang on now, David. Nobody's been talking about this being a "crap lens" exhibition. It's a "cheapo" lens exhibition. And at $4US, I think the Focal 28 qualifies.

Yes, I agree about the quality of photos the Focal 28 can take. I haven't done hardly any shooting with my copy yet, but what I have done indicates to me that it's actually a very capable lens -- at least with an APS-C camera. IOW, I can't comment on FF edge sharpness, but I suspect it's decent at least.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK, sorry I couldn't come back on this earlier.

It was me who changed the title from "crap" lens to "cheapo" lens. I like cheapo better. For a start I don't like using words like "crap" if I can avoid it, but also we all have different expectations from our lenses and what is "crap" to one person might not be to another. The idea is to try to make the best pictures we can with no-name lenses of little resale value.

Now about the Focal lens, I've been mulling this over. Currently we have the Optomax which started at the top of the list but unfortunately has been unavoidably delayed on only its second stop. The Travenar started further down the list with the intention of cutting waiting time for those near the bottom of ths list, and this has winged it's way round USA and will soon be sent on to Mo and then back to UK. So there is a real danger of the Travenar catching up with the Optomax and we will have two lenses going round together, so the waiting times will be longer once again. If we have a third lens we need to make sure it goes firstly to those who will currently be waiting the longest - i.e. the names on the list directly before where the Travenar was started.

Against this is that the whole point about this challenge is for everybody to try the same lens and compare how well we can make it shine (or not). There is a separate thread for each one at present and if we have a third lens we'll need to start a new thread for that. This is getting complicated! Smile

Mo has kindly said she is willing to wait for the Travenar until it has finished its rounds in USA. Visualopsins wants to join in, which is great, but if we have any more in USA I think it will be unfair on Mo and those after her.

So, what I have decided is this:

The Focal lens will join the challenge, and I am going to ask Michael to send it directly to Patrick in Austria, so that it fills the current gap. The order for the Focal will therefore be:

pst
dragom
Jesito
iangreenhalgh1
kukhuvud
mmelvis
David
cooltouch
Visualopsins
mo
ManualFocus-G
DigiChromeEd
stingOM
Farside
GrahamNR17
NewStuff
Lloydy
William
Xpres
peterqd

Visualopsins has been added to the Travenar list after Michael and after that it will definitely go on to Mo. Anybody else in USA asking to join in from now on will have to wait for the next lens, which will be the Focal after it has finished in Europe.

I'll PM you directly Michael.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yesss! So it seems I will not have to wait one year to make some photos in this challenge. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Do we have two lenses travelling around now, Peter?
'Cause I'm not in the second list...

And do you think it would be possible that the lists indicate who has the lens ATM and who had the already?


PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Do we have two lenses travelling around now, Peter?
'Cause I'm not in the second list...

And do you think it would be possible that the lists indicate who has the lens ATM and who had the already?


Embarassed
Carsten, if you look at the lists in the first message in each of the two threads you'll see your name on the list after me. The current lens-holder is highlighted in red and the date they added their pics is added.

What has happened is that because I already knew your address I didn't enter it into the spreadsheet with all the others, which is where I copied the names for the list above. That's been corrected now. If Michael hasn't already packed it I will ask him to send the Focal 28 to you, and then you will send it on to Patrick. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for pointing out the error.

There will now be 3 lenses doing the rounds and I will shortly be starting a new thread for the 3rd one, the Focal.
I've just heard that the Optomax (Lens 1) is definitely on its way to Simon in Eire, the Travenar (2) is currently with David in San Francisco and the Focal (3) will shortly be on its way to you.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's great Smile

Regards,
Jes.


PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Shall we add a 4th lens just to see if you can cope ,Peter... Laughing Wink By the way thanks for what you are doing.


PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
mo wrote:
Shall we add a 4th lens just to see if you can cope ,Peter... Laughing Wink By the way thanks for what you are doing.

Laughing
It really isn't complicated, or very time consuming. I made a spreadsheet with all the names and addresses in order and each lens uses the same list but just starting at different places. My Inbox and Sentbox are pretty full though!


PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
So every day I do this blog thing where I shoot a different camera-lens-film combo. This week it's all Travenar all week -- yes, the Travenar gets to meet five cameras here in SF.

I opened the week with the K-7 and would periodically play back the images to see how they look. And all day I kept thinking "man, what are these guys on about? This lens is fine." Then I opened up some of the files in Photoshop and zoomed in. Good grief.

I'll post a different shot from each camera at the end of the week, and hopefully represent the best of each shot category. However, I wanted to share an early result with you, a night shot from the building category. Fifteen-second exposure, f22. For stabilization, set it on a concrete wall and used my fingers to level the building in the screen (I couldn't crane my head to see the viewfinder.) One of the two best shots of the day. The other being a remarkably sharp seagull shot at f11.

As the EXIF will show, I did pop these open in Photoshop, but only to resize them. The images with a hyphen in the name (e.g., 2-S) are unedited except minor cropping; nothing that meaningfully alters the image (e.g., part of an awning or some dude's foot walking out of frame.)



For the whole album from today, follow this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/102333270936007447976/K711612

More to come this weekend! Tomorrow, the Super Travenar meets the Canon RT.
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