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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 - 3 (Focal 2.8/28)
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:33 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 11:33 am
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Jon E wrote:
Let me know who I need to ship this off to now.

Thanks Jon, two fine shots, shame about the smoke in the sky.

Please can I ask you to look at the first message on page one of this thread concerning the subjects for the pictures and other important information. It's not vital to stick to the sujects but they were intended to put the lenses through their paces in every sitiation, not just landscapes.

PM on its way with posting instructions.


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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:36 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:36 pm
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peterqd wrote:
Jon E wrote:
Let me know who I need to ship this off to now.

Thanks Jon, two fine shots, shame about the smoke in the sky.

Please can I ask you to look at the first message on page one of this thread concerning the subjects for the pictures and other important information. It's not vital to stick to the sujects but they were intended to put the lenses through their paces in every sitiation, not just landscapes.

PM on its way with posting instructions.


Okay my bad for not reading the list of 5 on the first post.. I probably had before but by the time I got the lens... you know. Okay I will head out and finish Razz


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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 9:49 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 9:49 pm
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Focal arrived today, the automatic /manual switch seems to have gone south. The switch will not stay in manual mode but can be held there. This adds a new challenge to wonderful lens. Will be taking pictures tomorrow


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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:28 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:28 pm
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Street


Landscape


CloseUp


Building



This lens is a challenge. Who is next to get this wonderful little lens?

Portrait


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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:47 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:47 am
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Looks like the best of the three lenses to me. I'll put i through the ringer on multiple bodies, film and digital, and with some different films, too.


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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:44 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:44 pm
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Lens sent off today


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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:56 am
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:56 am
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Nice. Seems like you handled it well.


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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:35 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:35 pm
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hoanpham wrote:
Nice. Seems like you handled it well.

Thank you so much for the kind words


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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:34 am
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Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:34 am
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Received the Focal today. Can someone send me the address for the next recipient? I ought to be able to put it through its paces in about 10 days.


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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:23 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:23 am
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I should finish up with the Focal this week. It's been fun using it the last 10 days or so. I'm short a building and a street photo. I may also try to get a new landscape photo as the ones I have to choose from aren't your classic, deep-field landscapes. I've used it on a SPotmatic SPII, Mamiya/Sekor DTL1000, Pentax KX and Pentax K-7 so far. It's worked well on the film cameras, but not as much on the K-7, which is odd to me since my copy of this lens works brilliantly on the K-7.

Peter, can you PM me the next recipient's address? I should be able to mail this off in about a week. I might take it to the Flugtag this weekend.


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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:36 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:36 am
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Visualopsins is next David. I've sent you a PM with his address.


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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:35 am
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:35 am
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I forgot to post my photos! And the lens!

The lens will go on to Eugene Saturday. I've been hit with a crush of additional workload, so I won't have much time to use it again. I'm going into the City tomorrow, and will take it if there's no rain.

I'm missing a street photo, but here is everything else. Film is Foma 400 (self portrait) and Kodak 250D (the balance.) The street photo will probably be with my K-7 or be on the undeveloped 50D roll I have that I took with this lens. For everything but the self portrait, the camera was a Pentax KX. For the self portrait it was a Spotmatic SP II.

1

A building

2

A landscape

3

A close-up

4

A portrait

5

A street scene

6

Bonus shot: Still Life

Last edited by David on Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:11 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:49 am
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:49 am
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I hope I can say this without it being taken the wrong way...David you make that lens look good!


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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 2:48 pm
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 2:48 pm
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As I was looking at David's pictures the thought came into my head that even a rubbish lens can produce fantastic pictures in the hands of a great photographer. Then I read that Mo thought the same thing! Smile
David, you put me in the shade.


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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 7:17 am
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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 7:17 am
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Thank you, guys!

This really isn't a shabby lens. I've spent hours -- hours -- over the past few months trying to figure out who made Focal lenses for KMart. All I could find is that Samyang probably made the Korean-made lenses. This was a Japanese lens, and lots of people theorize on who made the Japanese lenses for KMart, but no one seems to know. For my money, this one feels like a Tokina.

Edit: I've decided this lens is a Chinon or Cosina, not Tokina. Why? No real reason.

The lens is off now to Visualopsins.

Last edited by David on Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:12 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:19 am
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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:19 am
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Great photographer making crap lens shines.
Well done David.
I like the landscape most.


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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:23 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:23 pm
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Has this challenge died? Wink


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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:25 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:25 pm
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Hi Edgar,

I don't have an answer to your question, but I suspect it will get restarted if we're patient.

I have been absent from the forum for almost a year, so I haven't kept track of the Focal's progress at all. So it's been a treat seeing what everybody has done so far with it. I would have never thought to give a cheap little Focal 28mm as thorough an analysis as some of you have. But these analyses do seem to explain its quirky nature, it would seem.

I have a request, and that is that my name be placed at the very bottom of the list for this, the Focal 28mm, so that when I receive it, it can just stay home. I'll post my five pics after it arrives. But if this messes up the lens's projected route such that it puts things out of whack, then never mind.


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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:56 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:56 pm
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Embarassed

I have this lens.

When I signed up for the Super-Travenar, I didn't know I was signing up for all three lenses...so I was surprised to receive the lens from David. Sorry to say it, I put the lens in a safe place and forgot about it, many months ago, unfortunately...

Fast forward to February. There were internet connection issues, some lasting for days. When I did get online, sometimes the connection would drop when authenticating here causing loss of the new messages list -- I missed this message...

Now I see it. Embarassed

Mo, do you want this lens next?

Peter, can my name be removed Optomax from the list, please?


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Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 3:26 am
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Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 3:26 am
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I will pass on this one as I don't know when I will have a new camera. Sad


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Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 5:21 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 5:21 pm
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ManualFocus-G?


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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:06 am
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:06 am
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Shall I return the lens to Michael?


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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:59 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:59 pm
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visualopsins wrote:
Shall I return the lens to Michael?


I'm after ManualFocus-G on the list. If Graham doesn't want it you could send it on to me. Smile


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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:25 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:25 pm
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PM your address?


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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:59 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:59 pm
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The Focal has arrived with me now. I'll move it on and post my shots as soon as I can. Smile
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