Yashica ML 2.8/28

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hi Peter, do you have an EOS? I can send you the Yashica ML 2.8/28 and 2.8/35 and the adapter to play with.

Tomorrow I will take out my Tokina SD 28-70 in C/Y mount and try that with the same adapter on my EOS.

Good job this lens was a bargain otherwise I'd be rather unhappy, well, I am unhappy about it, but it would be greatly amplified had I spent a fair wad on it, I paid 24ukp for the 2.8/35, I will test that again tomorrow too.

I will also try the ML 2/50, that can't be as bad, surely? I have a Yashica DSB 2/50 as well, never tried that.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Hi Peter

Your present arrived today and I'm delighted with it, silver early red P version is precisely what I was after, focus ring problem is fixed, tightened the gryub screws, need to get an M39-NEX adapter, twas payday today so will order one, I have a collapsible Industar-50 and a silver/black industar 61 to try as well, the J8 will probably be the best.

I will send you the Yashicas and the adapter tomorrow, I have your address on the note from the parcel, you have my permission to do any remedial work you like, the 35 may have a similar problem, my samples from it weren't so great but not tried it again since (apart from these nighttime tripod shots) due to bad weather all the time here.

ML 2.8/35:

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

I'm with those that questioned the infinity adjustment. Regardless of adapter I use, I test each lens for infinity as two lenses may very well be different with the same adapter. Often times infinity goes beyond, but we never know when it stops shy of infinity - a very little bit can make a big difference. I usually take three pictures; one at the stop point, then two more with extremely slight adjustments of the focus. This will tell me if the stop point is the best of the three or if it goes beyond.

Ian: You answered me earlier that you had Viv 28mms, but is any the CF model?

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I think they are both the CF model, the Pk mount one definitely is, the other is in OM mount and is soft at infinity, maybe the OM-EOS adapter, I don't rate that lens judging by my copies, neither is sharp, might be bad copies. I do rate my HOYA HMC 2.8/28 though, the HMC coating seems superb and it is rather sharp.

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

It certainly is sharper close up than at infinity, but it's not really sharp at any distance, my money is on it being faulty.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, my PK fit model is the sam as that with the close focus labelling and the 28 serial (Komine, right?) the OM one is the same, with a 28 serial but I can't remember if it also has the close focus labelling.

My PK one wasn't sharp when I tested it, the OM one was soft at infinity and fairly good closer.

I'll do a shootout with all my 28s - Pentacon 2.8/28, both Vivs, both Ensinor 2.8/28s, Hoya HMC 2.8/28, I suspect the Pentacon and Hoya are by far the best of the bunch from the times I've used them. The weakness of the Ensinors is the flare resistance, quite sharp though.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, probably time has not been kind on my copies of the Vivitar.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I definitely bow to the greater knowledge and experience you guys have.

I must be one of the unlickiest lens buyers around, I have bad copies of quite a few lenses that are known to be good usually.

One factor that always troubles me is adapters, I only have three lenses in OM mount - Zuiko 1.8/50, Ensinor 2.8/28 and Vivitar 2.8/28, I haven't played with the Zuiko much, I have two copies of that, they came with my OM10 and OM20. I could stick the Viv on one of my Oly bodies and shoot some film, that would remove the adapter from the equation.

I also have a Pentax MG, I could try the PK Viv 28 on that, but I have promised it to a friend who uses Pentax DSLRs.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Ian, if you haven't sent me the package yet, put the PK Viv in with the others and I can try that for you too. I'll send it straight back.

Oh, and unlucky happens to everyone. I went through 4 duff 200s before I got one that worked OK.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Really interested to see how Peter gets on with a different camera and adapter Smile

I've probably handled about 500 lenses over the years, and I've only ever had one (that's not obviously been tampered with or beaten up) that has had obvious softness issues.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, I am confused as to why this lens is like this, you would figure Yashica had good QC but I can't see any evidence of it being damaged or tampered with.

fuzzywuzzy · Expire: 2013-11-30

This one isn't for pixel peepers but what a great image!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Cheers mate. 4-ish am, tripod, 30sec exposure on ISO 100 with EOS 10D, Yashica ML 2.8/35.

There was a street light bottom left, I cropepd it out but part of the flare it caused is still there, top left.

Shame it isn't sharper, I'm hoping Peter can figure out why both these Yashicas are soft.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

I'm hoping too. I'm keen to have a look at them but I'm not an expert, so please don't expect too much.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I just value a second opinion and a second pair of hands using them, I might have done something silly that caused the softness with the 35mm, but the 28, it looks bad.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Ian's lenses arrived this morning and I've had a preliminary look at them. The 28 is mint, glass and body, and looks as though it's never been used. The 35 is only slightly more used but looking with a loupe I saw a film of tiny dots on one of the front inner surfaces, almost like a haze. I think it might be the result of condensation. This poor handheld shot of it is a 100% crop from the 4/50 Macro Takumar:

I can see how to dismantle the front elements to clean it off, but I'll need a better lens spanner.

The C/Y>EOS adapter that Ian sent with the lenses is probably a little thin. Both lenses focus very slightly past infinity on my camera. Personally I prefer this as it gives scope for lenses which aren't properly adjusted. However, you need to be aware of it and never rely on the infinity stop.

The weather here is grim at the moment, so I've decided against doing any proper testing until tomorrow. However, I did take a few infinity shots with the 35 to see if the haze was affecting it, and I was pleasantly surprised. The lens performs about as well as any of my other 35 lenses and better than some. I've made a composite image of 100% crops for comparison. If you click on it you can see it full size.

All shots (apart from the kit lens) at f/8, ISO200
left column:
Yashica ML 2.8/35
CZJ Flektogon 2.4/35 (red MC)
Pentax-M 2.8/35

right column:
Super-Takumar 3.5/35
Mir24M 2/35
and (for a laugh): Canon AF kit lens 18-55 @ f/6.3

I've just cleaned and reassembled the Takumar 3.5 but it looks like it hasn't improved it much. I've never had a lot of faith in this lens.

The big surprise for me, as well as the good performance of the Yashica, is how well the Pentax-M matched up. That's cheered me up on this soggy, dark and windy day! Smile

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Now for the 28. I had to wait till late this afternoon for some sunlight to work with, but it was only in short bursts.

All the test shots I took were at f/5.6 with 100 ISO. I focused on the red roof exactly in the centre of the frame, using a tripod and remote release. I bracket focused about 15 shots with the tiniest increments I could manage.

I found some interesting points:

1 As for the 35, the lens focusses past infinity, due to the adapter. The sharpest focus was consistently about 10 or 12 increments from the infinity stop.

2 This is the first lens I've ever come across which fools the 400D meter. All the test pics I took were about 1 stop underexposed and in both pics below the gamma has been adjusted slightly in PS.

3 Other than the underexposing, in bright sunlight the lens seems to perform brilliantly, nicely sharp and contrasty: (it looks sharper if you click on the picture Rolling Eyes

)

4 However in less than bright sunlight there is a marked loss of contrast and the lens flares quite badly - the bright areas seem to bleed light into the darker areas:

The flare and loss of contrast make the lens very difficult to focus. There is no AF beep at all, not even at a wider aperture. I can very well understand how difficult Ian found it to focus.

Something strange is going on which I can't fathom. More tests to be done at different apertures tomorrow, hopefully there'll be a little more sunshine.

This comparable shot was taken with the Pentax-M 2.8/28

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thankyou Peter, does look like it was the ape trying to work it rather than the lens that was at fault.

Looking forward to your conclusions.