A bit of DIY with the Zenitar

[Jieffe]

I've got the flu and decided to stay home today. As I'm getting bored, I though I could share with you the little (non-destructive) modifications made to my Zenitar 16mm.

First of all, it's the K-mount version. Used on a digital Pentax body, you need to use it in manual mode. Most of the time, I forget to push the Ae-l button to mesure the exposure. Therefore, I wanted my lens to behave like a M42 fitted with a K adapter.
Very easy to do : just unscrew the clear filter then remove the black circle (3 screws). You remove the 2 screws fixing the lever and voilŕ, you can use the Av mode.



I then turned my attention to the (lack of) front filter ring.

Some internet sources suggests to fit a 60 to 62 step-up ring but this proved to be the difficult part. B&H list one but the sending costs to Europe are too high. On Ebay, most adapters are for Hasseblad, not compatible with a 60mm thread. I finally found this one : Click here to see on Ebay. To secure the ring, I cut 2 fine strips of electrician tape which I placed on the hood threads, then I simply screwed the ring. Finished with a strip of electrician tape around the lens to avoid light leaks.

Beauty shot (made with the little brother Samsung S630) :

Fitted with a Cokin P Filter Holder :

No vignetting on my camera (1,5 crop factor).

[Jesito]

Nice findings, Jieffe... I've just seen this thread.
I'm thinking in getting a Zenitar. How do you like it?
Could you please post same samples?

Thanks!.
Jes.

[Richard_D]

A useful little tutorial - thanks

[Juanma]

[Flor27]

A Peleng on an APS-C cropped sensor has approx. the same field of view of a 16mm Fisheye on 24x36mm frame.

[Juanma]

[Jieffe]

[Jieffe]

She came back quickly !

Here it goes ... No masterpieces, just some quick and dirty samples, no sharpening.

[iridium]

Jieffe, your tutorial is very good, but please can you give me more info about lens hood?

questions:

1 - i must buy simply a "step-up ring 60 to 62"?
(your link to ebay is to a not still avaible auction: can you give me a good link?)

2 - to put the step-ring on the lens, i can simply screw the step-ring on the lens?
or i must use also the 2 fine strips of electrician tape?

3 - i don't understand very well how and where i must place the 2 fine strips of electrician tape.
please, can you gie me info in other easy words?

[Jieffe]

The link is dead because my article is 1 year old. You can find a ring here : Click here to see on Ebay

Don't be distracted by the fact it says "Leica". Just means that 60mm is not a common size, except for some Leica lenses.

Any 60 to 62 ring (or 60 to a bigger size) will do (as long as it doesn't says "Hasselblad").

In fact, the thread you can see inside the little hood has a diameter between 60 and 61 mm.

You use the electrician tape to reduce the inside diameter of the little hood, so the ring can be screwed in the thread with a tight fit. Just put the strips on the hood's thread and screw the ring.

You could also forget the tape and use some epoxy glue to fix the ring on the hood but then it won't be reversible.

The ring also acts as the new hood. You can use a Cokin P adapter as I did (Cokin A is too narrow and causes vignetting).

[iridium]

Jieffe very very very very very thanks!

but a question: are you afraid that glue can drain out from the electrician tape?
(in particular when you must use zenitar lens in a hot summer day)

(i dont' like a sticky zenitar)

[Jieffe]

Well, I live in Belgium, hot summers are not that common

No problem until now with the tape ... but I wouldn't leave lenses baking under the sun, with or without sticky tape

Glad I could help

[Poolhall]

Very useful tip thanks