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revers
Joined: 13 May 2010 Posts: 574 Location: In the country just north of Toronto Canada
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject: Got my Kalimar 35-70mm f3.5 1:5 macro. |
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revers wrote:
I could not find any information on this specific lens but did find the Kalimar brand not well thought of so I was concerned I had bought a turkey. It is in mint condition so that is a positive start. Took it out this morning in very gray overcast sky for a test shoot. See what you think.
All shots are taken @ f5.6, one stop down from wide open.
1. @ 35mm, focus on bulrush near centre of frame
2. @ 70mm
3. 1:5 macro
4. Back of our house, 35mm, Infinity focus
5. Back of our house, 70mm, Infinity focus
_________________ Ron
Olympus OM-D E-M5, 14-42 & 45/1.8.
Panasonic G1, GF1, 14-45, 45-200 & various legacy lenses.
Canon S5, Sony 1.7 Tele-converter & Raynox DCR 150 Macro converter. |
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Excalibur
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 5017 Location: UK
Expire: 2014-04-21
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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Excalibur wrote:
erm well if it is a crap lens, you have got some very good results considering the weather. _________________ Canon A1, AV1, T70 & T90, EOS 300 and EOS300v, Chinon CE and CP-7M. Contax 139, Fuji STX-2, Konica Autoreflex TC, FS-1, FT-1, Minolta X-700, X-300, XD-11, SRT101b, Nikon EM, FM, F4, F90X, Olympus OM2, Pentax S3, Spotmatic, Pentax ME super, Praktica TL 5B, & BC1, , Ricoh KR10super, Yashica T5D, Bronica Etrs, Mamiya RB67 pro AND drum roll:- a Sony Nex 3
.........past gear Tele Rolleiflex and Rollei SL66.
Many lenses from good to excellent. |
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eccs19
Joined: 15 May 2010 Posts: 118
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Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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eccs19 wrote:
Looks like it produces nice colors and has good contrast. Not bad for a piece of junk. _________________ Camera(s) - Pentax *istD & K7
Takumar Lenses - 28mm f3.5, 55mm f1.8, 100mm f4.0 1:2 macro, 105mm f2.8, 200mm f3.5, 85-210 Zoom f4.5
Tamron - 300mm f5.6, 500mm mirror f8
Pentax 50mm f2.0 |
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revers
Joined: 13 May 2010 Posts: 574 Location: In the country just north of Toronto Canada
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:59 am Post subject: |
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revers wrote:
I was hoping for more feedback from the folks here.
My opinion is that it is soft in all but the "macro" shot, what do you guys say? _________________ Ron
Olympus OM-D E-M5, 14-42 & 45/1.8.
Panasonic G1, GF1, 14-45, 45-200 & various legacy lenses.
Canon S5, Sony 1.7 Tele-converter & Raynox DCR 150 Macro converter. |
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poilu
Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 10472 Location: Greece
Expire: 2019-08-29
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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poilu wrote:
eccs19 wrote: |
Looks like it produces nice colors and has good contrast. Not bad for a piece of junk. |
+1 _________________ T* |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
Ron: I too have a Kalimar zoom lens. I think I mentioned that to you in an earlier post. I found the results quite acceptable, as are yours. But to really make an assessment we need original images. I was more please with mine at first than now. I think the initial response is almost always more positive. Let's see if I can explain myself here... IF we think about lenses performing on a scale of 100 points (this is totally arbitrary), most lenses fall in the 95-100 percentile. Not scientific, just how I perceive it. We seem to examine results almost as if we're surprised to get images from some lenses and are amazed at how well they do. But in the end, we're really looking for those that fall closer to the 100 mark, not realizing how closely all these lenses really perform. So I think you're going to be satisfied that the lens performs very satisfactorily, but is not on that level a few points higher like the more reputable brands. I don't use my Kalimar zoom, preferring to use my primes instead, or in my case, when I do want a zoom for convenience, I take one of my Minolta AF zooms. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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revers
Joined: 13 May 2010 Posts: 574 Location: In the country just north of Toronto Canada
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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revers wrote:
Thanks for that Woodrim, yes it is pretty subjective.
I have been using mostly primes but thought this 35-70mm was a good range zoom for a walk-about lens. I get out walking about with a prime mounted & invariably wish I had another lens when an opprotunity presents itself. _________________ Ron
Olympus OM-D E-M5, 14-42 & 45/1.8.
Panasonic G1, GF1, 14-45, 45-200 & various legacy lenses.
Canon S5, Sony 1.7 Tele-converter & Raynox DCR 150 Macro converter. |
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woodrim
Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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woodrim wrote:
revers wrote: |
Thanks for that Woodrim, yes it is pretty subjective.
I have been using mostly primes but thought this 35-70mm was a good range zoom for a walk-about lens. I get out walking about with a prime mounted & invariably wish I had another lens when an opprotunity presents itself. |
I know what you mean, and when I was young I carried as many of my lenses as I could so I wouldn't be without the lens I needed for that magical shot. I rarely got any magical shots and sometime missed the opportunity because I was switching lenses. These days I think I understand better that the photograph is more a product of the mind than it is the equipment. This is not to discount the obvious benefits of lens choice, but to get my head more into the art than the mechanics. Not an easy transition for me as I don't consider myself a natural - I have to work for it. So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach. _________________ Regards,
Woodrim |
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poilu
Joined: 26 Aug 2007 Posts: 10472 Location: Greece
Expire: 2019-08-29
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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poilu wrote:
woodrim wrote: |
So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach |
+1 _________________ T* |
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revers
Joined: 13 May 2010 Posts: 574 Location: In the country just north of Toronto Canada
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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revers wrote:
poilu wrote: |
woodrim wrote: |
So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach |
+1 |
That is what I have been doing, perhaps I will go back to it after trying the zoom for a while. _________________ Ron
Olympus OM-D E-M5, 14-42 & 45/1.8.
Panasonic G1, GF1, 14-45, 45-200 & various legacy lenses.
Canon S5, Sony 1.7 Tele-converter & Raynox DCR 150 Macro converter. |
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Excalibur
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 5017 Location: UK
Expire: 2014-04-21
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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Excalibur wrote:
***So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach.***
Wouldn't suit me as I carry two film cameras one with WA lens and other with zoom or telephoto, for best results. _________________ Canon A1, AV1, T70 & T90, EOS 300 and EOS300v, Chinon CE and CP-7M. Contax 139, Fuji STX-2, Konica Autoreflex TC, FS-1, FT-1, Minolta X-700, X-300, XD-11, SRT101b, Nikon EM, FM, F4, F90X, Olympus OM2, Pentax S3, Spotmatic, Pentax ME super, Praktica TL 5B, & BC1, , Ricoh KR10super, Yashica T5D, Bronica Etrs, Mamiya RB67 pro AND drum roll:- a Sony Nex 3
.........past gear Tele Rolleiflex and Rollei SL66.
Many lenses from good to excellent. |
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eccs19
Joined: 15 May 2010 Posts: 118
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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eccs19 wrote:
woodrim wrote: |
So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach. |
This is exactly what I do. If I plan on shooting stuff with my macro / 100mm, that's what I watch for. I don't bother even looking for birds, unless it's dead on the side of the road. _________________ Camera(s) - Pentax *istD & K7
Takumar Lenses - 28mm f3.5, 55mm f1.8, 100mm f4.0 1:2 macro, 105mm f2.8, 200mm f3.5, 85-210 Zoom f4.5
Tamron - 300mm f5.6, 500mm mirror f8
Pentax 50mm f2.0 |
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NikonD
Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 1922 Location: Slovenija
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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NikonD wrote:
eccs19 wrote: |
woodrim wrote: |
So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach. |
This is exactly what I do. If I plan on shooting stuff with my macro / 100mm, that's what I watch for. I don't bother even looking for birds, unless it's dead on the side of the road. |
+1 |
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visualopsins
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 Posts: 10966 Location: California
Expire: 2025-04-11
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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visualopsins wrote:
NikonD wrote: |
eccs19 wrote: |
woodrim wrote: |
So what I do now is select a lens, a different one each time, and do my walkabout with just that one lens. I look for and take pictures of subjects best served by that lens. I've come to like this approach. |
This is exactly what I do. If I plan on shooting stuff with my macro / 100mm, that's what I watch for. I don't bother even looking for birds, unless it's dead on the side of the road. |
+1 |
My subject is this land, whatever presents itself. I take only a macro, the deer show. I take only the AF Zoom, I take more snapshots, then I see a new plant or insect, or, I see a new long-distance view. I'd rather have primes along than the zoom, so I take a kit, 17, 28, 50, 85, 135, 200. That's heavy. The deer don't freeze watching me change lenses then raise camera to eye.
Now what I do is take the zoom for scouting, then return with primes to specific subjects. With the AF zoom I get the shot I would have missed. With AF zoom I also make more snapshots than I would with MF lenses, more ideas for later photos with primes. _________________ ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮ like attracts like! ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮
Cameras: Sony ILCE-7RM2, Spotmatics II, F, and ESII, Nikon P4
Lenses:
M42 Asahi Optical Co., Takumar 1:4 f=35mm, 1:2 f=58mm (Sonnar), 1:2.4 f=58mm (Heliar), 1:2.2 f=55mm (Gaussian), 1:2.8 f=105mm (Model I), 1:2.8/105 (Model II), 1:5.6/200, Tele-Takumar 1:5.6/200, 1:6.3/300, Macro-Takumar 1:4/50, Auto-Takumar 1:2.3 f=35, 1:1.8 f=55mm, 1:2.2 f=55mm, Super-TAKUMAR 1:3.5/28 (fat), 1:2/35 (Fat), 1:1.4/50 (8-element), Super-Multi-Coated Fisheye-TAKUMAR 1:4/17, Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1:4.5/20, 1:3.5/24, 1:3.5/28, 1:2/35, 1:3.5/35, 1:1.8/85, 1:1.9/85 1:2.8/105, 1:3.5/135, 1:2.5/135 (II), 1:4/150, 1:4/200, 1:4/300, 1:4.5/500, Super-Multi-Coated Macro-TAKUMAR 1:4/50, 1:4/100, Super-Multi-Coated Bellows-TAKUMAR 1:4/100, SMC TAKUMAR 1:1.4/50, 1:1.8/55
M42 Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 2.4/35
Contax Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70mm F3.5-4.5
Pentax K-mount SMC PENTAX-A ZOOM 1:3.5 35~105mm, SMC PENTAX ZOOM 1:4 45~125mm
Nikon Micro-NIKKOR-P-C Auto 1:3.5 f=55mm, NIKKOR-P Auto 105mm f/2.5 Pre-AI (Sonnar), Micro-NIKKOR 105mm 1:4 AI, NIKKOR AI-S 35-135mm f/3,5-4,5
Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (51B), Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (151B), SP 500mm f/8 (55BB), SP 70-210mm f/3.5 (19AH)
Vivitar 100mm 1:2.8 MC 1:1 Macro Telephoto (Kiron)
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