Zoom lenses? Soligor 75-260 tested.

[Mad_Sunday]

Hi,

I just got this old Soligor on eBay, it's crazy how cheap these old zooms are. I know that primes rule but a good zoom can be a useful tool when you have to carry less gear.

Here a flickr hosted test, I like it Shots are at 75, 100, 150, 200 and 260mm all @f8 and iso 400 it was raining on an overcast day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mad_sunday/sets/72157621084003724/show/

Pete

[martinsmith99]

Hi Pete

Looks like a bargain of a lens to me. It works well enough an that price seems like a steal.

[Farside]

That's the strangest looking flower, what is it?
It didn't come down in a seed pod at night, from space, did it?
Seems like an excellent vfm zoom, anyway.

[Minolfan]

Passiflora ligularis - Passion flower, delivers sweet fruit.
Origin Mexico - Colombia /Venezuela. Grown for the fruit in Australia, East Africa and Hawai. Also grown in gardens for its special flowers. It is a fast growing climber.
Sorry, not really Alien, but a nice subject to shoot as shown here.

[nemesis101]

FEED ME!!!!!

lol

Doug

[Mad_Sunday]

LOL yes I guess those Passion Flowers do look a little odd if you haven't seen one before. It grows quiet well in rainy England but fruits are rare.

Anyway, back to the lens........

It seems that this is a Tokina built item. They were sold as Soligor, Vivitar and Tokina 75-260's as well as other less well known suppliers. It also looks the same as the 90-220 zooms offered by the same vendors.

Here's a picture of "the beast", it's not for the shirt pocket, thats for sure!



Pete

[SkedAddled]

You paid a much better price than I paid for mine, Pete!
Mine was US $35, shipped.

Even so, it's a very nice lens with a rather impressive focal range.
Mine arrived in near-mint condition, inside & out. It's a heavy beast, made in 1967 if the inspection sticker is to be believed. But with proper care, there's no reason it can't last another 42 years.
I have yet to give mine a decent-enough workout, but my informal first test shots provided surprisingly good results. The images were sharp, with good colors, and contrast was impressive. The integral tripod mount ring is a welcome feature, as this monster would put a lot of stress on just about any camera body.

My copy's sweetspot for clarity weighs in at around f/8, and sharpness only increases from there. It seems very soft wide open, and really isn't usable until I hit f/8, at least for close subjects. I seriously doubt a wide-open copy would be any sharper at wider apertures, but there's always a surprise to be discovered.





Here's a few more shots I took of the lens, just this evening.
It shows a UV filter over the front elements, but it is otherwise unchanged from how I received it, except for my replacing the lens cap for one which does not cover the entire outer assembly.
Also shown with a M42-to-EOS adapter attached.

[Mad_Sunday]

I may have paid less Craig but your lens looks in better condition, in fact it looks new!

Pete

[martinsmith99]

Now watch the prices of these lenses climb!

[Mad_Sunday]

I've got to sell it due to getting grief from the missus about my growing collection. It's on ebay again if your interested. She has a point, I only have 1 camera and a pile of lenses.

Bummer