Low price lens options

[adent]

OK due to limited financial options, my lens buying has to be on the "bargain" end of the spectrum. This being said, I don't want to purchase lenses that have terrible image quality. I guess the information that I would like is a list of lenses on the cheap end that should be avoided at all cost and pictures would be great. So far I have been lucky in my purchases. I just don't want to spend money thinking I'm getting a good deal only to be disappointed by the image results.

I guess that what I am looking for are your lens horror stories. Any opinions would be appreciated.

[yinyangbt]

We need to know what camera do you use

[adent]

I use a canon T2i and would prefer to stick to m42 lenses. Thank you.

[Attila]

All lenses what made in Eastern Europe, Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentacon, Meyer-Optik, Tair, Jupiter,MIR etc.

[ManualFocus-G]

Super Takumar 55/1.8 and 55/2 are always a great place to start Takumars are generally ok mechanically whereas Carl Zeiss Jena lenses often have issues, in my experience. Pentacon 135/2.8 preset is always good. As is Jupiter 11a and Carl Zeiss Sonnar is usually great.

[iangreenhalgh1]

[adent]

Are there any in particular that I should avoid like the plague?

[Attila]

[adent]

OK thank you for the information.

[Lloydy]

The poor lenses, if bought cheap enough, are still good lenses to use and learn from. Getting a good picture from a poor lens always makes me feel good.

[Minolfan]

[iangreenhalgh1]

[IAZA]

lenses are being said above..
Maybe you already have lens(es). How cheap is your budget?
and how good image quality not only depens on lens, there's camera, man behind it, light etc.
Buy good lens in cheap price is everyone's wish

[Orio]

Soviet lenses offer the best quality/price ratio.

[mfkita]

Most 135mm/F2.8 lenses by any well-known brand are fine and can be found for under $50US
Most 50/55mm F1.8/F2 standard lenses are fine as well as they were easy to make and as they were the standard by body manufacturers....they are everywhere and VERY cheap because they are not F1.4....

[visualopsins]

All lenses are good. Some are excellent. Lens' range of performance, rather than being continuous, has definite categories, such as good, better/notable, and excellent. Take 135mm lenses for example. All of them are good. Some, such as Takumar or Nikkor f/3.5, are better. Some, like Pentacon/2.8, are notable. Some, like S-M-C Takumar f/2.5 version II, are excellent. The same would apply to 50mm, except there is less difference between good and excellent(!). Notable lenses are real fun to use. Excellent lenses are nearly a guilty pleasure.

Maybe better to learn about the lenses by reading through the forum, to watch in marketplace for lenses of interest. Low bid wins sometimes, keep trying! Poke around garage/estate sales, flea markets, second-hand stores, let friends know -- sometimes a parent has 'old' camera stuff. The latest secret shared is to ask at coin shops if they have any old camera equipment -- many of these shops used to be 'coin & camera' shops, losing the 'camera' aspect shortly after the birth of digital photography -- sometimes they have it 'stored in back'. Maybe proprietor will say 'you can have the whole box for US$1'.

[luisalegria]

I agree with the 50-55mm M42 lens suggestion. Any of these will be very good, not just Takumar. Mamiya, Ricoh/Sears, Yashica, Chinon, etc. should give excellent results that are difficult to distinguish from each other. These can be found on US ebay for $20 or sometimes even less; you can find bargains especially with an old M42 body.

And just try find a modern AF 50/55mm lens with a f/1.7-f/2 aperture !

Other lenses that give excellent results for next to nothing -

135mm lenses as mentioned, nearly all brands are good, or at least very difficult to distinguish from each other. Even no-names can be very sharp. Look for US importers like Caspeco, Vemar, Lentar, Spiratone, Accura, Aetna, Rokunar, Coligon, etc. Even the old Super Takumar 135/3.5 can sometimes be found quite cheaply, and that is a very high quality lens.

The 200/4.5 made by Tokyo Koki, that later turned into Tokina, is a really great lens, if you need a 200mm.
Look for it under the brands above. Note that it is was normally produced in an interchangeable mount, the T2.

http://forum.mflenses.com/lentar-tokina-200-4-5-preset-another-lens-of-many-names-t11353,highlight,%2Blentar.html

The 300/5.5 also made by Tokyo Koki, in the same brands, is an excellent long tele, surprisingly free of aberrations.

http://forum.mflenses.com/caspeco-old-tokina-300-5-5-preset-t2-mount-t12261,highlight,+caspeco.html

You should be able to get any of the above for $20 or less with just a bit of hunting.

[adent]

I don't know of any coin shops around here. I will try to find one.

My present manual lenses are as follow:

Super-Takumar 55/2
Yashica Auto Yashinon 50/2
Teleoptik Continar 300/5.5 (looks like a tokina preset)

And I have a Hanimex 135/2.8 in transit. Pic below:

[adent]

I also just picked up another 300/5.5 that looks to be the same construction as my other one. Looks like it has a canon FD mount on it so it sold for $15.00 USD. That was a much better price than I paid for the first one.