Telear-N 200mm f/3.5 has arrived

[ChrisLilley]

First impressions - better made and lighter than I thought it would be. Aperture ring moves smoothly, seems to move more loosly when mounted on the camera ... closes to a somewhat ragged octagon. f/3.5 to f/22. I might have preferred a firmer aperture ring. It moves in half stops.

Focus ring is a little stiff, but even (no stiff spots). Built-in lens shade needs a firm pull but moves correctly. Filter ring looks to be around 62mm. The lens extends as you focus from infinity to close; the front element does not rotate.

Glass had slight exterior dust, now cleaned; no internal dust. No scratches, blooming, or other faults. The front lens is clearly coated, displaying a purple sheen; also at the right angle, there are tiny bubbles in the front element too.

The lens fits onto my D40 but does not 'click' into place, it just stops turning.

Focus ring has around 270 degrees of movement from infinity to closest focus, which is exactly how I like it. Closest focus is a respectable 1.6m.

One minor disappointment, the lens comes with an additional mount (for M42) which is made of plastic, and was broken in transit. I don't need it so no biggie, but would have been handy if I ever sell it again or if M42-enabled visitors drop by ...

I notice a greenish cast when looking through the viewfinder; this is visible but less prominent on the resulting photo.

The weather is (again) grey, rainy and dull as it has been all week. Couple of test shots anyway, just to see how it does and verify correct functioning.

[ChrisLilley]

Okay, whats up with the unicode-challenged forum software?

Subject was

ТЕЛЕАР-Н 200mm f/3.5 has arrived (Telear-N)

but it came out as a bunch of in-your-face numeric character references. Oddly if I copy and paste them, like this:

ТЕЛЕА&

it displays as the actual characters instead of displaying like (spaces added)

& #1058;Е& #1051;& #1045;& #1040;&

[Attila]

Don't know perhaps body text has different collation or authors wrote different filters.

[ChrisLilley]

1/320s f/8 ISO 400 (link has full size image)



same shot but colour corrected to remove a greenish cast (link has full size image) - Orio did a better correction, see below.



1/500 f/3.5 ISO 400 (link has full size image)

[ChrisLilley]

Those are all handheld grab shots to check the lens works, by the way. I will do a more detailed comparison when the weather improves and I have time.

[Orio]

The lens seems to render very clear images in spite of weather.
Seems very promising.

Frankly I prefer the greenish version of the house to the magentish/amberish one (although I understand that the sky is better in the second).

[Attila]

When I tested mine it was very close to Nikkor 180mm! Congrats for your new gem!

[Orio]

here's another possible white balance:



probably more realistic, although I still like the "tempest" feel of the greenish one.

[ChrisLilley]

[ChrisLilley]

[Orio]

[LucisPictor]

Congratulations! I am pretty sure you will love this lens. BTW, the strange aperture shape is typical!

[poilu]

congrats Chris
the 3.5 sample is impressive at full size

[Orio]

I didn't notice the full size - yes, I agree, excellent!

[ChrisLilley]

So, (just checking) ТЕЛЕАР (Telear) is the model, and the manufacturer is Arsenal?

And in what years was this lens made? Are the first two digits of the serial number, the year?

The drawback of getting a non-Nikon lens - no "mir" site to give exhaustive details on the lens ...

[Orio]

[ChrisLilley]

[ChrisLilley]

[Bob]

I think the RF from those antennas ( UHF-VHF) effected your white balance

[ChrisLilley]

Did some comparisons this afternoon with my Zoom-Nikkor 80-200 f/4.5 Ai. (I have fixed the slack focus/zoom ring, but now it seems reluctant to go al the way to 200mm).

Initial thoughts - the Telear seesm a bit longer than 200mm, has a pronounced yellow-green cast and I am still playing with how best to correct that in postprocessing. The Telear has nice detail, the Nikkor seems to have a touch more resolution bu the Telear seems to have a more 3D look somehow, as if the Nikkor is a bit flat.

Here at f/5.6 1/1000s, first the Nikkor (picture links to full size image)


Now the Telear, as shot


Finally the same shot as above, but with 'auto white balance' in Nikon Capture NX. This seemed to give better (but still not wholly satisfactory) results than adjusting individual color channels.



Shots were using a tripod and remote shutter release, and all taken within a few minutes of each other.

[maddog10]

That is a pretty serious color cast.

[ChrisLilley]

I know that some other lenses get a colour cast (Takumars?) which is corrected by strong sunlight. Might that work with this lens?

[poilu]

the telear have move CA and less resolution on the border than the Nikon
on center telear is maybe better, but the difference of focal may play
the only advantage of telear vs the zoom seems to be 3/4 stop

[LucisPictor]

[ChrisLilley]