Forever keeper lenses

[Attila]

I have/had many lenses some of them really impressed me and I never let to go them. Here is my top list. I am curious about yours!

Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f2.8 MC M42
Olympus OM 21mm f3.5 or 18mm undecided yet
Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4 MC M42
Olympus OM 50mm f3.5 Macro 1:2
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f1.4 zebra
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm f1.8 zebra,MC
Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 75mm f1.5 1951 Exakta,
Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 75mm f1.5 1940 pre-war,
Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 75mm f1.5 M42,
Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 80mm f1.8 MC M42,
Nikon-Nikkor 105mm f2.5 AIS
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 135mm f3.5 zebra
Carl Zeiss Sonnar 135mm f2.8 Contax
Pentacon 135mm f2.8 zebra,MC
Olympus OM 135mm f2.8 MC
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f2.8 zebra P6
Carl Zeiss Olympic Sonnar 180mm f2.8 P6
Carl Zeiss Sonnar 200mm f2.8 MC M42
Nikon Micro Nikkor 200mm f4
Nikon Nikkor 300mm f4.5 ED-IF
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 300mm f4
MTO 500mm f6.3 mirror lens.

I have many others but these lenses are my absolute favorites.

[F16SUNSHINE]

Nice choices mine are quite typical mostly

Contax
28 2.8
35 2.8
50 1.7
50 1.4
60 2.8 MP
85 1.4
100 f2
180 2.8
80-200
35-135

Yashica ML
50 1.4
55 1.2
70-210

Zuiko
21 f2
24 f2
28 f2
50 3.5 macro
100 2.8
90 f2 (undecided but looks good so far)


M42
Mir 1 (from Orio)
Mir 24 (from Borges)
J9 (from Borges)
Hartblei 35 2.8 super rotator
CZ jenna T coated 45 f 4.5 tessar

Kiron
28-90 f2.8
105 2.8 macro



way too many to be sure

Oh, and the Trioplan 100 f2.8 of course

[Attila]

I have no question about contax, zuiko any of them superb lens.

Kiron 28-90 f2.8 is this that good ?

[F16SUNSHINE]

[Orio]

I tried to make a short meaningful list, but I could not. Too many lenses

[Attila]

Just try it , I also not made long list. Don't compare prices, etc just trully the best ones what you really like to use. For example I not listed Kiron 105 excellent lens but I not use..

[poilu]

have not seen many lens yet
contax 28:2 or 35 1.4, 60 2.8, 35-70

[Attila]

You have very good taste Poilu

[Himself]

[Attila]

In Greece ? I thought he is Greek.

[LucisPictor]

This is my list of 100% keepers:

Peleng 3.5/8 Fisheye
Zenitar 2.8/16 Fisheye
Nikkor-N.C Auto 2.8/24
Tamron 2.5/24 BBAR MC 01B
Olympus Zuiko Auto-W 3.5/28
Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 2.5/28 (Kiron)
Vivitar Auto Wide-Angle 2.8/28 (Komine)
Kiron 2.0/28 MC
Leica Elmarit-R 2.8/35
Nikkor-O 2.0/35
MIR-1B 2.8/37
Asahi SMC Takumar 3.5/35
Nikkor-S.C 1.2/55
Olympus Zuiko 1.4/50
Pentax-M SMC 1.7/50
Rollei Planar SL 1.8/50
MC Volna-9 2.8/50 Macro
Mamiya Auto Sekor 1.8/55
Nikkor-H 1.8/85
Jupiter-9 2.0/85
Asahi Super-Takumar 2.8/105
Nikkor-Q.C Auto 3.5/135
Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 3.5/135
TAIR-11 2.8/135
Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 4/135 1Q
Telear-N 3.5/200
Jupiter-21 M 4/200

Soligor C/D Zoom+Macro 3.8-5.3/35-200 MC
Sigma Zoom-0 II 3.5-4.5/28-85 MC
Rikenon 3.4-4.5/35-70
Soligor MC 3.5/70-220 Macro
Tamron SP 3.8-5.4/60-300 MC 23A
Tamron SP 3.5/70-210 CF Macro MC 19AH

There are other nice lenses in my collection, but from those I could part.
For these in this list above, I would rather live on bread and water before I'd sell one of them...

[F16SUNSHINE]

Thankyou Carsten for making my list look conservative

[Attila]

[Orio]

OK, I try a list, hopefully not insanely long:

Flektogon 20/4
Yashica ML 24/2.8
Distagon 28/2
Distagon 35/1.4
Elmarit-R 35/2.8
Planar 50/1.4
Tessar 50/3.5
Volna 9 50/2.8
MIR-38B 65/3.5
Helios-40-2 85/1.5
Summicron-R 90/2
Sonnar 100/3.5
Sonnar 135/2.8
Planar 135/2
Elmarit-R 135/2.8
Sonnar 180/2.8

I left out a lot... but a selection must be made else it's meaningless to make a list.

-

[Attila]

Interesting you picked up little Tessar !?

[hiep]

My list is definitely not as long as any you of here. Most of them are not even manual lenses. But I manually focus them all (due to the incompetency of Pentax's AF system), so I hope it counts.

Primes:

Pentax FA* 24/2
FA 31/1.8 Limited
A 50/1.2
FA* 85/1.4
Tokina 90/2.5 Macro
Voigtlander 125/2.5 Macro

Zoom:

Pentax DA 12-24/4
DA* 16-50/2.8

The FA* line has focus clutch system, so their manual feel is pretty decent (much better than most AF lenses I've tried).

[Orio]

[Laurence]

[Attila]

Don't know hard to decide which is the best ones to me.

[Srono]

I dont have lots of lens. So my list to keep now is most of the lens i have . Like them all.

Distagon 28/2.8
Flek 35/2.4
Tessar 45/2.8
Planar 50/1.4
Planar 85/1.4
Sonnar 135/2.8
Tair-11A 135/2.8
Industar-50-2 50/3.5

[shad309]

My list is short so far as I don't own "many" m42 lenses yet. No AF lens has made my list yet....

My favorites: Jena 50 2.8 & Super Tak 50 1.4

The rest I could do without and be more than happy with my photos. I can always zoom in or out with my feet. I will never get rid of those two.

[Katastrofo]

Well, this is my attempt at keeper lenses:

Helios 40
Helios 44-2
Industar 50-2
J37A
Super Takumar 135/3.5
Super Takumar 35/3.5
Super Takumar 50/1.4
Auto Sears (Tomioka) 55/1.4
Trioplan 100/2.8
Yashica ML 28/2.8
Tamron SP 35-80mm
Nikon Micro-Nikkor 105/4
Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55/3.5
Flektogon 35/2.4

I have lenses I haven't tried yet, but the above I would hate to part with.

[j.lukow]

Like many I don't have a huge list, so these few are definately keepers until others prove themselves.


Minolta MD 50mm 1:2.0
MC Rokkor PF 58mm 1:1.4
Tamron SP 35mm - 80
Tamron 70-210 CF Macro
Steinheil Munchen Culminar 135mm f4.5

Jim

[gcrimmins]

Several years ago I sold most of my Canon FD equipment, which was probably a bad idea. The best lenses I had were the FD 300 2.8L and the 85mm 1.2L. I miss them both. The 300mm was too expensive to justify keeping. I really miss the 85mm, and wish I hadn't sold it. I would like to own a fast 85mm lens again.

--Geoff

[LucisPictor]