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When enough is enough: choosing normal primes to keep
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:17 pm    Post subject: When enough is enough: choosing normal primes to keep Reply with quote
OK, so over the years i've collected and accumulated quite a large number of normal primes (mostly in m42 mount), covering entire "normal" range (50mm, 55mm & 58mm), and that sort of resulted in some level of discomfort - when choosing a glass to shoot with. Some of those primes, that i'd like to use more often, are sitting in a box without any use, so it got me thinking - that it's time to slim down my normal prime collection and keep only worthy ones. I've, sort of, made up my mind which of them might be a keeper but still am open to any other opinions.

50mm: yashinon-dx 1.4 (might be a keeper after repair), yashinon-dx 1.7, industar 50-2, industar 61l/z, domiplan 2.8, westanar 2.8, iscotar 2.8,

55mm: mamyia/sekor 1.4 (keeper), ebc fujinon 1.8, auto takumar 1.8

58mm: czj biotar (keeper), helios 44-2 (version 1.0.1, debating), helios 44m

if you had to choose one from each focal range, which one would you keep?


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ah'd keep...

Industar 61L/Z

Fujinon 1.8

Helios 44M. Sell the 44-2 and using some money from other sales, get either a silver 44 (13 blades) or black 44 (8 blades) Cool


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
TAo2 wrote:
Ah'd keep...

Industar 61L/Z

Fujinon 1.8

Helios 44M. Sell the 44-2 and using some money from other sales, get either a silver 44 (13 blades) or black 44 (8 blades) Cool



thanks. any particular reasons why?
my copy of biotar, has 12 blades. but i am curious to know why copy (m39 helios 44) is better than original.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What did grab a piece from you heart or you can't sell at all that is keeper. Anything else is not matter. I have so many keeper lens due waste time to advertise for 5-10 USD, so many keeper at other end I love to hold in my hands and use it, oh one more rare lenses are not go if I wish to buy again and near impossible that is keeper for sure.

More exact answer they are all similar focal length, I keep mamiya only if I look rationality or/and Biotar. Mamiya is super sharp at least may Voigtlander labeled is .


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
What did grab a piece from you heart or you can't sell at all that is keeper. Anything else is not matter. I have so many keeper lens due waste time to advertise for 5-10 USD, so many keeper at other end I love to hold in my hands and use it, oh one more rare lenses are not go if I wish to buy again and near impossible that is keeper for sure.

More exact answer they are all similar focal length, I keep mamiya only if I look rationality or/and Biotar. Mamiya is super sharp at least may Voigtlander labeled is .


+1 on Mamiya, i absolutely love it, and until i get tomioka 1.2, i will hang on to it. i've used fujinon and auto-takumar here and there, but couldn't get as much pleasure and IQ/Sharpness from them as i did with mamiya.

as for biotar, i have not used it as much as i love to, because, there seems to be some internal dust that i can't get to, and focus ring at closer range gets bit stiff, so i've been using helios 44-2 more often (in fact i prefer 44-2 to 44m for looks, feel, bokeh). but i know, if i keep helios 44-2, i won't use biotar as much and i really want to start using it more. i'll have to have it lubed and cleaned first i guess.

in 50mms, i hope to get yashinon fixed, from what i hear it was made by tomioka, so supposedly it's good, might be better in my line up.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
You are wasting your time. After spending months choosing the keepers, you will start crying in the middle of composing the adverts and say "Bollix! I'm keeping them!" Laughing


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
skida wrote:
You are wasting your time. After spending months choosing the keepers, you will start crying in the middle of composing the adverts and say "Bollix! I'm keeping them!" Laughing


he he, been through that, but over the time thought myself to let go of things and don't look back even if they seem too important Smile))


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think Attila is right about going with what feels best. I know the lenses I pick up first and they will be my keepers. You already answered the question about 55mm, and while I think I would rather have the real Zeiss, I like the 44-2 better than the other variants. Among the 50mm, I dunno, I don't have any of those.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
woodrim wrote:
I think Attila is right about going with what feels best. I know the lenses I pick up first and they will be my keepers. You already answered the question about 55mm, and while I think I would rather have the real Zeiss, I like the 44-2 better than the other variants. Among the 50mm, I dunno, I don't have any of those.


helios 44-2 are plenty-full, and i can get them from $3 to $10 tops. even though my copy of 44-2 is pre-serial production, with glossy finish and imperial metering rather than most commonly found metric system, and i've used it more frequently than anything else, i still rather keep biotar. at least until i find m39 silver helios 44 (13 bladed one), and then i keep both.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
F2.0 is different story then F1.4. You must decide. Then when comparing two or more lenses pick those that work better. One cannot assume optimal performance without testing each specimen. I'd keep Mamiya 1.4/55mm.
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