Tair-3S 300mm f/4.5

[voe]

Hi folks,

I have been asked by another forum member to post some samples from my Tair-3S 300mm f/4.5 which is an old USSR made lens.

The images are nothing artistic but demonstrate the character of this lens.





























From my experience with this lens it seems that like many other USSR lenses this one has virtually no PF or CA. The lens is not as contrasty as I would like but it is not an issue. I love the bokeh though.
Oh.. BTW it has 16 aperture blades which form a perfectly round circle.

For everyone who wants to look at 100% photos (no resizing) can go to: Russian Lenses - a set on Flickr


Cheers,

Voe.

[Attila]

One of the best 300mm lens, it has only weak contrast, but very easy to solve on computer. Nice samples!

[voe]

Thanks Attila. Have you compared the Tair-3S with another 300mm lens?
I was wondering how much better it is, but since it is my first and only 300mm lens I don't have anything to compare.

Cheers,

Voe.

[LucisPictor]

Thanks for sharing.
I like the TAIR a lot, it is much better than my EF 75-300 at 300mm. (The EF is a really good lens at 200mm but it loses on the last part.)
It's just a pity that this TAIR is such a monster. That's why I do not use it often. (Something it shares with my excellent Soligor 3.5/70-220, fantastic lens but a little too big. )

[poilu]

look excellent quality to me
the 100% are detailed with natural colors

[maddog10]

Crap! Another lens to keep my eye out for.

[Fotal]

[Rob Leslie]

The Tair is one of those lenses that performs well in good conditions.
It does not compare to the Tamron SP f5.6 300mm the Tamron SP 60-300mm or many other 300mm lenses. It will always be a little soft.
It needs sunshine and contrast to produce a decent image and even then one must keep the sun well behind to avoid internal flare. On normal UK dull low contrast days it is difficult to get a good image from it.
I paid £10 at a Charity shop for my copy a few years back (The Tair Photo outfit was only £59 new) and I often tell myself I am going to one day use it for some soft backlit shots (Soft due to the flare) That day has never come and I doubt it will. When I do want a long lens I reach for something better.
By all means buy one if you can find it cheap. You won’t use it very often (If ever) but you will have something to play with and another good door stop.

Here is a bit of nonsense
There is a rather silly story that the Tair PS was originally made for the KGB as a ‘Spy lens.’ Of course IMHO it was obviously designed and made as a gun sight for the early WW 11 Russian tanks and it gained its reputation for being able to see German tanks even when the Tank Gun was well out of range!
My story has no real evidence behind it as few Russian tanks ever managed to survive but ex Russian tank crews always reminisce about how they saw the German tanks fire well before their own guns were in range.
The Germans were never impressed by the Tair 300mm as they were using the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 400mm.
The whole scene changed when the Americans entered the war. They knew nothing about Optics and just asked for the bottle and nobody wants to go up against a drunken American in a Tank!
For collaborating evidence of this see ‘Kelly’s Hero’s’

[Ingo]

I use the Tair 3A, this is the normal version of this lens and I like it. In comparison to my Pentacon 4/300 (Meyer Görlitz) is the Tair far better, in every way.

Ingo

[themoleman342]

[voe]

The reason I like to try these old USSR lenses is not the have a great lens, but to have a lens with a different rendering and character, that gives me this old nostalgic feeling of the past:)
For such a low price I think it is worth to have more variety in my lens lineup.
Oh and they are all made of metal.
Tthe funny thing is that I am no longer happy with the plastic on my lenses:) and I guess the only solution for me is to acquire more Pentax Limiteds
I found myself not using my Pentax DA zoom lenses anymore, and always going for the metal made primes in my collection.

[Orio]

An impressive set of excellent samples, thank you.
I have this lens - but it's faulty. It needs fixing.

[Nelson]

TAIR 3S = THE MONSTER

I love this lens so much, it is so sharp !

[voe]