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What's the latest lens you added to your collection?
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


image by PentaxForums member ProfHankD


PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought a Zeiss "lens" with stabilization function. It may be a good item for digiscoping. Laugh 1



PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a fairly good day at last weeks camera fair. I took £79, the table cost me £35 and I spent £43 50 - so I broke even. Rolling Eyes
But I think I bought well.

First off, the correct hood for my Rokkor 58 / 1.4 that cost me £1


Then I went wild and spent £30 on a very clean and tidy Schacht Travenar 135 / 3.5. But I like my Schacht's, and I haven't got this zebra 135.


Then I went dumpster diving in the boxes of junk that we all take to the camera fairs and found this monster Soligor Auto Zoom 75-260 / 4.5. Do I need it? of course not. But it was missing it's T4 Mount and had a bit of fungus ( cleaned ) and cost £1. How could I resist?

Next up was in someones £5 bin. I found two lenses and got them both for £7-50 The Bell & Howell 300 / 5.6 Reflex has a bit of fungus, but I've tried it and it's a great lens. I might clean it?


the other lens was a good find...a Sankyo Kohki Komura 200 / 4.5 that looked in good shape. I tested it and the lens was glorious. I took it out the next day and the aperture blades became a tangled mess. I took it apart today and two things became obvious - some people should be banned for life from owning tools, this lens had been badly hacked about. And, Komura made complicated lenses. I've saved it, but there is one broken blade.


My last big purchase was a nice Soligor ( Tokina ) Tele Auto 105 / 2.8 which has a scratch on the front element, I tested it on a dull day and it was fine, maybe strong sun will show it up? But it's a great lens, very sharp. I have an older pre-set version - this one is chrome eared - and it's a lens I really like. Very happy to pay £5 for this.


There's all kinds of great and expensive lenses at the camera fair, and I sometimes succumb to them. But my greatest pleasure is diving into the boxes of junk and finding something that is interesting, it doesn't have to be a 'rare find' it just has to interest me, if it needs attention then that's OK, I'm perfectly happy to use the Komura with a blade missing and the Soligor with a scratch


PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congrats Like 1 Recycling at its finest, Lloydy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2023 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, nice haul.

I find the 300 reflex most intriguing.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2023 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Lloydy

Curious how your Tokina/ Soligor 105/2.8 performs wide open. My Sun / Soligor 105/2.8 is soft wide open, and only becomes (very) sharp stopped down.


PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2023 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work David. I had the monster 75-260 in it's Yashinon guise. Don't remember what it was like, but it rivalled my Tair-3 for sheer solid metal mass and overall size.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.


#1


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.



Hype?? Why??

I have one, too, hidden somewhere in the attic. Should I go up there and look for it ...?

S


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been using the XR 2/50, the non-XR 'pancake' version and the 3.5/28 Aspherical Rikenons on my OM-D E-M5 lately. They are just average imho, not all that sharp until closed acouple of stops, the 3.5/28 might be a bad copy but it's awful wide open. The two 50mms are good lenses, but nothing to challenge the Hexanon 1.7/50, Rokkor 1.7/50 etc. Copy variation might play a part though...


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doesn't matter. You can never have too many fast fiftys. I have 2 the regular version and the L version.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indeed, for some reason I have three copies of the X-Fujinon 1.6/50, another lens that is good but nothing special...


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I have been using the XR 2/50, the non-XR 'pancake' version ... on my OM-D E-M5 lately. They are just average imho, not all that sharp until closed acouple of stops, ... The two 50mms are good lenses, but nothing to challenge the Hexanon 1.7/50, Rokkor 1.7/50 etc. Copy variation might play a part though...


Thanks for that information! 16 MP on u4/3 obviously is quite demanding for any vintage lens Wink That would correspond to about 64 MP on FF ...

S


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
@Lloydy

Curious how your Tokina/ Soligor 105/2.8 performs wide open. My Sun / Soligor 105/2.8 is soft wide open, and only becomes (very) sharp stopped down.


I took it for a walk yesterday and my impression is the same as yours - soft when wide. I haven't 'tested' it though.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 3:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Indeed, for some reason I have three copies of the X-Fujinon 1.6/50, another lens that is good but nothing special...


Is that 1.6 version that appeared on the sharpest 50mm lenses chart? It was among the top ones if I'm right, but not to many reviews are out there.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know, there is also the larger 1.6/55 which is less common, older and probably cost more to produce. IMHO that is a better lens than the 1.6/50.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
@Lloydy

Curious how your Tokina/ Soligor 105/2.8 performs wide open. My Sun / Soligor 105/2.8 is soft wide open, and only becomes (very) sharp stopped down.


Well, that's the behaviour of the Tokina/Soligor/Vivitar as well - mechanically it's a swell lens but optically it's not quite up to the best first party lenses of its time ( namely Canon FD 100 mm f/2.8 SSC, Nikon Nikkor 105 mm f/2.5, Konica Hexanon AR 100 mm f/2.8, Olympus OM Zuiko 100 mm f/2.8 and Minolta MC/MD 100 mm f/2.5).

I've got both the Soligor and Vivitar 105 mm f/2.8 T4 lenses of Tokina origin but i will only keep the Soligor one with its prettier appearance.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
blotafton wrote:
XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.



Hype?? Why??

I have one, too, hidden somewhere in the attic. Should I go up there and look for it ...?

S


In Japan they praise it a lot and call it poor man's Summicron and so on. I did a quick test and it does have a very nice 6/4 typical image quality and bokeh. Looks like it's tuned a bit like older lenses with some bokeh edge highligts.

It reminds me of the Auto Yashinon 5cm f2 but with better coatings.

I got it for a reasonable price but they have generally gone up a bit here in Sweden.

Yes dig it out and do a new assessment, it might have flown under your radar!

Edit, I just found a source saying it has a 5/6 design.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
stevemark wrote:
blotafton wrote:
XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.



Hype?? Why??

I have one, too, hidden somewhere in the attic. Should I go up there and look for it ...?

S


...

Yes dig it out and do a new assessment, it might have flown under your radar!


OK ...let's try Wink.

S


PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I don't know, there is also the larger 1.6/55 which is less common, older and probably cost more to produce. IMHO that is a better lens than the 1.6/50.


I seem to have two 55 / 1.6 according to my list, it's a very good lens. If I can find either one. Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to swap a 1.6/55 for a 1.6/50 sometime... Smile


PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2023 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

blotafton wrote:
stevemark wrote:
blotafton wrote:
XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.



Hype?? Why??

I have one, too, hidden somewhere in the attic. Should I go up there and look for it ...?

S


In Japan they praise it a lot and call it poor man's Summicron and so on. I did a quick test and it does have a very nice 6/4 typical image quality and bokeh. Looks like it's tuned a bit like older lenses with some bokeh edge highligts.

It reminds me of the Auto Yashinon 5cm f2 but with better coatings.

I got it for a reasonable price but they have generally gone up a bit here in Sweden.

Yes dig it out and do a new assessment, it might have flown under your radar!

Edit, I just found a source saying it has a 5/6 design.


I had this lens but very long ago, so I had to look up some Flickr images to verify what you say about its bokeh and I see what you mean. I quite like that; it almost looks like the backgrounds are painted. Actually, the Auto-Yashinon 5cm is one of my favorite bokeh lenses. I should pick up one of those Rikenons again.


PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Uncommon, and I have seen no others - Petri 55mm f1.7
Of course there are the 2/55, 1.8/55 and 1.4/55 and I am keen to see if this lens is different from or simply a tweak of the f2 and f1.8 models
Tom

#1


#2


PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

caspert79 wrote:
blotafton wrote:
blotafton wrote:
XR Rikenon 50mm f2.

I gave in to the hype.





In Japan they praise it a lot and call it poor man's Summicron and so on. I did a quick test and it does have a very nice 6/4 typical image quality and bokeh. Looks like it's tuned a bit like older lenses with some bokeh edge highligts.

It reminds me of the Auto Yashinon 5cm f2 but with better coatings.
I got it for a reasonable price but they have generally gone up a bit here in Sweden.
Yes dig it out and do a new assessment, it might have flown under your radar!
Edit, I just found a source saying it has a 5/6 design.


I had this lens but very long ago, so I had to look up some Flickr images to verify what you say about its bokeh and I see what you mean. I quite like that; it almost looks like the backgrounds are painted. Actually, the Auto-Yashinon 5cm is one of my favorite bokeh lenses. I should pick up one of those Rikenons again.


Yesterday I've been looking at the Rikenon again. It's a good "modern" 2/50mm, but pretty much indistiguishable from other well known 2/50mm lenses such as Minolta MD-III or the Nikkor 2/50mm. Bokeh of these three is absolutely identical. Bokeh of the Yashica ML 2/50mm is slightly smoother (the latter is a [6/4] design). Images / 100% crops will follow in a new thread: While looking at these four 2/50mm lenses I lost the plot and started comparing them with old German f2 normal lenses such as the Summitar, the Biotar, the Sonnar, the Pancolar, the Xenon and others. And the I really lost the plot and added another twenty or so f1.8, f2.8, and f3.5 normal lenses ... Quite interesting!

S


Last edited by stevemark on Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:53 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you think that is interesting you lost the plot a long time ago....

There's probably a medical name for a compunction to obsess about pointless minutiae....