Lens ID help please?

MrApollinax · 06-20-2008, 01:14 PM

Anyone know this lens? I picked it up at a garage sale just to have a 28mm prime to play with.

The lens completely manual and made of metal and glass. First few pictures seem to be fairly sharp with good colors. I'm pretty happy with the purchase for what I paid for it but I would like to know if anyone had used/seen/know more about this lens.

rburgoss · 06-20-2008, 02:30 PM

Indeed sharp. According to someone here, several months ago, it is a rebranded Vivitar.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/s...mm-f2-8-a.html

RB

MrApollinax · 06-20-2008, 04:16 PM

I had seen that as well however my filter thread size is 55mm whereas that one had a filter size of 52mm. Also my serial number is 30K higher than that one. So I had thought that my lens was not the same one as that one. I'm guessing it is a rebranded lens as well but I was hoping that someone may have info on the OEM manufacturer. Thanks!

*Wheatfield* · 06-20-2008, 05:18 PM

Originally posted by MrApollinax

Anyone know this lens? I picked it up at a garage sale just to have a 28mm prime to play with.

Image brand 28mm f/2.8 lens. They were marketed as the house brand lens by a company called Astral Photo.
It is not specifically a rebranded Vivitar lens, though it may be optically similar to the Vivitar of the day. If it was made in Japan, it would have come out of the Kiron factory, if it is made in Korea, it is most likely a Samyang.

MrApollinax · 06-20-2008, 06:16 PM

Thanks! Any idea on the quality of the line of lenses in general? I really like the color rendition and sharpness of this lens. Did they make many other lenses?

*Wheatfield* · 06-21-2008, 09:11 AM

Originally posted by MrApollinax

Thanks! Any idea on the quality of the line of lenses in general? I really like the color rendition and sharpness of this lens. Did they make many other lenses?

In general, Image lenses weren't all that well regarded, though they had a few that were OK to good. Mostly, they sold cheap consumer glass, one or two quality steps down from the cheap consumer glass from the first party lens makers.

The 28mm focal length is a very simple design, and it's pretty hard to screw them up, zoom lenses are a different matter. Most of the Image lenses were zooms, and most of them were of very questionable quality. I worked for Astral Photo for several years and got to know their lenses fairly well. They are not a lens I would seek out.

MrApollinax · 06-21-2008, 09:14 AM

So the primes may be okay but stay away from the zooms? For what I paid for I like what the lens produces. It gives me a 28mm prime to play with at a fairly low cost. Thanks for the info!

*Wheatfield* · 06-21-2008, 07:11 PM

Originally posted by MrApollinax

So the primes may be okay but stay away from the zooms? For what I paid for I like what the lens produces. It gives me a 28mm prime to play with at a fairly low cost. Thanks for the info!

The only other Image prime you will find is a 135mm f/2.8. If it is given to you, it's not a bad lens, if you have to pay for it, it's not a good lens. Pretty much the same with their zooms, except if it's given to you, it is still probably not a good lens....

devs66 · 06-22-2008, 10:42 AM

I just picked up a lens like this for $20.00 - it is a 28 mm prime, but says MC IMAGE AUTO and is a 52mm filter size. Also is a 1/4 macro. Very sharp and oddly a very wide (long) DOF. All are taken at F8 - JPEG - in Manual using the green button. First two are resized, last is a crop. I am still trying to perfect the focus

It is my first M42 and I have really liked the IQ so far.

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

DEVS

F-Stop · 06-23-2008, 02:17 AM

I have this lens! Mine is a Focal MC Auto No. 809629 55mm filter.

I honestly haven't used it much as I find it's not as sharp as perhaps even the kit lens at 28mm and the IQ doesn't seem to be as good. I have enough lenses at or overlapping this range that changing the lens just to use it is unwanted weight in the camera bag; it's definitely a heavy little lens. Perhaps I should give it another chance this week. It came with my K1000 back in 2002.

I also have the Image 135mm f/2.8 w/hood and I love that lens. I find it sharp, great color and really gives images that 3D look. Nice eBay find 6 years ago for $15.

Andi Lo · 02-25-2009, 02:02 AM

Sorry for thread necromancy... but I just got another one of these M42 auto image lens (28/2.8) as a bonus from one of the sellers here and I'm honestly quite impressed with the results so far. I'm hard pressed to tell a difference between the SMC Tak 28 and this lens! Then again I haven't been using it in natural light, so that might be a factor, and the K100D is might be outresolved by both of these lenses =) I'll perhaps test it on my soon to come film body. Looking forward to testing it outside

Can you guess which image is which?

*edit* After using it for a while I can see how this lens is inferior to the Takumar...next time I should know better than to test a lens under light exclusively from the flashgun. Can't complain for the price though