The Off-Brand Club!! - Page 2

stevebrot · 07-05-2008, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Would brand new sigma and tokina lenses be allowed?

A hushed silence filled the room...

is a Sigma or Tokina weird enough?

The club was originally aimed at the Rodney Dangerfields of the lens world...lenses with no or suspect pedigrees...lenses that get no respect...or even worse...lenses that nobody has ever heard of! Having said that, we did have a Tamron posting! Use your best judgement...

Miserere · 07-06-2008, 12:06 AM

I have a Jupiter-9, but it doesn't seem to be that uncommon, at least amongst Pentaxians. One lens I have that I haven't heard anyone mention is the Toyo 28mm f/2.8. It's a tiny (like the FA 50, but lighter), unassuming lens that delivers impressive pictures. It spent a few months as my walk-around lens on the K10D and it served me well. Here's the lens itself:

And these are some of the pictures it took while we were visiting Los Angeles...

Walt Disney Concert Hall (excuse the dust bunny

)

...Rome...

Roman Tangerine

...Cambridge, MA...

On the Other Side

...Madrid...

Embalse de Valmayor

Unfortunately, I am selling this lens, as I need to raise funds for the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 (I really want/need the extra stop). It's a shame, because the Sigma probably weighs 5 times more and won't fit in my pocket. If anyone is interested in the Toyo, let me know.

By the way, great thread Steve. People often get stuck in the rut, believing that only the famous brands have good glass, while there are thousands of fine lenses out there, unused, just because they don't have a big name written on them.

*Blue* · 07-06-2008, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Would brand new sigma and tokina lenses be allowed?

No.

Zewrak · 07-06-2008, 02:52 AM

Chinonflex Auto Reflex 100mm f/2.8

Schneider-Kreuznach Edixa-Tele-Xenar 135mm f/3.5

georgweb · 07-06-2008, 03:43 AM

@Miserere,
your 2.8/28 looks very similar to Cosina's making of this lens, aka Revuenon aka whatnot-company. Focusring and aperture ring look the same. Aperture clicks on this one are on the heavy side, right?

One more from the legions of forgotten lenses,
Meyer Görlitz Telemegor 5.5/180 M42-version.

Very handy lens, top daylight walkaround lens. Exotic and not loved, but worth a try. You'll get a soft glow lens with flare (wide open) ,
direct link don't work, gotta klick here, sorry

... and I love flare, so here we go (f/11),

... but some decent IQ also, even wide open (well f/5.5 is 'wide open' :-). BTW I dislike this bokeh, but many people might find it attractive :-)
direct link don't work, gotta klick here, sorry

Make the best of what you've got, it's so much more fun than nitpicking bads and whats and ifs of your gear,
Georg (the other)

PS: Seemingly now it's possible to post Picasa-pics (from search results) into here, great! But: Only full size. Please tell me if this is too big for you screen.
PS edit: Seemingly not always, links inserted

ddhytz · 07-06-2008, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by stevebrot

..
The club was originally aimed at the Rodney Dangerfields of the lens world...lenses with no or suspect pedigrees...lenses that get no respect...or even worse...lenses that nobody has ever heard of! Having said that, we did have a Tamron posting! Use your best judgement...

I initially thought it was for any old, non-Pentax lens and Tamron 28/2.5 (adap2) was old enough to be a member, as it has been hardly mentioned here, looks like I got it wrong.

Well, we have to resign now. Please don't issue Infringement Notice.

*Blue* · 07-06-2008, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by ddhytz

I initially thought it was for any old, non-Pentax lens and Tamron 28/2.5 (adap2) was old enough to be a member, as it has been hardly mentioned here, looks like I got it wrong.
Well, we have to resign now. Please don't issue Infringement Notice.

No mate, it was for off-brand lenses. Tamron, Sigma and Tokina are major 3rd party manufacturers.

Miserere · 07-06-2008, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by georgweb

@Miserere,
your 2.8/28 looks very similar to Cosina's making of this lens, aka Revuenon aka whatnot-company. Focusring and aperture ring look the same. Aperture clicks on this one are on the heavy side, right?

Yes they are! But not too heavy to be annoying; I actually find them...reassuring, if you know what I mean. I'll have a look around to see what I find on the net about Cosina.

Thanks, (other) George!

*Bob Tuttle* · 07-06-2008, 09:21 AM

Don't forget about the Soligor lenses. Japanese glass with a German name. All metal housings.

Zewrak · 07-06-2008, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Tuttle

Don't forget about the Soligor lenses. Japanese glass with a German name. All metal housings.

And most of them with average to crap quality!

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Zewrak

And most of them with average to crap quality!

I have wondered why there is very little Soligor glass on the used market now. Maybe they all fell apart? Strangely though, back in the late 60's and early 70's, Soligor was a major player in the 3rd-party lens market second to Vivitar. Apparently they had good marketing and/or pricing.

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Miserere

I have a Jupiter-9, but it doesn't seem to be that uncommon, at least amongst Pentaxians. One lens I have that I haven't heard anyone mention is the Toyo 28mm f/2.8. It's a tiny (like the FA 50, but lighter), unassuming lens that delivers impressive pictures. It spent a few months as my walk-around lens on the K10D and it served me well. Here's the lens itself:

Pretty little lens and great pictures. The appearance of your Toyo reminds me of the Prinz Rexatar 50mm that I owned during the 70's.

Steve

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Zewrak

Chinonflex Auto Reflex 100mm f/2.8

Yikes!! Chinonflex? Do you have the camera to match?

Steve

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 10:27 AM

Wow...I was not expecting so much old German glass. People tend to think of Zeiss and Leitz and forget that Meyer and Schneider were big names in their day. (I guess Schneider still is, but not for the small camera market.)

Steve

Zewrak · 07-06-2008, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by stevebrot

Wow...I was not expecting so much old German glass. People tend to think of Zeiss and Leitz and forget that Meyer and Schneider were big names in their day. (I guess Schneider still is, but not for the small camera market.)

Steve

Well, Meyer lenses are quite common among the lens addicts. Although, I guess they are more known as the Pentacon lenses that they made later on. Alot of the Meyers are good quality glass, but they also have some really crap ones, especially in buildquality. Schneider is excellent, but quite rare and hard to get by in M42 mount. I got a 135mm and it is a marverlous piece of glass.

Yikes!! Chinonflex? Do you have the camera to match?

I actually got that lens with a Spotmatic I bought, I didnt even notice it in the auction and it was unusued for a few weeks, until I one day was bored. But I must say it really surprised me. It is infact really sharp, even wideopen.

This shot of my daughter was captured with lens wideopen

The two shots earlier in the thread was also shot wideopen and are unedited RAW straight from camera. You can see more pictures (and bigger sizes) from both the Schneider and Chinonflex at my test gallery here Zewrak