Cosina MC

figmental1978 · 11-04-2008, 02:55 AM

Can Cosina MC lenses be used with Pentax cameras?

tomtor · 11-04-2008, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by figmental1978

Can Cosina MC lenses be used with Pentax cameras?

That depends on the mount of the Cosina MC (Multi Coated?) lens. They have produced quite a lot of PK mount lenses which will work at a Pentax.

figmental1978 · 11-04-2008, 03:54 AM

thanks, I wasn't sure if the MC meant multi coating or it was a type of mount.

pentagor · 11-04-2008, 06:27 AM

I recently purchased a Cosina MC 28mm f/2.8 lens. It's just a great lens. For about $40, I think it is a keeper.

Here are all straight from the camera jpegs, except the last one...

Fantastic colors, almost none CA, smooth focusing, very sharp and very nice macro capability.

figmental1978 · 11-04-2008, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by pentagor

I recently purchased a Cosina MC 28mm f/2.8 lens. It's just a great lens. For about $40, I think it is a keeper.

Cool, nice shots. So the 28mm 2.8 is a PK mount?

pentagor · 11-04-2008, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by figmental1978

Cool, nice shots. So the 28mm 2.8 is a PK mount?

Mine is a PK-A mount.

tomtor · 11-04-2008, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by figmental1978

Cool, nice shots. So the 28mm 2.8 is a PK mount?

There is quite some info at:

Cosina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have a Cosina 35-70/? (I'll have to look) on a shelf in PK (non-A) mount. Most Cosina lenses are PK or PK-A, but they also produced some other mounts...

Miserere · 11-04-2008, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by pentagor

Mine is a PK-A mount.

Wow! Can you post a pic of the lens? I've never seen a P/KA Cosina.

I have a few Cosina primes:

28/2.8
55/1.2
135/2.8
200/4

I like them, Well built, good IQ, and nobody knows they're good, so you can get them at a fair price on eBay. I do have some minor complaints against them:

They're all P/K mount (until pentagor made his post I didn't know they had ever produced a P/KA prime).
They have a funny-feeling focus ring, but I'm wondering if that's something they acquire with age because the 55mm f/1.2 (which I bought new) feels different to the other three I have.
They don't have 1/2-stop clicks in the aperture ring (but if I really want a half stop I just set the aperture in between clicks).
They focus in the opposite direction to Pentax lenses (they go "the Canon way" ), but then almost all 3rd party lenses are like this.

But clearly, it didn't stop me from buying 4 of them

The 200mm f/4 is very compact, much smaller than the Pentax-M version, and I have it mounted on my LX right now in case a cute squirrel poses for me outside my office window

pentagor · 11-05-2008, 12:22 AM

Sorry for late response, but here it is:

I know exactly what you mean Miserere, with strange feeling when focusing. But I got used to it.
My copy is also overexposing half a stop from f/2.8 to f/8, but it's not really an issue. The IQ, colors and a compactness of this lens makes me forget all the negative aspects of it. And it's my ideal focal length for walk around.
I'm very happy!

Miserere · 11-05-2008, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by pentagor

Sorry for late response, but here it is:

I know exactly what you mean Miserere, with strange feeling when focusing. But I got used to it.
My copy is also overexposing half a stop from f/2.8 to f/8, but it's not really an issue. The IQ, colors and a compactness of this lens makes me forget all the negative aspects of it. And it's my ideal focal length for walk around.
I'm very happy!

Thanks for the pic

The numbers on the focus ring are slightly different on my P/K version (the feet go "3 5 10" and mine doesn't have a 0.35), but otherwise it's exactly the same, down to the pattern on the focus ring

Interesting to hear that you've felt the same thing in the focus ring. I'm not going crazy!

montecarlo · 11-05-2008, 06:32 AM

I have a Porst Color Multicoated 135mm f:2.8 lens (a Cosina Cosinon MC 135mm f:2.8) which I recommed any time against the smc Pentax-M f:135mm f:3.5. It's very resistant to flare, it's faster, small enough (for a f:2.8 135mm lens) and it's cheaper than the 135mm Pentax. It was markede under other names as Petri MC, Revuenon MC, Vivitar MC, etc. Like the Pentax has a build in sun shade but 55mm filter thread not 49mm.

A sample:

abraham_love · 02-12-2009, 06:25 AM

I have a Cosina 28/2.8 ... it's fantastic! I bought it for about £7 on eBay. The focus ring is a bit stiff and jerky though. Stiff and jerky? Yes, i think so. I don't think it's just the feel of it - it actually feels gunked up. Nonetheless pictures from it look great.

thePiRaTE!! · 02-12-2009, 08:52 AM

MC can also mean Meter Coupled. Basically, one could set the aperture at any setting, but still be able to focus wide open, yet the meter would compensate for the taking aperture. Not sure if that had been the case here. Once you've shot Pentax you have SMC on the brain though.

K.

Miserere · 02-12-2009, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by abraham_love

I have a Cosina 28/2.8 ... it's fantastic! I bought it for about £7 on eBay. The focus ring is a bit stiff and jerky though. Stiff and jerky? Yes, i think so. I don't think it's just the feel of it - it actually feels gunked up. Nonetheless pictures from it look great.

Stiff and jerky seems like a great way to describe it, Abraham

F-pix · 04-16-2009, 02:49 PM

My Cosina 28/2.8 is named MC COSINON-W and there is no "MACRO" mentioned on it (as on pentagors above). It can focus very close to objects, though (~18-20 cm). Anybody that can explain what the differences between the both versions are?