[timw4mail]

Put budget into perspective. My signs 10-20 Tammy 28-75 and sigma 70-200/2.8 cost more than double that , and try out a similar kit in Kmount from Samsung in MF. Or what about Pentax primes.

As for the zenitar. Get a brand new one from Kremlin optical. By the time you go on eBay and add shipping you pay more than retail.

Well, as the original poster, I'm going to fuzzily define 'budget' as $200 or less. With most lenses being below $100.

Looking on eBay a bit, the prices with shipping seem a bit better than Kremlin Optics.

eBay: $165-180 w/shipping
FISHEYE ZENITAR M 2.8/16mm LENS PENTAX M42 SCREW MOUNT NEW USA | eBay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lens-MC-Zenitar-K-f-2-8-16mm-Fish-Eye-Pentax-mount-N...oAAOSwPYZU7K5X

Kremlin: $250 w/shipping
Pentax Lenses

[timw4mail]

I've set up a sortable version of my lens collection here: Tim's Home Page · Camera Lenses

The existing Google doc has lenses that I have purchased, but do not yet have: Camera Stuff - Google Sheets

[timw4mail]

I've added a review of the autofocus adaptall Tamron lens:

Tamron Adaptall-2 AF 70-210mm F4 (47A) Lens Reviews - Tamron Adaptall Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[timw4mail]

Few new arrivals:

Canon 50mm via adapter:


Sun Auto Tele-Zoom:


Helios w/ square aperture (The one on the right):


And a proper Tessar:

[boriscleto]

Few new arrivals:

Canon 50mm via adapter:

I have both the FD 50/1.4 & the 50/1.8. The bokeh of the 1.8 is very harsh, it's pentagonal...

[timw4mail]

I have both the FD 50/1.4 & the 50/1.8. The bokeh of the 1.8 is very harsh, it's pentagonal...

Yeah, it's a 50/1.8. Can't comment too much on the bokeh yet, but the adapter really seems to make the lens "bloom" on capture. Although, it's not really visible in the viewfinder?

At least, I assume that's the -1.4x piece of glass in the adapter.

[boriscleto]

Yeah, it's a 50/1.8. Can't comment too much on the bokeh yet, but the adapter really seems to make the lens "bloom" on capture. Although, it's not really visible in the viewfinder?

At least, I assume that's the -1.4x piece of glass in the adapter.

Wide open it has a glow...stopped down it gets better, but the 1.8 has a, IMO, really nasty bokeh...

Some wide open glow


Stopped down


Wide open with the 1.4




Stopped down




With a Vivitar 28mm that was given to me



Pentagonal highlight from the 50/1.8

[timw4mail]

So, pretty much as I thought, the Canon lens is a cheap kit lens: Plastic, glowy, and slow. Well, I was given it, so no loss there.

It looks like you can still get good shots if you stop it down, but wide-open it seems softer than some of my Soviet lenses.

[timw4mail]

Here's an interesting shot with the Helios that has a square aperture:

[timw4mail]

Recent additions:

• Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1.4/50
• MC Zenitazr-K2 2/50 (More Russian lenses FTW?)
• Albinar ADG 28mm 1:2.8 macro focus (FD mount)
• Sun Sun-Zoom Macro 1:3.5 39-90

I got the Albinar to see if the FD adapter glass is actually usable...it's not. So I'll probably use those on a Micro 4/3 camera.



The Zenitar is a new manual K-mount lens, which is apparently an update to the Helios optical design.


Below is my approach to de-yellowing the Takumar, a UV flashlight