[roentarre]

Certainly a good lens to own. Very nice quality images

You junkie Gus.

Yep, another winner--very nice pics Gus.

Thanks for the support... I think it is a real winner too.

Great shots - especially the bokeh bit, set against the sharp subject = beautiful.

Incidentally, I have the same PP setup as u - using picasa, and recently invested in a copy of PSE 7. Did you get the trial copy together with a magazine? Anyway, I would recommend you to get the PSE 7 - it allows creative PP with your photos to bring how what you really what to communicate with your pictures, beyond what picasa can do.

Nonetheless, picasa is much more user friendly - i use a combi of the two tools, dep on which is more conducive towards getting the result you want.

My current fave lens is a Viv 135mm too - the Series 1 f2.3. Hence, can totally empathise with your addiction on the 135mm range. Now all i need is a FF DSLR to maximise the potential of the lens...

Oh, I always wanted to try that Series 1 135... what a cool looking chunk of steel and glass... this Tair looks more tank like...

Your kind words make me smile... that is exactly what I liked about this one. The portraits are sharp for F2.8 and the back ground looks pretty smooth... what more could you want? (except maybe AF and about a lb less in weight!)

As to your use of PSE 7, I am going to pm you a question or two... It looks to be a very useful PP system, and a good learning step towards PS someday. But I am clueless on it. And I can't figure out a workflow from edit / resize for web / organize... PM coming your way...

Certainly a good lens to own. Very nice quality images

Thanks James, it is fun and I look forward getting better with it.

You junkie Gus.

Pot / Kettle

[seacapt]

Hey Gus , How bout a picture of this "tank"? The IQ is great

[hinman]

It is so good to see Gus showing the LBA charm and that can be contagious. Hence there is no cure for LBA for Pentaxian.

Hey Gus , How bout a picture of this "tank"? The IQ is great

Ken, my Good Rats brother in Rock...

Of course I can post some shots of the tank... I am not a product shooter so then are just some quickies... But I like this baby. It has the Pre-set ap control at the front and is a really nice chunk of glass... And look at all those beautiful aperture blades.....

It is so good to see Gus showing the LBA charm and that can be contagious. Hence there is no cure for LBA for Pentaxian.

Absolutely no cure... and I you are right Hin, I want to be contagious... I want everyone of my Pentax Forums brothers and sisters to have a Helios 44M and a Tair 11A in their collection... I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect Harmony...

[seacapt]

When you described it as a tank ,I was thinking HUGE . Size wise it is what I would expect from a M/F 135. Interesting set up . Did I count 20 blades?

[grishazzz]

yes, it is HUGE!!! Maybe with K20 it looks good, but with K-m body it looks like a real MONSTER! and it is heavy!!! My DA L 50-200 ED looks like a joke comparing to this TANK :-)

Monster SETUP


M42 Setup Must Have:


Test-shots:

Infinity test, sharp only @F8

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/323581.jpg

Israel, Haifa Bay Industrial Zone (Pano)
Tried F4, still pretty sharp (4 images)

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/323638.jpg

Flower @ F2.8 and minimal focusing distance:

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/323642.jpg

Wild Cat @ F5.6

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325026.jpg
Olive Tree @ 2.8

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/324507.jpg

[xjjohnno]

Just received my Tair 11A, came with a M39 mount so I'm waiting on the M39 to M42 adaptor which I'm finding most frustrating. You'd think goods would get here faster from Hong Kong then they would from UK.

Wow, that thing looks GIANT on the KM... I have yet to hold the Km but it really looks small to me now.
Those are some nice shots grihazzz... I especially like the thorny flower and Olive tree. And you are right the helios and tair are the best one / two punch ever... For under 80 dollars.


xjjohnno, please give us the report when the M39 to M42 adaptor comes in, I want to know more about it as there are many M39 lenses I would be spending my money on if I had any money!

Too bad they dont make a K to M39 adaptor.... ?

[grishazzz]

Wow, that thing looks GIANT on the KM... I have yet to hold the Km but it really looks small to me now.
Those are some nice shots grihazzz... I especially like the thorny flower and Olive tree. And you are right the helios and tair are the best one / two punch ever... For under 80 dollars.

Yep, this is probably the best "double kit" under 80$. I call it: The blast from past!
K-m/K2000 is small, but ergonomics are excellent! The problem is the weight, sometimes I wish it was heavier, especially when heavy lens like Tair (600 grams is a little more than one pound -- 500 grams to a pound) is attached. Sometimes SR will not help :-(



I am still trying to test "Tair" under different lighting conditions. I bought it used and it came only with one original UV filter, no case though.
BTW, you can actually unscrew the front lens and clean the diaphragm blades and the rear end of the lens inside. I got it dirty with tons of dust inside.


First element lens has two tiny black dots inside the lens, I mean inside the glass! But these dots are not visible on the pictures!!!


I tested it with UV filter on and without, in my opinion, under bright sun, pictures taken without UV filter came out with "washed out" colors, so UV filter really helps to uncoated glass! This is probably the reason why it comes with original UV filter. Helius 44-m-4 has glass coating. Letter "M" stands for "MultyLayer... something coating" (taken from Russian forum info page) Same goes for quality control, many people were complaining about quality control. for example: two same "Helius" lenses will give you absolutely different results!! One may be sharp, and the second one may be not. Same goes for Tair. I think I got a good copy.

Here are some recent test-shots (I still have not gotten any chance to shoot portraits, maybe next weekend)

Flowers@F4:

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325803.jpg

Flowers - WIDE OPEN F2.8

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325804.jpg

Flower @F5.6

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325805.jpg

B&W - Vista Point - @F4

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325806.jpg

Spider Web @F8 (too bad I couldn't find this spider, only web )

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325807.jpg

Self-Portrait@F8

full size:
http://foto.ixbt.com/photo/440077/197549ZBc1TfHRP/s3KPrhcwxE/325824.jpg

All I can say is "WOW" I love this old Russian lens!

[xjjohnno]

Will do regarding the M39 to M42 adapter, it's a cheapish item and by the Ebay ad looks like a simple threaded sleeve adapter. I'll add the inaugural Tair 11A pics to this thread if you like, using some indigenous Aussie flora.

[xjjohnno]

5 weeks later and a second M39 to M42 posted so I can finally give a report back. Browny points to the vendor for sending the second adapter after the first went missing in the mail. It works fine with no issues whatever. A couple of mandatory test pics for you Gus.