Adaptall Mount Club (Tamron).

**luftfluss** · 12-01-2021, 08:58 PM - **7 Likes**

Dug up from this past March...

Driving along Lake Musconetcong I happened upon a mated pair of downy woodpeckers. They were very close outside the car window - close enough that my 400/4 65B + Pentax A 1.4x-L combo gave me too much magnification, to the point were sometimes I couldn't fit one of their little bodies in the frame. But they were moving around so quickly I daren't stop and remove the TC. And they were too quick for me to really focus accurately - it was "spray and pray" for about 60 seconds until they were gone.

I never really nailed focus exactly where I wanted it, I was most often half an inch or so off. But I may never get so close to the little birds again, so I have to be happy with what I got.

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**pacerr** · 12-01-2021, 10:42 PM

Well done.

Somewhere along the way I learned to intentionally pre-focus on a fixed object where I expected the moving object to appear.

You miss some opportunities while not tracking the target but those hits that work are often superior and at the anticipated peak of action.

It certainly paid off learning to pre-focus a twin-lens reflex (TLR) Yashica (yeah, with flash bulbs!) for sports action shots. You remember one of those suckers where the viewing screen was inverted / reversed?

**luftfluss** · 12-04-2021, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by pacerr

Well done.

Somewhere along the way I learned to intentionally pre-focus on a fixed object where I expected the moving object to appear.

You miss some opportunities while not tracking the target but those hits that work are often superior and at the anticipated peak of action.

It certainly paid off learning to pre-focus a twin-lens reflex (TLR) Yashica (yeah, with flash bulbs!) for sports action shots. You remember one of those suckers where the viewing screen was inverted / reversed?

I learned about prefocusing and anticipating my quarry's next move when trying to shoot wildlife with a Pentax K100D + Tamron 70-300

It actually worked out pretty well, almost as if paying attention is part of photography or something...

I couldn't imagine shooting a TLR, myself, for sports or action. The mirrored image would be too disconcerting. Waist-level shooting is nice, though - sometimes I do that with my K-70. That's also when I get my longest hand-held exposures.

enxdtw · 12-06-2021, 06:52 AM

Originally posted by Uponnothing

I recall earlier in this thread people were giving a lot of love to the SP 60-300? I owned a copy in the past, but didn't keep it long as I favoured the Canon FD 100-300 f5.6L, and I have never used it on full frame. I am looking at telephotos for full frame landscapes, so sharpness across the frame and into the corners is important. Looking at the Adaptall-2 site the SP 60-300 Modern Photography test results show it outperforms the SP 70-210 f3.5 - which I have used for landscape on full frame with good results.

I am tempted to buy one, but here in the UK all the eBay auctions want 3 figures for them, I've found one for £59 plus postage from a camera store, comes with original hood and case. Worth a punt, or should I just settle for the 70-210 SP I already have?

The 23A is an incredibly sharp lens at the long end. The only disadvantage is it's slow speed, so I use it only in good light. The SP 70-210 f3.5 is better for low light and is also almost as sharp. If you want totally sharp and low light then the 180 f2.5 is the way to go. I know this is a Tamron page, but if you want very sharp, then check out the Soligor/kalimar 60-300, it's a real sleeper.

Last edited by enxdtw; 12-07-2021 at 02:55 AM. Reason: got the model number wrong

enxdtw · 12-06-2021, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by luftfluss

I have the 01B and had the Siggy. Similar sharpness in the center, but the Siggy was sharper on the edges. I've actually been meaning to sell my 01B but just haven't gotten around to it.

Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled.

Ivan · 12-06-2021, 02:31 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by luftfluss

Dug up from this past March...

great anyway.

---------- Post added 12-06-21 at 02:34 PM ----------

Originally posted by enxdtw

Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled.

Thanks for the comment, I'll take a closer look at this object

Gary H Perth · 12-06-2021, 03:29 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by enxdtw

The 19A is an incredibly sharp lens at the long end. The only disadvantage is it's slow speed, so I use it only in good light. The SP 70-210 f3.5 is better for low light and is also almost as sharp. If you want totally sharp and low light then the 180 f2.5 is the way to go. I know this is a Tamron page, but if you want very sharp, then check out the Soligor/kalimar 60-300, it's a real sleeper.

What about the Adaptall 60-300mm 23A? It's my sharpest 300mm, sharper than the Pentax PLM.

**luftfluss** · 12-06-2021, 09:43 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by enxdtw

Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled.

I'm sure it's an excellent lens, but I'm quite well equipped with my Pentax HD 35mm Limited.

enxdtw · 12-07-2021, 02:57 AM

Originally posted by Gary H Perth

What about the Adaptall 60-300mm 23A? It's my sharpest 300mm, sharper than the Pentax PLM.

Yes, sorry, I got the model number wrong (corrected now). When I tested the 23a recently it was very sharp.

---------- Post added 12-07-21 at 03:22 AM ----------

Originally posted by luftfluss

I'm sure it's an excellent lens, but I'm quite well equipped with my Pentax HD 35mm Limited.

That sounds like a really amazing lens. But I was only talking about the vintage lenses, out of which the flektogon

was the best I've found so far. But I've got the rare Tamron 24mm f2.5 01BB coming today, which might prove to be better.

I'm still coding my lens tests webpage, I'm putting all of the test results there. You can see the lenses tested at

The big lens test - Ejectamenta

Gary H Perth · 12-07-2021, 04:39 AM

So the Soligor may be sharper than the 23A? have a K-70 that allows me to use the 23A up to ISO 3200 if I tweak the final jpeg, so the max aperture is not too bad except indoors.

The 23A is a bit long and heavy but sits well if you have one hand under the barrel. How does the Soligor compare for physical handling?

Gary H Perth · 12-07-2021, 05:31 AM - **2 Likes**

Out and about today, trying the 500mm mirror (earlier model 55B) on the K-01. The EVF with focus aids helps quite a bit. This is a jpeg from the SD card, no processing.

**luftfluss** · 12-07-2021, 08:44 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by enxdtw

Yes, sorry, I got the model number wrong (corrected now). When I tested the 23a recently it was very sharp.

---------- Post added 12-07-21 at 03:22 AM ----------

That sounds like a really amazing lens. But I was only talking about the vintage lenses, out of which the flektogon

was the best I've found so far. But I've got the rare Tamron 24mm f2.5 01BB coming today, which might prove to be better.

I'm still coding my lens tests webpage, I'm putting all of the test results there. You can see the lenses tested at

The big lens test - Ejectamenta

Wow, your page is looking like it will be very impressive!

I have the 01BB, it is very sharp in the center wide open, and has interesting bokeh.

enxdtw · 12-08-2021, 06:22 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Gary H Perth

So the Soligor may be sharper than the 23A? have a K-70 that allows me to use the 23A up to ISO 3200 if I tweak the final jpeg, so the max aperture is not too bad except indoors.

The 23A is a bit long and heavy but sits well if you have one hand under the barrel. How does the Soligor compare for physical handling?

It comes in 2 versions an autofocus and manual focus which is a bit shorter. The manual focus version has a nice large focus grip, the autofocus one can hunt a bit when focusing (probably the small aperture). I find it better than the 23a for fitting in the camera bag. Its not a macro but does 1:4 without needing special switches.

Here's an cropped image at 5.6 @ 300mm. It's about as sharp as they get

enxdtw · 12-08-2021, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by luftfluss

Wow, your page is looking like it will be very impressive!

I have the 01BB, it is very sharp in the center wide open, and has interesting bokeh.

I tested it today on the view from the window, but it didn't look so good, either at the center or at the edges (even at f5.6). The 28-48 zoom is noticeably better.

But maybe it was the rain. I'll try again some other day.

Another lens that does pretty well in the corners is the Schacht-Travegon-35. Not as good in the centre as the flektogon, but holds up in the corners well. Bit low on contrast though.

The Sigma 28mm 1.8 is also a very good lens, sharp in the centre wide open, sharp at the edges stopped down to 5.6. If only it wasn't for the chromatic aberrations ...

**luftfluss** · 12-08-2021, 11:50 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by enxdtw

I tested it today on the view from the window, but it didn't look so good, either at the center or at the edges (even at f5.6). The 28-48 zoom is noticeably better.

But maybe it was the rain. I'll try again some other day.

Another lens that does pretty well in the corners is the Schacht-Travegon-35. Not as good in the centre as the flektogon, but holds up in the corners well. Bit low on contrast though.

The Sigma 28mm 1.8 is also a very good lens, sharp in the centre wide open, sharp at the edges stopped down to 5.6. If only it wasn't for the chromatic aberrations ...

I've found that my (now sold) 24-48 had similar center sharpness to the 24/2.5, but much better on the edges, making it superior for landscape photography. The 24/2.5 is obviously faster and I also enjoy the closer focusing.

I previously owned another copy of the 24/2.5 01BB, and it was soft unless stopped down quite a bit.

I've changed from collecting certain Adaptalls to keeping only 2 or 3 telephotos.

12-08-2021, 10:02 AM	#4364
enxdtw Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by luftfluss Wow, your page is looking like it will be very impressive! I have the 01BB, it is very sharp in the center wide open, and has interesting bokeh. I tested it today on the view from the window, but it didn't look so good, either at the center or at the edges (even at f5.6). The 28-48 zoom is noticeably better. But maybe it was the rain. I'll try again some other day. Another lens that does pretty well in the corners is the Schacht-Travegon-35. Not as good in the centre as the flektogon, but holds up in the corners well. Bit low on contrast though. The Sigma 28mm 1.8 is also a very good lens, sharp in the centre wide open, sharp at the edges stopped down to 5.6. If only it wasn't for the chromatic aberrations ... Last edited by enxdtw; 12-08-2021 at 10:31 AM.

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12-01-2021, 10:42 PM	#4352
pacerr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Paris, TN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,350	Well done. Somewhere along the way I learned to intentionally pre-focus on a fixed object where I expected the moving object to appear. You miss some opportunities while not tracking the target but those hits that work are often superior and at the anticipated peak of action. It certainly paid off learning to pre-focus a twin-lens reflex (TLR) Yashica (yeah, with flash bulbs!) for sports action shots. You remember one of those suckers where the viewing screen was inverted / reversed?

12-04-2021, 09:48 PM	#4353
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,626	Originally posted by pacerr Well done. Somewhere along the way I learned to intentionally pre-focus on a fixed object where I expected the moving object to appear. You miss some opportunities while not tracking the target but those hits that work are often superior and at the anticipated peak of action. It certainly paid off learning to pre-focus a twin-lens reflex (TLR) Yashica (yeah, with flash bulbs!) for sports action shots. You remember one of those suckers where the viewing screen was inverted / reversed? I learned about prefocusing and anticipating my quarry's next move when trying to shoot wildlife with a Pentax K100D + Tamron 70-300 It actually worked out pretty well, almost as if paying attention is part of photography or something... I couldn't imagine shooting a TLR, myself, for sports or action. The mirrored image would be too disconcerting. Waist-level shooting is nice, though - sometimes I do that with my K-70. That's also when I get my longest hand-held exposures.

12-06-2021, 06:52 AM	#4354
enxdtw Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by Uponnothing I recall earlier in this thread people were giving a lot of love to the SP 60-300? I owned a copy in the past, but didn't keep it long as I favoured the Canon FD 100-300 f5.6L, and I have never used it on full frame. I am looking at telephotos for full frame landscapes, so sharpness across the frame and into the corners is important. Looking at the Adaptall-2 site the SP 60-300 Modern Photography test results show it outperforms the SP 70-210 f3.5 - which I have used for landscape on full frame with good results. I am tempted to buy one, but here in the UK all the eBay auctions want 3 figures for them, I've found one for £59 plus postage from a camera store, comes with original hood and case. Worth a punt, or should I just settle for the 70-210 SP I already have? The 23A is an incredibly sharp lens at the long end. The only disadvantage is it's slow speed, so I use it only in good light. The SP 70-210 f3.5 is better for low light and is also almost as sharp. If you want totally sharp and low light then the 180 f2.5 is the way to go. I know this is a Tamron page, but if you want very sharp, then check out the Soligor/kalimar 60-300, it's a real sleeper. Last edited by enxdtw; 12-07-2021 at 02:55 AM. Reason: got the model number wrong

12-06-2021, 11:20 AM	#4355
enxdtw Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by luftfluss I have the 01B and had the Siggy. Similar sharpness in the center, but the Siggy was sharper on the edges. I've actually been meaning to sell my 01B but just haven't gotten around to it. Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled.

12-06-2021, 02:31 PM - 1 Like	#4356
Ivan Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Moscow Posts: 639	Originally posted by luftfluss Dug up from this past March... great anyway. ---------- Post added 12-06-21 at 02:34 PM ---------- Originally posted by enxdtw Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled. Thanks for the comment, I'll take a closer look at this object

12-06-2021, 03:29 PM - 1 Like	#4357
Gary H Perth Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Floreat Posts: 623	Originally posted by enxdtw The 19A is an incredibly sharp lens at the long end. The only disadvantage is it's slow speed, so I use it only in good light. The SP 70-210 f3.5 is better for low light and is also almost as sharp. If you want totally sharp and low light then the 180 f2.5 is the way to go. I know this is a Tamron page, but if you want very sharp, then check out the Soligor/kalimar 60-300, it's a real sleeper. What about the Adaptall 60-300mm 23A? It's my sharpest 300mm, sharper than the Pentax PLM.

12-06-2021, 09:43 PM - 1 Like	#4358
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,626	Originally posted by enxdtw Try the Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm f2.4. The sharpest wide angle I've found so far in the corners and sharp in the center too (usable wide open at f2.4), also nice neutral colours & chromatic aberations well controlled. I'm sure it's an excellent lens, but I'm quite well equipped with my Pentax HD 35mm Limited.

12-07-2021, 02:57 AM	#4359
enxdtw Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by Gary H Perth What about the Adaptall 60-300mm 23A? It's my sharpest 300mm, sharper than the Pentax PLM. Yes, sorry, I got the model number wrong (corrected now). When I tested the 23a recently it was very sharp. ---------- Post added 12-07-21 at 03:22 AM ---------- Originally posted by luftfluss I'm sure it's an excellent lens, but I'm quite well equipped with my Pentax HD 35mm Limited. That sounds like a really amazing lens. But I was only talking about the vintage lenses, out of which the flektogon was the best I've found so far. But I've got the rare Tamron 24mm f2.5 01BB coming today, which might prove to be better. I'm still coding my lens tests webpage, I'm putting all of the test results there. You can see the lenses tested at The big lens test - Ejectamenta

12-07-2021, 04:39 AM	#4360
Gary H Perth Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Floreat Posts: 623	So the Soligor may be sharper than the 23A? have a K-70 that allows me to use the 23A up to ISO 3200 if I tweak the final jpeg, so the max aperture is not too bad except indoors. The 23A is a bit long and heavy but sits well if you have one hand under the barrel. How does the Soligor compare for physical handling?

12-08-2021, 06:22 AM - 1 Like	#4363
enxdtw Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2019 Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	Originally posted by Gary H Perth So the Soligor may be sharper than the 23A? have a K-70 that allows me to use the 23A up to ISO 3200 if I tweak the final jpeg, so the max aperture is not too bad except indoors. The 23A is a bit long and heavy but sits well if you have one hand under the barrel. How does the Soligor compare for physical handling? It comes in 2 versions an autofocus and manual focus which is a bit shorter. The manual focus version has a nice large focus grip, the autofocus one can hunt a bit when focusing (probably the small aperture). I find it better than the 23a for fitting in the camera bag. Its not a macro but does 1:4 without needing special switches. Here's an cropped image at 5.6 @ 300mm. It's about as sharp as they get

12-08-2021, 11:50 PM - 1 Like	#4365
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,626	Originally posted by enxdtw I tested it today on the view from the window, but it didn't look so good, either at the center or at the edges (even at f5.6). The 28-48 zoom is noticeably better. But maybe it was the rain. I'll try again some other day. Another lens that does pretty well in the corners is the Schacht-Travegon-35. Not as good in the centre as the flektogon, but holds up in the corners well. Bit low on contrast though. The Sigma 28mm 1.8 is also a very good lens, sharp in the centre wide open, sharp at the edges stopped down to 5.6. If only it wasn't for the chromatic aberrations ... I've found that my (now sold) 24-48 had similar center sharpness to the 24/2.5, but much better on the edges, making it superior for landscape photography. The 24/2.5 is obviously faster and I also enjoy the closer focusing. I previously owned another copy of the 24/2.5 01BB, and it was soft unless stopped down quite a bit. I've changed from collecting certain Adaptalls to keeping only 2 or 3 telephotos.