[UncleVanya]

Don't shoot me, please!
Komura's was at very top of japanese optical design. In all sincerity I expect it to be not so far from the Leitz 6.8/560mm (which in turn should not match the Pentax, at least optically). I've written it. I've done it!
The Telyt is an achromatic doublet after all. Nobody made miracles, not even Leica.
Not to say that the Telyt is a bad lens, I'd be happy to find a lens head and mount it on my Novoflex follow-focus system.
I'm just used to Komura's quality.
I found a single bad lens (4.5/200mm). All the others were ranging from quite good to very good.
However I still consider the Pentax 4.5/500mm the queen of old-school extreme telephoto. Not a surprise she's part of Kerrodown harem
I haven't used mine that much because I like to try to shoot handheld, if possible. Though on the Web I have seen very good pictures, far better than anything can be obtained from a mirror lens or one of those cheap japanese teles you refer to.

I was underwhelmed by the Pentax 500 f4.5 when I had one. It was the m42 version with a permanent m42/K adapter on it and I always felt it was too soft. I shot some moon stuff but the 300mm f4.5 with the f1.7x extender seemed better. But there is no denying it is a big lovely bit of metal and glass.

[cyberjunkie]

The cheap ones aren't as bad as you'd think. They aren't exceptional, but they work fine, especially for, say, moon shots. If they came with a 2x teleconverter, though...I would avoid that.

I have no specific experience with "generic" 400mm and 500mm telephotos.
What I know is that they are not the same. There were three different optical designs of the 500mm IIRC, and one of them was made in two versions.
The version with larger front element is said to be quite good.
Can't remember if the good one has 72mm or 77mm filter thread.
That specific version was incredibly value for the price it was sold.
I guess that the modern ones, made by Samyang, are far from that level. I have no experience with them either, so I'm just reporting what I've been told...

I have the 800mm version of the achromatic doublet design, marked Soligor and likely produced by Kino.
It's a huge cannon that can be broken down in three pieces (or in two, to fit its quiver).
It's not too slow for the extreme focal (f/8).
If you can transport it, fight the weight/bulk, bring a solid tripod, fight atmospheric haze, focus with some accuracy, etc. etc. the quality is decent enough to be considered a photographic tool and not just a collector's item.

I have a theory about this kind of lenses: mechanical quality is what makes the difference.
Doublets suffer decentering. Triplets need very accurate spacing. 4E/4G tele designs are more forgiving, but to get the best out of it you still need tight tolerances and proper assembly.
If I'm not mistaken all three designs were used to make cheap extreme focal lengths.
A well made, precisely assembled example can be much better than another. I believe this is why you find all kind of impressions on the Web, from terrible to surprisingly good.

[timw4mail]

I have a theory about this kind of lenses: mechanical quality is what makes the difference.
Doublets suffer decentering. Triplets need very accurate spacing. 4E/4G tele designs are more forgiving, but to get the best out of it you still need tight tolerances and proper assembly.
If I'm not mistaken all three designs were used to make cheap extreme focal lengths.
A well made, precisely assembled example can be much better than another. I believe this is why you find all kind of impressions on the Web, from terrible to surprisingly good.

The one I have is a "Vivitar Series One". Not sure its really from that series, but it's a 4/4 design, with a 67mm front filter.


I do imagine you are correct about example variance.

[cyberjunkie]

The one I have is a "Vivitar Series One". Not sure its really from that series, but it's a 4/4 design, with a 67mm front filter.
.

Yours is of another level.
I thought you referred to the cheap ones rebranded under a number of different names

[timw4mail]

Yours is of another level.
I thought you referred to the cheap ones rebranded under a number of different names

Not sure about that... it's a $99 T-mount

[cyberjunkie]

Not sure about that... it's a $99 T-mount

Are you sure it's a "Series 1"?
That was the high performance line of Vivitar, and prices weren't cheap. Like the SP's sold by Tamron, they were priced more or less at the same level of the OEM lenses manufactured by the big camera makers.
If you check the serial, it should be possible to find which company actually made it.
Even if it's a T-mount preset lens, I believe the actual lens maker make a difference (regarding which level of optical quality to expect).
Those made by Kino or Komine are generally quite good.


@UncleVanya
My Pentax is the PK version (with SMC coating). I found it better than the Pentacon 5.6/500mm, which is not a dog either.
I had it converted to 6x7 mount, and found that it nicely covers also the larger frame with no evident vignetting.
Of course it depends very much on what you compare to...
My beloved A Star 2.8/300mm does better with any converter, even 2x. I tried it with the two -L (1.4x and 2x) and with the 1.7x AF.
So yes, there are better lenses than the 4.5/500mm, in some cases even using teleconverters. However the old Pentax, considering the old age and the large max aperture, is not a bad at all!

[timw4mail]

Are you sure it's a "Series 1"?
That was the high performance line of Vivitar, and prices weren't cheap. Like the SP's sold by Tamron, they were priced more or less at the same level of the OEM lenses manufactured by the big camera makers.
If you check the serial, it should be possible to find which company actually made it.
Even if it's a T-mount preset lens, I believe the actual lens maker make a difference (regarding which level of optical quality to expect).
Those made by Kino or Komine are generally quite good.

That's what it says, but it was also brand new, and after Vivitar basically stopped making lenses, so I really don't know what the deal is.

[pepperberry farm]

Finally bought a Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG for a decently reasonable price. At least a better price than is currently being asked for it on eBay. Should receive it in about 8 days.

I've had mine for only a few weeks and am using it in this month's Single In Challenge...

so far, it's an impressive lens...

[CapitanXeon]

This one!


I had one of these, sold it, and i miss it since then. I hope this one is as good as the another one.

[jeallen01]

Two nice new cream leather sofas for the lounge - but they're "quite big", and the guys who delivered them had to take the front door and lounge door off the hinges to get them in!
(Also gave them a tenner (£10) each to get one of the old sofas outside - suppose that ought to be be in the "deaquisitions" thread, but I can't be bothered)

[Jonathan Mac]

After buying the books, I came across a stand where a man and his wife were selling odds and ends ... AND there was some nice camera stuff to be had ... so, for 45€, I got on my first purchase :

- a very nice working Canon A-1 with a FDn 35-70.3.5-4.5 (15 €)
- a excellent working Yashica Minister (45/2.8) with OEM hood (10€)
- a very nice working Yashica Electro 35 G (45/1.7) with a dead battery (slightly bent filter threads) (10€)
- a quite nice working Minoltla Hi-Matic 9 (45/1.7), but the shutter sometimes will not fire, only 1 out of 20 times (10 €)
- and for "free" a ausJENA Pancolar 50/1.8 ... it was an "electric" lens, but everything had been removed there ... still good

I also "reserved" a few items since I had not a lot of cash. The gentleman said that he had some medium format stuff to sell, too ... so we agreed that I would go to a cash distributor and that he would go get the bag with the other things. Thus, my next post for the second purchase at this stand to follow.

Purchase n° 2 ... upon my return from the cash machine and after a bit of haggling, I snapped up the following for two 50 € bills ...

- a very nice working Mamiya M645 with Sekor C 80/2.8 ... the focus screen is badly smudged, but all else seems AOK ...
- a very nice, but shooting at default shutter speed of 1/500 (even with a new battery) a Bronica Zenza ETR with handle, a working, but dim AE finder and a Zenzanon MC 50/2.8 ...
- a very nice working Tower Type 3 (Sears !?) with FED (in Cyrillic) 50/3.5 (one that I had "reserved") ...
- a Leica IIIf (serial n° 6300xx = 1952) with an Industar (in Cyrillic) 50/3.5 ( the other that I had reserved) ...

I was really surprised that he came down a lot on the initial prices for the Tower and the Leica ... wow. But it was still not done, because from the bag that came the medium format gear, he took out another Leica after we had exchanged cash for gear and go figure I was short on cash for what he was asking and I had to go home to fix lunch and take Charlotte to a b-day party ... so, we agreed to "reserve" it until I could get back from my obligations ...

Last purchase, same stand ... good to his word the other Leica was waiting on me a few hours later. I had rapidly tested most of the gear at home and was satisfied enough. I knew that there was a problem with the Bronica, but I really wanted to have a good closer look at the first Lecia and the Tower. Both seemed OK for speeds and the like ... plus one cannot really complain for the prices that I paid !!!

So again, after a bit of gentle haggling, I picked up the following after again some quite nice price reductions.

- a Leica from 1938 transformed into IIIf (serial 293xxx) with a Leitz Hektor 5cm f/2.5 ... yes, a f/2.5, not the f/3.5 that I thought it was on first site. (70 € !!!)
- a Meyer-Optik Göritz Orestor 135/2.8 with hood - 15 blades (10 €)

Believe it or not, I turned my nose up at Minolta Autocord (not that nice and he would not come down on his price here) and a Rollei 35 ... I had to stop somewhere.

So, the 1952 Lecia IIIf already has film in it with the 5cm f/2.5 ... I forgot what lil' bricks these Leicas are and never thought that I would come along one like this ... and certainly not two "cheap" ... a very, very happy camper. Glad that I got up out of bed early enough last Sunday morning.

Wow - that's an amazing haul. I'm gobsmacked.

[carlthellama]

Last purchase, same stand ... good to his word the other Leica was waiting on me a few hours later. I had rapidly tested most of the gear at home and was satisfied enough. I knew that there was a problem with the Bronica, but I really wanted to have a good closer look at the first Lecia and the Tower. Both seemed OK for speeds and the like ... plus one cannot really complain for the prices that I paid !!!

So again, after a bit of gentle haggling, I picked up the following after again some quite nice price reductions.

- a Leica from 1938 transformed into IIIf (serial 293xxx) with a Leitz Hektor 5cm f/2.5 ... yes, a f/2.5, not the f/3.5 that I thought it was on first site. (70 € !!!)
- a Meyer-Optik Göritz Orestor 135/2.8 with hood - 15 blades (10 €)

Believe it or not, I turned my nose up at Minolta Autocord (not that nice and he would not come down on his price here) and a Rollei 35 ... I had to stop somewhere.

So, the 1952 Lecia IIIf already has film in it with the 5cm f/2.5 ... I forgot what lil' bricks these Leicas are and never thought that I would come along one like this ... and certainly not two "cheap" ... a very, very happy camper. Glad that I got up out of bed early enough last Sunday morning.

So jealous. I would be so stoked to find that Leica gear.

[cyberjunkie]

In my last post I showed the details of the chinese Leitax knock-off's I just ordered.
I wanted to buy them long ago. You know... just in case
A few years ago I bought another one to "leitax" a Visoflex focusing helicoid for two Leitz lens heads (Summicron 2/90mm and Elmarit 2.8/135mm).
This time I had to do that because I purchased a lens by mistake
In the last months I had this idea in mind... to find a 60mm Macro for Leica R, but without hurry, and only below a certain (reasonable) price.
I use a sniping tool, and I had a list of lenses, most of them just to memorise the auction and check how it ended.
When it was time to enter the amount of my bid (on one of the 60mm), I inadvertently chose the wrong line... and the next day I found I had just bought a Macro, just not the 60mm, it was the Elmar 4/100mm!
I could have backed off, cause the lens had to be paid via bank money transfer, but the mistake was mine, the price was decent (230 USD all included), and I found myself quite excited to finally have the chance to try a Leica R lens!
I checked online. Some make fun of this lens comparing it with the Apo version, others seem quite satisfied. I also found BEAUTIFUL pictures of amphibian and reptiles shot in the wild with a studio flash and the Macro Elmar R 4/100mm.
Well, unless I get a damaged example, it should be sharp enough. Those pictures screamed

Here it is, with its horrible front cap from a lowly japanese Exakta:




I noticed that there are many forum users who use leitax'ed Zeiss lenses, few use Leitz/Leica.
I don't even know if there is a Lens Club dedicated to adapted Leica's.

[Marcus Rowland]

Wow - that's an amazing haul. I'm gobsmacked.

+1 here - I thought that my haul ten days ago was pretty good, this shows how wrong I was.

As it happens I had to go to that bit of North London again today, so naturally I paid all three shops another visit

Canon Eos 300v with 28-90
Olympus OM 1.8 / 50mm
Vivitar extension tubes, PK mount (not PK-A unfortunately)
SMC Pentax A 1:4 70-210
Konica 1.8 / 52mm (yes, really 52mm focal length, not filter size)
Battery for a Canon Eos 300D or similar
Minolta Maxxum 35-80, the weird one with the little shutter instead of a cap. Unfortunately the shutter went wrong about 10 seconds after I got home...
Also 2 skylight filters, 3 lens caps, and a polariser

Total spend £55 which is higher than I'd like but should still make a profit.

[D1N0]

Hopefully the last of my lba spree:

Nice and compact Pentax-m 200mm f4 my Pentax-M primes collection now is 20-28(3.5)-40-50(1.7)-135-200

I am also amazed about how light it feels on the K-1