[timw4mail]

I somehow never knew that there had been a Zenit with PK lens mount. Is the lens OK? That's definitely fairly rare.

K-mount soviet lenses are not that rare.


Two I can think of off hand

• Helios 44K-4
• Zenitar-K2 50/2

The bodies are less common, but they aren't too difficult to find on eBay or similar channels.

[Jean Poitiers]

Here's the rest of Sunday's haul from Poitiers' annual swap meet ... for 20€, a box of Pentax 67 odds and ends. There was a lady that was selling her husband's collection and she set aside this box for me. We met back in February at another swap meet about an hour and a half south of Poitiers. I bought some trays and other stuff from her there ...



From two separate purchases I got a lot of vintage Pentax documentation ... maybe about 30€ total for all seen below. The best is a "Pentax France" dealer binder from about the mid-80's full of brochures, sales codes & prices, newsletters, etc. Pretty cool and great to have for my collection.



Here's a look inside the big binder ... it was 15€. Those are samples of mini sales brochures to the right and there are many more, plus full brochures for 6x7, 645, Super A, Program A, A3, SFX, LX, compacts, binoculars, etc.



Also, I shot a roll of Rollei Superpan 200 in the "Texas Leica" that I bought Sunday ... home developed in Caffenol CL. Very, very nice and this one will be a lot of fun.

[jtk]

Got the HD FA 35mm/2.0 yesterday. Hoping to get out and do some shooting soon, but the weather has not been cooperating.

[WPRESTO]

Also, I shot a roll of Rollei Superpan 200 in the "Texas Leica" that I bought Sunday ... home developed in Caffenol CL. Very, very nice and this one will be a lot of fun.

I'll comment that when 35mm was coming into its own as a pro-camera, largely in the 1950's, the 4X5 advocates would comment that small negatives did not and could not duplicate the "look" of a larger negative, some indescribable combination of sharpness, tonal quality, depth, etc. Until you've used a bigger negative you cannot realize the grain of truth in that viewpoint.


And that is a monochrome to prove the point.

[bdery]

Someone at mflenses forum took one apart and found the fourth element.

So, only the fifth element is missing now?

[disconnekt]

So, only the fifth element is missing now?

Big bada boom?

[IgorZ]

Big bada boom?

[Marcus Rowland]

Swings and roundabouts - I went back to the Cash Converters shop and the manager won't be there until Wednesday, really don't want to go there for a third time in less than a week, but I can try to find something else to do out that way.

Third time lucky - since I'm stubborn I found a reason to go back there today and got the close up lens set - reduced to £1 as an apology for wasting my time!

I've also splurged rather a lot more on a "new" camera for myself - a used Nikon D7000 with 18-55mm for £200. Should arrive next week, crossing my fingers it will be OK. This is faster and higher resolution than my old D90 and has a feature I've wanted for a long time - it supports pre-electronic AI and AI-s manual focus lenses, metering and I think (not entirely sure, the description is a bit unclear) it does focus confirmation. This is the inevitable consequence of buying a good AI-s zoom then discovering it is hideously expensive to get it chipped, since it involves a lot of drilling and milling and the chips cost £20-ish each... Unlike Canon, where the AF confirm chips are now about £3 and you just stick them on with epoxy glue.

[stevebrot]

I somehow never knew that there had been a Zenit with PK lens mount. Is the lens OK? That's definitely fairly rare.

The Automat is not particularly rare and neither are the other K-mount Zenits and KMZ K-mount lenses. The challenge with the Automat camera is finding one in working or easily serviceable condition.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Two I can think of off hand

Helios 44K-4
Zenitar-K2 50/2

...and Helios 77K-4 50/1.8.


Steve

[BigMackCam]

A couple of nice little lenses came through the door in the last few days...

First up, a Pentax-F 35-70 f/3.5-4.5 in excellent condition, physically, optically and mechanically. I've been tempted to try one of these for a while, as @MarkJerling uses one and gets really nice results with his. But I kept holding off for quite a long time, until a few days ago when an inexpensive example (GBP £25 / USD $32 shipped) complete with original caps cropped up on eBay, so I pulled the trigger.

I've read mixed reports on this lens... some love it, others aren't impressed, but it mostly appears to be copy variation at play. Thankfully, this one seems like a great copy, as it's very decent at all focal lengths (including the macro setting) - surprisingly sharp wide open (after dialling in -5 AF fine adjustment on my K-3), but even better stopped down a little, and the rendering is very pleasant. It has the usual vicious F-series focusing gear ratio, but focuses quickly as a result. Plus, it's compact, solid and... well, just cute I like it

Next up, something for my Soviet lens collection... sort of. It's not the kind of thing I'd normally buy... I'm not a big fan of heavily restored and polished lenses, and even less a fan of converted / butchered / Franken-lenses. I like things to be mostly original, and wince when I see folks permanently and irretrievably modifying lenses. That aside...

Some years ago I developed an interest in old Soviet cameras and so-called "Lomography", and one of my purchases back then was a Smena-8M that produced surprisingly good photos, with its rather slow but characterful Lomo T-43 4/40 lens. Well, it turns out a few different folks are taking the lenses off these otherwise-cheaply-made, plastic-bodied cameras and adapting them for use on mirrorless bodies. I found one Ukrainian seller on eBay whose attempts looked far more professional than some, so I took the plunge and ordered one.

This little beauty cost me just under GBP £27 / USD $35 including shipping from the Ukraine, and I can't express how impressed I am with the quality of the work. It's clearly a combination of the T-43 optical block and forward barrel, mated to the body / focusing helicoid of an M39 SLR Industar-50, but the way the seller has modified and mated the two sections together is flawless, and he's polished the entire thing just enough that it looks very clean but almost-original. It would be very easy for the uninitiated to believe it's a well-looked-after factory product rather than a Franken-lens.

It's fitted to the camera with an L39 / M39 rangefinder adapter. Oh, and when the lens is set to the infinity focusing position on the Industar-50 focusing helicoid, it's spot on. Just perfect.

The seller has posted a video on YouTube, talking about the lens and showing how he makes each one. It's worth watching (and considering just how much work is involved for such a paltry price):

You Tube

You Tube

[Docrwm]

A couple of nice little lenses came through the door in the last few days...

First up, a Pentax-F 35-70 f/3.5-4.5 in excellent condition, physically, optically and mechanically. I've been tempted to try one of these for a while, as @MarkJerling uses one and gets really nice results with his. But I kept holding off for quite a long time, until a few days ago when an inexpensive example (GBP £25 / USD $32 shipped) complete with original caps cropped up on eBay, so I pulled the trigger.

I've read mixed reports on this lens... some love it, others aren't impressed, but it mostly appears to be copy variation at play. Thankfully, this one seems like a great copy, as it's very decent at all focal lengths (including the macro setting) - surprisingly sharp wide open (after dialling in -5 AF fine adjustment on my K-3), but even better stopped down a little, and the rendering is very pleasant. It has the usual vicious F-series focusing gear ratio, but focuses quickly as a result. Plus, it's compact, solid and... well, just cute I like it
......

I have never understood those that do not love that little stack of primes. It's small, sharp, renders well, has a quasi-macro, and is cheap. If you don't like it I'll give it a home, but I expect you will find a place for it in your bag. Congrats!

[MarkJerling]

A couple of nice little lenses came through the door in the last few days...

First up, a Pentax-F 35-70 f/3.5-4.5 in excellent condition, physically, optically and mechanically. I've been tempted to try one of these for a while, as @MarkJerling uses one and gets really nice results with his. But I kept holding off for quite a long time, until a few days ago when an inexpensive example (GBP £25 / USD $32 shipped) complete with original caps cropped up on eBay, so I pulled the trigger.

I've read mixed reports on this lens... some love it, others aren't impressed, but it mostly appears to be copy variation at play. Thankfully, this one seems like a great copy, as it's very decent at all focal lengths (including the macro setting) - surprisingly sharp wide open (after dialling in -5 AF fine adjustment on my K-3), but even better stopped down a little, and the rendering is very pleasant. It has the usual vicious F-series focusing gear ratio, but focuses quickly as a result. Plus, it's compact, solid and... well, just cute I like it

Neat lenses Mike. As Doc says, the 35-70 is "a stack of primes". I quote him regularly!
You won't be disappointed. I'm on the lookout for another copy. My one copy has developed a bit of fogging in the rear elements. Good thing they're cheap.

[BigMackCam]

Neat lenses Mike. As Doc says, the 35-70 is "a stack of primes". I quote him regularly!
You won't be disappointed. I'm on the lookout for another copy. My one copy has developed a bit of fogging in the rear elements. Good thing they're cheap.

Thanks, Mark I've only played around with the 35-70 for maybe an hour today (it arrived this afternoon), but I'm really pleased with the amount of detail it captures and the overall rendering. I more-or-less knew what to expect based on some of your photos, but - given the mixed reviews - I was somewhat relieved that my copy seems to match what you've previously said about the lens. It's way better than the non-SMC F28-80 f/3.5-4.5 that I already own (although, contrary to its reputation, I quite like that lens too - though it's not the sharpest, for sure )...

[MarkJerling]

Thanks, Mark I've only played around with the 35-70 for maybe an hour today (it arrived this afternoon), but I'm really pleased with the amount of detail it captures and the overall rendering. I more-or-less knew what to expect based on some of your photos, but - given the mixed reviews - I was somewhat relieved that my copy seems to match what you've previously said about the lens. It's way better than the non-SMC F28-80 f/3.5-4.5 that I already own (although, contrary to its reputation, I quite like that lens too - though it's not the sharpest, for sure )...

I have the SMC-F 28-80. Not my favourite lens, but it's detail and rendering is actually pretty good too. There's a lot ot be said for these old film era lenses. The 35-70mm is good for macro too. And then, if you want to go next level, mount it, set to macro focus and reverse a 50mm onto it and you can get super close to stuff!