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06-13-2020, 02:57 PM - 1 Like   #1
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Acquired Gear given to me!

Looking for some input on this gear!

SharkyCA's Album: Acquired Camera Gear - PentaxForums.com

I was gifted a Pentax A 50mm lens, a Pentax P3 camera along with a Makinon f28/80 Macro lens, various 49mm filters and a Russian made Diramic R1 camera with an Olympus lens?


Is it worth keeping or selling/gifting?

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Last edited by SharkyCA; 06-13-2020 at 03:05 PM. Reason: Adding info
06-13-2020, 03:17 PM - 1 Like   #2
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Ultimately, only you can answer that question.

Which A series 50mm lens is it? If it's faster than f/2.0 it's probably worth a good look at. The A50/1.7 is highly regarded, and the A50/1.2 is legendary.

I had a Makinon zoom in the film days, and it wasn't bad. But then again, I wasn't very fussy back then
06-13-2020, 03:28 PM   #3
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It's all your call. That P3 is probably worth peanuts if you sell it on. If you don't already have a fast(ish) 50 then that lens at least might be useful. If you don't mind manual focus that zoom could be of interest as well. Or it might be quite poor. What are your thoughts so far?
06-13-2020, 04:38 PM - 1 Like   #4
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Looks like one of the lenses produces nice photos, really like the monochromes.
The Diramic could be interesting if still functional, (or that Olympus lens could be worth a try).
I believe it was an export/import version of the Zenit E or EM.
Still have the Cosmorex SE (US import model) I bought new in 1974, (recently had the Helios that came with it CLA'd for sentimental reasons).
Super heavy and rugged build. Accompanied me on many a mountaineering trip and world travels until the 80's when I moved to Pentax 35mm and Mamiya 6x6.

06-13-2020, 05:30 PM   #5
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Free is great. The 28-80 is likely just ok. It may well be really nice stopped down a bit. The 50 is likely fine to good. Post a shot of it and the Olympus.
06-13-2020, 08:12 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by pcrichmond Quote
Looks like one of the lenses produces nice photos, really like the monochromes.
The Diramic could be interesting if still functional, (or that Olympus lens could be worth a try).
I believe it was an export/import version of the Zenit E or EM.
Still have the Cosmorex SE (US import model) I bought new in 1974, (recently had the Helios that came with it CLA'd for sentimental reasons).
Super heavy and rugged build. Accompanied me on many a mountaineering trip and world travels until the 80's when I moved to Pentax 35mm and Mamiya 6x6.
I was going at first glance, I hadn't taken the Olympus lens cap off the Diramic and it is actually a Helios lens 44-2 screw mount Ser# 75321389 on the body,
I have the book for it and say it will accept Pentax/Praktika thread so I assume it is 42mm thread like Pentax.

Lens looks clean but viewfinder and internals of the mirror and such look very dusty, lots of specs.
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06-13-2020, 08:21 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by UncleVanya Quote
Free is great. The 28-80 is likely just ok. It may well be really nice stopped down a bit. The 50 is likely fine to good. Post a shot of it and the Olympus.
My bad, it was only a lens cap on the Diramic, I spoke too soon, however the 50mm takes a nice shot but is the cheap 2.8 not the 1.2 I had hoped for!

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06-13-2020, 09:00 PM - 2 Likes   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by SharkyCA Quote
, I spoke too soon, however the 50mm takes a nice shot but is the cheap 2.8 not the 1.2 I had hoped for!
Still too soon? It is the 2.0 not the 2.8. The 2.8 is a macro lens also highly reguarded.
06-13-2020, 09:15 PM - 2 Likes   #9
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The Helios 44-2 is possibly a nice addition to your kit as well and can be used on your Pentax cameras with an adapter ring. Lots of info out there about that.

The A 50 f2 is not that well regarded, maybe in part because it butts up against the 50 1.7's in the Pentax catalog which are very well respected. The images you shared of it are not so bad and this could be an awesome way to get more experience with your camera. Both of these lenses, actually, could be useful in that way as well as being useful focal lengths. That zoom is probably best left at f5.6 to f11 for optimal performance.

How do you like shooting with them?
06-14-2020, 04:37 AM - 3 Likes   #10
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The Pentax fifty is a keeper. Don't worry about the f/1.7 snobs. The f/2 is nearly identical.

The Helios 44-2 is the stuff of legend. Some East European Soviet era lenses have very interesting bokeh when shot wide open. The designs were mostly thirties Leica stuff.
06-14-2020, 05:08 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
The Helios 44-2 is possibly a nice addition to your kit as well and can be used on your Pentax cameras with an adapter ring. Lots of info out there about that.

The A 50 f2 is not that well regarded, maybe in part because it butts up against the 50 1.7's in the Pentax catalog which are very well respected. The images you shared of it are not so bad and this could be an awesome way to get more experience with your camera. Both of these lenses, actually, could be useful in that way as well as being useful focal lengths. That zoom is probably best left at f5.6 to f11 for optimal performance.

How do you like shooting with them?
I have not really had them out for a run yet other than in the backyard for test. I am becoming a victim of "GAS", I do like the IQ of the A 50 but it feels inferior to my other lenses, I will give them some more "exposure" before condemning them to get dusty on the shelf! The Makinon seems ok but I have most of that covered with an Irix 150 Macro, an old IMAGE lens 28/80 and my SMC 18/135.

QuoteOriginally posted by Wasp Quote
The Pentax fifty is a keeper. Don't worry about the f/1.7 snobs. The f/2 is nearly identical.

The Helios 44-2 is the stuff of legend. Some East European Soviet era lenses have very interesting bokeh when shot wide open. The designs were mostly thirties Leica stuff.
As I do have some old SP1000 gear somewhere in storage I would have to dig up my M42 adapter to use the Helios for testing, not out of the realm of possibility, although not likely this year.

Thanks for your insight.
06-14-2020, 10:35 AM   #12
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An A 50 f2 at f2 vs. your DA 18-135 set to 50mm wide open is probably similar in general image quality but the depth of field will be greater with the DA 18-135 due to the smaller max aperture. For playing around the 50 is still probably worth keeping around when you're wanting a more shallow depth of field or lower light shooting. I can't see you getting much good out of that Makinon zoom; the DA is extremely competent and most 3rd party zooms from the 80's are usually not so hot. And if that Image 28-80 is decent then you really really don't need the Makinon around. I'd sell it on.

It sounds like you're a fairly experienced photog and none of this will be news to you.
07-12-2020, 03:58 AM   #13
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---------- Post added 07-12-20 at 07:00 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
An A 50 f2 at f2 vs. your DA 18-135 set to 50mm wide open is probably similar in general image quality but the depth of field will be greater with the DA 18-135 due to the smaller max aperture. For playing around the 50 is still probably worth keeping around when you're wanting a more shallow depth of field or lower light shooting. I can't see you getting much good out of that Makinon zoom; the DA is extremely competent and most 3rd party zooms from the 80's are usually not so hot. And if that Image 28-80 is decent then you really really don't need the Makinon around. I'd sell it on.

It sounds like you're a fairly experienced photog and none of this will be news to you.
QuoteOriginally posted by Wasp Quote
The Pentax fifty is a keeper. Don't worry about the f/1.7 snobs. The f/2 is nearly identical.

The Helios 44-2 is the stuff of legend. Some East European Soviet era lenses have very interesting bokeh when shot wide open. The designs were mostly thirties Leica stuff.
QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
The Helios 44-2 is possibly a nice addition to your kit as well and can be used on your Pentax cameras with an adapter ring. Lots of info out there about that.

The A 50 f2 is not that well regarded, maybe in part because it butts up against the 50 1.7's in the Pentax catalog which are very well respected. The images you shared of it are not so bad and this could be an awesome way to get more experience with your camera. Both of these lenses, actually, could be useful in that way as well as being useful focal lengths. That zoom is probably best left at f5.6 to f11 for optimal performance.

How do you like shooting with them?
QuoteOriginally posted by UncleVanya Quote
Free is great. The 28-80 is likely just ok. It may well be really nice stopped down a bit. The 50 is likely fine to good. Post a shot of it and the Olympus.
QuoteOriginally posted by pcrichmond Quote
Looks like one of the lenses produces nice photos, really like the monochromes.
The Diramic could be interesting if still functional, (or that Olympus lens could be worth a try).
I believe it was an export/import version of the Zenit E or EM.
Still have the Cosmorex SE (US import model) I bought new in 1974, (recently had the Helios that came with it CLA'd for sentimental reasons).
Super heavy and rugged build. Accompanied me on many a mountaineering trip and world travels until the 80's when I moved to Pentax 35mm and Mamiya 6x6.
QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
It's all your call. That P3 is probably worth peanuts if you sell it on. If you don't already have a fast(ish) 50 then that lens at least might be useful. If you don't mind manual focus that zoom could be of interest as well. Or it might be quite poor. What are your thoughts so far?
QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
Ultimately, only you can answer that question.

Which A series 50mm lens is it? If it's faster than f/2.0 it's probably worth a good look at. The A50/1.7 is highly regarded, and the A50/1.2 is legendary.

I had a Makinon zoom in the film days, and it wasn't bad. But then again, I wasn't very fussy back then
Thanks for all the input, as always I can find good input from the forum members here!

As I have the other bases covered I think I am keeping the Pentax-A 50mm but the other gear I will put up on "Buy N Sell", thanks again for your advice!

SharkyCA
07-20-2020, 10:43 AM - 2 Likes   #14
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Don't be knocking my A series 50mm f./2.

It's a cheapie, but it's a goodie. It was a kit lens for a long time because it was good. It works better on my microscope than the F series 50mm f./1.7, but of course the latter performs a bit better on its own. The 50mm f./2 is a great lens to use for macro on tubes or bellows if you're just getting started, and I've heard it reverses OK. I used it on my tubes for years.

It's seriously got to be the best prime $20 can buy.
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