Various & Sundry 28mm f/2.8s

**hman** · 08-15-2011, 02:06 PM

I see many "makes" of this lens- Penney, Sears, Rokinon, Gemini, etc. Focal? Jupiter? Which have good reputations as I look for manual lenses on ebay, craig's list, goodwill, etc.
Thanks!

RioRico · 08-15-2011, 03:01 PM

Are many many makers of 28/2.8's, sold under many many more brands. NOTE: Jupiter is Russian / Ukrainian, the rest are Japanese. Usually. But Vivitar, Sears, JC Penny, Focal (K-Mart), Rokinon, Hanimex, many others, may come from the same dozen glass foundries. My Sears is probably Tomioka. My Focal is undoubtedly Makinon. My Access (macro) and Soligor are probably Tokina. My Hanimexes, I dunno, maybe Cosina and Chinon. At least I know where the Pentaxes are from!

Third-party brands to look for (IMHO): Vivitar, Sears, Focal, Makinon, Chinon. If you want to go faster, some damn good f/2's and f/2.5's are branded Vivitar and Tamron (but be sure a Tamron includes an adapter). And of course the Pentaxes are great!

yeatzee · 08-15-2011, 03:06 PM

I miss my albinar 28mm F/2.8 I sold. Not the sharpest but focused very close and was a fun lens to use. If your not anal about technical crap like everything being perfectly sharp wideopen I'd definitely suggest the cheapo lens.

from here:
Albinar 28mm test | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

to here:
Albinar 28mm test | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

and every image between was taken to test the lens

**hman** · 08-15-2011, 03:10 PM

Thanks for the info- this is very helpful...

joe.penn · 08-15-2011, 04:24 PM

You can get some great cheaper manual lenses - ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm I have listed for sale here on the forums. After taking the pics, I am starting to think about keeping it - the bokeh this thing produces is fantastic...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/150099-sale-1...ml#post1615849

...

jimr-pdx · 08-15-2011, 07:16 PM

I'm a big fan right now of my "Sears Macro" model - but I cannot say who the manufacturer is. My Sears 50 f/1.4 is clearly a Rikenon XR relabeled, but this 28mm has non-Rikenon features (e.g. half-stop clicks on the aperture ring). The macro setting is merely 1:4 but still it's fun to have. I also have the auto-Chinon, smaller lighter and to my eye lesser in IQ - but I have not done serious testing of either.

jsherman999 · 08-15-2011, 07:54 PM

Originally posted by hman

I see many "makes" of this lens- Penney, Sears, Rokinon, Gemini, etc. Focal? Jupiter? Which have good reputations as I look for manual lenses on ebay, craig's list, goodwill, etc.
Thanks!

The best old MF 28mm, IMO, is:

Crop:

But the Pentax M 28 f/2.8 is an inexpensive, quality optic, bokeh a bit busy, but most 28mms have busy bokeh - may want to just pick up one of those:

yeatzee · 08-15-2011, 07:56 PM

To bad finding one with a decent price appears to be near impossible nowadays

(I stopped looking recently after starting back when that 28mm thread was created)

RioRico · 08-15-2011, 08:04 PM

Originally posted by joe.penn

You can get some great cheaper manual lenses - ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm I have listed for sale here on the forums. After taking the pics, I am starting to think about keeping it - the bokeh this thing produces is fantastic...

I have two of those in M42 mount -- yes, wonderful bokeh! One is branded as Focal, which I didn't know was Makinon until I physically compared some of my 28's of the same weight and found that these two are exact twins. The Mak comes with factory case and caps which I don't need, so when I do my next eBay sales frenzy, the Mak goes... to some lucky buyer!

joe.penn · 08-15-2011, 10:28 PM

Originally posted by jimr-pdx

I'm a big fan right now of my "Sears Macro" model - but I cannot say who the manufacturer is

I think the relatively newer ones were manufactured by samyang - the tell tale markings are the "Korea" or made in korea, the "A(P)" on the aperture ring and really bright orange lettering on the lens housing...

---

pezmaker · 08-30-2011, 08:52 PM

THREAD JACK!

Originally posted by joe.penn

ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm

Joe, I just bought a kitstar 28mm f2.8 off ebay the other day that looks an awful lot like the Makinon you posted pics of. That or a hanimex... I took some pics tonight to post for identification, but I forgot my card reader at the office... -_- d'oh!

Did you have any issues with "haze" in your shots? The lens is about as clear and clean as you can get, including new - spotless... but all my pics (when given the picasa treatment) come out very hazy and not sharp. If I do some fairly minimal PP in ufraw, it gets significantly better, but I can still tell that it started out with a haze.

Anyway, I know, I know. "post pics," etc. Would I post here since it's related, or start a new thread? Relatively new to the forums.

joe.penn · 08-30-2011, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by pezmaker

Anyway, I know, I know. "post pics," etc. Would I post here since it's related, or start a new thread? Relatively new to the forums

I would start a new one and post some pics to it. And no, never had an issue with haziness with the Mak.

--

minahasa · 09-05-2011, 04:06 PM

For 'cheap' 28, I'll go with Adaptall 28/2.5 -my best steal is US $9.51 two months ago, with PK mount and case- not everyday you could score like this, the price should be higher but at least not as high as Vivitar 28/2.

RioRico · 09-05-2011, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by minahasa

For 'cheap' 28, I'll go with Adaptall 28/2.5 -my best steal is US $9.51 two months ago, with PK mount and case- not everyday you could score like this, the price should be higher but at least not as high as Vivitar 28/2.

US$9.51 ?!?!?!? You was robbed!!! Mine was only US$4 (shipped)(with A2-PKM mount). But at least that's better than the Vivitar-Komine 28/2 CFWA -- that one cost me all of US$18 (shipped). Thieves everywhere...

**Lowell Goudge** · 09-05-2011, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by RioRico

US$9.51 ?!?!?!? You was robbed!!! Mine was only US$4 (shipped)(with A2-PKM mount). But at least that's better than the Vivitar-Komine 28/2 CFWA -- that one cost me all of US$18 (shipped). Thieves everywhere...

My Tammy 28/2.5 must be the most expensive one yet 12.99 but my Vic 28/2 was only $5

08-15-2011, 02:06 PM	#1
hman Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WEST CHESTER, PA Photos: Gallery Posts: 299	Various & Sundry 28mm f/2.8s I see many "makes" of this lens- Penney, Sears, Rokinon, Gemini, etc. Focal? Jupiter? Which have good reputations as I look for manual lenses on ebay, craig's list, goodwill, etc. Thanks!

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08-15-2011, 03:01 PM	#2
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Are many many makers of 28/2.8's, sold under many many more brands. NOTE: Jupiter is Russian / Ukrainian, the rest are Japanese. Usually. But Vivitar, Sears, JC Penny, Focal (K-Mart), Rokinon, Hanimex, many others, may come from the same dozen glass foundries. My Sears is probably Tomioka. My Focal is undoubtedly Makinon. My Access (macro) and Soligor are probably Tokina. My Hanimexes, I dunno, maybe Cosina and Chinon. At least I know where the Pentaxes are from! Third-party brands to look for (IMHO): Vivitar, Sears, Focal, Makinon, Chinon. If you want to go faster, some damn good f/2's and f/2.5's are branded Vivitar and Tamron (but be sure a Tamron includes an adapter). And of course the Pentaxes are great!

08-15-2011, 03:06 PM	#3
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675	I miss my albinar 28mm F/2.8 I sold. Not the sharpest but focused very close and was a fun lens to use. If your not anal about technical crap like everything being perfectly sharp wideopen I'd definitely suggest the cheapo lens. from here: Albinar 28mm test \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! to here: Albinar 28mm test \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! and every image between was taken to test the lens

08-15-2011, 03:10 PM	#4
hman Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WEST CHESTER, PA Photos: Gallery Posts: 299 Original Poster	Thanks for the info- this is very helpful...

08-15-2011, 04:24 PM	#5
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	You can get some great cheaper manual lenses - ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm I have listed for sale here on the forums. After taking the pics, I am starting to think about keeping it - the bokeh this thing produces is fantastic... https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/150099-sale-1...ml#post1615849 ...

08-15-2011, 07:16 PM	#6
jimr-pdx Pentaxian Join Date: May 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,897	I'm a big fan right now of my "Sears Macro" model - but I cannot say who the manufacturer is. My Sears 50 f/1.4 is clearly a Rikenon XR relabeled, but this 28mm has non-Rikenon features (e.g. half-stop clicks on the aperture ring). The macro setting is merely 1:4 but still it's fun to have. I also have the auto-Chinon, smaller lighter and to my eye lesser in IQ - but I have not done serious testing of either.

08-15-2011, 07:54 PM	#7
jsherman999 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,237	Originally posted by hman I see many "makes" of this lens- Penney, Sears, Rokinon, Gemini, etc. Focal? Jupiter? Which have good reputations as I look for manual lenses on ebay, craig's list, goodwill, etc. Thanks! The best old MF 28mm, IMO, is: Crop: But the Pentax M 28 f/2.8 is an inexpensive, quality optic, bokeh a bit busy, but most 28mms have busy bokeh - may want to just pick up one of those:

08-15-2011, 07:56 PM	#8
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675	To bad finding one with a decent price appears to be near impossible nowadays (I stopped looking recently after starting back when that 28mm thread was created)

08-15-2011, 08:04 PM	#9
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by joe.penn You can get some great cheaper manual lenses - ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm I have listed for sale here on the forums. After taking the pics, I am starting to think about keeping it - the bokeh this thing produces is fantastic... I have two of those in M42 mount -- yes, wonderful bokeh! One is branded as Focal, which I didn't know was Makinon until I physically compared some of my 28's of the same weight and found that these two are exact twins. The Mak comes with factory case and caps which I don't need, so when I do my next eBay sales frenzy, the Mak goes... to some lucky buyer!

08-15-2011, 10:28 PM	#10
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by jimr-pdx I'm a big fan right now of my "Sears Macro" model - but I cannot say who the manufacturer is I think the relatively newer ones were manufactured by samyang - the tell tale markings are the "Korea" or made in korea, the "A(P)" on the aperture ring and really bright orange lettering on the lens housing... ---

08-30-2011, 08:52 PM	#11
pezmaker Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 276	THREAD JACK! Originally posted by joe.penn ironically, I JUST NOW posted a couple pics taken with a Makinon 2.8 28mm Joe, I just bought a kitstar 28mm f2.8 off ebay the other day that looks an awful lot like the Makinon you posted pics of. That or a hanimex... I took some pics tonight to post for identification, but I forgot my card reader at the office... -_- d'oh! Did you have any issues with "haze" in your shots? The lens is about as clear and clean as you can get, including new - spotless... but all my pics (when given the picasa treatment) come out very hazy and not sharp. If I do some fairly minimal PP in ufraw, it gets significantly better, but I can still tell that it started out with a haze. Anyway, I know, I know. "post pics," etc. Would I post here since it's related, or start a new thread? Relatively new to the forums.

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08-30-2011, 08:56 PM	#12
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by pezmaker Anyway, I know, I know. "post pics," etc. Would I post here since it's related, or start a new thread? Relatively new to the forums I would start a new one and post some pics to it. And no, never had an issue with haziness with the Mak. --

09-05-2011, 04:06 PM	#13
minahasa Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Minahasa, North Celebes (Sulawesi) Photos: Albums Posts: 586	For 'cheap' 28, I'll go with Adaptall 28/2.5 -my best steal is US $9.51 two months ago, with PK mount and case- not everyday you could score like this, the price should be higher but at least not as high as Vivitar 28/2.

09-05-2011, 05:09 PM	#14
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Originally posted by minahasa For 'cheap' 28, I'll go with Adaptall 28/2.5 -my best steal is US $9.51 two months ago, with PK mount and case- not everyday you could score like this, the price should be higher but at least not as high as Vivitar 28/2. US$9.51 ?!?!?!? You was robbed!!! Mine was only US$4 (shipped)(with A2-PKM mount). But at least that's better than the Vivitar-Komine 28/2 CFWA -- that one cost me all of US$18 (shipped). Thieves everywhere...

09-05-2011, 05:56 PM	#15
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,886	Originally posted by RioRico US$9.51 ?!?!?!? You was robbed!!! Mine was only US$4 (shipped)(with A2-PKM mount). But at least that's better than the Vivitar-Komine 28/2 CFWA -- that one cost me all of US$18 (shipped). Thieves everywhere... My Tammy 28/2.5 must be the most expensive one yet 12.99 but my Vic 28/2 was only $5