Need help with assessing this old M42 Sigma lens

**Skodadriver** · 07-14-2016, 09:16 AM

I bought a couple of M42 lenses at auction and one of them does not appear to have any info on the net.
It is a SIGMA HIGH-SPEED 80-200mm (constant?) F3.5 one touch with "macro" 1:4.
The 200mm end is nearest to the camera.
No stop down switch.
8 blades. 62mm filter thread.
Too many screws around the mount!
Very soft at F3.5.

I have read that the Sigma high-speed zooms were nothing special but if this is a constant 3.5, maybe this one is.
Does anyone have experience of this lens?

I would like to sleeve the stop down pin to enable use but am put off by the number of screws around and on the mount.
Is this an example of a Sigma version of an interchangeable mount?
There are 5 screws around the mount, 3 in close proximity to each other and 2 more at 90 degs to those 3 and 180 degs to each other.
4 screws in the face of the mount, 3 x head and one slotted.

Thank you to anybody that can help.

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vonBaloney · 07-14-2016, 09:36 AM

Constant-speed zooms are not necessarily higher quality than a variable-speed zoom -- especially an old third-party zoom. It is harder to make a good constant-speed zoom. So soft wide-open is probably to be expected, and is what I've found almost universally among older "fast" third-party lenses. But many of these old things are surprisingly good when you stop them down a bit. (Most of the old Vivitar Series 1 non-macro prime lenses that were a stop or half-stop faster than usual were like this -- they tend to be very soft wide-open but pretty good stopped down.)

**boriscleto** · 07-14-2016, 09:37 AM

Keep in mind that Sigma was know as Stigma in those days...

Sigma did have an interchangeable mount at one point, the YS mount, but this is not one of them. I'm pretty sure they continued with bolt-on lens mounts for years after they abandoned the YS mount.

YS Interchangeable Adapter Mounts, Y-S lens mount

D1N0 · 07-14-2016, 09:38 AM

Try to jam the aperture pin in the stopped down position. Then the aperture will close

vonBaloney · 07-14-2016, 09:43 AM

No A/M switch? Bit weird for the vintage. I'd just superglue the pin on such a lens, although some people warn against it I've done it lots of times without issue. (Just do in well-ventilated area -- once dry it is fine.)

**TomB_tx** · 07-14-2016, 10:19 AM

Back in my day, before through the lens metering, zooms were constant speed in order to meter accurately. They also weren't very good. So if this dates to that period...
Back then catalogs had "lenses" and "zoom lenses" as there were so few zooms they didn't need to say "prime" lens.

Not a Number · 07-14-2016, 10:45 AM

According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages).

Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens?

vonBaloney · 07-14-2016, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages).

Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens?

I don't think a T-mount would have an aperture pin like that -- gotta be an m42.

**boriscleto** · 07-14-2016, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages).

Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens?

Sigma continued to use a bolted-on lens mount long after they stopped with the Y-S. I have a K-mount Sigma XQ 28mm that has a very clunky looking lens mount...

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Name: _IMG1214-2.jpg
Views: 648
Size: 254.5 KB

**Skodadriver** · 07-14-2016, 12:34 PM

Many thanks to all you kind people that have posted.

I shall pop the mount off sometime and sleeve the pin and.......not be too surprised if it turns out to be a bit of a duffer image wise.
I have an old Sigma mini wide 28mm F2.8 that I quite like (K mount) so maybe this will be likeable too.

**Skodadriver** · 07-15-2016, 12:20 PM

Update on this lens.
I took out the 3 retaining screws on the mount face and removed the plate containing the stop down pin.
Unfortunately the ball bearing aperture click maker and a tiny brass tube fell off.
I have no idea where this brass tube goes but re-assembled the lens with a tiny tube cut from a cotton bud (Q tip?) sleeved over the pin.
Result....lens stops down, seems to work fine....but this tiny brass tube is bugging me. It must go somewhere!

Today was overcast and I did not take many images. It is soft wide open and improves down a couple of stops then sharpens up. High contrast (white lettering) shows some green fringing wide open but this goes as it stops down. I have some not as good manual zooms ( one is called a Formula 1, great brand name!) and maybe a couple of better ones. The better ones (Tamron SPs) have zoom creep which this is not yet suffering from and purple fringing not green.
I shall try it some more in the sun...when we get some. First impressions are that it is not a bad lens....stopped down, and a reasonably fast aperture for it's length.

Thank yous again to all who posted replies.

07-14-2016, 09:37 AM	#3
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Keep in mind that Sigma was know as Stigma in those days... Sigma did have an interchangeable mount at one point, the YS mount, but this is not one of them. I'm pretty sure they continued with bolt-on lens mounts for years after they abandoned the YS mount. YS Interchangeable Adapter Mounts, Y-S lens mount Last edited by boriscleto; 07-14-2016 at 09:44 AM.

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07-14-2016, 09:36 AM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Constant-speed zooms are not necessarily higher quality than a variable-speed zoom -- especially an old third-party zoom. It is harder to make a good constant-speed zoom. So soft wide-open is probably to be expected, and is what I've found almost universally among older "fast" third-party lenses. But many of these old things are surprisingly good when you stop them down a bit. (Most of the old Vivitar Series 1 non-macro prime lenses that were a stop or half-stop faster than usual were like this -- they tend to be very soft wide-open but pretty good stopped down.)

07-14-2016, 09:38 AM	#4
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	Try to jam the aperture pin in the stopped down position. Then the aperture will close

07-14-2016, 09:43 AM	#5
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	No A/M switch? Bit weird for the vintage. I'd just superglue the pin on such a lens, although some people warn against it I've done it lots of times without issue. (Just do in well-ventilated area -- once dry it is fine.)

07-14-2016, 10:19 AM	#6
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	Back in my day, before through the lens metering, zooms were constant speed in order to meter accurately. They also weren't very good. So if this dates to that period... Back then catalogs had "lenses" and "zoom lenses" as there were so few zooms they didn't need to say "prime" lens.

07-14-2016, 10:45 AM	#7
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages). Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens?

07-14-2016, 11:25 AM	#8
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by Not a Number According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages). Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens? I don't think a T-mount would have an aperture pin like that -- gotta be an m42.

07-14-2016, 11:41 AM	#9
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by Not a Number According to the article linked in boriscleto's post the Y-S system is compatible with T-mount. So you could us a T-mount adapter in place of a Y-S adapter with loss of automation (no linkage). Or a T-mount lens on a Y-S adapter (no linkages). Are you sure this is a M42 thread and not a T-mount/Y-S thread on this lens? Sigma continued to use a bolted-on lens mount long after they stopped with the Y-S. I have a K-mount Sigma XQ 28mm that has a very clunky looking lens mount...

07-14-2016, 12:34 PM	#10
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892 Original Poster	Many thanks to all you kind people that have posted. I shall pop the mount off sometime and sleeve the pin and.......not be too surprised if it turns out to be a bit of a duffer image wise. I have an old Sigma mini wide 28mm F2.8 that I quite like (K mount) so maybe this will be likeable too.

07-15-2016, 12:20 PM	#11
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892 Original Poster	Update on this lens. I took out the 3 retaining screws on the mount face and removed the plate containing the stop down pin. Unfortunately the ball bearing aperture click maker and a tiny brass tube fell off. I have no idea where this brass tube goes but re-assembled the lens with a tiny tube cut from a cotton bud (Q tip?) sleeved over the pin. Result....lens stops down, seems to work fine....but this tiny brass tube is bugging me. It must go somewhere! Today was overcast and I did not take many images. It is soft wide open and improves down a couple of stops then sharpens up. High contrast (white lettering) shows some green fringing wide open but this goes as it stops down. I have some not as good manual zooms ( one is called a Formula 1, great brand name!) and maybe a couple of better ones. The better ones (Tamron SPs) have zoom creep which this is not yet suffering from and purple fringing not green. I shall try it some more in the sun...when we get some. First impressions are that it is not a bad lens....stopped down, and a reasonably fast aperture for it's length. Thank yous again to all who posted replies.