Zenitar manual

**NaClH2O** · 03-16-2007, 07:06 AM

Hello everybody, the thread from Arpe reminded me. My Zenitar fish eye came with the manual, unfortunately it's in Russian. Is there anything in there I need to know? And what about the 3 gelatin filters that come in their little cake box, are they for film only? Or do I need them for digital too?

NaCl(thanks Arpe for reminding me about this)H2O

PeterAM · 03-16-2007, 07:22 AM

Go over to DPR and search Zenitar. There is a very long posting on there that really is a manual on how to use it. I think that it was posted by Jonas but not sure.

**NaClH2O** · 03-16-2007, 07:29 AM

Thanks Peter, hopefully their search function is up and running again. Otherwise I can just ask I guess.

NaCl(don't go over there much anymore)H2O

Jonas B · 03-16-2007, 08:00 AM

For the filters, leave the clear looking one mounted to the lens' rear end. The colored ones are for b&w film use only.

There is nothing else in the manual you need to know. You can search for it (there is an English version somewhere) over the Net.

**NaClH2O** · 03-16-2007, 09:29 AM

Thanks Jonas. What does the clear filter do? Also, I think at one time you mentioned something about the fisheye distortion decreasing towards rectilinear at times, is there some way to use the lens to either increase or decrease distortion?

NaCl(that would be super cool)H2O

Jonas B · 03-16-2007, 10:05 AM

The clear filter is a part of the optics. So, it's used instead of the colored filters when they are not in use. Now the filter effect seems to be mainly a shift of the focus point so it's no catastrophy removing it (but if your distance scale is okay now, then why make it misaligned? Maybe the filters have some other optical effect as well, but the shifted focus is the only reported one.

I don't think I have said that the fisheye effect can decrease. But I'm usually bordering to confusionand if you addmy bad English it may have turned out like that. I probably said something about the possibility to use the lens as a semi-fish and as a rectlinear very wide lens. Then I was thinking of using is it as usual and then "de-fish" the pictures in proxel or PTLens.

that's all there is to it, I hope!

**NaClH2O** · 03-16-2007, 10:35 AM

Thanks Jonas. Found an English manual on the web. I'm pretty sure the clear filter is already in place on the lens. The were only three filters in their little "cakebox" case: the yellow, the green, and the red. So either the clear filter is in place on the lens (the manual says it should be) or it's missing. I'm at work so I will have to wait till I get home to check.
It could very well be that I misunderstood you, or completely misremembered what you said. It was before I got the Zenitar so I wasn't paying much attention. and yes, I've found that out for myself, if I keep the main horizontal and vertical lines running thru or near the center of the lens the fisheye effect is greatly diminished. I was hoping to go the other way tho, I want more FE effect!

NaCl(and to think 2 months ago I said I didn't like fisheye distortion)H2O

Jonas B · 03-16-2007, 11:45 AM

Peleng. After all, the Zenitar is for kids.

roscot · 03-16-2007, 01:46 PM

Hi Salty,
You can make the image appear to be rectilinear with the Z lens, by careful composition of straight lines. here are a couple of examples done with the 10-17.

The first is what you expect from a FE lens
Pentax *ist DS ,Pentax smc P-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED (IF)
1/20s f/3.5 at 10.0mm iso1600

This next one is not Defished. Taken a few moments after the first. It is just the way it was composed. I was rather surprised by this at first.
Pentax *ist DS ,Pentax smc P-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED (IF) 1/25s f/3.5 at 10.0mm iso1600

roscot · 03-16-2007, 01:50 PM

You use it just like a K or M lens.

PeterAM · 03-16-2007, 02:36 PM

Salty:

My Z arrived with the clear lens already attached (I remember getting PO'd because it appeared to be missing/not with the colored filters).

**NaClH2O** · 03-16-2007, 03:13 PM

Originally posted by roscot

Hi Salty,
You can make the image appear to be rectilinear with the Z lens, by careful composition of straight lines. here are a couple of examples done with the 10-17.

Hi Alan thanks for the great examples! I sorta discovered that by accident. I was hoping for a much greater FE distortion on this shot. But it came out OK anyway:

One more question and I'll stop. I know there are programs out there that allow you to "de fish" images. Can you use them backwards? I mean by taking a straight image and distorting it via software so it looks like it was taken with a fish eye? Or a slightly "fishy" image and make it more fishy?

NaCl(maybe my boss is right, maybe my brain is distorted)H2O

foxglove · 03-17-2007, 07:57 AM

Originally posted by Jonas B

Peleng. After all, the Zenitar is for kids.

You mean that Peleng 8mm FE? I thought its rear element extended too far into the camera body and would get whacked by the mirror. Or am I thinking of a different lens?

Julie

Jonas B · 03-18-2007, 12:54 AM

Originally posted by foxglove

You mean that Peleng 8mm FE? I thought its rear element extended too far into the camera body and would get whacked by the mirror. Or am I thinking of a different lens?
Julie

I think you are thinking of a different lens. The Peleng 8mm FE should work fine, I have never heard of any mirror problems and a quick search gave me this:
Peleng 8mm fish-eye on k10d: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
You'll still not get a full fish-eye circle, not even with the Peleng, but it is considerably wider than the Zenitar.

Optically the Pentax 10-17mm FE Zoom is better.

I have earlier bookmarked a gallery by Jim King (a friendly and well known lens mogul over at DPR): Comparison of Ultrawide Angle Lenses Photo Gallery by Jim King at pbase.com

foxglove · 03-18-2007, 08:41 AM

Originally posted by Jonas B

I think you are thinking of a different lens. The Peleng 8mm FE should work fine, I have never heard of any mirror problems

Hm, I wonder what I was thinking about? Not that I'm in the market for another FE lens - the Zeni's fine for me, given how much time I have to use it (i.e. not much). Someday maybe a Pentax zoom will be in the budget...

Thanks for the info!

Julie

03-16-2007, 07:06 AM	#1
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	Zenitar manual Hello everybody, the thread from Arpe reminded me. My Zenitar fish eye came with the manual, unfortunately it's in Russian. Is there anything in there I need to know? And what about the 3 gelatin filters that come in their little cake box, are they for film only? Or do I need them for digital too? NaCl(thanks Arpe for reminding me about this)H2O

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03-16-2007, 07:22 AM	#2
PeterAM Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Litchfield, CT Posts: 539	Go over to DPR and search Zenitar. There is a very long posting on there that really is a manual on how to use it. I think that it was posted by Jonas but not sure.

03-16-2007, 07:29 AM	#3
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Thanks Peter, hopefully their search function is up and running again. Otherwise I can just ask I guess. NaCl(don't go over there much anymore)H2O

03-16-2007, 08:00 AM	#4
Jonas B Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 810	For the filters, leave the clear looking one mounted to the lens' rear end. The colored ones are for b&w film use only. There is nothing else in the manual you need to know. You can search for it (there is an English version somewhere) over the Net.

03-16-2007, 09:29 AM	#5
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Thanks Jonas. What does the clear filter do? Also, I think at one time you mentioned something about the fisheye distortion decreasing towards rectilinear at times, is there some way to use the lens to either increase or decrease distortion? NaCl(that would be super cool)H2O

03-16-2007, 10:05 AM	#6
Jonas B Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 810	The clear filter is a part of the optics. So, it's used instead of the colored filters when they are not in use. Now the filter effect seems to be mainly a shift of the focus point so it's no catastrophy removing it (but if your distance scale is okay now, then why make it misaligned? Maybe the filters have some other optical effect as well, but the shifted focus is the only reported one. I don't think I have said that the fisheye effect can decrease. But I'm usually bordering to confusionand if you addmy bad English it may have turned out like that. I probably said something about the possibility to use the lens as a semi-fish and as a rectlinear very wide lens. Then I was thinking of using is it as usual and then "de-fish" the pictures in proxel or PTLens. that's all there is to it, I hope!

03-16-2007, 10:35 AM	#7
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Thanks Jonas. Found an English manual on the web. I'm pretty sure the clear filter is already in place on the lens. The were only three filters in their little "cakebox" case: the yellow, the green, and the red. So either the clear filter is in place on the lens (the manual says it should be) or it's missing. I'm at work so I will have to wait till I get home to check. It could very well be that I misunderstood you, or completely misremembered what you said. It was before I got the Zenitar so I wasn't paying much attention. and yes, I've found that out for myself, if I keep the main horizontal and vertical lines running thru or near the center of the lens the fisheye effect is greatly diminished. I was hoping to go the other way tho, I want more FE effect! NaCl(and to think 2 months ago I said I didn't like fisheye distortion)H2O

03-16-2007, 11:45 AM	#8
Jonas B Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 810	Peleng. After all, the Zenitar is for kids.

03-16-2007, 01:46 PM	#9
roscot Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach VA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,363	Hi Salty, You can make the image appear to be rectilinear with the Z lens, by careful composition of straight lines. here are a couple of examples done with the 10-17. The first is what you expect from a FE lens Pentax ist DS ,Pentax smc P-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED (IF) 1/20s f/3.5 at 10.0mm iso1600 This next one is not Defished. Taken a few moments after the first. It is just the way it was composed. I was rather surprised by this at first. Pentax ist DS ,Pentax smc P-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 ED (IF) 1/25s f/3.5 at 10.0mm iso1600

03-16-2007, 01:50 PM	#10
roscot Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach VA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,363	You use it just like a K or M lens.

03-16-2007, 02:36 PM	#11
PeterAM Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Litchfield, CT Posts: 539	Salty: My Z arrived with the clear lens already attached (I remember getting PO'd because it appeared to be missing/not with the colored filters).

03-16-2007, 03:13 PM	#12
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631 Original Poster	Originally posted by roscot Hi Salty, You can make the image appear to be rectilinear with the Z lens, by careful composition of straight lines. here are a couple of examples done with the 10-17. Hi Alan thanks for the great examples! I sorta discovered that by accident. I was hoping for a much greater FE distortion on this shot. But it came out OK anyway: One more question and I'll stop. I know there are programs out there that allow you to "de fish" images. Can you use them backwards? I mean by taking a straight image and distorting it via software so it looks like it was taken with a fish eye? Or a slightly "fishy" image and make it more fishy? NaCl(maybe my boss is right, maybe my brain is distorted)H2O

03-17-2007, 07:57 AM	#13
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049	Originally posted by Jonas B Peleng. After all, the Zenitar is for kids. You mean that Peleng 8mm FE? I thought its rear element extended too far into the camera body and would get whacked by the mirror. Or am I thinking of a different lens? Julie

03-18-2007, 12:54 AM	#14
Jonas B Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Göteborg, Sweden Posts: 810	Originally posted by foxglove You mean that Peleng 8mm FE? I thought its rear element extended too far into the camera body and would get whacked by the mirror. Or am I thinking of a different lens? Julie I think you are thinking of a different lens. The Peleng 8mm FE should work fine, I have never heard of any mirror problems and a quick search gave me this: Peleng 8mm fish-eye on k10d: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review You'll still not get a full fish-eye circle, not even with the Peleng, but it is considerably wider than the Zenitar. Optically the Pentax 10-17mm FE Zoom is better. I have earlier bookmarked a gallery by Jim King (a friendly and well known lens mogul over at DPR): Comparison of Ultrawide Angle Lenses Photo Gallery by Jim King at pbase.com

03-18-2007, 08:41 AM	#15
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049	Originally posted by Jonas B I think you are thinking of a different lens. The Peleng 8mm FE should work fine, I have never heard of any mirror problems Hm, I wonder what I was thinking about? Not that I'm in the market for another FE lens - the Zeni's fine for me, given how much time I have to use it (i.e. not much). Someday maybe a Pentax zoom will be in the budget... Thanks for the info! Julie