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Chinon MC 35-70mm F2.7-3.5 Review RSS Feed

Chinon MC 35-70mm F2.7-3.5

Sharpness 
 7.7
Aberrations 
 7.0
Bokeh 
 8.3
Handling 
 9.0
Value 
 9.7
Reviews Views Date of last review
3 22,874 Mon October 11, 2021
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $36.67 9.00
Chinon MC 35-70mm F2.7-3.5
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Description:
AUTO CHINON ZOOM MC 35-70mm 1:2.7-3.5

mount: K-mount
filter thread: 58mm
macro function (1:2.4)
two-touch type zoom
Mount Type: Pentax K
Price History:



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Site Supporter

Registered: July, 2020
Posts: 98
Review Date: October 11, 2021 Recommended | Price: $20.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: 1:2.4 macro, colour, narrow DOF
Cons: long (and heavy) feels wrong at 35mm
Sharpness: 7    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 10    Handling: 8    Value: 10    Camera Used: Samsung GX10, KS-2   

I've only really started to test this with some quickly taken handheld shots but it looks like I have myself a bargain 70mm macro. Colour from JPEGs straight from the GX10 look stunning. Sharpness looks ok but it's really the narrow DOF and nice bokeh that will keep this one in my arsenal. It's definitely gives me possibilities I did not have before.




Similar in size to Tamron 44a but length extends a surprising way at 35mm and in macro.
It doesn't feel right at 35mm but actually handles very nicely at 70mm in macro. I probably need to test non-macro more but wide end definitely looks less exciting.
It balances well on the GX10 (Samsung's K10D) but is really too long and heavy for handheld shooting with the KS-2.


I do need to mark build quality down slightly. It feels really solid and focus and aperture rings are very nice but my copy has a slightly loose zoom ring. Aperture clicks are full stops (since I started regularly shooting with the XR Rikenon 28mm and 35mm I have started to appreciate this, it's actually much easier to adjust exposures when shooting manual) although this means at 70mm you're effectively always at some odd unmarked f-stop rather than 4, 5.6, 8 etc.

The test shots have left me quite excited to try this out more. Setting aside the speculations on the design which as far as I can see have no evidence this is one great old zoom lens that is worth picking up if you see it.

One more with mild PP in Darktable at maximum reproduction ratio

   
New Member

Registered: February, 2019
Posts: 15

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: February 8, 2019 Recommended | Price: $25.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Good range of optical accuracy
Cons: Nothing major
Sharpness: 7    Aberrations: 6    Bokeh: 6    Handling: 9    Value: 9    Camera Used: ME Super K-X   

It's really good as a flexible lens and it rivals both the A series SMC Pentax 1:4 35-70mm and M series SMC 2.8-4 40-80mm in both image sharpness, colour resolution and aberration. But image quality is not better if you comaper mint condition versions of these very old secondhand lenses. However, it can be found 50% cheaper than these two Pentax zooms on some online secondhand sales. It's as fiddly to operate as the M Series lens I just mentioned, but you get used to it.

The warm colour tones are lovely and it functions so well across the f-stop (f5.6-f11 are best as with almost all old zooms) The macro function is seriously good and very sharp. I think many people will show images close up as this lens gives best performance there. But venture towards infinity and things start to show limitations.

Bokeh is ordinary - as with almost all old zooms - and colour fringing chromatic aberration can show in brightly lit high contrast situations in the low-number f-stop range; again pretty normal for most old zoom lenses.

It's very compact. Great for inconspicuous use. Great for walkabout. Great for so much that so many prime lens lovers lug around two or three lenses for.

Pretty easy to get the glass out and clean it all up inside if you want a pristine dust-free version. Linked to that, you may see a few bashed up and abused examples, so be choosy. Mind you, I had one bought used and abused in 2009 that was full of fungus and dust and it only took 2 hours to clean out before it gave years of perfect service; all for $10. Try not to push prices up by spending more than $20-$30 for this lens.

Absolutely ideal for beginners and for folks with more experience who don't want to carry a trolley load of gear around.
   
Junior Member

Registered: June, 2012
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Posts: 36
Review Date: October 16, 2012 Recommended | Price: $65.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: cheap, sharp, fast, well built, useful range, "macro"
Cons: heavy, long at 35mm, soft wide open, some aberrations, old MC, no A setting or AF, rotating front barrel
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 6    Bokeh: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 10   

I bought it used not long ago for my 35mm camera. I wanted a fast zoom for general purposes and as a walkaround lens. I still don't have my first roll shot with it developed (when I have some film photos, I will post it in here), so in meantime I did some quick tests on digital (K10D). I found this cheap old zoom to be surprisingly good! Handling is good as this lens is a two-touch zoom, as we are all used to in digital age. The bad thing is that it prolongs towards wide end. It is much longer than a 35mm F2.7 lens should be. Focusing is smooth and the focus throw is long enough (about 180°). The front barrel rotates when focusing. It has 8 aperture blades.
Overall image quality is pretty good (for a manual zoom). Images are a bit soft (but still usable) wide open, but stopped down few stops and this lens is sharper and more detailed than my standard SMC Pentax DA 18-55 F3.5-5.6 zoom. On the other side, on low f-numbers it is the same or even softer than the Pentax. Stopped down it is a solid macro (or "closeup") lens for digital, its optical magnification is 1:2:4, on digital it gets to 1:1.6 equivalent.
It is prone to flare, it's coating isn't on par with SMC coating. Some CA can be seen even stopped down quite a few clicks. They are not horrible, but they are there in some conditions and that's why I rate lower.
Here are some test pics (100% crops from 10mpx):


The sofftnes of the wide open lens is visible here. Still, I would not hesitate to use it, particularly on film, where this lens belongs.


*close distance:-)
This is interesting. My standard Pentax zoom got beaten. It would be not surprising from a better digital zoom or a prime, but I didn't expect old manual zooms to be that good.


35mm is a draw, except the Chinon providing slightly better reproduction of the print pattern.


A bokeh "test". The "background" environment is very harsh - dirty window, iron bars, a web and some buildings. I thing the Chinon zoom managed it quite well.

So I think for the amount of money I paid I got a quality lens for film and occasional use on digital. The only thing I am curious about is the relationship (and IQ differences) between this lens and the CZJ Vario Practicar 35-70 2.7-3-5 MC, which looks almost identical in specs and handling, but sells at ten times higher prices...
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