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Pallas Magenta AM M42 28mm F2.8 | | Latest Review Posted | Pallas Magenta AM M42 28mm F2.8
This lens is an enigma in so many ways.
I'm not sure who the manufacturer was, but it has some of the same build characteristics of some of the Chinon and Revuenon lenses of the late 70s and early 80s (but not the optical performance, at least of the Chinons of the era). The aperture steps are in half stops and the focus ring has a depth of field scale. The lettering is engraved and the overall look and feel is high quality. There are several variants of 28mm lenses with this name. Mine has a 62mm filter thread and a correspondingly large front element with little to no coating visible on the surface. I have seen versions of this lens with 55 and 58 mm filter threads and smaller front elements for sale over the years.
The Pallas Magenta 28mm is as solid as a rock in terms of construction and overall handling. It's a very pleasant M42 lens to use because it has a nice, big focus ring that's perfectly damped and a great A/M switch. That's where the pluses end I'm afraid.
Wide open, I can only describe the output as "through a fog". Coma is brutal and contrasty areas have a broad halo, especially when they are in close focus. On the other hand, this lens is capable of generating very sharp images between f/5.6 and f/11 in good light, but only in the center. The edges, even on APS-C, never really get sharp at any aperture, but they are acceptable at ~f/8 on APS-C. On a film body, the edges are genuinely bad at all apertures.
On a film body, this lens can give an i... | |
