| Review of: Makinon MC Auto Zoom 28-80mm F3.5 by sabrina on Fri May 31, 2019 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
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Reviews: 1
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This lens was a surprise: after putting a $1 bid online, I did some digging and heard bad things about the 28-80 f/3.5-4.5 and started to regret my impulse. I hoped someone would outbid me, but after a few days I won the auction: this is not a popular lens. Since arriving, though, I've been consistently impressed.
Before even taking a single picture, I was surprised by the build quality; heavy, all metal, and with a huge front element (72mm filter size, with glass right up to the filter threads). The only issue I had was that the mount was very tight on my K-S2, and it felt like something was scraping that shouldn't be. I confirmed that everything was fine, just tight; it may have been manufactured that way because of the weight. Changing the focal length doesn't lengthen the lens, but adjusting the focus does marginally.
This lens is absolutely a macro/close focus lens through and through; the focus ring starts at 0.23m and it's 90 degree throw is entirely under 2m, giving you a lot of control close up. The last marked focus distance before infinity is 1.8m/6ft; this is not a lens designed for landscape shots.
Colours are muted, but not dull, and I've not noticed any CA, fringing, or distortion in any of my shots. It seems optically sound, but definitely struggles with sharpness for anything past 2m. Once I gave up trying to make it work for that, it's found a place in my lens collection.
I have an album of photos I've taken with this lens here; it went from a regret to one of my favourite bargain lens. I've attached some samples:
 Perfect Fit
Not macro, but shot at 28mm. Unknown aperture.
 Ferns after the rain
Using the close focus ability of the lens. Here the more muted colours work for the image, emphasising the post rain wetness and mud.
 Tiny bugs on Twirly-Whirls
A good example of bokeh. It doesn't always look great, especially in the middle aperture ranges
There are additional images in that album, and I'm sure more to be added. This lens is a keeper!
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| Review of: Focal MC Auto 28mm F2.8 by sabrina on Fri May 31, 2019 | Rating: 7 | View more reviews | |
Views: 12523
Reviews: 4
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I have a K-Mart brand Focal MC Auto 28mm f/2.8 originally made by Makinon (which has it's own page). I know Makinon had issues with quality control, and I wonder if K-Mart included some additional QC requirements in their business agreement as my copy (and, from what I've read, other peoples) isn't as bad as the Makinon-branded version is reputed to be.
A local thrift store find for $6 CAD in Minolta mount, I decided to grab it and bare-minimum have something to play around with. Thanks to the way the lens was designed, it was pretty straight forward to adapt it to K-Mount with Infinity Focus (or close; it's a work in progress).
I haven't had it long, so I need to run it through it's paces yet, but from my limited testing it performs adequately:
 Fish Chilling at the Shore, f/5.6-8
I think this image shows the sharpness and lack of distortion across the lens.
 Rotting Power Box, unknown f/stop, cropped
I expected this photo to have a lot more fringing and CA; shot in early Spring in direct harsh sunlight. You can even read the digits on the meter, especially in the original uncompressed version.
 Behind the Garden Shed, wide open (f/2.8), slight crop
The eight bladed aperture makes for nice round bokeh.
 Just a general test shot, f/8 uncropped on APS-C
I think here you really start to see the muted colours.
I think the lens lives up to more than the other reviews suggest, but it's certainly not stellar. Sharpness seems fine to me, with surprisingly little distortion or CA/fringing. The colour seems to tend towards being dark and muted but not dull, similar to another Makinon I own.
I may come back and update this review after using it more; you can find my album of photos taken with this lens here. | |
