Log in or register to remove ads.

Showing all 92 reviews by Jean Poitiers

Review of: Soligor C/D Wide-Auto 20mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu September 27, 2018 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 52187 Reviews: 4 Hi, My copy is a re-badged Spiratone Plura-Coat that I purchased from another PF member. It was a bit "expensive" for me, but the images are great and it stays a lot on the K-1, thus overall a very nice acquisition. I am not one for "tech" type reviews ... I prefer to let the images speak for themselves ... here is my flickr album : https://www.flickr.com/photos/139020494@N02/albums/72157681469867254 A few samples : Heading to new targets by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Yamaha by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Wide open by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Fête de l'Huma - n° 1 by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr B&W in the park by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Tiny mantis by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr

Review of: Universon (Tomioka) 55mm F1.4 by Jean Poitiers on Sun December 3, 2017 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 5112 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, I picked up this Tomioka re-badged lens at a boot sale for 3€. I knew what it was when I saw it, because I also have an Auto-Rikenon 55/1.4 copy of this lens. I used this lens an entire month as my Single Challenges lens on the K-1, so here is the flickr album : https://www.flickr.com/photos/139020494@N02/albums/72157687485250714 Here are a few sample images. Cheers, J Hide & seek fail by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr A spare in the making ... by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr B&W park bench by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Illuminated violet by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Keyhole by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Crumble by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr

Review of: Pentacon / Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Mon August 10, 2015 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 116676 Reviews: 18 Bonjour, Well, I picked up a Pentacon pre-set version of this lens for 12€ delivered and could not be happier. I had seen some images and had put this lens on my "radar list" ... below are some sample images at or near MFD and f4.5 ... still learning this lens. A "9" rating for this focus distance and its bokeh ... at longer distances its just "OK" in my books ... so a 7.5 score there.

Review of: Auto Mamiya/Sekor SX 50mm F2.0 by Jean Poitiers on Tue October 28, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 16829 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, New "Franken-lens" project here ... Thanks to my Dremel and a Chinese M42 to PK flanged adapter, I converted a Mamiya/Sekor Auto SX 50/2 (another thrift store acquisition). Also, I super-glued the aperture pin down resulting in a full manual lens. Far focus is only about ten feet ... more can be gained if I machine the aperture ring down, etc. But, this is really beyond how I want to use this lens. Having fun experimenting with this new creation ... so, an initial "8" rating for the moment and a few test captures in our garden ... Salut, J

Review of: Auto Revuenon 45mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri October 10, 2014 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 20197 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, This lens is as good as the M 40/2.8 for a fraction of the average price of the Pentax. Good IQ and decent bokeh possible and I sold my M 40 and kept this lens as my "pancake". Never really warmed up to the M 40 that I had (maybe it wasn't a super copy) and have been slightly more satisfied by the Revuenon 45. I use this lens as a light, small walk-around on the MX. A rather tiny kit overall ... and the images above in this review are of my copy. Will try to add a few sample images later. If you come across a copy of this 45/2.8 which is inexpensive, get it. You will not be disappointed at all. Salut, J

Review of: Kenko Fish-Eye 180° Auxillary lens by Jean Poitiers on Fri October 3, 2014 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 10022 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, I picked up this fish-eye at a swap meet and it's relatively fun. My copy only has the 52mm adapted and does not have the lens cap, so it's stored in a case. I have only tested this fish-eye with a K 50/1.4 since it has 52mm threads. I will post some sample images later ... Salut, J

Review of: Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.7 by Jean Poitiers on Wed September 24, 2014 | Rating: 10 View more reviews

Views: 50342 Reviews: 7 Bonjour, This is an excellent lens and is one of the best of my multiple 50/55/58's ... even better than a few f/1.4 lenses, in some aspects. Sharp from wide open and nice bokeh. The build of this lens is excellent and a joy to handle. Would love to try out the faster f/1.4 version, but I do not think that there would be an enormous advantage of an extra stop. Will try to post a nice sample image later. Allez et bon courage, J Edit - sample image - Wide open and near MFD ... ISO 200 @ 1/100s due to slight breeze

Review of: Macro Revuenon 35mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Mon September 1, 2014 | Rating: 4 View more reviews

Views: 12196 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Well, this was a mistake French eBay auction purchase. I was the only bidder and it was fortunately not expensive. Curiosity got the better of me ... Poor all plastic build which is quite stiff for the focus throw and a bizarre cheapo clickless aperture with a control lever. Lens glass seems to be without any treatment and is not sharp until heavy stop down. Close focus "macro" at 10.5 inches and has a long focus throw. Max aperture is only f16 ... far too short from a "macro" in my books. Here's a sample image @ f16 and MFD ... not very deep nor very "macro" ... and rather disappointing overall. Win some, loose some on eBay. Salut, J

Review of: Zenit MC Helios 44M-4 58mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Sat August 30, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 14784 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Just a quick entry here for the MC version of the 44M-4 series Helios 58/2. Needed to use a cut hollow Q-tip stem to make the lens full manual. A straight "8" across the board rating for the moment with samples images to come. Salut, J Edit : Here's some initial wide open tests that I made rapidly in the backyard ...

Review of: Edixagon 50mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Fri July 25, 2014 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 18955 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, Another quick entry of a lens that I acquired ... according to the Web, it is quite rare. I have only made some initial test shots and will post some nicer ones later. Salut, Jean le Green Frog Here area few quick backyard snaps ... wide open or near wide open.

Review of: Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri July 25, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 20752 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, A quick entry for this Yashica 135/2.8 ... so far a very good lens overall and need to take more captures. A super "garage sale" score along with another lens +++ ... Modest "8" overall rating for the moment and some sample images later on. Edit: Below are a few quick backyard snaps at wide open or near ... overcast skies, maybe more, better later.

Review of: Helios 44 (KMZ) M42, 8 blades 58mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Mon June 2, 2014 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 48969 Reviews: 4 Bonjour, I won this lens out of the UK ... had been searching for a while and found one attached to an old Zenith SLR. No hesitations in buying it for the bid winning price ... got lucky again. Please note that this is not a "44-2" ... same looks, M42 and blade count ... I am still searching for a silver 39mm 13 blade version of a "44" ... but have not found one, yet. Here's some pretty much "wide open" test samples (SOOC on the K-5) of my 8 blade M42 version of this "44" lens.

Review of: aus JENA (Carl Zeiss) "S" (Sonnar) 135mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sun May 25, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 28553 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, Picked up an decent copy of this "aus Jena" lens at Poitiers' swap and had to service a slightly stiff focus ring. This lens is exactly the same as a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 135/3.5, since I have both and compared them together, only very minor exterior markings differences. My CZ Sonnar developed a problem with its external stop down lever, so I dissembled both lens side by side to find the problem with the CZ Sonnar. Inside, both lens are identical mechanically and I repaired the CZ Sonnar thanks to the "aus Jena" copy; also cleaned up/out some minor haze/fungus upon the rear element block on the "aus Jena". Some sample shots to come later ... quite happy with this acquisition. Allez et salut, J

Review of: aus JENA Carl Zeiss "S" Sonnar (zebra) 135mm F4 by Jean Poitiers on Sun May 25, 2014 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 17667 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Just a quick entry for this 135/4 aus Jena (Carl Zeiss). I picked it up cheap at the Poiters annual swap meet since it had rear element fungus (which I cleaned out easily) and it had a very stiff focus throw (more problematic). Have shot a few test and really not too impressed for the moment. I need to further "overhaul" this lens ... Thus a base benchmark "7" overall mark/rating for the moment with sample images to come later once repairs are (hopefully) finalized. Allez et salut, J

Review of: Jena (Carl Zeiss) Cardinar (in Werra Rangefinder m 100mm F4 by Jean Poitiers on Thu May 15, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 11357 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Yet another "Franken-lens" creation ... Found a Werra Rangefinder lens at my thrift store: a Jena (Carl Zeiss) Cardinar 100/4 in decent shape, but I do need to pull apart the glass and clean up some minor haze/fungus ... still quite usable. Tubed it to about 22mm to have a "correct" registration distance ... this was all trail and error ... and re-try again. Here are some early sample test shots ... wide open or near ... the second one is with additional tube length added. Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Helios 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Mon May 12, 2014 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 32601 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Acquired this "Made in Japan" Helios 135mm f2.8 in a Zenit kit purchase via French evilBay. Nice build and seems slightly above average so far (nope, see "Edit"), but need to get outside and test further. Thus, a "7" straight across the board rating for the moment ... test images to come later. Allez & salut, John le Frog EDIT: After shooting a bit with this 135, I am a bit disappointed ... barely average results, not sharp ... thus lowering to a "6" rating ... will try again later, but not too enthusiastic here ... J Some swirl ... ? Just kidding ...

Review of: Helios ("Lens Made in Japan") 28mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Mon May 12, 2014 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 30253 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Acquired this "Made in Japan" Helios 28mm f2.8 in a Zenit kit purchase via French evilBay. Nice build and seems only average so far, but need to get outside and test further. Thus, a "7" straight across the board rating for the moment ... test images to come later. Allez & salut, John le Frog Edit ... some images with a bit of LR4 PP ... Still just a "7" overall; nothing special, just average

Review of: Voigtlander Color-Ultron 50mm F1.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun May 4, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 18230 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Again, another lens that should not "fit" a PK mount, but that never really stopped me ... An excellent Voigtlander Color-Ultron /1.8 (in Rollei QBM) that I swapped for at Poitiers' annual photo expo ... Got it for a song along with a Carl Zeiss Planar 50/1.8, also in QBM. Due large registration difference, far focus is not much more than about 1 meter ... no problem for me since I will be using it for "close" applications. I have created a rudimentary hard felt spacer to fill in the gap between the end of the lens mount and the beginning of the PK DSLR mount. This helps to better "center" the lens, makes things more stable and removes any possible light leak complications, etc. Below is an image on the K-5 with the hard felt spacer, an Amaryllis @ f2.8 and a "high noon" test shot which was pretty much wide open. More and better images to come later ... [COLOR=Black]Allez et salut, John le Frog [/COLOR]

Review of: Carl Zeiss Planar (in Rolllei QBM mount) 50mm F1.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu May 1, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 18018 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Just a quick entry of a lens that should not fit a PK mount ... I picked this CZ Planar 50/1.8 in Rollei QBM mount at Poitiers' swap meet/exchange for a song. It will "force fit" on a PK mount, but because of large registration difference, no far focus past one meter without modificatin which seems quite difficult. Thus, I will be using this lens for "close" applications. Below are two early test shots. Salut, John le Frog @ f2.8 wide open

Review of: Angenieux zoom 35-70mm F2.5-3.3 by Jean Poitiers on Wed February 5, 2014 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 22577 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, Just a quick entry of my Angénieux 35-70 that I recently received from the original owner ... all good so far and awaiting better weather to go out and put this lens through its paces. Here's what my set looks like ... plus I will re-review and post sample images later. Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Sun Macro MC 28-80mm F3.5-4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Thu January 23, 2014 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 10634 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Picked up copy of this lens, and the initial tests reveal only a modest, average lens in my books. The "macro" function is handy, but only @1:4 ... with a dedicated ring and release button. Some images to come maybe once the weather is more cooperative ... Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (13A) 24-48mm F3.5-3.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun January 5, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 40286 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, I just recently acquired a copy of this AD-2 lens from PF member "Hinman", and I cannot add more to the great review of marcusBMG (below). Although it's a bit rough cosmetically and with front element issues (rub marks & indentation, which Hin advised me of ... ), I like what I have seen thus far. So, a straight across the board "8" rating until I can get out into better weather to test with a PKA ... today looks like a sunny day, maybe. This lens did not have a hood, but below you can see Hin's solution to this problem ... a gratuitous "p0rn" shot, but who cares ... Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Industar-50 50mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sun January 5, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 124192 Reviews: 24 Bonjour, Just recently acquired this Soviet (in Cyrillic "Industar-50-2") and have not had to time to put it through its paces in more extensive use, ie outdoors & low light, etc. Mostly indoor tests and a few snaps here and there, but I like what I see ... well worth the acquisition. No decent samples to add at the moment, thus a "p0rn shot" of it on my K-5 to give all an idea of how diminutive this Industar is ... mounted with an OEM Pentax M42 adapter ring. Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Tokina RMC 28mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri January 3, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 223042 Reviews: 23 Bonjour, I have recently acquired this Tokina and really like using it. I am going to keep it around for awhile despite having many other 28's. (Pentax M, Super Tak, Tamron Adaptall-2, Soligor ...) All of the other reviews have covered the bases for me ... thus, here's a p0rn shot of my copy with pouch ... Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Mir-1 (Mir-1A, Mir-1B, Mir 1V) 37mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri January 3, 2014 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 180894 Reviews: 11 Bonjour, Just recently acquired a copy of this lens (see image below) and like what it has produced thus far ... really waiting for better weather to go out on a spin with it ... some sample images soon, hopefully ... will rate it as an "8" for the moment. This is a M42 mount - "GRAND PRIX BRUSSELS 1958" - "MADE IN USSR" Salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Ricoh Rikenon P Zoom Macro 35-70mm F3.4-4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 48211 Reviews: 8 Bonjour, A decent lens from my initial test and need to get outside for some samples ... got it in a lot purchase and will probably pass it along, since I have other 35-70's that I like better ... here's another perspective (p0rn) shot of the lens ... Salut, J

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (01A) 35-80mm F2.8-3.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 10 View more reviews

Views: 95276 Reviews: 20 Bonjour, A great AD-2 lens that I am now happy to have... Purchased at the annual Tours, France, expo/swap meet with a somewhat aged and battered original case, an original front cap, an FD mount with end cap, plus a Vivitar filter ... it was a good deal for the price. All test shots thus far have been quite good and the "01A" is living up to its reputation in my books. Need to do more test shoots outdoors when the weather clears up a bit ... thus,more samples to come, but here's a p0rn shot on the K-5 with a PKA adapter ... Allez et salut, John le Green Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall 140F 1.4X TC by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 24339 Reviews: 7 Bonjour, Just acquired this 140F and like what I have seen thus far ... only a few test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's a p0rn shot to see what the 140F looks like ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP Mirror (55BB) 500mm F8 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 109320 Reviews: 32 Bonjour, Just acquired this 55BB with case, hood, cap & 01F 2x TC and like what I have seen thus far ... only a few outdoor test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's some p0rn shots to see what the 55BB looks like on the K-5 ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 CF Macro (17A) 35-70mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 70958 Reviews: 8 Bonjour, Just acquired this 17A and like what I have seen thus far ... only indoor test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's a p0rn shot to see what the 17A looks like on the K-5 with a PKA ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (03B) 135mm F2.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 80396 Reviews: 14 Bonjour, Just acquired this 03B and like what I have seen thus far ... only indoor test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's a p0rn shot to see what the 03B looks like on the K-5 ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (04B) 200mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 32764 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, Just acquired this 04B and like what I have seen thus far ... only indoor test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's a p0rn shot to see what the 04B looks like on the K-5 with a PKA ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (26A) 35-210mm F3.5-4.2 by Jean Poitiers on Sat December 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 43851 Reviews: 9 Bonjour, Just acquired this 26A and like what I have seen thus far ... only indoor test shots, since the outside weather is wet and cold ... will post samples later. Giving a straight across "8" rating until more test and use can be done ... Allez et salut, Jean le Green Frog Here's a p0rn shot to see what the 26A looks like on the K-5 with a PKA ...

Review of: Jupiter 11A 4/135 135mm F4 by Jean Poitiers on Sun October 6, 2013 | Rating: 10 View more reviews

Views: 97015 Reviews: 14 Bonjour, Arrived yesterday ... a cheap French fleabay purchase ... roughly treated, but good glass ... probably the filthiest lens I have ever bought, but I will clean it up and will hopefully have some fun with its 12 blades ... images and further evaluations to come later. Salut, J

Review of: Helios Auto Teleconverter 3X (M42) by Jean Poitiers on Wed September 4, 2013 | Rating: 4 View more reviews

Views: 9478 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, A quick entry here on this thrift store find ... interestingly enough marked "Japan" despite being a Helios branded TC ... M42 mount to work with Zenit SLR's (etc.) and its brethren Helios 44-2, 44M, 44M-4, etc. lenses. I have not tried this TC on film, but with the DSLR, there was too much loss of light and degradation of the IQ to be acceptable ... kind of like all 3x TC's of this type in my opinion ... Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Pentacon Auto MC 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Mon September 2, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 103528 Reviews: 9 Bonjour, Optically, this lens is only average and must be stopped down before becoming acceptably sharp. I have a Prakticar version of this same lens (Dremel modified to PK fit - https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/prakticar-pentacon-135mm-f2-8-mc-modified-pk-fit.html , but I do not know if they are identical in their optics, etc. The Prakticar does better than its possible M42 ancestor ... sample images may come later. Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Soligor Auto Tele Converter 3X (M42) by Jean Poitiers on Tue August 20, 2013 | Rating: 3 View more reviews

Views: 9408 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Yet another thrift store find that I could not deprive myself of ... too cheap not to buy and to experiment with. Overall, there is too much loss of light and IQ with this 3x TC in my opinion, thus not very interesting for any practicial use. I could remove to glass and turn it into a M42 extension tube, but unfortunately for me, I already have a set of these tubes. So, into the storage bin it will go to be maybe sold someday in a yard sale, etc. Salut, Jean the Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (51B/151B) 17mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat May 25, 2013 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 83328 Reviews: 17 Bonjour, I recently acquired this lens (151B) and like what I have seen thus far. I need to shoot more outside and under differing conditions in order to evaluate it better, but for the moment it gets a temporary "8" overall rating. What surprises me is the divergence of ratings for this lens ... Three ratings of "5" with "No" recommendations, and on the other hand, a few "9"s and a "10" ... with some very good sample images ... what gives? EDIT : Here's my flickr album using the 17 on K-1 and a few images https://www.flickr.com/photos/139020494@N02/albums/72157676206989434 Mayor's Office by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Couple leaving Saint-Hilaire le Grand by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Grave bouquet by Jean Poitiers, on Flickr Older post content : Here's what a 151B looks like on the K-5 ... J Edit : here's a substitute hood solution if you do not have an original hood ... slide a 27A hood over the focusing ring of the 151B ...

Review of: Carl Zeiss Jena -Tessar (Preset) 50mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri May 3, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 24163 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, Found this CZJ at the bottom of a bin at the thrift store and purchased it for 2€. The glass is OK, but the lens exterior is heavily marked, filter ring damaged, some markings on aperture preset ring illegible and the focus ring was seizing and very stiff near infinity. Pulled the lens apart (only one screw to remove on back base mount), cleaned and re-lubed ... focus ring now rotates normally. Super-glued the pin to have a full-time working aperture ... I have only tested indoors and with marginal results ... also I have to pull the lens apart (again) because it will not focus at infinity. Giving it a "7" across the board rating until I can try to regain infinity and test outdoors ... Here's what it looks like on the K-5 using a Pentax M42 adapter ... J EDIT: Here's some quick snaps in the garden ... no PP. Also, pulled apart for a second time and still do not have infinity. f 2.8 f 8

Review of: Helios 44M-4 58mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 86092 Reviews: 7 Bonjour, Another thrift shop copy of the Helios "44" series ... the 44M-4 version, and this seems to be a later version which has only 6 blades as opposed to the 8 blades of the 44-M and 44-2. No Auto/Man switch thus I had to use the barrel of a Q-tip and install to make this lens fully manual. Will post sample images later and will give give a preliminary rating of "7" for the moment ... J EDIT: Here are some quick snaps from the garden ... worth an "8" now ... J

Review of: Meyer-Optik Görlitz Domiplan 50mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 21, 2013 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 111026 Reviews: 16 Bonjour, Another thrift store find ... sub-average performance ... will post test samples and more info later. J

Review of: Helios - 44M 58mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 21, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 87662 Reviews: 12 Bonjour, This lens is being reviewed in the Helios 44-2 reviews, so I thought that it should have its own review site. Fantastic bang for the buck lens, and I have several thanks to my local thrift store. Test shot w/on-board flash, MFD, f11-ish

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (52B/52BB) 90mm F2.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat April 20, 2013 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 196334 Reviews: 36 Bonjour, My copy of this lens is the later "52BB" version, pics above, which according to the Adaptall site is optically identical to the previous version, the 52B. All of the previous reviews have said enough about the good quality of this lens.

Review of: Hanimar (Hanimex) (Auto) 55mm F1.7 by Jean Poitiers on Wed April 10, 2013 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 11753 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Another thrift store find here and I was hoping for nicer test results. But, then again it's a Hanimar badged product so I did not have any false illusions here ... it is what it is, a Hanimex, which is usually a sign of poor quality ... funny, but this lens is exactly like the Auto Chinon 55/1.7 and is supposedly made by Tomioka ... for what that's worth. Some rapid indoor test showed how soft this lens can be until you stop it down to f5.6 at least ... for me this is pretty bad for a "fast-ish" 1.7 lens at 55mm. Maybe I cannot MF this lens very well. I once read here on PF that it has hard to make a "bad" nifty fifty because of the design, etc. ... Well, Hanimex was successful in doing it for sharpness at wide apertures. Surprise, surprise ... Worth only a "6" in my ratings index, and I cannot recommend this lens, unless you get it really cheap or given to you ... the worst "fast 50" of my small collection. Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Fuji Photo Film Co. EBC Fujinon W 35mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu March 21, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 20135 Reviews: 4 Bonjour, Yet another thrift store find acquired for a song. I had to grind down a small flange at the base of the lens so that it would seat correctly upon the K-5 (Dremel tool used here). Seems like an average quality lens from my few indoor tests and I am awaiting the warmer weather to test further outside. For the moment, a rating for "7" will suffice. Allez et bonjour courage, John le Frog

Review of: Pentacon auto multi coating 50mm F1.8 by Jean Poitiers on Mon March 11, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 111326 Reviews: 15 Bonjour, Another thrift store find ... almost new appearance and in its original box. Acquired so inexpensively that I am not going add this info to the database ... I paid less than $3 for it ... actually 2€! Overall a decent lens that I will have to test outside soon. Until then and based solely on indoors test shots, I'm giving this lens a "7" grade across the board ... and will post samples soon. Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Tokina RMC 25-50mm F4 by Jean Poitiers on Mon March 11, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 30366 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, I just bought a copy of this Tokina at my local B&M photo shop ... couldn't resist when LBA rears its ugly head. I am kind of disappointed with this one, and was hoping for better performance overall. I like the "37 to 75mm" zoom range on a cropped sensor of my K-5. My copy looks like new. I have only tested inside, since the outdoor environment is not too hospitable at the moment, cold & rainy. From what I can see, this lens merits a weak "7" rating for the moment and I would not recommend it at this time. Let me get outside with it, and I will try to post some captures later on ... Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (27A) 28-80mm F3.5-4.2 by Jean Poitiers on Tue February 26, 2013 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 73347 Reviews: 15 Bonjour, Just picked up a very good condition thrift store copy of this lens ( ... super cheap thus no entry of price to distort the average price of this lens ... I paid about 4 dollars for it!) From my initial tests, I do not see why it has received such negative reviews here. I have only shot indoors, but from what I have seen this far, the 27A is a decent performer ... Here's what the review says on Adaptall-2.org : Tamron SP 28-80mm F/3.5-4.2 Model 27A: This lens definitely is an above average performer within its class even when compared to OEM lenses of the same era. Optimal optical performance is F/8 to F/11 at all zoom settings, and at these apertures this lens is very sharp. Macro performance is good between F/8 and F/22, but with a moderate drop of contrast in fine details towards the edges of the film plane. This is a very versatile lens which nicely covers the wide angle to slight telephoto zoom range, and which features decent built-in macro performance at the 80mm zoom position when using smaller apertures. I will admit that is seems harder to take a "good" photo with the 27A, because I get a few OOF images ... I think that it's my changing middle-aged eyesight more than anything else ... but, I did get a super portrait of my youngest daughter in which one can count the eyelashes easily. (at about 80mm and f11 with on-board flash at it's lowest power level and using a PKA mount). So, for the moment I'm going to give it a "7" rating across the board and I'll further test outdoors once the weather gets more agreeable, i.e. no rain mostly. EDIT : I have upped my rating to an "8" and it's really better than that ... I have had it on the K110D for a month and have gotten some great snaps with it ... it IS a "very versatile lens" ! Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Makinon Auto 28mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri January 4, 2013 | Rating: 5 View more reviews

Views: 79539 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, Could not stop myself from snapping up this thrift shop acquisition, and despite the give away price, I overpaid for this lens ... soft and still soft when seriously stopped down. Mine is a M42 mount with auto switch and MC, etc. I had some hopes, but unfortunately it's just an inferior caliber lens ... oh well, no great loss here. J

Review of: Revuenon Auto Revuenon 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu January 3, 2013 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 36424 Reviews: 4 Bonjour, Yet another thrift shop find in M42 ... another 135/2.8 to play around with. Had to straighten out a very bent hood (which is built-in) so cosmetically a far from perfect specimen, but optically clean. Six blade aperture and half stops from f2.8 to f 16. Shoots like a lens of its era ... just another to add to the collection and to post images on the "135mm" thread. Below is another image and one can see the bent up hood toward the top ...

Review of: Sigma 28-80mm F3.5-5.6 by Jean Poitiers on Thu January 3, 2013 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 12229 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, This the EIGHT blade version of this zoom and it is without a macro function. Here's another image of this lens:

Review of: Vivitar 2x Automatic Tele Converter (M42) by Jean Poitiers on Thu January 3, 2013 | Rating: 5 View more reviews

Views: 20362 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, Just a quick entry of this M42 TC which is just "average" at best ... I will more likely de-glass it and use it later as a M42 extension tube ... J

Review of: TAIR-3S - Fotosniper 12 ensemble 300mm F4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Mon December 31, 2012 | Rating: 10 View more reviews

Views: 131936 Reviews: 19 Bonjour, This was be far my best thrift store score to date ... the photos (above) for this review page are mine and got everything in super condition for less than $10.00! My copy is only missing the shoulder stock ... hopefully I will find one someday. The lens shoots great, just look at the samples already provided ... a really fun lens too use, too. I will try to add some additional images later ... J

Review of: Vivitar MC MACRO 100-300mm F5.6-6.7 by Jean Poitiers on Mon November 5, 2012 | Rating: 4 View more reviews

Views: 26599 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, I am not sure that I should even be reviewing this lens given the condition of the thrift store copy that I snapped up ... bought it mainly for parts, ie the rear mount assembly, in order to possibly convert another lens to a PK mount ... the front element coatings on this copy are in bad shape by either wearing off or just plain old age ... I have a Cosina version of this lens which I gave a "6" and a negative recommendation ( see https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/cosina-100-300mm-f5-6-6-7-mc-macro.html ). The Cosina version is more metal in its construction and thus feels and handles nicer IMHO. The test shots which this Vivitar version were not good at all, poor IQ, bland colors, etc. Thus, even through my copy suffers from old age and maybe some abuse, I won't recommend this lens and give a "4" rating, which is harsh, yet true. Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Tokina RMC constant aperture 75-260mm F4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sun November 4, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 15330 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Yet another local French thrift shop score with the original case. Unfortunately the case is mildew attacked and the lens has some minor fungus in the front element group which I hope that I can clean out later. Initial tests show that this lens is soft wide open and with a decent IQ. Sample images to follow later ...

Review of: Soligor - Tele-Auto 200mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sun November 4, 2012 | Rating: 6 View more reviews

Views: 29984 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Just a quick review of yet another thrift store lens ... I have only tested indoors and based upon that I'd give this lens a "6" overall ... and that could be generous rating at best. Not a lot to write about it at the moment, but will test again outdoors and resubmit some images ... Allez, John le Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (58A/158A) 70-210mm F4-5.6 by Jean Poitiers on Sat November 3, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 48158 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, I scored a thrift shop copy of this lens recently and just did some initial test shots ... not very impressed overall. The lens is all plastic and feels "cheap" compared to my other all-metal Adapt-alls ... but on the other hand it's a feather-weight compared to the 19AH. My copy has seen some rough treatment as seen by the small impact marks on front element, but then again that could be thrift shop induced damage. I need to test outdoors and will try to post a sample image later. If you can get one cheap like I did, then there's no problem recommending this lens ...

Review of: Prakticar Pentacon MC - modified to PK fit 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu November 1, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 16291 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Just a quick entry of another modified Prakticar mount lens to PK mount. Not too hard to do and worthwhile to save a "dead" mount system lens. Lens has lost infinity focus, but far focus capability remains at about 20+ meters. I will post sample images later ... Allez, John le Frog

Review of: Pentacon MC Auto (M42) 29mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sat October 13, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 187214 Reviews: 17 Bonjour, I picked up a good copy at my favorite thrift shop for next to nothing and quite happy with this find. Previous reviews are correct, thus I would add too much other than to mention that this lens will "close focus" relatively well (see image below). Minimum distance is at 0.25m and works well here IMHO. If you find a copy "cheap" then do not hesitate, a good solid performer from what I seen thus far ... worthy of an "8" in my books. Allez et salut, John le Frog K-5, No flash ... K-5 with pop up flash ...

Review of: Tokina TM500/RMC Mirror Lens 500mm F8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri June 8, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 77364 Reviews: 10 Bonjour, I would agree a lot with all of the previous reviews, and what amazes me the most is the compact size of this lens ... much smaller than my Sigma 600 f8 mirror lens (seems like half its size) and about a third larger my DA 18-55 WR! Close focus is very respectable given all of the defaults inherent in mirror configurations and IMHO the bokeh is acceptable ... the Sigma 600 wins this category hands down (including the "dough nut" look). A good light and small mirror that I am happy to have come across. Below are additional images of this lens, etc. Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Chinon Auto MC 50mm F1.4 by Jean Poitiers on Sun June 3, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 66019 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, I just had another super day at my local French thrift shop and picked a very good copy of this lens for nothing (so no price entry here to distort purchase price average). So far, a great little lens that soaks up a lot of light. Not sharp enough at wide open, but down a couple and things get interesting. Great bokeh and super build of a surprisingly compact lens for a f1.4. Overall, worth a 8 in my books which should increase the more that I use it and learn how to better use it. Sample images to come later ... Salut, John le Frog Wide open on K-5

Review of: Carl Zeiss Jena -Prakticar MC - Modified to PK fi 50mm F1.4 by Jean Poitiers on Tue May 29, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 24857 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, Just a quick entry here into the CZ (J) database of a Prakticar "B" mount lens that I modified to PK fit. Not difficult at all, much like modifying a Yashica C/Y mount. Pick this lens up at a swap meet for a song ... Sharp at f2 - f2.4, smooth focus, hefty lens full of a lot of glass ... and after modification, far-focus will be limited and infinity is lost due different registration distance. This limitation and/or "loss" did not matter to me, since I plan to use this lens for close-focus and portrait type applications. Not much beyond 2.5 meters or so ... Please note that I removed the electrical contact assembly and the 2 screws which retain it in place so that the lens fits better upon the K-5 mount ... thus, the 5 holes on the images of the back of the lens (close group of 3 holes then 2 for screws) I will post samples later, and "first test" impressions are quite good! Salut, John le Frog EDIT : Here's a few images from the garden ... mostly wide open except for last one. All straight out of the K-5 (SOOC) with no PP ... PPS - Lens still works full manual on my BC 1 and other PB bodies (B 200, etc.) ...

Review of: Yashica ML - "RioRico" modification to P 50mm F1.4 by Jean Poitiers on Mon May 21, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 26383 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, A copy of this lens showed up in the used equipment shelves of my local B&M camera shop. Didn't hesitate too much knowing that I could "easily" modify to a PK mount ... took some time, since it was my first try at this and all worked out quite well. First test shots are very positive, but I need to practice my MF at f1.4 ... not easy and need more time to learn how to best use this new "Franken-lens" ... Thus, a quick and deserved "8" rating for the moment with more detailed critic to come later. (EDIT : After testing I have upped the ratings = 9 overall ... in my books considering personal "performance/cost/value" ratio) Below are sample images of the modified Yashica and it on my K-5. Salut, John le Frog TEST SHOTS: ( K-5, SOOC: no PP )

Review of: Pentacon Preset 200mm F4 by Jean Poitiers on Sat May 19, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 79381 Reviews: 4 Bonjour, I just acquired a copy of this lens from a PF member in France and quite happy thus far ... only tested today indoors with (and without) K-5 flash due to dull, rainy weather outside. Just wanted to post something ASAP ... Great sharpness for some "long distance" portrait shots of my daughters ... I "need" this distance because they hate a camera in their face plus this far distance allows for more candid shooting ... even with the on-board flash. Other subjects OK, but I need to learn what this lens can do, especially outside in real world conditions and brighter indoor environments. Below are additional images of this Pentacon ... Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Admiral / Sankor / et al Preset 300mm F5.5 or F5.6 by Jean Poitiers on Fri May 11, 2012 | Rating: 5 View more reviews

Views: 9419 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, I picked up this lens on a LBA whim over a year ago, but have not gotten around to getting a proper adapter for it ... kind of shoved into the back of the lens cabinet and forgot about it for awhile. I am adding this lens to the database in hopes that some one could describe its performance ... According the MF website, this lens was made by Sankor and re-badged as Admiral (Swiss reseller?), Sunset, Safari, etc. ... See : http://forum.mflenses.com/sunset-300mm-f5-5-t33857.html and also see : http://forum.mflenses.com/safari-brand-lenses-t28231.html I am giving it a neutral "5" note which may be "undeserved" since I admittedly have not shot with it, but sorry this just to get it in PF and to get me motivated to finally testing/using it! Allez et bon courage, John le Frog Below are additional images of this lens ...

Review of: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Fri May 11, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 287241 Reviews: 18 Bonjour, I picked up a copy of this lens at the April 2012 swap meet in Montamisé, France, for about three bucks ... since it was with oily, jammed blades and once been disassembled with the rear element retaining ring practically butchered yet unopened. Someone had tried and failed to fix it ... thus, my challenge (enter "Mission Impossible" music)! I luckily got the rear ring off (barely) and had a heck of a time getting the front one off, too. Once apart, it took me a few hours to clean and re-assemble it. Unfortunately, I could not save the auto pin mechanism, so it's off and in a baggie now. Below are some images of this lens, and you can see on the rear the state of the retaining ring and the empty screw holes for the former auto mechanism. Here's a link on how to service this lens : http://oomz.net/tessar/ Initial testing shows that this copy is not too bad despite its rough treatment and abuse. Definitely does NOT deserve a "1" rating ... just because it's one's "worst 50" and should be "avoided like the plague", does not make for a reasonable review, and Adam should remove crummy appraisals like this IMHO. From what I seen thus far, I will rate it in as a "7" ... which may improve as I use it more and more ... time will tell. [ Edit: I've up the grade for this lens to "8" ] Allez et bon courage, John le Frog

Review of: Soligor Tele-Auto - T4 mount 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Tue May 8, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 22298 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, This is another of many a swap meet lens that I picked up in Montamisé (France) at the beginning of April. This copy had a relatively stiff throw for the focus ring, thus I intervened with a re-lube which almost went "south" on me ... had difficult time getting it back together and the focus ring improvement was marginal at best ... c'est la vie! Anyway, intitial tests seem quite posiitive and will post samples at a later date; Below are a few additional images of the lens itself ... Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Soligor Wide-Auto 28mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Tue May 8, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 43088 Reviews: 4 Bonjour, This is a "T4" mount system lens which came with a "Px" or M42 thread mount (see photos below), and I picked it up at a local swap meet (Montamisé - France). Overall decent IQ, sharpness, bokeh, but nothing fantastic either. Worthy of an initial "7" rating until further test shots and real world shots can be done. Allez et bon courage, John le Frog Below are additional images of this lens ...

Review of: Panagor Auto Macro Converter - 1:10 to 1:1 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 29, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 10158 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, A fun "toy" to play have to play with a 50mm lens ... IQ will only be reasonable. Salut, John le Frog Here are some additional images ...

Review of: Schneider Kreuznach Edixa Xenar Zebra 50mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 29, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 15188 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, An excellent find in April 2012 at the Montamisé photo swap meet ... super classic lens in good condition, but could use a minor optical cleaning due to very minor fungus. Very happy with the "test" images thus far produced by this lens, and once cleaned, I will post examples ... Salut, John le Frog Here are some additional images of this lens ...

Review of: Ifbagon Automatic - M42 135mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 29, 2012 | Rating: 5 View more reviews

Views: 8516 Reviews: 1 Bonjour, Another 3€ local French thrift shop bargain, with its case ... but, the aperture is not functioning correctly and hopefully I can free it up or preset it permanently at about f8 or so ... on verra! If repaired, I'll shoot test samples and post for review ... EDIT: I repaired this lens leaving it in full manual and made a few test shots. Rather disappointing overall, but I was not expecting much. Barely "5" rating and not worth acquiring unless you pay very little for it. Salut et bon courage, John le Frog Here are some additional photos of this lens, etc. EDIT : I believe that this Ifbagon is a re-badged Auto Chinon 135mm f2.8 ... which makes some sense since it was with "Mirageflex 1000 S" SLR which is a re-badged Chinon 1000 S.

Review of: Sigma Mirror 600mm F8 by Jean Poitiers on Sun April 29, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 80740 Reviews: 6 Bonjour, I purchased this Sigma over a year ago and it came in excellent shape in its original case with the filters as well. I have had some fun with the "dough nut" shaped bokeh. The "macro" function is not good, so forget this aspect IMHO. Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Ifbagon Automatic - M42 35mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sat April 28, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 11657 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, A "3€" thrift shop lens that came with its case, both in very good condition. The lens is to be tested further outside ... will post and/or report more later. IFBAGON was a re-badged lens line marketed in France during the 1970's ... This lens is almost identical to a photo of a Tamron 35mm f2.8 Automatic (M42) ... see photos below. Salut, John le Frog Other images of this lens ... The IFBAGON (left) compared to the TAMRON (right)

Review of: Cosina MC Macro (manual focus) 100-300mm F5.6-6.7 by Jean Poitiers on Sat April 28, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 31701 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, I bought this lens used from my local French B&M photos shop over a year ago ... used it for awhile until I purchased a much better lens(es), such as a Sigma DG 70-300 (AF), then this lens was relegated to the back shelf and pretty much stayed there ... Somewhat pleased with it overall, but it can render some nice colors and a "softer" image, if one is searching such aspects. Cannot say much positive about the "macro" aspects ... Salut, John le Frog Below are more photos of this lens ...

Review of: Cosina / Petri NMC Cosinon 50mm F1.7 by Jean Poitiers on Sat April 28, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 15047 Reviews: 2 Bonjour, I bought this lens over a year ago on a LBA whim ... it had very oily blades that would seize and/or move erratically. Finally found the time to clean ... my first endeavor here and it took some time, but learned a lot. First post cleaning tests look promising and I'll conservatively rate as a "7" across the board with the promise to test further once the bright sunny spring weather arrives ... indoors tests seem "OK" for their limited extent. Allez et à plus tard, John le Frog Below are additional photos of this lens ...

Review of: Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar MC 50mm F1.8 by Jean Poitiers on Thu April 26, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 188029 Reviews: 14 Bonjour, I just snapped up an "aus JENA" version of this lens and it resembles the lens on the far right of the three lenses pictured above. (see more photos below) From what I have read on the net, the "aus Jena" was an export version of this lens, thus the different labeling from "Carl Zeiss Jena", etc. I purchased it with a broken "Praktica LTL 3" body at my local thrift store for very, very little ... thus I am not going the enter a purchase price in the database. Overall, I am quite happy with the tests that I have done so far and I await to test further ... and I will post samples later. Salut et bon courage, John le Frog

Review of: Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar MC - Zebra 135mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Sat April 21, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 99942 Reviews: 19 Bonjour, I just picked up a "zebra" copy of this lens at the beginning of April at the Montamisé photo expo and swap meet. A great find for a ridiculously low price, thus I'm not going to enter the amount into the database. The rear element has minor fungus that I hope I can remove with an easy servicing ... this lens has been around the block a few times, but still in great shape. Built like a tank. I have only shot tests indoors and the results are quite good ... up to its reputation. I'm only now waiting for some decent sunny and drier weather to test outside on bugs, flowers, whatever ... Here's what mine copy resembles and I'll post a decent shot or two later ... for the moment it's a very worthy "8" which will probably go up once it sees more overall action. Salut, John le "Happy" French Frog Edit 5/12 : Finally got this lens in shape ... had sticky blades and a jamming aperture lever arm assembly. This is probably why the lens was so inexpensive. Cleaned out the glass during two separate repair interventions ... Below are some "windy" day post-repair test shots in our garden ... No PP with K-5 ...

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (02B) 28mm F2.5 by Jean Poitiers on Wed April 18, 2012 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 121075 Reviews: 19 Bonjour, Maybe I was expecting a bit too much from this lens ... quite frankly I was slightly disappointed with this acquisition. I purchased it off a French e-bay equivalent with its original case plus a PK/M AD-2 mount included ... but, the front element has a series of micro scratches towards an edge, a bit too much dust ... and the PK/M mount was missing an internal screw, thus it had some "play" between the two half sections. (The price quoted does not include a reasonable deduction for the PK/M mount) I complained to the seller about these problems, and then realized after his responses that it was not worth pursuing any further ... lesson learned. Eventually I disassembled this mount (mine resembles the photo above) and added the missing screw (taken from an Olympus AD-2 mount), thus solving that problem. OTOH, the scratches are forever ... but have not seen anything significant on a photo yet ... and keeping fingers crossed. Overall, this lens performs well, but I guess that I cannot get past my initial problems with it. I do not have a lot to add which has not been already covered by the previous reviews. Very solid build quality, good smooth throw (with nice feel rubber ring focus grip), flare does not seem to be a major issue (but I always shoot with a rubber hood and rarely into direct light) ... colors are too cold for my tastes and the bokeh is only OK for me ... Much more fun to use with a PK/A mount and if you like, looks "kinda retro-cool" on the K-5. As an aside, I have to use a 49mm filter with a rubber hood on this lens. Without the additional length added by the filter's width and using my rubber hood alone, one cannot focus beyond 1.5m ... the barrel recedes too much into the focus ring and (without a filter) will be blocked by my hood . Maybe I need to find an original Tamron hood (?) ... I going to rate at a conservative "7" for the moment, and I will upgrade if necessary after running this lens through a bit more photos and different uses ... especially some better "close" focus tests, low light, etc. I also just acquired a Super-Tak 28/3.5 (M42) and a Soligor 28/2.8 (T4), so a "shoot off" might be interesting to do ... [COLOR=Black]Allez et bon courage, John le Frog[/COLOR]

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP (19AH) 70-210mm F3.5 by Jean Poitiers on Fri April 6, 2012 | Rating: 10 View more reviews

Views: 89334 Reviews: 14 Bonjour, At last I found one! This past weekend at the Montamisé photo expo/swap meet ... oh joy, oh rapture, oh infinite delight! Overall fantastic condition and came with original hood, the front cap and a Nikon AI mount plus its end cap that I might give to a friend ... or just keep it as rear element protection. IMHO, just a great lens and I'll admit that I have not taken a lot of shots yet ... But boy, from my initial test shots, this 19AH looks like it may be the "best" of my Adaptall-2 stable (22A, 23A, 40A, 44A, 103A, 02B & 01F). Wonderful with a PKA mount ... use them together plus with CIF (catch in focus), and it's a great poor man's auto focus. Allez & bon courage, John le Frog Here are a few rapidly done rough-cut samples ...despite windy, poor sunlight conditions.

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (40A) 35-135mm F3.5-4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Fri April 6, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 58403 Reviews: 7 Bonjour, Based upon pacerr's review (above), this lens went to the short-list for a future acquisition ... and lucky me, I found one last weekend at the Montamisé photo expo/swap meet event. I paid only 10 € ( approx. $ 14.00 ) for this lens ... with the original front cap and an OL mount & rear cap! Given this price is extremely low, I have not put it into the database info. My copy is in good condition except for a very minor scratch on the front element and some dings on the exterior of the filter ring area ... this lens has is some duty. I have attached photos of it with its predecessor version, the 22A which I had first and reviewed here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/tamron-adaptall-2-35-135mm-f-3-5-4-2-22a.html As for the performance of this lens, pacerr said about everything and I cannot add too much. The 40A is lighter and smaller in many ways, and the IQ seems to be slightly better given my impressions of the first test shots. The 22A is better if you want a "macro" (only 1:4) or close focus capacity that gives you a greater working distance from your subject (about 0.8m). If you want to capture photos of butterflies, bugs and bees, then I would not suggest the 40A ... IMHO, you'll be too close (0.28m) given the "macro" is at 35mm. Here's the link for the 40A on the "adaptall-2.org" site - http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/40A.html Hope that this helps ... both are good lens. your choice may depend upon your needs, etc. Allez & bon courage, John le Frog A22 (left) & A40 (right) A22 (left) & A40 (right) Maximum extension - A22 (left) & A40 (right) Maximum "macro" extension - A22 (left) & A40 (right) Sample 40A "macro" A40 "macro" test shot A22 - "macro" test shot ...

Review of: Helios 44-2 58mm F2 by Jean Poitiers on Thu April 5, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 395517 Reviews: 49 Bonjour, I just snapped up a copy of this lens at the Montamisé camera expo/swap meet ... Wow, what a great find and especially for the price. I was hunting "M42's" and came across this one ... plus some CZJ, Super-Tak and Soligor glass that I picked up. I will add a sample photo or two later ... EDIT : I now have at least 5 44-2's in varying states of repair - see photo below Allez et un grand "merci" à nos amis les Russes! Salut, John le Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (44A) 28-70mm F3.5-4.5 by Jean Poitiers on Thu March 22, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 73177 Reviews: 10 Bonjour, I think that pacerr's review cannot be topped, thus I won't try ... it's spot on for me and helped me to choose this lens, as opposed to other AD-2's in a similar focal range. Also, like fanfaron, I just acquired a Pentax SMC F 35-70, but cannot really yet compare the two (yet) ... at first glance and/or impressions, I'd give the nod to the Pentax (IMHO) for its color rendering ... plus the AF bonus on the Pentax makes it more convenient to use in many a circumstance, i.e. trying to shoot my sometimes "feral" daughters. (3, 6 & 10). The shortcoming of the Pentax is the 35mm low end as opposed to 28mm for the 44A. The 44A is a good AD-2 lens that won't dent the pocketbook. Worthwhile and feels solid despite the plastic. I am using it with a PK/A mount plus a rubber hood. I will put some samples shots either here or in a dedicated PF album and/or gallery. Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Kenko 2X KAX Teleplus MC4 by Jean Poitiers on Mon March 12, 2012 | Rating: 5 View more reviews

Views: 24564 Reviews: 3 Bonjour, I picked up a copy along with a lens in the UK and maybe paid too much for it, but it was cheaper than the prices I had seen in France on average. I purchased it to play around it and haven't truly used it a great deal ... I'll try to experiment with my DA lenses and maybe the D AF 100mm f2.8 Marco WR, too. My copy is a "2X KAX TELEPLUS MC4" model, thus no problem here is with a "Ricoh pin". But be careful here and double check the model and possible pin issues. I would love to try out this TC on a DA* 200 or DA*300 as mentioned in the previous reviews ... maybe it's now the only reason that I'm hanging on to this particular TC. Allez et bon courage, J Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall 2x teleconverter 01F by Jean Poitiers on Sun March 11, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 43496 Reviews: 9 Bonjour, This is a worthwhile 2x TC if you have "AD2's" and their "SP" kin, but it will not fit all of the aforementioned - see previous reviews plus the "adaptall-2.org" site. http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/01F.html Can be used with PK/A and PK/M mounts. I use my copy mostly with a 23A (SP) and a 103A as well. Works not quite as well with my 22A. Salut, J Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall Pentax P-KA auto aperture mount by Jean Poitiers on Sun March 11, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 29995 Reviews: 8 Bonjour, I have 2 PK/A's and both work well ... much more prefered as compared to my PK/M mounts. Also works well with the 2x TC (01F). Worth the investment. Used with 103A, 23A, 22A, 02B. Allez et salut, John le Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (103A) 80-210mm F3.8-4 by Jean Poitiers on Fri February 24, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 136206 Reviews: 20 Bonjour, I picked up a really great condition copy of this lens with the hood and its original case, plus a Nikon AI mount which I have traded off already. I really like this lens and it feels much better in your hands as compared to the 46A successor. I will post a few samples later, but overall I agreee in general with previous reviewers' opinions. Allez et bonnes photos! J Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 SP / Novoflex (23A) 60-300mm F3.8-5.4 by Jean Poitiers on Thu February 16, 2012 | Rating: 9 View more reviews

Views: 113596 Reviews: 22 Bonjour, I was in the States over the X-mas holiday passing through Houston when I happened upon Houston Camera Exchange. It was the after X-mas sales period and in the "bargain" bin (-50%) I found this lens. Didn't hesitate a millisecond and snapped it up for less than $22.00 (including sales tax) ... no Adaptall-2 mount nor hood included ... and a small piece of inner debris with the usual dust. No biggie here ... What a steal! All the previous reviews are pretty much spot on, and I have had similar results testing indoors mostly ... more to come when the weather warms up and brings out the flowers and insects. Good IQ, sharpness, handling, etc. ... using it both with the PK/A & PK/M Tamron adapters. I have no trouble shifting my copy into the "Macro" mode, just turn until it falls into position and no need to remove the lens. The close focus is quite good, but it's not really a true "macro" as in the sense like my D FA 100/2.8 WR ... but for the price you cannot beat it! Also, works relatively well with the SP 2x TC (01F) ... Really need better light (daylight) to explore further the close focus aspect ... and yes, the lens barrel will block the subject from the built-in flash if you're too close. Overall, very happy ... I will agree with the consensus opinion and give this lens a "9" based performance and price range ... if you come across one that fits your budget, don't hesitate. Here's the link to the Adaptall-2.org page: http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/23A.html Bien cordialement, J Frog

Review of: Tamron Adaptall-2 (22A) 35-135mm F3.5-4.2 by Jean Poitiers on Thu February 16, 2012 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 41024 Reviews: 7 Bonjour, I picked a copy of this lens from Ffordes (UK) along with PK/M mount, and I am enjoying this lens and its range. As of this writing, I have only moderately tested and shot inside/interior, but the results are quite pleasing to me. Unfortunately the lens came without a hood, thus a rubber after-market hood (67mm) will have to be used once I venture more outside ... when the weather gets sunnier and warmer. Thus far, too soft wide open, but once stepped down its quite good to very good sharpness ... best range indoors with (and without flash) runs from about f5.6 to f11 depending on your ISO. I'm using it on a K-5 with a PK/A mount and sometimes run the ISO up to 400 with good results ... The best part of this is the "macro" (1:4 ratio @ 135mm extension length) or close focus aspect which gives very sharp results and decent color rendering IMHO. I have the SP 2x TC (01F), and when attached, the ratio goes to 1:2, but with a loss of some IQ. Overall, slightly better performance than I expected and the jury is still out until I shoot more exterior shots. I will post some samples (maybe) later on ... FYI - Here's the "adaptall-2.org" page : http://www.adaptall-2.org/lenses/22A.html Salut et bonne journée, John le Frog EDIT : See my album for sample photos by the 22A and the 40A - https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/members/37878-john-poitiers/albums/4859-tamron-adaptall-2-22a-vs-40a-35-135mm-macro/ Sample "marco" shot @135mm (1:4) ... a good working distance so as to not scare off the fly ... Fly crop sample @ 135mm Dog nose shot ...

Review of: Sigma UC 28-70mm F2.8-4 by Jean Poitiers on Sat October 29, 2011 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 55702 Reviews: 5 Bonjour, First of all, please note that my lens is AF ... you cannot miss hearing it. It's a 55 mm filter mount, seven blades and what seems to be a P KAF 2 all metal mount. I picked up a used copy of this lens about 8 months ago and it looks like I may have made a good deal. Why? Well, I just stumbled upon its reference in the most recently published equipment pricing guide of the French photo magazine "Chasseur d'Images" : 95 Euros / 125 Euros / 140 Euros for a copy in "excellent" condition (Listed as "SIGMA - Gammes anciennes - Zooms 24 x 36 - AF UC 28-70 mm f2.8/4"). After buying it, I tried to "Google" some info about this lens and found very little (?). Some possible links were: http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/Sigma-28-70-F2.8-4-UC_lens272.html - & - http://www.photographyreview.com/cat/lenses/35mm-zoom/sigma/28-70mm-f-2-8-4-0-uc/prd_83595_3128crx.aspx ... but, the sample review photos are different and a few reviews make mention of a plastic mount which is not the the case for my lens. So, basically I'm not too sure about anything here. Any help would be appreciated. Overall, I kind of like this lens, but I have really not spent a lot of time with it to test extensively, etc. But what I have shot has been quite good once the lens is stopped down a couple of times. I find it rather soft at low end and wide open, but that made for some interesting low light portrait shots of my kids. "Allez, bon courage! Jean le Frog" PS - Here's a previous post about this lens ... https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/143696-info-sigma-uc-zoom-28-70-mm-f2-8-4-a.html

Review of: Sigma DC 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 by Jean Poitiers on Wed August 3, 2011 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 74823 Reviews: 20 Bonjour, This is my oldest Sigma, and it's a good overall performer ... doesn't do anything really "bad", nor does it do anything really well either. I purchased it to have more top end as compared to the kit lens (DA 18-55mm AL "I") which came with my K110D. I have also used this lens on my later DSLR's. The zoom range is convenient as a "walk around" lens with a good weight and feel. The zoom lock is nice and one can make this lens relatively "sharp", but you really have to work with it under the right conditions given how slow this lens is. Focus hunt can happen, but one shouldn't get too picky for an entry-level Sigma lens like this one. Basically, no huge gripes here, but no laurels either ... What bothers me the most is the lack of overall sharpness, but I have never been convinced that WIDE range zoom of this type can be every good. I have also chatted with my friendly local (French) camera store guy and he stated that if I think that this zoom range is not adequately sharp for my tastes, then definitely do not get an even wider zoom range, like a 18-250mm ... (or maybe a Tamron 18-270mm, even though it is not in a K-mount version). All the same, I would like to try one like this just to compare the results. Allez, salut et bonne journée, Jean le Frog

Review of: Tamron SP AF Di Macro (272E) 90mm F2.8 by Jean Poitiers on Sat July 30, 2011 | Rating: 8 View more reviews

Views: 239917 Reviews: 59 Bonjour, I had this lens for about a month before I sold it in order to get a D FA 100mm f2.8 Macro WR. Overall, the Tamron 90mm is a very good lens, but honestly I prefer my Pentax 100mm. My review is thus "biased" since I really didn't use the Tamron 90mm "extensively" ... (plus I was secretly wanting the Pentax anyway) ... that given, here are my impressions. As mentioned in the previous reviews, the Tamron 90mm is very sharp and a good portrait lens as well (maybe too sharp here). From a price point perspective, the Tamron 90mm is very good (its optics, focus limiter, Ap ring). In contrast, it has no WR, no Quickshift, a clunky clutch shift between AF and MF, and a real "plastic" feeling to it. What really bothered me in using the Tamron was the double manipulation which is required to go from AF to MF (or vice versa) ... you have to manipulate the shift ring of the lens itself (ie, AF -> MF), then you have to set the camera body to MF as well. I found this to be more of a bother than I initially anticipated. Maybe it's just me ... Edit: plus the operating manual warns that one could damage the camera/lens if one happens to forget to do this double manipulation ! As for the Pentax 100mm WR, the build construction (ie "limited" feel) is much better, the optics (+ color rendering) are better (IMHO), the WR is a big plus for me, lighter and smaller size, Quickshift, 49mm filters, etc. If the Pentax 100mm WR had a focus limiter and an Ap ring like the Tamron 90mm, then it would be almost "perfect" ... Obviously the Pentax is more expensive, but I think it depends upon what you want as per your price point tolerance, your personal photo needs, value/resale ratios, etc. I went for and invested in the Pentax 100mm WR because I was sure that it would be a lens that I would keep for a long, long time ... (also, the in-store rebate that Pentax France sent me aided in my decision to switch lenses!) Allez, bonne journée et bonne chance ... Jean the Frog Edit: After going back and comparing (further) my Tamron 90 photos vs. my Pentax 100 WR photos, I reduced my previous score form "9" to "8" ... the Tamron is very good, but the Pentax is really just A LOT better ... sometimes not even close, especially on rendering. Also check out the head-to-head comparison of PF - https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/tamron-90mm-macro-vs-pentax-100mm-wr/introduction.html

Review of: Sigma APO DG Macro 70-300mm F4-5.6 by Jean Poitiers on Sat July 16, 2011 | Rating: 7 View more reviews

Views: 197793 Reviews: 43 Bonjour, I am relatively happy with this lens, except that the top end (+ 200mm) is rather soft. The pseudo "macro" function is nice to play with, but the shift buttom on my copy is getting harder and harder to manipulate recently. Cons: AF can be slow, hunt, noisy ... and there's lots of other possible complaints, but what do you want from a lens at this price point? (DA* IQ, speed, etc.?) In comparison, I prefer the DA 55-300 that I purchased after this lens, somewhere around 50%+ more cost, but worth the additional investment, especially for the top end focal range. Hopefully, someday I will be able to compare these two lenses to a DA* zoom ... pocketbook willing, of course.