M42 to Canon

WelshNoob

WelshNoob

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Just looking at lens options, primarily looking for a prime for portraiture, would it be worth considering an M42 lens with manual aperture control? Are there any big drawbacks, are the lenses not up to much?

Thanks in advance.
 
There are some excellent offerings out there. If you're obsessed with sharpness then you need to choose very carefully but some old lenses have a bokeh that more than makes up for their dreamy softness.

You should be aware that some M42 lenses will project back into the mirror swing arc of some of the full frame bodies.

Bob
 
M42 on Canon eos no problem. Adapters on the bay for around a blue one. This is a cheap way to get some nice lenses and it's fun. Go for it.
 
huxleypiggles said:
M42 on Canon eos no problem.......
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Without knowing which Eos body they'll be used on then that's a little glib isn't it?

Many Carl Zeiss Jena, Minolta Rokkor and Pentax Super Takumas can't be considered as "no problem" if they're going to stop the mirror raising and possibly damage the camera. Whilst there is usually clearance when focused close up things can become very different when the lens "reverses" into the body when focused towards infinity.
Some Canon FF bodies cope and others don't.

Bob
 
I've got a cropped body, should be more clearance then?
 
There's plenty of choice. I'd pick a budget & a focal length or lengths first though ;) There's also a lot of info on the web if you search for it.

I have a 50/2, 50/1.9 & 28/2.8 in Y/C mount which I can obviously use with my 35mm SLR too.

I have Pentacon 1.8/50, Helios 44M-4 & Helios 44-2 all of which now focus to infinity without hitting the mirror & some of which will be up for sale soon..... lol :)

I don't like having too many lenses - Too much choice - Makes me indecisive..... ;)
 
paulr5604 said:
I use a carl zeiss Jena 135 f3.5 on my 40D it is a very nice lens nice and sharp with a very nice bokeh
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+1 for the CZJ S 135/3.5, good image quality, reliable, multicoated and a reasonable price. The Helios 44 55mm lens is also worth a look - although there are a dozen or more variations of this lens to consider.

I have a few m42 lenses and a bunch of m42-EOS adapters I'm not using any more* that I could list in the Sales section if you're interested (including a CZJ S 135/3.5).


* I no longer have an EOS body and I'm now using QBM manual lenses rather than m42.
 
Hi Alastair it is something I'm interested in but unless it's at a price I can't turn down sort of price I'm going to have to wait until the new year. I've had packages after packages of camera 'stuff' (as she calls it) arriving in a steady stream for quite a while now.
 
If you're not in a rush, get yourself an adapter or two and keep an eye on the charity shops. You're more likely to come across m42 than any other mount in my experience, and there are very few lenses not worth a couple of quid to try. I've a few rather battered lenses I've picked up for next to nothing that still produce an "interesting" image despite cleaning marks, filter thread dings and even light scratches.

I've picked up very clean and tidy lenses for as little as £3.75 from charity shops that are very usable. Some of the older, cheaper uncoated lenses have quite a bit of character - they won't win awards from pixel peepers but they might take an image that's popular. Occasionally you'll find a good bargain - I've found a CZJ Flektogon 35/2.4 for £5 in perfect condition (you'd pay £100+ on eBay) but missing the rear cap. Just watch in case the front/rear caps are missing - check the exposed elements for damage. Light scratches or cleaning marks won't make much of a difference and if the lens if only a couple of quid it might still be worth trying.
 
WelshNoob said:
Already have a 50mm 1.8 - I've seen this 135mm though, thoughts? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helios-13...=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item43d259e05f
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That seems expensive to me, you wouldn't pay much more for a CZ. Some of the Helios are over priced due to the excellent 58mm f2 (44-M-4 is good), people think they are the same when advertising the 135mm or 200mm etc. Another rated lens is the Canon FD 100mm f2.8, could you use this with an EF adapter and have AF confirm on your Canon??

It also seems as if the price of legacy lenses have gone up a bit this year, probably with the selling of CSC cameras like Fuji and people are trying out adapted lenses.

Myself, I like some of the Vivitars for value, particularly the Komine version, starts with number 28 on serial number or 37 for the Tokina which are also been goood IMO. I am waiting for delivery of a Mint Komine 200mm I bought over the weekend. Some people get put off with the Vivitars (think cheap or poor quality) as they don't realise they were just distrubitors of lenses and the lenses were in fact, manufactured by companies like Tokina as I have mentioned. Have a look at the linky > https://www.cameraquest.com/VivLensManuf.htm
 
Swanseajack said:
That seems expensive to me,
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Seems cheap to me which is why I'm grateful for forums saving me paying over the odds. Thanks for the link aswell.

I'll keep an eye out for the CZ lens now I know what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the pointers so far.
 
WelshNoob said:
I'll keep an eye out for the CZ lens now I know what I'm looking for.
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Plenty CZJ 135/3.5 on eBay..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_o...0.H0.Xjena+135+m42&_nkw=jena+135+m42&_sacat=0

Don't take a punt on any of the ultra-cheap listings, with a lens this common it's not worth buying anything scratched, dinged or affected by fungus.


In general, you can't go too far wrong with Zeiss.. but there are two Zeisses. Carl Zeiss is the West German company, Carl Zeiss Jena is the East German company. Both produce good lenses, but some of the CZJ lenses are better than others. Because Carl Zeiss held the rights to the design name,CarlZeiss Jena have to label their 135/3.5 as "S" although it is a Sonnar design. Pentacon is also a decent East German manufacturer to lookout for that's widely available, they inherited the Meyer factory (amongst others) but look closely as lots of the cheap Pentacon lenses are uncoated and prone to flare (but some also have ridiculous numbers of aperture blades and are renowned for their smooth bokeh). Pick a manufacturer or two and do a wee bit of research online - in the m42 mount Carl Zeiss, Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentacon and Praktica will probably cover 80% of the lenses you find in charity shops. You'll also find a few PrinzGalaxy lenses - these were the Dixons own-brand,were made by an eclectic collection of Japanese factories, tend to be cheap and cheerful and usually uncoated.


It's also worth looking at other mounts, I'm switching away from m42 to QBM, it's less common (and not quite so easy to use on EOS) but has some stunning lenses available. The shot below was taken hand-held with the Carl Zeiss Teletessar 135/4 on a Canon 40D. The lens is about the same price as the CZJ 135/3.5 but I think it's sharper with better contrast, colour and that Zeiss pop..



Crop from the image above..



It's this sort of performance-on-a-budget that makes legacy lenses so addictive :D
 
WelshNoob said:
Seems cheap to me which is why I'm grateful for forums saving me paying over the odds. Thanks for the link aswell.

I'll keep an eye out for the CZ lens now I know what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the pointers so far.
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In case you missed it in my previous post, keep an eye out for the Canon FD 100mm f2.8, supposed to be a very good lens, but they hold there value well along with the Canon fD 50mm f1.4. Another lens is the Jupiter, the one at the link seems a good price, Im skint as I have bought two lenses this week otherwise I would give it a go.

As an example for the Jupiter lens, have a look on the Pentax and Manual lens forums along with Flickr pools for reviews.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-CHRO...=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item4872acd24c
http://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/jupiter-11-135mm-f4.html
https://www.flickr.com/groups/1404446@N23/
http://forum.mflenses.com/jupiter-11-135mm-f-4-t28546.html

Edit: Manualfocus-G above seems to like the Jupiter:;) >> http://forum.mflenses.com/my-new-best-friend-jupiter-11-in-m42-mount-t17153,highlight,jupiter bokeh.html
 
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