Vintage Lenses

woof woof said:
Very Nice :D

This looks like the set I have but mine were under £30, but that was quite some time ago when I had a Canon 20D or maybe even 300D.

www.ebay.co.uk

Kood 67mm 67 mm Close Up (Macro) Set | eBay

This is a new Kood 67mm close up filter set. If used in combination, the strongest (+4) should be fitted to the lens first and so on from there. A great way to start the world of close-up photography.
www.ebay.co.uk

I could take the box I suppose but I just take the No.4.

Actually I'm amazed you can still buy that set I have as I got mine a long time ago.
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It's a vintage set of NOS B+W filters. I fished them off the 'Bay for 25 Euros. :)
 
Retune said:
T4/TX lens? I think these were designed to be used with adapters which, when fitted, would limit you to one scale or the other, depending on which was normal for your mount:
www.photo.net

T4 and TX mount lenses for classics

<p>I stumbled upon the Vivitar/Soligor T4/TX interchangeable mount lenses some weeks ago when I was looking for old M42 lenses that I could attach, via a Yashica adapter, to the 1.6x AF adapter on my Yashica 230AF and have some fun autofocusing them. (This is really a blast, by the way, but...
www.photo.net www.photo.net
Looks like you can access the other half of the scale if you remove the mount. Does it come off?
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Very cool. Looks a bit like my preset lenses.
 
Retune said:
T4/TX lens? I think these were designed to be used with adapters which, when fitted, would limit you to one scale or the other, depending on which was normal for your mount:
www.photo.net

T4 and TX mount lenses for classics

<p>I stumbled upon the Vivitar/Soligor T4/TX interchangeable mount lenses some weeks ago when I was looking for old M42 lenses that I could attach, via a Yashica adapter, to the 1.6x AF adapter on my Yashica 230AF and have some fun autofocusing them. (This is really a blast, by the way, but...
www.photo.net www.photo.net
Looks like you can access the other half of the scale if you remove the mount. Does it come off?
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Ah, that's what it is. Yes, it's an M42 mount on a K&F adaptor. It's not a problem. I will have to adapt it to fit my Fuji of course, and I still have the full range of apertures. Nice lens actually. I've been out playing this evening and got some good results. I've noticed that the bokeh is quite distinctive wide open. :D
 
Just reporting back on my Nikon 35mm f2.5 Series E.

I hadn't used it much as it squeaked when pointed downwards but I got it cheap so kept it. After checking what these are going for on evil bay I decided I'd got a bargain worth spending £50 on to have it cleaned and lubricated. It came back squeak free and I think it's a very nice lens. It's actually a bit vice free and so good it could maybe even be a modern lens.

If anyone is looking for a vice free lens this could be worth a look. Mine is the black plastic MK1 rather than the IMO better looking MK2 with the metal ring, the MK2's are more expensive.

5UPhzE3.jpg


With No.4 close up filter.

BuMUCTm.jpg


66% crop from that.

YvrMFkU.jpg


One last one. Off shopping.

dzScApc.jpg
 
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It's a perfectly good lens with seemingly insignificant vices and could be someone's one and only general purpose manual 35mm and it is IMO so good it could maybe even have been made last week not decades ago... but it could therefore be said to be less "interesting" as some of us like lenses that are... er... more characterful :D
 
Plain Nev said:
Soligor 35 2.8

DSCF1326 by Neville Watkins, on Flickr

This is the lens I was enquiring about. I suspect it was made by Vivitar. It has the look of a Vivitar lens. I think that's a good thing, personally. :p
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Vivitar didn't make any of their own lenses, AFAIK, but instead outsourced that to various companies. There have been some cracking lenses that have carried their name, though, not least those produced by the Kommine factory.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
As good as, yes!! 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS:

View attachment 320160
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Nice!

I mentioned this lens earlier in the thread, I had started out looking at 70-210 variants, and moved on to the 80-200 F4 then the 2.8 which I've owned in the past, and then started looking into the 180. How much did you pay for this? I missed one last week that went for €210 [generally €320+), I had been watching it but wasn't online when it ended, raging. Same guy has an 80-200 with a 1.4x TC I'm pondering, but I think I might hold on for a decent copy of the 180 ED. There is a non AI version on there for 200 that was tempting until I saw comparisons to the ED, wide open the non AI will be softer and show fair amount of CA
 
I sold off my Helios 44-2 as it could be a bit stiff in the focussing plus it was my first one and convinced me I definitely wanted a good example.

So I contacted Helios-lens.com and they sent me one of these. It is a later build and not considered the best due to excessive free play and oil on the shutter but when you get one that has no free play and no oil then I suspect it will be as good as the rest. I'll let you know.

20210602_183712.jpg20210602_183721.jpg
 
Cagey75 said:
Nice!

I mentioned this lens earlier in the thread, I had started out looking at 70-210 variants, and moved on to the 80-200 F4 then the 2.8 which I've owned in the past, and then started looking into the 180. How much did you pay for this? I missed one last week that went for €210 [generally €320+), I had been watching it but wasn't online when it ended, raging. Same guy has an 80-200 with a 1.4x TC I'm pondering, but I think I might hold on for a decent copy of the 180 ED. There is a non AI version on there for 200 that was tempting until I saw comparisons to the ED, wide open the non AI will be softer and show fair amount of CA
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Forked out £350380 for this one which should be mint both cosmetically and optically according to the seller. We'll see when it arrives but it's from a reliable source so should be fine. TBH, there just aren't many for sale. In fact, this was the only AIS ED version I could find at the moment. Funny, because yesterday I received an 80-200 4.5 from Japan that should have been mint. Tomorrow it's heading back to Japan at the seller's expense along with a dodgy TC-14B he sold me at the same time. I have a lovely TC-14A to use with this 180mm, tho.
 
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THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
Forked out £350 for this one which should be mint both cosmetically and optically according to the seller. We'll see when it arrives but it's from a reliable source so should be fine. TBH, there just aren't many for sale. In fact, this was the only AIS ED version I could find at the moment. Funny, because yesterday I received an 80-200 4.5 from Japan that should have been mint. Tomorrow it's heading back to Japan at the seller's expense along with a dodgy TC-14B he sold me at the same time. I have a lovely TC-14A to use with this 180mm, tho.
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I use the EU ebay now as buying from the UK turns out more expensive with customs. There's a fair few 180 variants on there, across Germany, Austria, Italy, France etc .. prices range anywhere from 230 [for the non AI inc postage] to over 400 [euro] for the AF versions. In between there's the ED you have and the original AF with the plastic outer shell. I don't mind which version so long as I get a good deal and it's in good nick. I am almost tempted to get the 80-200 with the TC [not a Nikon TC but a Kenko 1.4x] and try sell the lens local, I'll fetch a bit more for it, and then get a 180 and have the TC [the deal works out decent price, the TC is worth £70+ but in this deal about €30] - if I was stuck with the 80-200 for a bit I wouldn't mind too much - it is a bit of a hulk but I have used it before on heavier bodies. I even used it for macro at one point with tubes, manually focused obviously. I believe it's the 2nd version of the push-pull, with the crinkle finish all over - the mk1 had a smooth barrel and only crinkled around the head. Looks in very nice con and it would only be €270 for the lens plus TC, lens alone 240

A lot of 180mm [and pretty much any lens you may search] pop up from Japan, but that's a no-go from here too, customs just jump all over anything from Asia and now the UK too sadly.
 
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moggi1964 said:
I sold off my Helios 44-2 as it could be a bit stiff in the focussing plus it was my first one and convinced me I definitely wanted a good example.

So I contacted Helios-lens.com and they sent me one of these. It is a later build and not considered the best due to excessive free play and oil on the shutter but when you get one that has no free play and no oil then I suspect it will be as good as the rest. I'll let you know.

View attachment 320162View attachment 320163
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That's the one I had, the 44-2. Mine was in good shape but the focus ring was a little loose, optically it was perfectly fine though. Also used this one for macro on reverse rings :)
 
Cagey75 said:
I use the EU ebay now as buying from the UK turns out more expensive with customs. There's a fair few 180 variants on there, across Germany, Austria, Italy, France etc .. prices range anywhere from 230 [for the non AI inc postage] to over 400 [euro] for the AF versions. In between there's the ED you have and the original AF with the plastic outer shell. I don't mind which version so long as I get a good deal and it's in good nick. I am almost tempted to get the 80-200 with the TC [not a Nikon TC but a Kenko 1.4x] and try sell the lens local, I'll fetch a bit more for it, and then get a 180 and have the TC [the deal works out decent price, the TC is worth £70+ but in this deal about €30] - if I was stuck with the 80-200 for a bit I wouldn't mind too much - it is a bit of a hulk but I have used it before on heavier bodies. I even used it for macro at one point with tubes, manually focused obviously

A lot of 180mm [and pretty much any lens you may search] pop up from Japan, but that's a no-go from here too, customs just jump all over anything from Asia and now the UK too sadly.
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Just edited above after checking. I paid £379, not £350, for my AIS ED. I've used the old 80-200 2.8 AF-D and it was a beast but a cracking lens optically. I just don't like the idea of using an AF lens that won't AF with the Z6. It's a recipe for annoyance. :ROFLMAO:
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
Just edited above after checking. I paid £379, not £350, for my AIS ED. I've used the old 80-200 2.8 AF-D and it was a beast but a cracking lens optically. I just don't like the idea of using an AF lens that won't AF with the Z6. It's a recipe for annoyance. :ROFLMAO:
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Ah, but this is a MF only search for me, so I'm viewing even AF lenses as MF and how well they can do it. I know the 80-200 is quite smooth and reliable in MF mode, it's just the weight on top of the adapter that is already all metal, might become a bit of a chore. I originally had it when I shot Nikon so no adapter needed back then.

One thing about the 80-200, they re-sell easy enough, easier then the 180mm I would imagine. The attractiveness of the 180 is the neater size, less weight and the mounds of praise it's received over the years. I was looking for a 200 F4 AIS for a while, and anywhere I looked the general consensus was 'just skip it and get the 180 2.8, it's worth the extra monies'
 
Cagey75 said:
I was looking for a 200 F4 AIS for a while, and anywhere I looked the general consensus was 'just skip it and get the 180 2.8, it's worth the extra monies'
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The 200 f4 is a cracking lens, too but once you add the TC you're immediately at f/5.6 with the TC-14A/B. The extra two stops and better IQ I think are worth it, hence the 180. It should be a better all rounder, too.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
The 200 f4 is a cracking lens, too but once you add the TC you're immediately at f/5.6 with the TC-14A/B. The extra two stops and better IQ I think are worth it, hence the 180. It should be a better all rounder, too.
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Do you have any experience with the older non AI 180? the one with the criss-cross pattern. I think it's a tad heavier and bulkier and apparently no ED elements, though I've seen some say that old Nikon shooters like Moose Peterson reckons it does have at least one ED elemnt, Nikon just never advertised this at the time. ED later became a bit of a sales pitch

According to good ol' Ken Rockwell all versions are great but I feel if I got a non ED version I might just always wish I'd gotten the ED. But, if I knew the old version was better at F4 than the 200F4, then it's a runner as the 200 goes for anything up to €200 in any kind of good shape.
 
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Cagey75 said:
Do you have any experience with the older non AI 180? the one with the criss-cross pattern. I think it's a tad heavier and bulkier and apparently no ED elements, though I've seen some say that old Nikon shooters like Moose Peterson reckons it does have at least one ED elemnt, Nikon just never advertised this at the time. ED later became a bit of a sales pitch
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I haven't but a friend of mine, Bjorn Rorslett, has and I trust his opinion implicitly because he only reviews lenses he's used extensively. This is what he wrote:

This fast medium telephoto lens has, thanks to its ED element and modern optical formula, a superb optical quality. Images are rendered with high sharpness, contrast and vivid colour saturation. Even wide open quality images are produced, and stopped down to f/5.6 it's hardly possible to better the image quality. Beyond f/16 there is a noticeable decline in quality so these small f-numbers shouldn't be used unless absolutely necessary. Flare and ghosts can be a problem under high-contrast conditions. It performs marvellously with an extension ring added. The PN-11 tube is the best choice and brings with it a tripod collar to help the 180 ED give 1:3 close-ups with tremendous quality. I often use the 180 ED with my F2 Titan.
Be aware that the pre-ED versions (engraved Nikkor P) of the 180/2.8 are inferior in image quality in comparison with the ED 180. Not a bad lens, but the standard of the ED is a tall order to meet.

 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
I haven't but a friend of mine, Bjorn Rorslett, has and I trust his opinion implicitly because he only reviews lenses he's used extensively. This is what he wrote:

This fast medium telephoto lens has, thanks to its ED element and modern optical formula, a superb optical quality. Images are rendered with high sharpness, contrast and vivid colour saturation. Even wide open quality images are produced, and stopped down to f/5.6 it's hardly possible to better the image quality. Beyond f/16 there is a noticeable decline in quality so these small f-numbers shouldn't be used unless absolutely necessary. Flare and ghosts can be a problem under high-contrast conditions. It performs marvellously with an extension ring added. The PN-11 tube is the best choice and brings with it a tripod collar to help the 180 ED give 1:3 close-ups with tremendous quality. I often use the 180 ED with my F2 Titan.
Be aware that the pre-ED versions (engraved Nikkor P) of the 180/2.8 are inferior in image quality in comparison with the ED 180. Not a bad lens, but the standard of the ED is a tall order to meet.
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Yeah, I have read similar from those who have compared the two side by side, it's probably fine if you've not tried the ED versions. I'll hold.
 
@Cagey75 Mate, this might help you out:

www.apertureuk.com

Nikon 180mm f2.8 AIS ED AP1030403

Leica, Rolleiflex, Canon & Nikon second hand cameras for sale. Large Format cameras. Medium Format cameras. Central London. New Leica & Fuji stockists. Rare an
www.apertureuk.com www.apertureuk.com

I've bought from these guys too and they've been good to deal with.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
@Cagey75 Mate, this might help you out:

www.apertureuk.com

Nikon 180mm f2.8 AIS ED AP1030403

Leica, Rolleiflex, Canon & Nikon second hand cameras for sale. Large Format cameras. Medium Format cameras. Central London. New Leica & Fuji stockists. Rare an
www.apertureuk.com www.apertureuk.com

I've bought from these guys too and they've been good to deal with.
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Cheers, but one of the problems now is ordering from anywhere in the UK - I'm in ireland, and get stung for customs fees and the couriers add their own charges on top to boot. Has happened a couple times now since Brexit, so sadly UK shopping is out of the picture for us here bar small/cheap things from Amazon. There's a few 180mm I'm eyeing from the EU for not a lot more but I'm in no rush.
 
@THIRTYFIVEMILL I went ahead and ordered an AF-D version of the 180mm, the AIS was my first preference but they are asking more for those on the bay than newer versions. It wouldn't be deemed 'vintage' so I won't post images from it here once I get it, but hopefully once I get back into the swing of it [lost the mojo a while back now] I'll post some in the Fuji thread.

Looks to be in top condition, and wasn't a bad price at €350 inc p&p [£300]

One of seller's images of the lens
180mm.jpg
 
Cagey75 said:
@THIRTYFIVEMILL I went ahead and ordered an AF-D version of the 180mm, the AIS was my first preference but they are asking more for those on the bay than newer versions. It wouldn't be deemed 'vintage' so I won't post images from it here once I get it, but hopefully once I get back into the swing of it [lost the mojo a while back now] I'll post some in the Fuji thread.

Looks to be in top condition, and wasn't a bad price at €350 inc p&p [£300]

One of seller's images of the lens
View attachment 320267
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That’s plenty vintage for this thread. It was intended to be for any lens that’s not part of the current line-up to encourage people to look further back than new at Wex etc.. so please do post pics! Looks a very nice copy, too!
 
I rarely post photos but thought somone might appreciate seeing a couple of quick pics of Irises in my garden.
taken on my Sony A73, with my trusty Minolta 35-70 at about F11 using the macro mode (I think!. Keep telling myself I need to write down the F stop as soon as I've taken the shot, but I never learn).
JPEG straight off the camera. Into LR with exposure bumped by about 1/2 stop and blacks/whites/shadows/highlights tweaked. Nothing done to colour, clarity, sharpness and no extra NR.
I don't think these are too bad for a 35 year old lens!
A7301629 (2).jpgA7301631.jpg
 
goinggreynow said:
I rarely post photos but thought somone might appreciate seeing a couple of quick pics of Irises in my garden.
taken on my Sony A73, with my trusty Minolta 35-70 at about F11 using the macro mode (I think!. Keep telling myself I need to write down the F stop as soon as I've taken the shot, but I never learn).
JPEG straight off the camera. Into LR with exposure bumped by about 1/2 stop and blacks/whites/shadows/highlights tweaked. Nothing done to colour, clarity, sharpness and no extra NR.
I don't think these are too bad for a 35 year old lens!
View attachment 320327View attachment 320328
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Nice. When I buy say a wide MF prime, I tend to want to shoot them wide open mostly at normal range, if I use them for macro I know it'll be F8-11, handy way to guess the aperture, but then there'll be those times when I'm at F4 or 5.6, and never remember precisely - One trick is to make cards with the different apertures, and before taking a shot of whatever the subject, shoot the relative aperture card. Of course, over time this will hike up your actuations a little, but not so much as with manual lenses we don't tend to go trigger happy anyway.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
That’s plenty vintage for this thread. It was intended to be for any lens that’s not part of the current line-up to encourage people to look further back than new at Wex etc.. so please do post pics! Looks a very nice copy, too!
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I guess it could be deemed 'vintage' as nothing has changed optics-wise since 1986, just the outer shell really. Looking forward to it, apparently it went to shipping about an hour after I ordered, but I wouldn't expect to see it arrive until at least next Thurs. That would be the usual from most areas within the EU to Ireland.
 
I don't mind forgetting the settings or even the lens I used as it just reminds me that often it really doesn't matter. I have been thinking about saving example pictures taken with each lens in named folders but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Does anyone name or save their files so that the lens or even the settings can be identified?
 
woof woof said:
I don't mind forgetting the settings or even the lens I used as it just reminds me that often it really doesn't matter. I have been thinking about saving example pictures taken with each lens in named folders but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Does anyone name or save their files so that the lens or even the settings can be identified?
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Not the file name, but I put the lens name into the keywords in LR. That way I can search for them.
 
Stephen L said:
Not the file name, but I put the lens name into the keywords in LR. That way I can search for them.
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woof woof said:
I don't mind forgetting the settings or even the lens I used as it just reminds me that often it really doesn't matter. I have been thinking about saving example pictures taken with each lens in named folders but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Does anyone name or save their files so that the lens or even the settings can be identified?
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Started this very thing recently. I have a large folder called Old lenses and I download images into the appropriate subfolder. It also alerts me to which lenses I haven't taken out recently. Finding it really helpful. Shame it doesn't record the aperture though.
 
I bought a Novoflex adapter for my Takumar lenses but unfortunately it allows lenses to rotate a bit too far. I thought I might have left it too late to return it but Speedgraphic said they'll refund or replace so I'm going to send it back. I'm thinking of getting a refund and buying a cheap one at 1/3rd the price as what's the point in paying more if they can't justify it with higher quality.

I have Novoflex adapters for my Minolta Rokkor, Olympus Zuiko and Canon FD lenses and they're fine but I am disappointed that this latest one has this obvious fault despite Novoflex's claims of tight tolerances.
 
I don't suppose M42 adaptors will ever be that precise. When I use an M42 lens they either seem to fall one side or the other. Not that it makes any difference, I find.
 
Plain Nev said:
I don't suppose M42 adaptors will ever be that precise. When I use an M42 lens they either seem to fall one side or the other. Not that it makes any difference, I find.
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Many adapters have grub screws so you can rotate the mount.
 
Stephen L said:
Many adapters have grub screws so you can rotate the mount.
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Do they actually allow the mount to rotate? I thought they were more of a height thing.
 
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