Vintage Lenses

The Tokina 28mm arrived this afternoon, looks to be in full working order with no fungus. works fine with the camera and adaptor. Havent had any more time to play as yet but did wonder what the second row of numbers are for?
Bottom row is aperture, top is focus distance so what does the ascending and descending row do/used for.
My film days were playing with my dads fixed lens Canon as a kid or a Auto focus/Fully auto settings entry level SLR just before digital become accessable. I can find plenty on how to focus a manual lens but nothing on actually using one from scratch.
 

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Stephen L said:
Oops! Just seen an Exc++ 200mm f4 Zuiko at Ffordes for £69, so I bought it. Please tell me I’ve did the right thing? :rolleyes:
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OK - You did the right thing :)
There are many options that should be quite acceptable for your requirements. Some would have been cheaper but might not have been in such good condition. An f/2.8 version wouldn't be compact...
Zuiko lenses are among the group that are well respected, but for fixed focal length primes of moderate characteristics even the 3rd party ones are generally quite acceptable.
It's worth knowing OM mount lenses have a stop down button on the mount, you might need to press this in to get the selected aperture.
 
AgentOrange76 said:
The Tokina 28mm arrived this afternoon, looks to be in full working order with no fungus. works fine with the camera and adaptor. Havent had any more time to play as yet but did wonder what the second row of numbers are for?
Bottom row is aperture, top is focus distance so what does the ascending and descending row do/used for.
My film days were playing with my dads fixed lens Canon as a kid or a Auto focus/Fully auto settings entry level SLR just before digital become accessable. I can find plenty on how to focus a manual lens but nothing on actually using one from scratch.
Click to expand...

If this is the row, 16-11-8-4-4-8-11-16, this is so you can set the lens up to shoot zone / hyperfocal. You set it and then just take pictures... without deliberately focusing again.
 
Stephen L said:
Oops! Just seen an Exc++ 200mm f4 Zuiko at Ffordes for £69, so I bought it. Please tell me I’ve did the right thing? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Some crazy prices on that one on ebay, anything from £40 to over 300! if you'rs really is exc++ then you may have got a bargain there, never used it but heard some good things, some hail it as one of the top end of 200 F4 MF lenses in that price range
 
AgentOrange76 said:
The Tokina 28mm arrived this afternoon, looks to be in full working order with no fungus. works fine with the camera and adaptor. Havent had any more time to play as yet but did wonder what the second row of numbers are for?
Bottom row is aperture, top is focus distance so what does the ascending and descending row do/used for.
My film days were playing with my dads fixed lens Canon as a kid or a Auto focus/Fully auto settings entry level SLR just before digital become accessable. I can find plenty on how to focus a manual lens but nothing on actually using one from scratch.
Click to expand...
Those are your depth of field markings, if you focus on your subject through the viewfinder at say f4, then look at f4 markings (on that row) on your lens, the markings correspond with the available depth of field on your 'focus distance' row of numbers.
 
Petrochemist said:
OK - You did the right thing :)
There are many options that should be quite acceptable for your requirements. Some would have been cheaper but might not have been in such good condition. An f/2.8 version wouldn't be compact...
Zuiko lenses are among the group that are well respected, but for fixed focal length primes of moderate characteristics even the 3rd party ones are generally quite acceptable.
It's worth knowing OM mount lenses have a stop down button on the mount, you might need to press this in to get the selected aperture.
Click to expand...
Thanks - have a few OM mount lenses and the adapters I have incorporate a tab to ensure the aperture stops down. I trust Ffordes for their accurate descriptions, having used them quite a lot over the years, and visit them if I’m in the area.
 
Cagey75 said:
Some crazy prices on that one on ebay, anything from £40 to over 300! if you'rs really is exc++ then you may have got a bargain there, never used it but heard some good things, some hail it as one of the top end of 200 F4 MF lenses in that price range
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F4 isn’t really an issue for me at that focal length. F2.8 would be better, but for me compactness trumps that. As I said, I do trust Ffordes.
 
Stephen L said:
F4 isn’t really an issue for me at that focal length. F2.8 would be better, but for me compactness trumps that. As I said, I do trust Ffordes.
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F4 is completely fine for 200mm I think [once the lens is good wide open] , esp these days with ISO performance on most bodies now very clean at mid levels. Also, brighter days are incoming, we've already had a few days with actual sunshine over here [though looking out atm it's definitely ISO 3200+ weather :D ]

I know that with some of the vintage 2.8 lenses they oft need stopping down anyway
 
woof woof said:
I have a Rokkor 135mm f2.8, they also did a 200mm f2.8 but it's more expensive, as you'd expect.
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I had a CZJ 135 2.8, it was a real nice lens, mint too. That one was decent at 2.8. I have read on numerous sites though that the Canon FD 200 2.8 for example, was awful wide open and most use it at F4 on, may as well save the money in those cases and just get a good F4 [where a lot of the research comes in, find the ones that don't need stopping down so much]. Anything less than 200mm I'd be only looking at 2.8 or brighter though

If I really wanted to push for 200 2.8 I'd be more tempted to opt for something like the old Nikon 80-200 push pull 2.8, I owned one back when I used a D90 and even wide open found it crisp and punchy. Later I owned the 70-200 VRII and honestly, it was optically the same just better built and had much better AF. But for manual use if I found one cheap enough I'd go for it
 
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JackBell said:
Those are your depth of field markings, if you focus on your subject through the viewfinder at say f4, then look at f4 markings (on that row) on your lens, the markings correspond with the available depth of field on your 'focus distance' row of numbers.
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Thanks Jack didnt think to search DOF markings.
 
One of the lenses I received during the week, this one Fedex'd in from Japan!

NK-50-1-4-1.png
 
Chaps anyone know what mount this is for? (Vintage stuff not my bag) Dug out a draw been sat for years looks really nice must have 22 aperture blades in it! Just wondering what mount it is for and if it is possible to get it onto Canon EF or mirrorless to get some use out of it; cheers in advance
527E15A2-DBB3-42CC-8EBB-3D4AE0CFFA9A.jpeg
6F273496-8F13-44A8-ADF1-CC9EA0F08161.jpeg
307D380D-4339-4DE3-BDF7-BBE5E8BCEB5B.jpeg
 
Joeturner11 said:
Chaps anyone know what mount this is for? (Vintage stuff not my bag) Dug out a draw been sat for years looks really nice must have 22 aperture blades in it! Just wondering what mount it is for and if it is possible to get it onto Canon EF or mirrorless to get some use out of it; cheers in advance
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Looks like Minolta. Just need an adapter. I have the Photodiox one for my Minolta 70-210 f4 to Nikon F.
 
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Joeturner11 said:
Chaps anyone know what mount this is for? (Vintage stuff not my bag) Dug out a draw been sat for years looks really nice must have 22 aperture blades in it! Just wondering what mount it is for and if it is possible to get it onto Canon EF or mirrorless to get some use out of it; cheers in advance
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Not sure if this is going to help, but I’ve found a similar question on TP from about 3 years ago. the lens looks almost identical to yours and after multiple answers, the consensus seemed to be Praktina mount. Although the shape of the bayonet fitting looks the same, the most apparent difference is that your lens has FP etched into the underside - the one from 3 years ago had PP. Sorry, but I have no idea if/to what extent this could be significant.
Hope I’m not leading you up the garden path here - but it might be a start point.
 
goinggreynow said:
Not sure if this is going to help, but I’ve found a similar question on TP from about 3 years ago. the lens looks almost identical to yours and after multiple answers, the consensus seemed to be Praktina mount. Although the shape of the bayonet fitting looks the same, the most apparent difference is that your lens has FP etched into the underside - the one from 3 years ago had PP. Sorry, but I have no idea if/to what extent this could be significant.
Hope I’m not leading you up the garden path here - but it might be a start point.
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Interesting. You may well be right. I was just going by the mount of my new MD lens which looks very similar.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
And this is the stunning Minolta 70-210mm F4 that I took a punt on. Worked out rather well! :oops: :$

Incoming next week I have a Vivitar 28mm f/2.8, 135mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/5.6 (all KOMINE versions).
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Mine will stay with me forever!
Dunc, if you like the results from the 70-210, it pairs brilliantly with the Minolta 35-70 MD F3.5. Just need to be aware that there are 3 (or is it 4?) versions - mine is v3 which has the “quasi-macro” function. Sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but believe that the optical formula was used by Leica for the Elmarit?
 
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It’s not a light lens, though. But not called “a bag of primes” without good reason!
A more workable focal length range on my Sony A73 than it was on my M43, but I did try it with a focal reducer on the G80 with excellent results.
 
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Joeturner11 said:
Chaps anyone know what mount this is for? (Vintage stuff not my bag) Dug out a draw been sat for years looks really nice must have 22 aperture blades in it! Just wondering what mount it is for and if it is possible to get it onto Canon EF or mirrorless to get some use out of it; cheers in advance
Click to expand...
Further to my first reply, I’ve just gone through all of my lenses to make sure I wasn’t missing something.
Despite knowing 100% that some of them weren’t a match, I’ve checked everything including; Contax, Minolta MD, Canon FD, Pentax K, Olympus OM, Konica AR and Praktica PB.
Although some do look similar (well, similar-ish in that they have 3 lugs), I’m fairly certain that none of them are a match.
If you would like a link back to the original TP question of 3 years ago, let me know and I’ll dig it out.
I’ve also had a a look around for photos to confirm/disprove whether it could be Praktina and so far nothing conclusive.
I suspect it may be one of those where we need someone with 1st hand experience (and who probably knows the significance of the letters FP) to come forward.
I’m guessing you’ve already checked the rear lens cap (if there was one) to verify nothing embossed in the plastic?
 
[QUOTE="goinggreynow, knows the significance of the letters FP) to come forward.
I’m guessing you’ve already checked the rear lens cap (if there was one) to verify nothing embossed in the plastic?
[/QUOTE]

I think this is PP like in the 2018 TP thread -the inking has worn off a bit.

Sonnagar were resellers - the letters PP might have been the original lens manufacturer
 
AgentOrange76 said:
Did you go through eBay? I’ve seen a few from Japan I would maybe take a shot on but a little reluctant to risk £100 or more
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I stumbled upon an evil bay seller with a contact "in the film industry" in Japan who claims to be able to get just about anything Nikon. I bought a lens and it looks new. If anyone wants to have a look at his shop I could dig out the details.

I didn't have to dig this guy out as I'd saved his shop, so if anyone wants a look here it is...

| eBay

www.ebay.co.uk
 
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if anyone is after a 135mm prime then please let me know and I'll put an ad up. I have a Zuiko Om F3.5 and a Pentacon F2.8 15 blade iris. The latter has some tiny (difficult to see) threads of what i believe to be fungus on the inner front element whcih I can either clean off or leave as is.
The Pentacon has been stored inside a camera case with silica gel sachets for company and in a different cupboard to all my other lenses.
 
woof woof said:
I stumbled upon an evil bay seller with a contact "in the film industry" in Japan who claims to be able to get just about anything Nikon. I bought a lens and it looks new. If anyone wants to have a look at his shop I could dig out the details.

I didn't have to dig this guy out as I'd saved his shop, so if anyone wants a look here it is...

| eBay

www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...

I've visited him eBay shop before on my travel. Has some nice lenses.
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
Looks like Minolta. Just need an adapter. I have the Photodiox one for my Minolta 70-210 f4 to Nikon F.
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I'm pretty sure it's not Minolta SR (aka MD, & MC) all the SR mounts I've seen have a small notch in one of the tabs.
Minolta A & Vectis mounts have electrical contacts so not them either.

My database is somewhat sketchy wrt to Practika B as I don't have an example to measure from. It's apparently fairly similar to PK but with a bigger gap between flange & prongs. When there is an aperture linkage this is near the locating pin - but there doesn't appear to any linkage on this lens.

It looks like you have a rear lens cap for it, does that have any markings - often there'll be a couple of letters inside to say what mount the cap fits :)
I only found M42 listed on allphotolenses.com but the M42 database suggests its actually a T2 lens (M42x0.75 not the pentax screw) in whuich case the bayonet mount might unscrew allowing to fit another T2 adapter to whichever mount you prefer.

If its a more obscure mount it could be difficult to identify, altogether I have over 200 listed. Searching technical details on the lens will often give info on which mounts it was made in.

Sorry we've not managed to add anything above what was in this thread https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/what-mount-is-this-lens-i’m-puzzled.674455/ when you first got the lens.

It might be worth asking on MFlenses.com some of the guys on there are very good at identify odd mounts.
My own quick searches indicate that a Sonnagar 135/2.8 was made in both Practika & Exacta mounts (even if the lens does look significantly different as the black/zebra variant)..
 
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This isn't Praktica B, which was a 'modern' mount with electronic contacts from the late 70s. Praktina was different, and decades earlier (in keeping with the style of this lens).
 
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