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Archive 2014 · craptastic lenses

  
 
cmgphoto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · craptastic lenses


Ok, so now I'm looking for something very different. I want a lens that is absolutely horrid. Never focuses correctly, very analog. I'd love to have something in the 35-50 range.

Any suggestions?



Oct 29, 2014 at 08:47 PM
Jon Buffington
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · craptastic lenses


Yeah, I have an old wolfpro branded 28mm macro in fd mount. No idea who the original manufacturer is as this is a rebadged lens. The macro works well but get beyond a few feet and it is truly craptastic. Vignettes in a horrible way throughout all apertures, not sharp, ugly rendering.


Edit: ooooops, not in the 35-50 range.


Edited on Oct 29, 2014 at 08:59 PM · View previous versions



Oct 29, 2014 at 08:56 PM
2ndviolinman
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · craptastic lenses


Canon EF 50/1.4 I briefly owned 2, they both fit the description. If you shoot it on a Sony, it's Alt.


Oct 29, 2014 at 08:58 PM
McGrattan
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · craptastic lenses


Buy anything rated UG from KEH.com and when the delivery driver hands you the box throw it on the ground and step on it. Should meet your requirements, plus you get to see the expression on the drivers face (please take a picture for us and post it)


Oct 29, 2014 at 09:00 PM
McGrattan
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · craptastic lenses


2ndviolinman wrote:
Canon EF 50/1.4 I briefly owned 2, they both fit the description. If you shoot it on a Sony, it's Alt.


I second that. Horrid AF and wide open performance.



Oct 29, 2014 at 09:09 PM
TheEmrys
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · craptastic lenses


The Minolta 35-80mm with the built in lens cap is thoroughly dreadful. It has none of the traits a Minolta lens. Its a hideous lens that never should have been made.


Oct 29, 2014 at 09:16 PM
cmgphoto
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · craptastic lenses


Not really what I'm looking for. Almost a meniscus type setup, or something with very rounded edges, like shooting through a tlr.



Oct 29, 2014 at 09:16 PM
banpreso
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · craptastic lenses


probably could do some DIY to a cheap lens, try scratching it, rub cream on the front element, drown it in water, etc


Oct 29, 2014 at 09:56 PM
LightShow
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · craptastic lenses


Just look for lenses with names you don't recognize, lenses that look like they cut as many corners as possible to save money.

If you're looking for something unique, look for some old brass LF lenses.
Like: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=68599



Oct 29, 2014 at 11:19 PM
Keith B.
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · craptastic lenses


There are no 35mm-intended camera lenses from the 1960's(the Vivitars Soligor, Asamuma, etc) to present that are as "bad" optically as what you want. Most of them are just too good, and many are evenly soft(low resolution) in an ugly way. No charm.
If you want old-fashioned optical aberrations like severe coma out at the sides, you'll have to adapt a CCTV lens, maybe a really cheap enlarging lens from the 1950's, or other junk optics.
You could also buy one of the $400 Petzval lenses, but the expense would spoil the fun.
'Adapting' may mean fiddling around with finding a helicoid extension tube in which you can mount the lens...assuming you want it to focus to different distances...maybe having a few threaded pieces custom machined.



Oct 30, 2014 at 12:34 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · craptastic lenses


Get a ground glass focusing screen from an MF camera and use it as a filter in front of your lens of choice. You could probably rig something up with a cheap Conkin filter holder if you don't want to hand-hold the screen. And use a step-down ring to attach it so you get some mechanical vignetting in there.


Oct 30, 2014 at 12:47 AM
LightShow
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · craptastic lenses


Another option is to reverse an element in a cheap lens, the hardest part will be finding a suitable lens, like a Helios 44-2.
This thread may yield a lens you like.
http://forum.mflenses.com/strange-bokeh-lenses-t30915



Oct 30, 2014 at 12:52 AM
Desmolicious
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · craptastic lenses


cmgphoto wrote:
Ok, so now I'm looking for something very different. I want a lens that is absolutely horrid. Never focuses correctly, very analog. I'd love to have something in the 35-50 range.

Any suggestions?


Get a Jupiter 3 50mm 1.5 lens. Most are crap. There are a few good ones out there, but think more in the line of diamonds in the rough. The good ones apparently were the early builds that used repatriated Zeiss glass. The later ones mostly are 'not good'. Most need to go through a bunch before finding a good one. That was ok back when they were crazy cheap, but those days are long gone.
If you accidentally buy a good one, I'll buy it off you...



Oct 30, 2014 at 01:34 AM
Beni
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · craptastic lenses


McGrattan wrote:
I second that. Horrid AF and wide open performance.


Know your tool. the Canon 50mm 1.4 wide open has a nice dreamy look if you keep it away from specular highlights and from f1.8 is sharp, nice bokeh and a real workhorse of a lens, I shot weddings for 6 years with one, it was my most used lens. Never once missed a shot or had problems with the AF. It was faster to focus than my 50L 1.2 and sharper pretty much all the way through.



Wide open.




Oct 30, 2014 at 07:48 AM
Beni
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · craptastic lenses


I'd recommend the Pentax K mount 24mm f2.8, has triangular bokeh wide open and a lot of haze, flares like a thingy and has such bad field curvature that the corners don't start to sharpen up until f22. No kidding.


Oct 30, 2014 at 07:52 AM
goosemang
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · craptastic lenses


Beni wrote:
Know your tool. the Canon 50mm 1.4 wide open has a nice dreamy look if you keep it away from specular highlights and from f1.8 is sharp, nice bokeh and a real workhorse of a lens, I shot weddings for 6 years with one, it was my most used lens. Never once missed a shot or had problems with the AF. It was faster to focus than my 50L 1.2 and sharper pretty much all the way through.



yeah, this lens gets a worse reputation than it should. yeah, it's fairly soft at 1.4. like you said it's sharp by 1.8, and after that it's an absolute tack.

some of the issue is body dependent. i wasn't crazy about the accuracy of the AF with this lens. then i put it on a 5D3 and it never missed a shot, even at 1.4.

considering you can get one on the b&s for like $250, and it's about 1/3 the size of an L or Sigma, it's alright.



Oct 30, 2014 at 09:00 AM
Beni
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · craptastic lenses


Trick is to keep a hood on it, my 2nd shooter managed to break his 3 times by dropping it onto the fragile front killing the AF motor. I kept a hood on mine even in the bag, 6 years, never a problem.


Oct 30, 2014 at 09:30 AM
johnahill
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · craptastic lenses


pinhole?


Oct 30, 2014 at 09:45 AM
Betacamman
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · craptastic lenses


Perhaps a Zenit lens off eBay?


Oct 30, 2014 at 09:49 AM
KaaX
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · craptastic lenses


cmgphoto wrote:
Not really what I'm looking for. Almost a meniscus type setup, or something with very rounded edges, like shooting through a tlr.


So are you looking for Lomo/Holga style, basically? You can try this -- http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/holga-dslr-lens/ -- for example. Or maybe you can find something in Lensbabies...



Oct 30, 2014 at 11:40 AM
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