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Archive 2016 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws

  
 
Lee Saxon
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Mostly owning and using lenses that skew toward technical perfection and high price, I'm looking for something a little different. Nikon-DSLR-mountable/adaptable, cheap (say around >$250, but flexible on that), unusual or highly characteristic rendering. Don't say Lensbaby.

What would you pick?

Edited on Dec 24, 2016 at 08:53 PM · View previous versions



Dec 23, 2016 at 02:14 AM
ZoneV
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Black Meyer Optics Trioplan 100mm 1:2.8 or its siblings Diaplan oder Pentacon projection lens. Or Meyer Primotar 135mm f/3.5. Or cheap Pentacon 80mm f/2.8 projection lens. Or Meyer Telemegor lenses.

With the projection lenses you need some tinkering to make it work as taking lens (focus helicoid and mount).
http://www.4photos.de/test/Soap-Bubble-Bokeh-Lenses.html

Or when you like to tinker and experimenting take a Sigma YS 135mm f/2.8 and build your own alternative version of a Nikon
defocus control (Bokeh) lens. But it is in normal not as sharp as the Nikon DC lenses. And you need extension tubes for the use, it is not easy going.

Or when you like more soft bokeh make an DIY apodization lens with a Helios 44 58mm f/2.0.



Dec 23, 2016 at 07:11 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


I was just going to mention the Soap Bubble lenses before Zone V got there first !

The Trioplan is the most famous (and now has an expensive modern copy of the same name) however it is not at all the only soap bubble lens. I bought two which can emulate those effects and are indeed fine lenses in their own right when not used for soap bubbles.

The Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/2.8 which can be had for peanuts (US$50 and down) and the Steinheil Cassarit 100/3.5 which is about double that from memory (I forget what I paid). You probably shouldn't write off the LensBabies either .. great fun !

Those aside there are many Russian lenses that will give you funky effects. I've got the Jupiter 9 (85/2) on order too. but the Helios 44 is well known and easy found (there are many versions - you need to research it to see which one you prefer). You can try http://www.flickriver.com/ to see the effects of these lenses.



Dec 23, 2016 at 07:32 AM
Vcook
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Frogfish wrote:
... the Helios 44 is well known and easy found (there are many versions - you need to research it to see which one you prefer). ..


I just made a similar recommendation on the russian lens thread, for about 25 bucks its hard not to have one of these to play with. The bokeh is interesting.





Dec 23, 2016 at 10:13 AM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Lensbaby has many variations, for cheap single element original, to more sophisticated "tilt/shift" designs for several hundred dollars. I received an original for free with a lens purchase here on B&S, and proceeded to buy two more (2.0 two element, and Muse plastic element). Lots of fun and can be had for under $30 on eBay, where I bought those two.

Easily changeable aperture disks help regulate the softening and OOF areas.












Dec 23, 2016 at 10:18 AM
Lee Saxon
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


ZoneV wrote:
Meyer Optics Trioplan 100mm 1:2.8 or its siblings


Frogfish wrote:
I was just going to mention the Soap Bubble lenses before Zone V got there first !


I was looking into that when I had an A7 for a while, though the Trioplan has gotten crazy expensive. I actually did buy a Zeiss Jena 50/2.8. Interesting that the 105 DC can do this effect as well, I may look into that.

But AFAIK these M42 lenses can't be mounted on F mount which I'm using now. Do y'all know something I don't?

Frogfish wrote:
You probably shouldn't write off the LensBabies either .. great fun !


Not writing them off just saying I already know about them. Plus, they're readily available for rent.




Dec 23, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Steve Spencer
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Lee Saxon wrote:
I was looking into that when I had an A7 for a while, though the Trioplan has gotten crazy expensive. I actually did buy a Zeiss Jena 50/2.8. Interesting that the 105 DC can do this effect as well, I may look into that.

But AFAIK these M42 lenses can't be mounted on F mount which I'm using now. Do y'all know something I don't?

Not writing them off just saying I already know about them. Plus, they're readily available for rent.



Lee, you can get M42 to Nikon F mount adapter readily on eBay. They won't give you infinity focus, but you should be able to use the lens for portrait distances and most of these lenses aren't good candidates for infinity focus shooting anyway. Think of it like the Rocker 58 f/1.2 on a Canon camera. You can get lots of interesting shots without infinity focus. It is basically using the lens with a 1mm extension tube, which although it will prevent infinity focus won't prevent the lens still being quite useful.



Dec 23, 2016 at 12:07 PM
ZoneV
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Steve, my Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 has infinity on my EOS 5D :-) Filed down the back lens tube a bit.

Lee, for Nikon F you could use the projection lens Diaplan or Pentacon 100mm f/2.8 and mount it somehow to the Nikon. There you can reach infinity on the Nikon.
Best would be when you get the lens + its outer focus tube. But this is not so often to find. Perhaps even other old projection focus tubes should fit as well.
Or you use a focus helicoid from an old defect lens or 2x macro teleconverter (not thos Panagor made) and do some modification, I suppose it could handle the projector lens diameter. There are 2x macro teleconferter with Nikon F mount, this would make things easier.

The both DC Nikkor lenses have a lot of LoCA, which is quite a bad thing.



Dec 23, 2016 at 01:54 PM
DannyBurkPhoto
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


I've been interested in the same thing lately. A few weeks ago, I got a dirt-cheap Pentacon 50/1.8 that makes wonderful effects wide open when used at the right distance with suitable background objects. I've been having more fun with this than with any of my "real" lenses!

Bokeh spruce by Danny Burk, on Flickr

Palm bokeh by Danny Burk, on Flickr

Fun with bokeh by Danny Burk, on Flickr




Dec 23, 2016 at 02:12 PM
JohnJ
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Sorry, I don't have any samples to post as I don't use them regularly, but the cheapest (read: three element) enlarging lenses are poorly corrected and often exhibit overcorrected spherical aberration which gives varying degrees of soap bubble bokeh. These lenses are typically sharp in the centre and fall off in sharpness towards the edges, sometimes also showing swirl in the bokeh depending on the lens and how well or poorly the image circle covers the chosen sensor. Video lenses might also be an option but I have no experience with them.

Some of the very fast enlarging lenses have the same overcorrected SA bokeh, but not the swirl. The Meopta Meogon 2.8/80 and Computar dL 1.9/55 are examples, although the later needs a very short flange distance to achieve infinity focus, the Meopta 2.8/80 would be fine on a Nikon.

Example of Meopta Meogon 2.8/80
IMG_8618_Meogon80_2f8_1920x1280 by John Jovic, on Flickr

Examples (on A7RII) of Computar dL 1.9/55 here: http://photocornucopia.com/1073.html
http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Computar/55dL/DSC00590_CdL55_1f9_1600pc.jpg



Dec 23, 2016 at 04:31 PM
Lee Saxon
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


DannyBurkPhoto wrote:
I've been interested in the same thing lately. A few weeks ago, I got a dirt-cheap Pentacon 50/1.8


Cool photos!

Very interesting effect. Definitely a very situational lens, but at that price who cares. Was this an MC version or not? Do you know if the behavior was different? MC seems to be easier to find.



Dec 23, 2016 at 04:56 PM
DannyBurkPhoto
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Yes, it's MC. I'm using it on an A7RII with a Fotodiox M42 to E adapter.


Dec 23, 2016 at 05:27 PM
uhoh7
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


The register is so long for Nikon very hard to adapt anything, and even the Nikkor are a minefield, depending on the DSLR. The 50/1.2 goes for well over 300 bucks.

But there is this
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/995103-REG/fotodiox_dkl_nk_p_voigtlander_bessamatic_retina_dkl.html

so maybe one of these:
List of Zenit DKL-mount ("Байонет Ц") lenses:

Mir-1Ц 37mm f2.8
Vega-3 50mm f2.8
Helios-65Ц 52mm f2.8
Jupiter-25Ц 85mm f2.8
Tair-38Ц 133mm f2.8
Rubin-1Ц 37-80mm f2.8
Other strange lenses for DKL....
wow cannot paste link ....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category : Deckel_DKL-mounts

even the page is strange , take out the spaces around the colon

or T-mount?
Sigma, Upsilon, Accura, Polaris, Sun, Aetna, Beroflex, Petri, Raynox, N.P.S., Formula, Dionar, Universal, Soligor, Yashica, Spiratone.

Weird, cheap, adaptable to the unlikely, this is one place were somebody will know something for sure: mflenses!!



Dec 23, 2016 at 11:54 PM
davidnholtjr
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Lee Saxon wrote:
Mostly owning and using lenses that skew toward technical perfection and high price, I'm looking for something a little different. Nikon-DSLR-mountable/adaptable, cheap (say around >$250, but flexible on that), unusual or highly characteristic rendering. Don't say Lensbaby.

What would you pick?



Give a Holga 60mm a try.









Jan 02, 2017 at 04:49 PM
Bohemien
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Great thread, thx everyone for posting!


Jan 02, 2017 at 05:16 PM
Makten
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


uhoh7 wrote:
The 50/1.2 goes for well over 300 bucks.


But the 55/1.2 doesn't! I actually like it better than the 50 even if it's "inferior". More glow wide open, but just as sharp stopped down. Bokeh is very much like Zeiss 50/1.4 Planar, which means chaotic at close distance, and smoother at larger distance.

Wide open...




Jan 03, 2017 at 09:10 AM
arduluth
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


Makten wrote:
But the 55/1.2 doesn't! I actually like it better than the 50 even if it's "inferior". More glow wide open, but just as sharp stopped down. Bokeh is very much like Zeiss 50/1.4 Planar, which means chaotic at close distance, and smoother at larger distance.

Wide open...

https://c7.staticflickr.com/4/3679/10952038566_2fd13574df_o.jpg


It's not far off. The sold items on eBay are generally $200-300, same with the ones on FM.



Jan 03, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Mark_L
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


All the good ones that are 'bad' in a nice way (eg. Trioplan) are not cheap anymore


Jan 03, 2017 at 11:34 AM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


I rigged up my own lens with some achromatic doublets I had sitting around. Very fast, close to f/1 at 50mm I think. Not sure if it had any desirable characteristics, particularly, but possibilities there


Jan 03, 2017 at 01:00 PM
rico
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Cheap Lenses with Unusual Rendering or Interesting Flaws


I get my throwback kicks from Leitz Visoflex. The registration distance allows mounting, with suitable adapter, on all my active cameras: Nikon F, Canon EOS, Sony FE, Leica M, LTM. I prefer single coating, but you can get an even more archaic look from prewar lenses with their uncoated surfaces and rudimentary designs. You get infinity focus from 65mm and longer. After purchasing the extra bits, each lens might cost you $20 if user grade. I personally prefer bokeh smooth and polygon-free but, beyond that, attractive character for me includes SA, FC, and flare.

Some lenses can be used when reversed, although you may need to free-lens. I find the Leitz Elmarit 90 v1 is markedly improved in this way.



Jan 03, 2017 at 01:56 PM
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