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Looking for a quality short tele for a good price

Another post about legacy lenses. I'm after a good quality, sharp short telephoto fixed focal length lens - around the 60 - 85mm range. Reasonably fast too. The catch is that I'm also after one that is relatively low cost on the used market. Although Canon FD lenses can usually be found at very attractive prices, the FD 85mm f1.8 is a bit more than I what I want to pay for, looking at prices on eBay. Are there any such lenses that are like well kept secrets - exuding gem-like optical quality that not many folks know about and being sold for low $$?
 
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dwright

Guest
If "around the 60-85mm range" would include 58mm you might look at the Helios-44 58mm/f2 http://www.lowcost4dslr.com/tests/m42/1-helios-44-2

Alternatively, if your requirements are flexible, there are many compact zooms in the 35-70mm or 28-80mm "short" ranges, including Canon FD, Minolta MD, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax which are available at budget prices. I've had good results from an old Pentax-A SMC 35-80mm f4-5.6 which is very unprepossessing lens on the exterior.

 

bennettk

New member
Canon makes an FD 100/2.8 that does a nice job on m4/3 with an adapter. It's not all that sharp wide open, but stopped down a little it works well. There's a "Bargain" version at KEH.com right now for $99.
 
If "around the 60-85mm range" would include 58mm you might look at the Helios-44 58mm/f2 http://www.lowcost4dslr.com/tests/m42/1-helios-44-2
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Yea, I recently learnt about that one...definitely worth considering.

Alternatively, if your requirements are flexible, there are many compact zooms in the 35-70mm or 28-80mm "short" ranges, .
Yea, I considered those too but they tend to be a little on the slow side. I was planning to use the lens in interiors as well as exteriors so a large maximum aperture is desirable.
 

pellicle

New member
Canon makes an FD 100/2.8 that does a nice job on m4/3 with an adapter. It's not all that sharp wide open, but stopped down a little it works well. There's a "Bargain" version at KEH.com right now for $99.
I'd second the vote for the FD ... but I'm trying (in vain) to rid myself of FD and stay focused on OM ... its just the the FD300f4 is so bloody good!!!


tawny Frogmouth by obakesan, on Flickr
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Personally I like the Leica R Elmarit 90/2.8 Can be found cheaper then Contax G 90mm.
The cheapest I found was a Kaleinar 5N 100/2.8 for € 7,50 And crazy enough it is nicely sharp.
Konica AR 85/1.8 is a fantastic lens too. I payd € 175,-- for it.
Jupiter 85/2 for around € 100,-- Meyer Orestor 100/2.8 (very small)
etc etc

Michiel
 
Example with the cheap Kaleinar.

Michiel

Some nice street photography there! That chalk writing on the blackboard stands out really clearly. With the Russian lenses like the Jupiter, is there a bit of a gamble when buying them, regarding quality control during manufacturing - ie - is there a fair chance that some samples may be better than others?
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Hey thank you :)

That's what one reads often on forums. This Kaleinar is plenty sharp but I can't quarantee they all are. I have 4 Russian lenses and they all perform well.
May be my Jupiter-9 85/2 is a little soft wide open but performs well stopped down a little. Also I don't like it'diafragm ring, so small and right up front.

Another wonderfull quality lens could be the Zeiss Biometar for Pentacon 6.
The adapter is rather big and wide. The lens is also wide (fat) but short.
All in all quiet big but very good quality and not to expensive.

Michiel
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Here some more wide open samples.
This is the zeiss biometar 85/2.8


Jupiter-9 85/2 sample In fact an old Zeiss design.
Actually nothing wrong with this lens wide open :eek:



Michiel
 
Woah, certainly nothing wrong with the wide open performance of the Jupiter as you say!

With regards to the Zeiss Biometar, what's the weight like? Would it cause any strain to the lens mount of a G2?
 

bennettk

New member
Found another one in my gear closet. This is an old Tamron 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Adaptall mount, using a Canon FD Adaptall mount and an FD>m4/3 adapter. Shot at f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/125 sec handheld using a GF1. Not ideal shooting conditions, but not a terrible result.

I think this one becomes my default long lens for m4/3. The fast 180mm prime has a long history in 35mm film photography, so this continues that tradition.
 

ZoranC

New member
Some examples from Zeiss Contax G 90/.28 shot wide open bellow. Granted taken with NEX5 but it will give idea how good lens is.



 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Woah, certainly nothing wrong with the wide open performance of the Jupiter as you say!

With regards to the Zeiss Biometar, what's the weight like? Would it cause any strain to the lens mount of a G2?
Sorry for the late answer. I tryed to make a picture of the lens- adapter set up but it failed :(. Will do it later.
The lens itself is solid and not big 4.8 cm deep and 7.4 wide. But the adapter(s) are big. I use 2 adapters because I used it on an E-3 before. That makes 9.4 cm from the lensmount in total. Then you need a 58 mm sunshade which adds another 3.5 cm. Then it starts to look like a 135mm lens.
It is not heavy, most of it is air, and it feels oké to handle.
It is of cours simpler to use one adapter.

You can look at E bay under zeiss biometar and there are still lots of them. I have the zebra version.

Here are some more samples from today. It was a joy to work with it again. The first 2 are wide open.
But again, there are smaller solutions.

Michiel





 
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