Test shots...Industar-50-2. Part 2, an occasional series on Former Soviet Union lense

[tao2]

This is what it looks like...






Been after this lens for a wee project for a few weeks now. Picked this up for 6 GBP, mint condition. lens is very clean. This is the M42 screw SLR type. Ah have an Industar 61 LZ (SLR lens) and 2 rangefinder lenses so knew it would be sharp as a tack, since it's a Zeiss Tessar copy. These are test shots and ah'm impressed; the lens'll be used later, mainly for its background (bokeh) rendering.

[pnodrog]

Impressive results - at least at the presented size - sharp and good contrast,.

Whats a Scotsman doing taking photographs on a non links course?......

[Shadowman]

Nice captures.

[John 2]

Definitely impressive. Boab, are these digital images? I ask because I have an OM outfit and early on bought an adapter to use the 300 mm prime on my Nikon. The results were disappointing both in terms of resolution and contrast. I put it down to the fact that the optics hadn't been optimised for a digital imaging system. The lens is an excellent performer on the OM 2 that it was bought for.

[Manfred M]

Not bad for a lens that was designed in 1930... I understand that this is when the f/3.5 (as well as the f/2.8) variants were first produced, although the original 1902 lens had a maximum aperture of f/6.8.

So far as I recall, my first enlarger lens (a Schneider-Kreuznach Componar 50mm f/4.5) was essentially a Tessar design. It was a bit soft wide open but stopped down one or two stops, the lens was amazingly sharp.

[tao2]

Impressive results - at least at the presented size - sharp and good contrast,.

Whats a Scotsman doing taking photographs on a non links course?......

Hi LPaul, if ye click on the link, then the rectangle with arrow, ye get the large size.

Links courses are too easy, too much space! This is a municipal course around a ten minute walk from my home - inside the city boundary. Also about the hardest driving course on the East coast - unforgiving tree-lined hell. But man, it teaches ye tae drive straight...

Definitely impressive. Boab, are these digital images? I ask because I have an OM outfit and early on bought an adapter to use the 300 mm prime on my Nikon. The results were disappointing both in terms of resolution and contrast. I put it down to the fact that the optics hadn't been optimised for a digital imaging system. The lens is an excellent performer on the OM 2 that it was bought for.

Hi John,

Nikon DSLRs are probably the hardest tae use manual lenses on because of the register. It's not incompatibility with digital imaging. Almost every manual lens used with Nikons needs an adapter with glass and the results are (as ye found out) unsatisfactory. These shots are from my Sony a700 which has just plain M42 tae Sony A mount adapters. Ye can get chipped adapters for focus etc. but the cheap ones suit me fine. Almost every function on my DSLR works with manual lenses.

[tao2]

Not bad for a lens that was designed in 1930... I understand that this is when the f/3.5 (as well as the f/2.8) variants were first produced, although the original 1902 lens had a maximum aperture of f/6.8.

So far as I recall, my first enlarger lens (a Schneider-Kreuznach Componar 50mm f/4.5) was essentially a Tessar design. It was a bit soft wide open but stopped down one or two stops, the lens was amazingly sharp.

Hi Manfred,

Aye, a number of FSU lenses were copied or derived from Tessars pre-war designs. This lens was made in 1978. 7 bladed aperture but only focuses down tae just over 2 feet. This particular one is very sharp, even wide open. Everyone ah know who has one says the same. A case of not judging the book....

[John 2]

So far as I recall, my first enlarger lens (a Schneider-Kreuznach Componar 50mm f/4.5) was essentially a Tessar design. It was a bit soft wide open but stopped down one or two stops, the lens was amazingly sharp.

I still have one sat looking at me on the display cabinet shelf next to it's dark blue box. Don't have an enlarger anymore but I kept the lens.

Boab, having a senior moment. I tried the 300mm on my Fuji X Pro1 not the Nikon. Might give it another try. Fuji haven't yet added a long lens to their stable.

[tao2]

I still have one sat looking at me on the display cabinet shelf next to it's dark blue box. Don't have an enlarger anymore but I kept the lens.

Boab, having a senior moment. I tried the 300mm on my Fuji X Pro1 not the Nikon. Might give it another try. Fuji haven't yet added a long lens to their stable.

Hi John,

if ye buy a 39-42mm step-up ring (@ £2 from Hong Kong inc. postage) plus an M42-AF adapter, ye can use the enlarger lens, with or without tubes for macro shooting on yer DSLR or a more expensive adapter with helical, on yer Fuji. Or focus peaking, depending on camera/ lens combinations.

This is an EL-Nikkor 50mm enlarging lens on my Sony. Ah use the LF-LB focusing method... lean forward - lean back...