Cheap Fast Lens.

I have been looking for a fairly cheap fast telephoto lens. I have just seen a manual HANIMEX f2.8 70MM-135MM LENS on ebay.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it is:

1) Any good as a lens (never heard of hanimex)
2) What would be a fair price to go up to?
3) Any beter lenses/suggestions?

Very tight budget going on holiday soon! lol

If i remember right, Hanimex was a brand name for Currys-Dixons, but I could be wrong?

In the olde days I recall Hannimex being very budget end. I didn't think they were Dixons brand but I'm pretty sure they were second or third tier lenses.

Why do you want (note I didn't say need) another lens? I know the Tamron isn't that fast but it covers the range.

Save your money until you can get some quality glass or better still spend it on the kids on holiday!

If you do want a lens like that try car boot sales. I went a large one locally and could have had three old zooms of that type but I couldn't see any merit in doing so. I think they were about a fiver.

M ike

Hanimex were a large Australian marketing/manufacturing company. They made a lot of really cheap stuff such as plastic 35mm cameras which if you were lucky would last long enough to use up the full film. Both Hanimex and Vivitar eventually became owned by Gestetner who later sold them in the early 90's.

shim

Right Thanks For that Guys, Ile leave that one be then

Hanimex lenses were a budget range of modest but reasonable performance. They also had a lower cost alternative that they labelled Hanimar.

Oh sorry forgot to answer q's

1) Have no kids so no problem there, Its the misses thats expensive! LOL
2) It isnt so much the range ime after its the speed, The 135mm I have is a great lens but I need something I can get a lil closer to the action and still get everything in the shot lol

Thanks Both, Well I could stretch to just a fast wide angle prime 50-100mm maby? but ya know if the opertunity is there

It's not much use having a fast lens if it's not good wide open.

Sorry ice blinker you have lost me now

When I started with my K10D just over a year ago (it seems so long ago now)I made the mistake of buying cheap zooms .. I was lucky that I actually made a profit on most of them (more down to luck than judgement) but I still have 3 or 4 upstairs in the cupboard that I just cant be bothered to put on Ebay as I know they will fetch peanuts. I would now rather wait until I can afford something decent than have to keep chopping and changing every 5 mins (although I still do that to a certain degree).

The only one I still have and use is my first purchase, a Tamron 24-135mm SP AF lens which recently got damaged and I have just paid £103 to have it repaired which is what I paid for it originally .. purely because finding another is next to impossible and its a good lens.

If you are happy with manual then start looking at the Tamron Adaptall 2 SP range such as the 70-210mm f3.5 and 35-80mm f2.8-3.8.

Thanks Mike. I was just after a fast lens to tide me over until I can afford some quality lenses.

Ime finding my 18-55 and 70-300 are doing me fine for most tasks, I even managed some quite fast danceing shots (see welsh kayleigh in photos forum)
with my 18-55.

Was just looking for a faster lens which wont hit my ISO as hard lol.

The pentax 135mm I brought off Jon is great but I found I couldnt wield it round in the hall because its to powerfull LOL.
Did get some good shots up the golf course with it though but thats anouther story

"Wide open" = at the largest aperture.

If the lens does not perform well at large apertures (quite likely in the case of an old cheap zoom) then you're going to want to stop it down to at least f5.6 anyway. Then it will provide little advantage over your Tamron 70-300mm.

I thought that was what you ment but I didnt see how it would relate to the lens.

Understand ya know though.

Thanks Pete

Hi - glad you're enjoying the 135!

Don't know if you have one, but the cheapest fast and great quality Pentax lens out there that'll fit more in is probably the 50mm f1.7. You can find them very easily and cheaply, and you'd pay quite a lot to get something of equal IQ new nowadays. Quite a nice focal length too.

If you want to go wider, I have a 28mm SMC A f2.8 which I like - at 42mm on a dSLR it's a great standard lens for street photography etc. Mine cost £35 incl 6 month warrantee from local secondhand camera shop (Ivor Howell in S London). If you find one at that price or a little more, I'd recommend it.