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Images with Vintage Telephotos

davidstorm
Posted 24/03/2013 - 18:58 Link
Good evening all

Following on from recent threads started by D. Orloff, I'm interested to see some images from vintage manual focus telephoto lenses. I have two of these; a Tamron Model 670au Adapt-a-matic 300mm f5.6 and a superb mint Takumar 200mm F5.6 pre-set (mine is the earlier Takumar, not the virtually identical but later Tele-Takumar).

The Tamron was made for a very limited period between 1972/1973 and was the forerunner of the 'Adaptall' series of lenses. It is a beautifully made lens, but if some reviews on the internet are to be believed it was poor optically. I beg to differ; stopped down to F8 or F9 it's a magic performer.

The Takumar 200mm F5.6 pre-set is even better. Made between 1958 and 1962, the example I own looks as though it has only just been taken out of the box. Fabulous in AV Mode on a digital SLR, it has 10 aperture blades positioned just behind the front element that make an almost circular hole. It has infinitely variable aperture settings and this, together with the circular aperture, makes the bokeh superb. It's a lens that is an awkward focal length, but the IQ has to be seen to be believed. I have set myself a task of shooting wildlife images with this lens; not easy, but do-able.

My first batch of shots are all with the Tamron and all shot hand-held through a double-glazed window, so would be better / sharper if shot without any glass in the way. I'll post some with the Tak when I've shot them.

BTW, the Tamron cost £20 and the Tak cost £25; not bad VFM!!

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Please post some taken with other vinatage telephotos so we can all see how these old lenses perform.

Best wishes
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
AlJones2402
Posted 24/03/2013 - 19:12 Link
Beautiful shots there David and what a bargain with them lenses.
McBrian
Posted 24/03/2013 - 20:15 Link
#3 is outstanding
Cheers
Brian.
LBA is good for you, a Lens a day helps you work, rest and play.
davidstorm
Posted 24/03/2013 - 23:37 Link
Thanks guys, anyone got any more shots with old manual focus telephoto lenses?
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
JAK
Posted 25/03/2013 - 00:34 Link
Taken with a Pentax-M 200mm f4 on a K100D through the bedroom window in 2009.

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John K
John K
Edited by JAK: 25/03/2013 - 00:37
Smeggypants
Posted 25/03/2013 - 05:53 Link
McBrian wrote:
#3 is outstanding

Certainly is
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
andrewk
Posted 25/03/2013 - 07:45 Link
In July 2009 for about £20 I bought a Tamron 400mm f/7.5 Model 490 T-mount lens that was made in the early 1960s.

I must admit that I don't use it much. I do not remember using it since I bought a K30 in November 2012 - but it is not bad at all. Shortly after buying it, I took a couple of test photos in the garden.

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and a 100% crop from that
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and later another 100% crop (from an image I cannot now locate) .....
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Maybe worth a look if you can put up with hand-holding a long (but very light) lens - or sorting out a long lens support for a tripod.

I must try it out again soon. It is better than I remember.

Andrew
Edited by andrewk: 25/03/2013 - 07:59
andrewk
Posted 25/03/2013 - 08:48 Link
Forgot this one (same Tamron 400mm f/7.5) ....... hand-held!!

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Also, I've just happened across this thread with lots of zoo pictures (all taken with a Pentax K100D)

I really MUST start using this lens.

Andrew
Edited by andrewk: 25/03/2013 - 09:09
davidstorm
Posted 25/03/2013 - 20:35 Link
That moon shot is great Andrew, the lens looks pretty sharp. The only problems I find with my Tamron is that it's prone to green fringing in high contrast areas and it can tend to over-emphasise Magenta tones in some light conditions, but for £20 that's nit-picking!

I can't wait to give my 200mm Takumar Pre-set a real workout to see how that does.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
andrewk
Posted 25/03/2013 - 23:38 Link
davidstorm wrote:
The only problems I find with my Tamron is that it's prone to green fringing in high contrast areas

One of the things I like about the Model 490 is that it is not particularly prone to fringing, though you can see a little on the moon shot (bear in mind that this is just about a 100% crop).

I'm off on holiday tomorrow for a few days each side of Easter - I'll take the Tamron with me and give it a decent workout.

Andrew
Edited by andrewk: 26/03/2013 - 00:05
gregmoll
Posted 26/03/2013 - 00:56 Link
Here is my contribution.
Pemtax K 400mm
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Pemtax K 400mm and 1.7AF
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Pentax K 500mm
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Pentax K 1000mm
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At the price of the new 560mm I'm going to live with these lenses.

Greg
Stuey
Posted 26/03/2013 - 12:38 Link
Nice shots guys

I will try to add some later in the week - I have a load of shots from the weekend to go through before I look at the older ones - not sure I can match any of these though

Cheers


Stu
K10D, K5 plus plenty of clueless enthusiasm.

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womble
Posted 26/03/2013 - 16:25 Link
Pentax 'K' 300mm f/4.

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K.
Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.

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davidstorm
Posted 26/03/2013 - 21:31 Link
Some great shots posted here, all of them pretty sharp. I do notice a lack of contrast in comparison with more modern lenses, but that's easy to fix in Post Processing.

Keep 'em coming guys - I'm particularly interested to see some shots taken with a Takumar 200mm F5.6 pre-set lens if anyone has any.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
Crossed-up
Posted 26/03/2013 - 22:39 Link
I wasn't sure if you were talking specifically about MF primes, but this was with an SMC M 80-200 4.5 zoom on the *istDL2:

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