Prinzflex lenses

OK, nobody shout EUGH!!!

I have in my "collection" an old Prinzflex 70 - 162mm f1:3.5 lens.
My understanding is, that as it doesn't show two "f" numbers, it is 1:3.5 for all focal lengths, which is a good thing.

What is your knowledge of these lenses? Are they a reasonable make?
It seems like a reasonable lens (to my eyes anyway).
Maybe I should take some shots with it and post them on here.

It was bought about 3 years ago for my MESuper and cost the princely sum of £11.

EUGH!

Just kidding! I haven't heard about the lens, just wanted to shout EUGH!

At £11, even if it's not the best lens around its still a bargain...

I knew someone would

I seem to remember that they were a cheap brand sold some years ago in the UK by Dixons stores. Dixons also had Miranda and Chinon brands in their own badge lenses.
My first thoughts would be that, as it is a budget old design zoom then image quality would be lacking. However, test it against your Tamron, it might be acceptable.

The proof will be in the images Ted.

I'd take a few varying shots and have a good look at them on the PC. The older odd branded lenses I've tried seem OK on a DSLR, it may be because distortion at the edges misses the sensor.

I think "Prinz" in general was used by Dixons - I know we've got a couple of pairs of binoculars about with that brand name on, so I'd guess they just adjusted the name to the product.

The binoculars were good, until Dad decided to take them apart with the inevitable misalignment upon reassembly. As they now make your brain hurt I tend to use the bright yellow Aldi "sailing" pair. They float too!

Prinz and Prinzflex were indeed trade marks of Dixons, from the days when they were camera dealers. Budget ranges that have little to offer on digital, but no better or worse than any other 1970s budget offerings.

You'll probably find the lens performs quite well for the money, and remember if you use it on the digital your cropping off the outer edge of the image circle, therby removing the part of the image that would have shown the majority of any discrepancies in the optics

PS: I seem to recal my wife had a Prinzsound stereo when I first met her

I hadn't realised there was such an array of "Prinz" products. Maybe because I'm so young

I'll have a play, let's face it, for £11 I can put up with any limitations...when I've learnt what they are.

I think I'd be safe with your binoculars, Matt; I don't have a brain to hurt

Well, I took a few snapshots today with it.
Both straight off camera, no adjustments other than resizing.

This was taken in dull overcast lighting. Handheld, about 120mm. ISO 400. 1/1000sec. f3.5

[IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i296/Father_Ted/PHOTOS/LensTest.jpg[/IMG]


It was a little brighter this time. Again hand held at (I think ) 162mm.ISO 400. 1/2500 sec.
[IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i296/Father_Ted/PHOTOS/LensTest2.jpg[/IMG]

What do "The Experts" think on quality, not content as they are just for fun.

Look pretty good to me Ted

Tony

Me no expert [ as you all know ]

BUT

nice detail on the pony - mane is well defined , and the forelock is well caught.

Your daughter [ ? ] 's plaits are well defined , even the one on her gilet . The brickwork shows up well too

Yup, - Prinz was Dixons house brand. My father had a Prinz cine camera. I got a Prinz transistor radio for my eleventh birthday. You could buy a Prinz 'Music centre' and cassette recorder, a Prinz Saturn camera, that was very similar to an Olympus Trip, and a Prinz 500 SLR, that was a rebadged Zenith E. You could even buy Prinzcolour print film and Prinzchrome slide and cine film.
I still have a Prinzlite exposure meter.

Prinzflex lenses were budget lenses, some not even auto.

This thread about the Prinz products made me feel quite nostalgic. I can well remember browsing in Diixons (when it was a proper camera shop) in the 1960s looking for photographic equipment I could afford. A quick rummage in my discarded photo products box revealed this:-





It is a Prinz Galaxy Vario Converter. It meant that I could use my sole lens - a M42 50mm as a 100mm, 125mm and 150mm. I do not think it did much for the optical quality of the lens but it did provide magnification. It came in a nice leather case too.

Archie