Welcome to the forum!

Ok I will ask for the serial number. On that link you posted it said only 7 copies were known of?

How does a lens work without aperture blades? On one link it mentioned preset aperture, and I am not sure exactly what that means. Surely not that the aperture is fixed at F1.9? That would restrict the use of the lens somewhat.

Thanks for that Clarky! I have just emailed the guy who has the lens, and hopefully will get down there soon to pick it up. I have asked him to email me some pics of the lens, and may ask someoone to pik it up for me if I don't get down there next month. It looks like a cracker: I will have to get an M42 adaptor, though I may be reluctant to actually stick such a rare lens on the front of my camera! Unfortuately he doesn't have the original lens caps: not sure if that would affect the value were I ever to sell it.

The lens has got a 42mm screw thread, and it's definitely 83mm: I didn't see it but the guy selling it is adamant it is 83mm, and he seems to know his stuff. He collects old Nikon lenses and cameras but picked this one up 20 years ago. He said he has tried it on a Spotmatic. Next time I am down there I will get him to bring it into the shop. He says it is in perfect condition. It also seems, from the very little I can find out about it, that optically it is rated very highly. I think I will probably buy it: would be nice to have a rare lens.

Thanks, it seems quite a rare lens. Less than 1000 were produced. I thought some of the lens collectors on here might know a bit about it? The one on that link was bought in a charity shop. I can't find a price for it anywhere. The guy who offered to sell it to me has had it 20 years!

I've used a polariser on a Sigma 10-20: sometimes you get uneven darkening of the sky, depending on the angle to the sun, but with the sun behind you it works fine. It also works well for controlling reflections, and is great for cloudy skies. As long as you use a thin one, like this and don't try and put it over another filter, in which case you get a lot of vignetting.

I was offered one of these lenses in excellent condition for 500 Aussie dollars when I was in Melbourne the other day. I've never heard of it, and not having an M42 adapter or having any idea what this lens is worth I didn't buy it. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it any good? The guy said he would keep it for me if I emailed him. Should I buy it?

If it is going to cost that much, or even half that, it looks a bit too much like a standard kit lens, with no distance markings. The lack of distance markings is the only annoyance (apart from speed, but we don't expect that on a cheap kit lens)I have with the 18-55 and 50-200, as it makes hyperfocal focusing complete guesswork instead of being able to use a chart to set the correct hyperfocal distance. Though I have used a tape-measure before to pick a point to focus on.

I have just bought a Sigma 18-250, I might have waited for this lens if I had known about it beforehand.... I'll try the Sigma for a few months and see how good the 18-135 WR: maybe I'll have to sell the Sigma and get one of these......

I prefer it with the walker, but think if a bit was cropped off the right hand side (which is very dark anyway) to put him on a third it would improve it.