I took this lens to the skating rink a couple of weeks ago- came to the conclusion it was unusable without a clean and relube. Stiff, very stiff, hands hurt turning the focus ring- time to relube.
Not a hard job, also took the time to remove the optics and clean the surfaces.
I found a youtube video for the process. I prefer written documentation, but this video helped a lot.
This could become a favorite lens on the Z5.
40.5mm filters and accesories, same as the 5cm F1.5 Sonnar. I put a Walz vented hood on it.
Wide-Open on the Z5.
This lens is small, like an RF lens- lack of automatic aperture. On a mirrorless camera, makes no difference: adapter manual focus lenses lose the auto-aperture. In dim lighting- I shoot wide-open. The Mirrorless cameras have enough latitude to make focus easy stopped down even to F8 or so.
These are all wide-open.
Not a hard job, also took the time to remove the optics and clean the surfaces.
I found a youtube video for the process. I prefer written documentation, but this video helped a lot.
This could become a favorite lens on the Z5.
40.5mm filters and accesories, same as the 5cm F1.5 Sonnar. I put a Walz vented hood on it.
Wide-Open on the Z5.
This lens is small, like an RF lens- lack of automatic aperture. On a mirrorless camera, makes no difference: adapter manual focus lenses lose the auto-aperture. In dim lighting- I shoot wide-open. The Mirrorless cameras have enough latitude to make focus easy stopped down even to F8 or so.
These are all wide-open.
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dexdog
Mentor
i have one of those in m42. i like it stopped down a bit, but find the swirly OOF areas to be too distracting wide open. interesting that the swirlies don't show up as well in lower light.
Swirlies show up when the lens is at a close focus, like for a portrait. For a medium distance shot- does not have the same effect.
santino
FSU gear head
I just don’t get what actually causes the swirlies. In my impression my most swirly lens is the Helios 77-M4 which is not a Biotar copy 🤔
I looked up Helios-77. It is a 6 element in 4 group, 1-2-2-1, Double Gauss, same configuration as the Biotar.
The Swirlies - caused by residual astigmatism in the lens. Introducing some field curvature would reduce it, so a trade-off.
The Swirlies - caused by residual astigmatism in the lens. Introducing some field curvature would reduce it, so a trade-off.
santino
FSU gear head
Ah ok, I think I mixed up something. I‘ve heard that the Helios 77-M4 is a copy of the Oreston, but it seems like the Oreston itself is a Biotar type lens. That explains it.
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hap
Well-known
Hi I have a biotar which looks like on the right side of your picture. Not sure I can count the # aperture blades. I think it is 12. However, just asking since mine is similar to your lens on the right.
thanks
thanks
Räuber
Established
There is a very nice review of the Biotar 5,8cm f/2 here. It has an overview over the different versions of this lens too that I found very helpful.
I myself own a 17blade black one in Exakta mount just like this one. I think it kind of looks cool.
I found it quite difficult to get the swirl to show up. It is not like you see this effect in every image though. Maybe I have to experiment way more with this lens to find out how to provoke this look.
I myself own a 17blade black one in Exakta mount just like this one. I think it kind of looks cool.
I found it quite difficult to get the swirl to show up. It is not like you see this effect in every image though. Maybe I have to experiment way more with this lens to find out how to provoke this look.
Sorry I'm late.... getting over some nasty cold.
Can you post a picture? I suspect you have a later pre-set version, which looks more like my J-9 on the right of the shot.
For Cheyenne Morrison's article: The filter size for my First-Batch, pre-war 5.8cm F2 Biotar is 40mm- NOT 40.5mm.
I have a Series-VI adapter and hood made for a Canon 50/1.8 on it right now.
Pre-war Biotar 5cm F2, uncoated with Domed Aperture.
I picked this lens up recently, to go with the post-war Biotar "T" 5.8cm F2 early version. This version is different. It features a Dome aperture, the blades follow the curvature of the front doublet as it closes down. I've never seen another lens that has this feature, the post-war lens does...
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