Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM, First Impression

Digital Moments, image making with a Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM, mounted on Canon EOS 300D, first impression.

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My new toy came in last week, through the mail, and thanks to a very conscientious seller, it was a complete body package with a strap, body cap, battery, a new USB charger, a 2GB CF memory card, a card reader, and a USB data transfer cable, all in a super excellent condition.

Got the battery charged, changed the strap to my favorite, mounted an EF 40mm F2.8 STM which I had lying around for quite a while now, turned the camera on, and 'Hey Presto!', it's all go. Popped out of the front door, grabbed these few JPG shots, and had the images post-processed on my old digital image editing and management software.

Canon EOS 300D, Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM

Everything works great, I couldn't ask for more, really.

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JCPenny Auto 135mm 1:2.8, Lens Test, First Impression

Legacy Lens Test: Image making with a JCPenny 135mm F2.8 lens, first impression, totally unexpected images.

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I did not expect this, look at the images, what a pleasant surprise. Bought the lens to complement the listing of Minolta MD-mount lenses that I already have on my shop page, and found it to be in excellent near-mint external condition, with very clean and clear glass, very smooth focusing, and all. The image test was done on the Olympus E-P5, shot wide-open, and handheld.

Olympus E-P5, JCPenny 135mm 1:2.8

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Helios Auto Wide 35mm 1:2.8, Lens Test, In Portrait Mode

Legacy Lens Test: Image making with a Helios Auto Wide 35mm 1:2.8, in portrait format.

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Helios "Made in Japan" lenses were produced for TOE (Technical and Optical Equipment Ltd), a Soviet-owned British Company that sold Zenit cameras and Soviet electronic goods in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. To complement its range of photographic gear, TOE imports and sells generic Japanese lenses and rangefinder accessories as Helios products.

Olympus E-P5, Helios Auto Wide 35mm 1:2.8

These items include 28 and 135-mm lenses, teleconverters, low-priced zooms, flash units, and accessory finders which were not available under the original Helios branding.

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Telesar 135mm 1:2.8 T-Mount Preset, Lens Test, Backlighted

Legacy Lens Test: Continuing with the impressive Telesar 135mm 1:2.8 Preset, an early morning shoot.

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Another session with the Telesar 135mm 1:2.8 T-Mount Preset, a lens that I acquired a while back. Images shot wide open backlighted against the morning sun. The result? You have to be your own judge here, and at the others (with the same lens) that I posted earlier, as I still need to learn when it comes to doing the technical bits.

Olympus E-P5, Telesar 135mm 1:2.8 Preset

As for the lens itself, details of its origin, or manufacture, still need to be discovered as not much info on it is available on the Net, where there seem to be more questions than answers...

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SMC Pentax-A 50mm 1:1.4, Lens Test, Pastel Art I

Legacy Lens Test: Image making with an SMC Pentax-A 50mm 1:1.4, pastel art in the garden.

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Like all Pentax A-series lenses, this very fast standard lens supports P and Tv exposure modes in addition to Av and M. A great value for the money, it is small, light, and priced reasonably, Slightly soft at f1.4, good for creative art.

SMC Pentax-A 50mm 1:1.4

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Photax 400mm 1:6.3 T-Mount Preset, Lens Test, Take I

Legacy Lens Test: First impression images with a T-Mount Photax 400mm F6.3, from across the road.

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What a surprise find!.

I was not too sure what I got into when I placed the order for the low-priced offer T-mount 400mm F6.3, believed to be a Tokina RMC, as sold under the Photax name, and also available as an Astranar, Impakt, D&N, Prinz-Galaxy, and many others.

Olympus E=P5, Photax 400mm F6.3

The 4 elements in a 3-groups dual-ring preset 'long-tube' telescope have their fair share of accolades, with most reviewers commenting on its sharpness, and with the fair amount of fungal infection, I found within the elements of the lens, a lower contrast threshold. Had the camera mounted via ita built-in tripod mount for these shots (800mm equivalent on the 2x crop sensor), taken wide-open (@ 6.3 of course), and the images post-processed.

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HMD Nokia 3.1, Mobile Photography, A Short Hop

Image making with an HMD Nokia 3.1, just a short hop between stations.

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Just a short hop, from one station to the other. Compared to my previous outing which was on A Sultry Morning, this one was on a gloriously bright and sunny day. The sun was out bright and sunny, the air was fresh and crisp, and after the morning rush, you were at the station almost by yourself.

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Canon FL 50mm 1:1.8, Lens Test, First Impression

Legacy Lens Test: Image making with a Canon FL 50mm 1:1.8, first impression.

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Canon FL-series lenses, which replace the earlier Canon R lens mount, were introduced in April 1964 and were the standard mount for Canon FX (1964), FP (1964), Pellix (1965), FT QL (1966), Pellix QL (1966), and Canon TL (1968) cameras. It was replaced in 1971 when the Canon FD mount was launched with the Canon F1.

Olympus E-P5, Canon FL 50mm 1:1.8

The 50mm 1.8, 6 elements in 4-groups construction, can be found in two iterations, identical externally, but with the optics on the later optimized for improved performance. The iterations are distinguished by weight - Type I weighs in at 228 grams while Type II is at 280 grams. These first impression images were shot on Type I.

Canon FL mount lenses can be used on FD-mount cameras in stop-down metering mode.

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Nikkor Ai-S 35mm 1:2, Lens Test, A New Look

Legacy Lens Test: Image updates with the Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2 lens.

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I acquired another copy of the Nikon Nikkor 35mm F2 recently, an Ai-S version this time, and took these sample shots just to ensure me that the lens is, as expected, an excellent performer equal to that of the Ai version which I posted a few years back.

Olympus E-P5, Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2

The Nikkor 35mm F2, with its 8 elements in 6-group optics, has been in production since it was first launched in 1965. While the optics formula of the lens has remained the same, the lens body and mechanicals have undergone continuous improvements and revisions. The glass also went from a single coat in amber, then blue (-C), and was multicoated for the last three decades. The AI-s version was in production from 1981 to 2005.

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