Konica Hexanon AR 28mm 1:3.5, Worth The Keep

Vintage Lens Test: Image making with a Konica Hexanon AR 28mm 1:3.5, the lens with a stellar reputation of sharpness and overall excellence.

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Another vintage manual focus prime to add to the collection is worth the keep. The Konica Hexanon AR 28mm 1:3.5, in all of its variations, is always acknowledged as pin sharp with excellent color rendition and high shadow details. The variations, with a closet focusing distance of 0.31 meters, were produced circa 1965 to 1980. Konica made five versions of this lens.

The first version, the Konica Hexanon 28mm F3.5, was a preset lens. The 2nd version, the Konica Hexanon AR 28mm F3.5 from then on,  had auto aperture and was labeled EE. The third version was labeled AE, had auto aperture up to F16, and was still large and all metal with updated coatings. The fourth version, this one, is labeled AE, has auto aperture up to F22, and is smaller and lightest at 175 grams. The fifth version was plasticky (typical 80s) and could have performed better compared to its counterparts. The lens was marketed as a Hexar.

Olympus E-P5, Konica Hevaxon AR 28mm 1:3.5

The optical design of the variations has also been altered several times, from the original 7 elements in 6 groups on the preset lens, to 7 elements in 7 groups, and finally to 5 elements in 5 groups for the final version. The filter thread for the preset was 58 mm, with the rest at 55 mm.

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The CCD Sensor, Lumix DMC-FZ28, In Bloom

More images with the excellent image capture capabilities of the 10.1MP CCD Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28.

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Continuing on with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, a vintage superzoom digital bridge camera launched in 2008 with a 10.1MP CCD sensor and an 18x optical zoom lens. The DMC-FZ28 was the upgrade to the FZ18 which has an 8MP sensor and similar lens configuration. An interesting feature of the FZ28 is the Rec/Playback selector switch which sits next to the thumb rest area on the top right edge of the camera back.

The Record/Playback toggle enables images captured in either the EV (Electronic Viewfinder) or LCD mode to be displayed directly on the LCD screen, without the need to switch back to the LCD mode when you are shooting in EV. Pushing the slider back up to the Record mode will set you back to the option you were using. The option makes a lot of sense and is very convenient and handy to use.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28

Over and above the FZ18, aside from the upgrade from an 8MP to a 10.1MP CCD sensor, the FZ28 can record video clips in HD, albeit at the low end of the HD range, Venus Engine IV image processor, a 230,000 dot 2.7-inch LCD display, and ISO 6,400 equivalent in High Sensitivity Auto mode. The 1/2.33-inch CCD image sensor is a bit larger than most other cameras in this class, with the wide-angle Leica lens with an 18x optical zoom remaining the same.

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Industar-69 28mm 1:2.8, First Impression

Vintage Lens Test: Image making with an Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8, the Russian Chaika 35mm Half-Frame lens, on a 2x crop sensor mirrorless ILC.

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Wow, what a combo, a re-aligned Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8, a lens made for the Russian Chaika 35mm Half-Frame cameras, mounted on a 2x crop sensor mirrorless digital, an Olympus E-P5. Working on a crop factor of 1.4, which I believe is the correct lens-to-camera crop ratio, the lens will be equivalent to a perfectly normal 40mm prime lens on a full-frame camera.

The lens, a copy of the Zeiss Tessar, was produced from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. Though initially built as fixed and non-removable, the lens was later constructed with a М39x1 thread mount, but, unlike other LTM lenses, the flange distance on the Industar 69 is shorter than the usual distance of 27.5mm. So, no infinity focus for you here.

Olympus E-P5, Industar 69 28mm 1:2.8

Adjusting the lens to the correct flange distance to achieve infinity focus, in most cases, is an easy fix. I did it by following the instructions found in a YouTube video. The two-minute non-destructive routine seems to work right for me, and I was off grabbing these first impression shots in no time. Not much to expect from the images either, nothing Wunderbar, unless otherwise, it is just a fun lens to trot around with.

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The CCD Sensor, Olympus VR-350, Playing Catching Up

Image making with a 16MP CCD Olympus VR-350, cute and capable ultra-compact travel zoom.

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Am playing catch up here, with submissions to my 'Re-Living The CCD Sensor' series, and for this week early images with the Olympus VR-350, a 16MP CCD sensor ultra-compact travel zoom fitted with an Olympus 10x optical zoom 4.2-42mm (24-240mm full frame equivalent) lens with 1:3~5.7 aperture opening. The camera is also fitted with a 3-inch 460,000-dot LCD screen. Designed to be simple and easy to use, it comes with a user interface that is well laid out and is quite intuitive even for the first-time user.

The camera is designed to be handy and practical, almost minimalist, looking cute and attractive in its anodized aluminum skin which is available in silver, black and purple. The front of the camera sports a flash strobe, focus assist lamp, and a tiny aperture for the microphone towards the bottom, and again, a minimalist finger grip.

Olympus VR-350

Aside from the Power On and Shutter Release buttons on the top plate of the camera, the functionalities of the camera are mainly centered on the backplane. The most dominant component is the large 3-inch display with touch settings for menu display and setup, with a dedicated movie recording button, 5-way D-pad, and buttons for Menu, help, and playback on its right.

The camera is fun and easy to use, easily available on auction sites at giveaway prices, and if you are an enthusiast of vintage cameras with CCD sensors, this might be just the right one for you.

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The CCD Sensor, Lumix DMC-FZ28, First Impression

Image making with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, a very impressive first outing with a 10MP CCD sensor digital bridge.

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I upgraded my digital bridge camera recently, from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 which I have been using for a couple of period sessions, to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. The update saw me having a slightly bigger 1/2.33" CCD sensor (1/2.5" on the FZ18) and a higher image resolution at 10MP (8.3MP on the FZ18). Like the FZ18, the FZ28 comes with a 1:2.8~4.4 18x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with a zoom range from 27-486mm (35mm equivalent). For image processing, the FZ28 features the high-speed, high-performance, Venus Engine IV.

Besides the numerous specs that you look up from digital camera review sites, the FZ28 is now capable of doing video clips in HD (not really my forte), comes with a 230,000 dots 2.7-inch display, and a Record/Play toggle, right where your thumb would rest when shooting. The new Venus engine does seem to be slightly better than the Venus III of the FZ18. While touching up the images on the computer is recommended, I tweaked mine mainly with Auto Tone Correction, Brightness & Contrast, and a bit of Unsharp Mask.

Panasonic Kumix DMC-FZ28

Enjoying photography is not without the pitfall of just having a camera that you are not too happy with, the inquisitive need for model upgrades or replacements, and the cost of doing it all. With film photography, it could very well be the spiraling cost of film and its development charges, while on the other hand, the high cost of acquiring current digital models with very advanced features could be just as telling. Looking between the rift, you may find the ubiquitous digicam with CCD sensors as just the ticket for you, with captures that have lower noise, higher sensitivity, and better image homogeneity.

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