Old Lenses with surprising close focus

[Kino]

As I say, not 135 format, though.

And I was addressing the 35m cine film portion of your quote.

 

[RLangham]

And I was addressing the 35m cine film portion of your quote.

Then why bring up the Argus A, which was specifically mentioned as a pioneering 135 format camera,

 

[MattKing]

I suspect that the Argus A (1936-1941) was the first 35mm camera to be made in the US.

Thanks for catching my omission - first US manufactured Kodak 35mm (135) camera. I fixed the initial post.

 

[Kino]

Then why bring up the Argus A, which was specifically mentioned as a pioneering 135 format camera,

Have you ever tried decaf?

 

[RLangham]

Have you ever tried decaf?

Quite the opposite, you see me suffering from a lack of caffeine at the moment

 

[ic-racer]

Is this your lens?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Vivitar 20 3.8. It is two-three cm, not inches.

 

[RLangham]

Is this your lens?
View attachment 276835

Da tovarisch

 

[AgX]

Vivitar 20 3.8. It is two-three cm, not inches.

Its minimum focusing distance is 15cm.

 

[benjiboy]

I once owned an East German Zeiss Flektagon 35mm f 2.4 lens that focused to less than 0.2 meters, this is one of best six element screw thread lenses of this focal length ever made, that can be used both for general photography and macro work and worth seeking out.

 

[RLangham]

I once owned an East German Zeiss Flektagon 35mm f 2.4 lens that focused to less than 0.2 meters, this is one of best six element screw thread lenses of this focal length ever made, that can be used both for general photography and macro work and worth seeking out.

I've seen those go for four figures in USD, haven't I?

 

[benjiboy]

I've seen those go for four figures in USD, haven't I?

I bought my lens new, it must be about thirty five years ago, I can't remember how much I paid for it exactly , but it was around £50 which even in those days wasn't particularly expensive.

 

[RLangham]

I bought my lens new, it must be about thirty five years ago, I can't remember how much I paid for it exactly , but it was around £50 which even in those days wasn't particularly expensive.

Hmm, seems I was wrong. There's one for a reasonable price for m42 mount on *bay, and two that I think are for MF SLR's for 300 each.

You are not the first person to mention this lens in glowing terms however. I was under the impression that it was fairly sought after, because people talk it up so much.

 

[Ian Grant]

I'm after a 35mm f2.8 Flektagonn in the plain early aluninium mount for my Praktinas. I had a later version fo Exacta and it was asuperb lens. It appears SZJ redesigned or possible re-daged the f2.4 version.

Many of the East German lenses from Zeiss and Meyer were excellent optically but they had poor lubrication of the focus barrels, and aperture blades. The sleeper is the Meyer Lydith a superb wide angle lens.

Ian

 

[benjiboy]

Hmm, seems I was wrong. There's one for a reasonable price for m42 mount on *bay, and two that I think are for MF SLR's for 300 each.

You are not the first person to mention this lens in glowing terms however. I was under the impression that it was fairly sought after, because people talk it up so much.

As far as I recall it focused down to 7.8 inches.

 

[benjiboy]

I'm after a 35mm f2.8 Flektagonn in the plain early aluninium mount for my Praktinas. I had a later version fo Exacta and it was asuperb lens. It appears SZJ redesigned or possible re-daged the f2.4 version.

Many of the East German lenses from Zeiss and Meyer were excellent optically but they had poor lubrication of the focus barrels, and aperture blades. The sleeper is the Meyer Lydith a superb wide angle lens.

Ian

The bearing surfaces on the focusing helicoids on most lenses from Zeiss Jena were made of aluminium instead of being brass, and as the lubrication dried out and as the helicoid wore tended to bind and if they were not re- lubricated, and eventually cease up. .

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Its minimum focusing distance is 15cm.

It is much closer. Focus barrel goes well pass 15 cm.

hereyago:

[/url]

 

[AgX]

The barrel says something of 12cm or 13cm and this your focusing test shows too. Thus about 5 times what of you said above.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Focus goes much closer than .15 mark. Pass the .15 mark. I don't know how else to write it in English.

I provided close focus image for you and image how close lens to the focus point was.

 

[albada]

The bearing surfaces on the focusing helicoids on most lenses from Zeiss Jena were made of aluminium instead of being brass, and as the lubrication dried out and as the helicoid wore tended to bind and if they were not re- lubricated, and eventually cease up.

Indeed.
If aluminum rubs against aluminum, they will exhibit "galling", where one surface tears the other, greatly increasing their friction. That's why the two sections of an aluminum extension-ladder bind together when you try to extend them.
With lenses, the rule is that aluminum must rub against brass, because brass is lubricious.
I had a Vivitar zoom that was probably from the 1980s, and to my disgust, the two-part focusing helical were both made out of aluminum. Sure enough, the grease was old enough that metal touched metal, and soon that helical was frozen. That lens went into the trash.

 

[AgX]

Focus goes much closer than .15 mark. Pass the .15 mark. I don't know how else to write it in English.

I provided close focus image for you and image how close lens to the focus point was.

You mix up uses of the the term focusing distance:

-) in general this term is used for the distance object - focal plane
so is the case with nearly all lens barrel markings, for sure with all SLR-lenses

-) in few cases the term refers to the distance object - front of the lens, as in use of close-up lenses screwed onto the primary lens



(In cases as extreme wide angle lenses, fish-eye lenses the stated focusing distance may mean that an object sitting on the front lens is still sharp.)

 

[Ko.Fe.]

You mix up uses of the the term focusing distance:

-) in general this term is used for the distance object - focal plane
so is the case with nearly all lens barrel markings, for sure with all SLR-lenses

-) in few cases the term refers to the distance object - front of the lens, as in use of close-up lenses screwed onto the primary lens



(In cases as extreme wide angle lenses, fish-eye lenses the stated focusing distance may mean that an object sitting on the front lens is still sharp.)

Thread is called "surprising close focus". The lens I have shown is known exactly for this. Its minimal focus distance is about three cm. Lens focus barrel rotation does physically supports it. It goes well pass 15 cm. Means it is focusing pass 15 cm, closer, at 3 cm.
You could see on the pictures.
I could see it in VF as well. @f3.8 DOF is few cm. At 3 cm MFD. If I make aperture f8, DOF is increasing to something like 15 cm. Very impressive DOF at 3 cm focus distance. Because it is UWA lens.

 

[markjwyatt]

Thread is called "surprising close focus". The lens I have shown is known exactly for this. Its minimal focus distance is about three cm. Lens focus barrel rotation does physically supports it. It goes well pass 15 cm. Means it is focusing pass 15 cm, closer, at 3 cm.
You could see on the pictures.
I could see it in VF as well. @f3.8 DOF is few cm. At 3 cm MFD. If I make aperture f8, DOF is increasing to something like 15 cm. Very impressive DOF at 3 cm focus distance. Because it is UWA lens.

If the distance between the object to front of lens is 3cm, and the distance from front of lens to sensor/film is another 10-12 cm, then the focus distance is somewhere between 13-15 cm, consistent with the barrel reading. All AgX is saying is focus distance as marked on lens barrels is calibrated as the distance from the object focused on to the sensor/film plane.

 

[AgX]

Maybe K.O. did not mix up things, but just referred to both distances alternating.
Anyway, I think now things are clear to anyone. And that is what all is about.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

If the distance between the object to front of lens is 3cm, and the distance from front of lens to sensor/film is another 10-12 cm, then the focus distance is somewhere between 13-15 cm, consistent with the barrel reading. All AgX is saying is focus distance as marked on lens barrels is calibrated as the distance from the object focused on to the sensor/film plane.

Something rings the bell for me
I was stupidly metering focus distance from lens front, while it as you mentioned, from this mark many cameras have on the body.
Stupid me