Unimpressed with Mamiya 55mm TLR

[fadedpastels]

I guess I was lucky. I'm happy with my 55, bought secondhand.

same here nice and sharp all around

 

[Ron789]

Inspired by this thread, I worked on my 180mm Super lens. As I mentioned above, this lens was rather disappointing in sharpness and I had a suspicion it hed been tampered with. To test it, I made a lens board out of MDF that enabled me to mount the lens on a Durst M805 enlarger. Using a Tmax400 negative, raising the enlarger to approx 120cm, I could focus on the grain.
I noticed that I got best grain sharpness after removing the 3 shims behind the front lens element.
After removing these 3 shims, I made new test photos with my usual test setup, the church at 195 meter from my window. These are now excellent, with superb sharpness even at full aperture! So removing those 3 shims did the trick and the lens is now "super" as it should be.

 

[paul ron]

Inspired by this thread, I worked on my 180mm Super lens. As I mentioned above, this lens was rather disappointing in sharpness and I had a suspicion it hed been tampered with. To test it, I made a lens board out of MDF that enabled me to mount the lens on a Durst M805 enlarger. Using a Tmax400 negative, raising the enlarger to approx 120cm, I could focus on the grain.
I noticed that I got best grain sharpness after removing the 3 shims behind the front lens element.
After removing these 3 shims, I made new test photos with my usual test setup, the church at 195 meter from my window. These are now excellent, with superb sharpness even at full aperture! So removing those 3 shims did the trick and the lens is now "super" as it should be.

youd be suprised what a difference those shims make. have you checked infinity focus as well?

 

[flavio81]

After getting a 55mm wide angle for my Mamiya C330f I have to say I'm unimpressed with the corners. They don't ever seem to resolve, no matter what aperture I use.

Is the 65mm a better option?

My 65mm is a really sharp lens!!

The 80, 135 and 180mm I own are very sharp with great corner detail, very little to non existent chromatic abberation, highly competent lenses - then there's the 55mm. It's sharp in the centre zones but the corners will not resolve.

Did you ever own a 55mm lens? Was yours as bad as I describe?

My 55mm was just fine at corners, but then i always used it at about f11

I have two copies of this lens. One is superb, and the other merely excellent. I understand that this lens was subject to considerable variation in performance, not uncommon in lens production.

Yes, i've read the same regarding the 55.

My 180mm is rather poor; maybe this lens has been tampered with... but it still makes fine portraits.

I owned the old (chrome nose) 180mm and I own the new ("Super") 180mm and both are totally sharp lenses AND also they have excellent bokeh. They're just great! Except for the balance... not so comfortable.

 

[flavio81]

Inspired by this thread, I worked on my 180mm Super lens. As I mentioned above, this lens was rather disappointing in sharpness and I had a suspicion it hed been tampered with. To test it, I made a lens board out of MDF that enabled me to mount the lens on a Durst M805 enlarger. Using a Tmax400 negative, raising the enlarger to approx 120cm, I could focus on the grain.
I noticed that I got best grain sharpness after removing the 3 shims behind the front lens element.
After removing these 3 shims, I made new test photos with my usual test setup, the church at 195 meter from my window. These are now excellent, with superb sharpness even at full aperture! So removing those 3 shims did the trick and the lens is now "super" as it should be.

Great idea! Glad to hear you corrected the problem.

 

[benjiboy]

The 55 lens pair even when new were of very variable quality I bought mine new and had to try four before I found a good one, so after thirty odd years it's a lottery, and you don't know in the intervening years if some ham fisted D.I.Y optical engineer has dismantled it on his kitchen table and destroyed the optics collimation by not lining up the the lens elements to be in line with the central datum line to be exactly parallel with each other that is required with any lenses that are dismantled and re- assembled.

 

[narsuitus]

I started with a 65mm but replaced it with the 55mm. It had nothing to do with image quality but had to do with angle-of-view. The 65 was not wide enough for me but the 55 was. The 55/80/180 was my standard wedding and portrait kit.

 

[benjiboy]

I started with a 65mm but replaced it with the 55mm. It had nothing to do with image quality but had to do with angle-of-view. The 65 was not wide enough for me but the 55 was. The 55/80/180 was my standard wedding and portrait kit.

I agree if you have the 80 mm f2.8 lenses the 65 mm lenses are a waste of money, which is why I never bought one.

 

[flavio81]

From what I have read the 180mm Super is the sharpest lens of all. The regular 180 is not so much but like you said probably nice for portraits.

I owned the regular (chrome) 180, then sold the old 180 for the 180 super...

The "super" is ultra sharp but then i have a portrait made with the regular 180 that is also really sharp (at F11).

I feel that the early 180 had better bokeh. In the end I sold the 180 super and bought again an old chrome nose 180mm !!!

On the other hand the "super" is a bit more compact and light.

 

[flavio81]

I agree if you have the 80 mm f2.8 lenses the 65 mm lenses are a waste of money, which is why I never bought one.

I like the 65mm more than the 80mm. The 65 has extra depth of field -- which is something I need in medium format, and is very very sharp. Although i've never examined the corners of the images.

 

[Alan Gales]

I owned the regular (chrome) 180, then sold the old 180 for the 180 super...

The "super" is ultra sharp but then i have a portrait made with the regular 180 that is also really sharp (at F11).

I feel that the early 180 had better bokeh. In the end I sold the 180 super and bought again an old chrome nose 180mm !!!

On the other hand the "super" is a bit more compact and light.

Thanks for your experienced info!

I can't believe how cheap these lenses are going for. I've got the 105 DS and really like it but I've got to try some of the other lenses.

 

[benjiboy]

I just got some slides back from the lab shot with my Mamiya C 55 mm lens they were shot hand held on Fuji Provia 400X and they are pin sharp.