Wanted - Some wisdom for these old OM mount lenses

[ted_smith]

Hi guys

When I was 14, my Dad bought me an Olympus OM10 with 50mm lens. I still have it, and use it occasionally. I got me into photography, and I didn't even "upgrade' to Nikon until 2003, 15 years after he bought it for me,

After his passing a year or so ago, I have recently acquired an additional OM10 and an OM20, both with the same 50mm lens, but also three extras :

Tokina 35-105mm f3.5 to f22 with Macro ring, 55mm filter
Tokina AI-X 28-85mm f3.5 to f22, 62mm filter
Miranda 70-210mm f4.5 to f22 Macro, 52mm filter

From the weight and feel, the two Tokina's seem to be the best built of the three, the 28-85mm especially so. They are typical 'vintage' lenses - all metal, sturdily built etc. I've done some Googling, and there isn't much written about any of these lenses though, unlike what you get these days with Nikon and Canon gear. There's the odd discussion forum entry, and loads of eBay entries, but not very much to talk of their technical capability, the scenarios where they excel and where they fall short, the glass quality and so on.

In the last 16 years or so, I've been a Nikon shooter but I had all my glass stolen in 2011 and never managed to restore my collection (amazing how the prices of Nikon lenses don't seem to drop). So I upped to Hasslelbad 501CM a few years ago but I still have the Nikon F5 with a 50mm standard. Both Nikon and HB have made me a bit snobby about glass quality though, despite happily shooting with my OM10 for over a decade. In reality I think the differences between one lens and another are often academic. Lets face it - fine photographers of yester-year didn't have the lens technology of today, yet they still took fine photos.

So I'm wondering how these lenses are likely to perform before I waste any film with them. And I'd like to know of any tips from those who have one as to the conditions in which they generally excel and the conditions to avoid; how to get the best from these lenses Despite them sat in a case for about 15 years, all three seem free of stickiness and fire just fine. Are these lenses best left in a case, or are they secret treasures that can actually capture great images?

Thanks

 

[MattKing]

Are these lenses best left in a case, or are they secret treasures that can actually capture great images?

Most likely something in between.
If you use them handheld, you will probably have difficulty differentiating the results from any other good quality lens.
Try them out. Particularly with an OM20 (much better than an OM10 in my mind) you may be very pleased.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Like usual,it depends.

Miranda lens (I think they where made by Soligor) are pretty good, but not what people will think of ultra sharp. If you are looking for razor sharp details, you wont usually find them there. I own 2 Mirandas and assorted Miranda lens (from 28 to 100mm) and I really enjoy them.

Tokina 35-105mm f3.5 is a good lens but a bit slow. Sharpness is not over the top but pretty decent. I would say it definitely worth using. Also, pretty convenient focal range. If we are talking about the same lens (and I think we are) it could be considered heavy, specially comparing to my Zuiko lens, which are tiny.

Tokina AI-X 28-85mm f3.5 to f22 never used so no idea.

I think I would use the Tokina for color and b/w and Miranda for b/w. Just my 2 cents.

Regards

Marcelo

 

[ciniframe]

Never let anyone tell you a lens is thus and so. The only real test is to use it in a manner in which you usually work and if you like the results, then continue on. Even then, a sturdy tripod and very careful focusing, especially wide open and close up are optimal. But if you usually shoot handheld and on the fly so to speak, then that is the way you should test the lens also. I've had that 35-105 you mention, for my OM-1, but sold it because for me, it was simply too big and heavy to carry around. It's performance was fine for my use but I don't like to enlarge 35mm negs over 6X9 inches anyway so your takeaway might be different.

Another thing to consider with any older lens is how hard a life it has had and how many hard knocks it has had. If you gathered up 5 of the same model of vintage zooms their performance could be all over the map.

 

[mgb74]

Did you mean AT-X (not AI-X)? Tokina used AT-X to designate their premium lens line IIRC. Don't "waste" film with them. Just shoot with them and if you like the result, fine. If not, pass them along to someone else. Personally, I find the 28-85 a great walkaround lens.

Personally, the only one I might question is Miranda. Miranda was a more or less major amateur brand in the 60s, then pretty much disappeared. But often those brand names where purchased and slapped on almost anything for a quick profit. And since this lens is an OM mount, I fear it might fall in that category.

 

[Paul Howell]

Miranda and Soligor were owned by an American Company AIC that bellied up in 1977. If your Miranda is an OM mount, it was made after Miranda left the market. Someone in England bought the brand name Miranda along with Petri another camera that left the market in the same time frame, who rebranded Chinon and Cosina lens and bodies as Miranda or Petri and sold in the UK.

If it is a Miranda mount it was designed by Miranda but built by a 3rd party. Miranda made it's own bodies but contracted out lens production. Soligor was also a brand, similar to Vivatar owned my AIC but like Miranda did not make lens. If in OM mount it might be a decent performer, both Cosina and Chinon made pretty good glass.

I have several Miranda bodies and lens ranging from 25mm to 300, I have both a Miranda Zoom 80 to 200 4.0 but 58mm filter, and a Soligor 90 to 230 4.5, in Miranda mount, both are good for their day, but do not compete with modern zooms. (not an analog comment) I also use on my Sony cropped body mrrorless body, any sins are usually in the corners which don't show with a cropped body.

 

[AgX]

Miranda lens (I think they where made by Soligor) ...

Soligor was no actual manufacturer, but just a brand of an importer.

 

[Paul Howell]

Mostly right, early on Soligor did make lens, in 50s and early 60s Mirandas came with Soligor 50mm lens. I belive when AIC bought Mrianda and turned Soligor into a brand. Late model CD or computer designed lens were designed for Soligor but made any number of 3 party lens makers. The odd man is the Soligor 1% spot meter, dont know who made it. Over the years I read on the fountion of all knowlage, the internet, that in their last few years Miranda did make lens and many Soligor lens were rebranded Mirandas, the cost of building a lens pant was one of the reason Miranda ceased operations.

 

[vsyrek1945]

The Tokina AT-X 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 lens is one of the Cult Classic lenses described in Robert Monaghan's Third Party Lenses Resource Megasite Home Page, which has thankfully been archived
[See: http://web.archive.org/web/20021203000649/http://medfmt.8k.com:80/third/cult.html#tokina]
and was also written about by Herbert Keppler in one of his Popular Photography Inside The SLR columns, covering the Cult Classics back in the early 1990s.

 

[albada]

I have multiple copies of the two Tokina lenses, and have tested them in a semi-scientific manner on my autocollimator.
Both are unusually sharp wide open, even sharper than many primes wide open. And if you stop them down by two stops, you probably cannot tell the difference between them and prime lenses.
However, wide open, the Tokina AT-X 28-85/3.5-4.5 is a little soft in the corners, and its micro-contrast drops a little at 28mm.
The Tokina RMC 35-105/3.5-4.5 is one of my favorite zooms. It's sharp wide open, but micro-contrast suffers a little at 105mm.
Both Tokina lenses will serve you well. Enjoy them!
Mark Overton

 

[ted_smith]

That's great insight gents, thanks.

To answer the points raised : Yes, AT-X is what I meant to write. Well spotted.

Re the Miranda - it is an OM mount (OM84408483) and fits to my Olympus OM10 and OM20. Its 70-210mm, f4.5-5.6 MC MACRO. The glass looks in great condition. No marks or fungus. As it is the longest, it's sad to hear it might not be that good because I was hoping to use it instead of laying out over £1K for the 70-200mm Nikon!! (a source of much aggravation after my 80mm-200mm was stolen in 2011 and I've never been able to afford to get another)

Which brings me to my final point - I'd like to use these lenses (all three, but especially the Tokens now I've heard your guys views) with my Nikon F5. I realise there would be no auto-focus or shutter speed priority; only aperture priority. I saw on YouTube that an adapter mount exists to mount OM lenses on Nikon cameras. I believe the only one, though, is the Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fotodiox-A...5mm+SLR+Lens+to+Nikon+F+Mount+SLR+Camera+Body) . But that has to be shipped from the USA at a cost of £12. I've searched eBay - no luck. Does anyone know anywhere in the UK that sells these adapters?

 

[Paul Howell]

I would not give up on the Miranda, it is a rebranded Cosina or Chinon, both made good glass, it might just fine. Here is small sample review of the Cosina version in Pentax mount.

Super Cosina 80-200mm f4.-5.6 MC macro
Sharpness
9.0
Aberrations
8.5
Bokeh
7.5
Handling
9.0
Value
10.0
Reviews Views Date of last review
2 1,855 Sun May 7, 2017

Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $22.50 8.50

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/super-cosina-80-200mm-f4-56-mc-macro.html#ixzz5C67LJKb4

 

[MattKing]

Which brings me to my final point - I'd like to use these lenses (all three, but especially the Tokens now I've heard your guys views) with my Nikon F5. I realise there would be no auto-focus or shutter speed priority; only aperture priority.

If you work with an adapter you will also be limited to stop down metering. In my mind, the loss of open aperture metering is far more important than loss of shutter speed priority automatic.
You then end up having to make a difficult choice: either switch apertures constantly between wide open (to focus and compose) and stopped down (to meter and expose) or try to focus and compose at the working aperture. It is really hard to focus and compose when you have the aperture stopped down to a working aperture of, for example, f/11.

 

[wblynch]

The Tokina 35-105 is an excellent lens and almost identical to the Olympus Zuiko 35-105. I have one of each. The only apparent difference is the coating colors with the Zuiko being more green/magenta and the Tokina being more blue/purple. And stupid stuff like the pattern in the ribber focusing grip.

I can not tell them apart by the photos they make.

My one complaint is the Tokina 'grows' if you carry the camera facing lens down. My Zuiko doesn't do that. Probably just internal lube.

 

[ted_smith]

Well I have tried them out and they all seem to work well!! I shot two rolls...one of a few things round the house, and one roll during a trip in London . Results were pleasing. Attached is one taken with the Miranda/Corsina lens....its the best photo of the bunch! Interestingly, the film was AGFA 200 that had an expirary of 2006! It was in a box in my Dads bedroom, so I shot it at ISO100 and one of the shots is below.

 

[AgX]

My one complaint is the Tokina 'grows' if you carry the camera facing lens down. My Zuiko doesn't do that. Probably just internal lube.

Yes, it can be adjusted by the grease used.

However, each his own:
Just recently out of three zoom lenses of same model I chose the one with the scratch on the front lens, just as it sagged in contrast to the other two.
For some use a static zoom setting, that will not change when holding the camera down, is benefitial. For other use, as photographing people moving near to far at short distance, the ability to zoom fast without much redarding is benefitial.