Focotar-2 50mm on eBay

[ulf]

There is a Focotar-2 50mm for sale on eBay to a very nice price:

https://www.ebay.com...ZIAAOSwUp1gHP7E

It is only available for delivery within EU.

 

I already have one of those lenses and do not need to hoard another.

 

The Focotar-2 50mm has a very good UV-reach.

See my relative transmission measurement (the dark magenta curve):

https://www.ultravio...dpost__p__18699

 

This lens is on my list for an entry in the UV-Lens Data section eventually

[nfoto]

Oh well. I gave my Focotar-2 away to Andrea some years ago. Must make do with the Coastal 60mm f/4 APO instead ... And thanks to Ulf's writings, there is the Staeble Katagon 60mm f/4.5 too.

[ulf]

That might have been a smart move. Too many lenses is a problem.

I assume the Coastal 60mm f/4 APO is better anyhow, but also in a different price range.

 

The Staeble Katagon 60mm f/4.5 has less UV-reach, but still enough reach for typical Baader U-style photos.

 

One thing to be aware of is that the Focotar needs a helicoid and has no filter threads of its own.

That is possible to solve but needs some extra actions and parts.

[bvf]

Glad I've got my Focotar-2 already - European vendors aren't supplying to the UK anymore because of the bureaucratic fallout of Brexit ...

[Stefano]

I never saw the graph for this lens and wow, that's a deep UV reach. Maybe one of the best accidental UV lenses in terms of reach we know (of course there are many other factors to consider, such as image quality).

[ulf]

Remember that the graphs in the link above are not for absolute transmission, but for relative transmission as I then lacked equipment for absolute transmission measurements.

 

A more proper evaluation of the Focotar-2 50/4.5 is in progress and will eventually appear in the UV Lens Data section.

[dabateman]

I snagged a Milar 50mm f4.5 based on your Milar results. I hope it has as deep a reach as your other lenses.

[ulf]

The best way to buy on web auctions is to place your absolutely highest bid at the very last moment.

Then you avoid driving the price by others and also avoiding to bid higher that you regret later.

 

I normally think like this to find my limit price:

Is it feel OK for someone else to get the object for a price higher than this (nnn)?

By iterating (nnn) in a calm way, thinking about it for some time, I can make a good decision, ahead of the end of the auction.

[nfoto]

Place just a single bid, set to the maximum of what you are willing to pay, 3 sec before the auction ends. If you have steady nerves, wait until 1 sec left. The silly way of bidding is overbidding people all the time throughout the auction, which only serves to raise the final price and make the seller happier (and you pay more).

 

If the highest bid at that time is above your maximum, well then you won't get the item. The world doesn't end either way the auction winds blow.

[ulf]

Place just a single bid, set to the maximum of what you are willing to pay, 3 sec before the auction ends. If you have steady nerves, wait until 1 sec left. The silly way of bidding is overbidding people all the time throughout the auction, which only serves to raise the final price and make the seller happier (and you pay more).

 

If the highest bid at that time is above your maximum, well then you won't get the item. The world doesn't end either way the auction winds blow.

That is exactly what I ment, without expressing it well.

 

It can give quite an adrenalin rush the very last moments, bidding that way.

1 or 3 seconds does not matter as the idea about bidding late is to prevent others manually increasing their bid.

It might even be a bit better to bid slightly earlier, because if a later bidder bids the same amount as yours, your earlier bid takes precedence.