anyone try old 21mm mirror lock up lenses or rangefinder lenses?

[KhanhDam]

Minotla W.Rokkor-QH 21mm f4 — Biogon type Rangefinder ultra wide-angle lens | by LI Sam | Rokkorxblog | Medium

 

This looks like a cool lens, very old but has 8 elements in 4 groups. actually used on old slr's with mirror lock up. above website shows decent performance on sony ar7II.

there is also the nikon 2.1cm f/4 and a contax 21mm rangefinder lens that would be great to test. they are pretty expensive though typically around $300-$400. there is a minolta one on ebay for $200 now. 

[nfoto]

These lenses are fun to play around with -- for a while - but not very useful unless you prefer to put the lens on film camera.

 

IR performance can be decent but UV is abysmal, as should be expected by the design (I used the 2.1cm f/4 Nikkor, but it is virtually the identical design).

[nfoto]

To answer your question about old rangefinder lenses (for UV/IR), they can sometimes do surprising well. In the Nikkor S series for rangefinder Nikons of the '50s or early '60s, the 3.5cm f/3.5 is quite good for UV and it does IR with ease like its fast sibling, the f/3.5cm f/1.8 W-Nikkor. The legendary 8.5cm f/2 from 40/50's lets a lot of UV through, but results are more 'pictorial' than clinically UV documentaries. The really old long lenses such as 25cm f/4 and 35cm f/4.5 can also do UV, if you can find any of them that is.

 

The 8,5cm f/2 Nikkor on my modified Z6.

 

 

 

If you look for old school UV maybe this is the lens you want?

[KhanhDam]

that's gorgeous! but what is it? frost?

 

[KhanhDam]

1 hour ago, nfoto said:

These lenses are fun to play around with -- for a while - but not very useful unless you prefer to put the lens on film camera.

 

IR performance can be decent but UV is abysmal, as should be expected by the design (I used the 2.1cm f/4 Nikkor, but it is virtually the identical design).

how can one look at a lens design and determine it's horrible for uv???   I thought the only way to tell is by testing old lenses?  if you click on the link I posted on the first post, the author says Front side illuminated sensors and this lens result in red/green fringe in the corners. BUT with a BSI sensor this is not a problem. He has some decent photos taken with BSI sony a7r II.  so it can be done?

[nfoto]

Because I have tried the 2.1cm/4 Nikkor for UV, and it has the same optical layout as the Minolta lens. They also are of the same vintage.

 

BSI sensors cannot solve the issue of low UV transmittance of a lens.

[nfoto]

33 minutes ago, KhanhDam said:

that's gorgeous! but what is it? frost?

 

 

 

You won't have tall flowers standing after a frost night ... The prevalent species here is Lupinus polyphyllus and the 'frostiness' results from its hairy seed pods.

[nfoto]

If you wish to have a wide lens which is excellent for IR and acceptable (but not great like some of the 35/3.5 optics) for UV, I can recommend Panagor 21mm f/4. It also focuses very close, to approx. 15cm. As the filter diametre is 82mm, you probably would prefer using rear filtration. Panagor isn't the most commonly found old lens, but they surface now and then on eBay and tend to be quite cheap, I paid less than $100 for my copy incl. expensive transatlantic shipping.

 

Similar designs with specifications around 19-20-21mm focal length, aperture f=3.8-4.5 are found branded as Bushnell, Tamron, Soligor etc.

 

 

[KhanhDam]

thanks. I've been able to find the Bushnell, Tamron, Soligor but not the Panagor. Is the panagor much better than the others. Is it worth hunting down I guess is what I'm askng, because the others are much easier to find. 

[nfoto]

It is better than my  sample of Tamron 21mm f/4.5. And I like the capability for close focusing.

 

Haunted house, late evening, UV with modified Z5, 21mm f/4 Panagor, rear-mounted Baader U. Hand-held as I needed to operate fast as the owner of the 'estate' was on the prowl and very much wanted me off his 'valuable' land.

 

 

I snapped my picture and quickly decided on a strategic retreat.

 

These wide-angle optics do exhibit a severe focus shift for UV, less so for IR. Yet I manage infinity focus with either of them, using my own adapters.

[Andy Perrin]

Heh, people are a little nutty about property. I am glad you got the photo. 

[Andrea B.]

Editor's Note: I have moved this topic from the UV Lens Technical Data section to the Tech section. The UV Lens Technical Data area is only for lenses which have been spectroscopically measured. 

[Andy Perrin]

14 hours ago, Andrea B. said:

Editor's Note: I have moved this topic from the UV Lens Technical Data section to the Tech section. The UV Lens Technical Data area is only for lenses which have been spectroscopically measured. 

Andrea, why don't you keep that section locked and read-only, like the stickies, and move stuff to it yourself instead of having to keep moving things out of it? Most of the time the Tech section is the right place for lens reviews, so you will have less work!