for those who want/have a zenitar FE lens..some tests i did

[aznkid.com]

well i heard this lens, the zenitar 16mm f/2.8 fisheye, is only good at f/11 or smaller aperture....my lens arrived today and i decided to put this rumour to the test..i've seen some shots at f/2.8 and they were super super super super super glowingly soft....definitely unusable..

shot at f/2.8
http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar1.jpg

shot at f/2.8
http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar2.jpg

shot at f/2.8
http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar3.jpg

the rest were shot at f/11-f/22
http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar4.jpg

http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar5.jpg

http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar6.jpg

http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar7.jpg

so what happened? did i receive some sort of super lens that handles everything for about $140 US? not to mention it came with a nice carrying case, manuals, box, and 3 filters!...

[aznkid.com]

forgot to add..this is the sharpest lens i have now besides the 50mm :|

[RichardtheSane]

Can you post 100% crop comparisons?

Those images don't really say anything to me about the lens because they have been resized for the web and are pixelated.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Could you clarify in your initial post what lens you are talikng about?

I realize it is a Zenitar.. but they are a manufacturer like Canon or Nikon, not a single lens... the images look like a fish eye.. anyway, I;m sure it would be helpfull :)

[Ikinaa]

Could you clarify in your initial post what lens you are talikng about?

I realize it is a Zenitar.. but they are a manufacturer like Canon or Nikon, not a single lens... the images look like a fish eye.. anyway, I;m sure it would be helpfull :)

I guess it's the 16mm Zenitar Fisheye f/2.8 as quoted in the signature :twisted:

[aznkid.com]

http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar8.jpg

100% crop
http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar9.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

Could you clarify in your initial post what lens you are talikng about?

I realize it is a Zenitar.. but they are a manufacturer like Canon or Nikon, not a single lens... the images look like a fish eye.. anyway, I;m sure it would be helpfull :)

I guess it's the 16mm Zenitar Fisheye f/2.8 as quoted in the signature :twisted:

I was hoping to get the name of the lens in the thread title.. so people interested in it could find it via a search.

[DocFrankenstein]

Doesn't look that bad to me. :?

[Pekka]

Not bad at all. There is always need for lenses with distinctive image :)

See also
http://www.photoslave.com/misc/zenitar/zenitar.html
http://www.licha.de/astro_review_fish_eye_zenitar_16.php
http://www.canonians.com/1DMkII-zenitar.htm

[MattCsnoH0MIE]

wow, looks like it was well worth the money.

[leony]

the lens is sharp enough. BUT since it is a MF lens, if you don't focus right you'll get blurry images.

I've got this lens and have shot both film and 10D with it - it is a bargain for the money.

ALso, make sure you clean the glass - when i received mine the little clear glass filter on the rear end was dusty - once cleaned this lens is superb.

[rdenney]

well i heard this lens, the zenitar 16mm f/2.8 fisheye, is only good at f/11 or smaller aperture...

...so what happened? did i receive some sort of super lens that handles everything for about $140 US? not to mention it came with a nice carrying case, manuals, box, and 3 filters!...

These lenses are made in the old KMZ factory in Russia, where quality control is a little flaky. So, there is bound to be some sample variation with these guys. That's why I bought mine from Kiev Camera, where I had full return priveleges. Mine arrived with the EOS mount built in (rather than with an M42/EF adaptor as many of them do). The mount was loose, and the images soft until I tightened the screws. Again, that's par for the course with the ex-Soviet stuff.

But the images are lovely. Here's one I keep parked on my web site as a demonstration:

http://www.rickdenney.com/scratch/st_helens_zenitar_johnston_ridge_extreme_lores.jpg

And here's a well-compressed full-resolution version (675K):

http://www.rickdenney.com/scratch/st_helens_zenitar_johnston_ridge_extreme_hires.jpg

Rick "who thinks good focusing is important even with a lens this wide" Denney

[sid]

Where's the pictures ??

[pierrot]

http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar8.jpg and http://www.aznkid.com/zenitar9.jpg must have been moved, they do not exist at this location anymore... :confused:

[roleg]

Why I cannot open Zenitar pictures ??
Thanks Roleg

[Francesco]

Here's a picture I took with 10D + Zenitar, it's a 3-exposures HDR.
The City of Arts & Science in Valencia (Spain).

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8757/valencia03byfrancescovihy6.jpg

Tripod, MLU and remote shutter.
I don't remember exif data, sorry :(

[mrfourcows]

^^

lovely shot!

[mouz59]

yep- i too, can't see the OP' s pcs.

what gives?

[datadump]

OP, please make your pics work :) i dont see them at the moment...

[ajayclicks]

Am bidding for a Zenitar, lets see how it goes... :)

[Bill Roberts]

You do realise that the OP was in 2004 don't you?
It's hardly surprising that the oiriginal pictures aren't showing now.

[Dan Doucette]

I had one of these lenses when I shot with Pentax K1000's as a student in art school. The lens was well made, but could be disassembled easily (a bit worrisome). I found the image quality to be pretty good, not perfect, but good enough that negatives shot at f/2.8 and f/4 could be printed 14"x21" without drawing criticism during gallery show critiques. Considering the cheap price tag, this lens was a good performer for me.

[scrumpy]

Why I cannot open Zenitar pictures ??
Thanks Roleg

Nor me :confused: