MF Adapted Lens Image Samples - Post Your Best!

Hey guys,

Not sure if I should post this into it's own thread or not, but thought I would trow this question out to the manual lens users.

So I have a bunch of Tak's and things, and like others have noticed, these lenses overexpose by a few stops. I have also gone out and got some of the new AF confirm/Aperture adjustable converters for my lenses. These are the converters that allow you to pre-program the min/max aperture so that on the camera, you can still change the aperture reading while in manual mode. This way the exif data is more accurate, as you can also program in the focal length of the lens.

So my question is this... Has anyone really found a way with these older lenses, to set them up so that you do not need to set the shutter/iso two stops slower to compensate for the overexposed lenses?

Right now, I hook the lens up to my camera, and with my converter, the camera recognizes that I have a 55mm lens with a min aperture of 1.8. I look through the viewfinder, and set the lens aperture to where I like, and the shutter/iso to where I want on the camera, but the camera shows that I will be taking a shot two steps underexposed. With the converter I have, I can change the aperture setting on the camera to match the physical setting on the lens, but the camera still shows the shot will be underexposed.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem except I have a few lenses, and find that each has a different overexposure and needs to be slightly differently setup on the camera. It gets a little frustrating and am wondering if anyone has seen a way to get around this?

Jay

@Fuzzmuffin - really nice...

There seems to be a lot of Contax Zeiss 135's around, but after seeing your photo, I don't know how long that's going to last...

Oh and while I am at it, thought I would post a pic of my new daughter taken with my T1i and an old Meyer-Optics 50mm f1.8 I got from my father with his Practika that he bought to take pictures of me when I was born.

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karmalized wrote in post #9210149
Hey guys,

Not sure if I should post this into it's own thread or not, but thought I would throw this question out to the manual lens users.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem except I have a few lenses, and find that each has a different overexposure and needs to be slightly differently setup on the camera. It gets a little frustrating and am wondering if anyone has seen a way to get around this?

Jay

From one Jay to another...varying overexposure is one issue I have with all my MF Nikkor lenses...typically 1/2 to 1 F-stop....

I just suck it up, grateful to be able to use a Nikon lens on a Canon body at all....I didn't know it was even possible when I first got my D30 3 years ago...
....I just take a test shot in each new situation to confirm where the correct exposure will be on the scale in the VF, and then I assign THAT hashmark as "0", correcting exposure for changing light from there.....

Here is one from a Continental Optics 135mm f/2.8 @ 4.0 iso 1600 on an xti. I acquired it when I purchased an old minolta film body that it was mounted on. I wish I could use it to its potential, as with the adapter I can't focus to infinity. Otherwise it is a surprisingly sharp lens and will work great for macro.

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@karmalized: I own two SuperTaks - 28mm and 135mm 3.5s - and just like you, I experienced over exposure issues. I discovered that they over expose by +1 or +2 stops depending on lighting conditions. I usually expose for either white or a midtone. If white, my exposure indicator as shown below (Canon's) should be under 2

-2 . . -1 . . 0 . . 1 . . 2
---------------[]

and take the shot. I check my histogram and if the right side is going up instead of sloping down, then I know the lens is overexposing. It's usually obvious in the LCD when the shot is overexposed (see photo below)*. I then apply -1 or -2 to bring the exposure indicator under 1 or 0 and shoot. I check the LCD to see which one is more accurate.

Click to enlarge (focus on the girl with red hair and umbrella)

IMAGE LINK: http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …90649633_e5cc13​bae3_o.jpg

Apparently the overexposure problem is a lot less of one on the xD Canon models. It was terrible on my 400D but non-existent on the 5D Mark II.

Fuzzmuffin wrote in post #9212927
Apparently the overexposure problem is a lot less of one on the xD Canon models. It was terrible on my 400D but non-existent on the 5D Mark II.

Same here, and it was non-existent on my 1ds as well. Must be a metering thing.

I have a few Tak's, a Vivitar, and some other M42 based lenses, and have been using them almost exclusively for the last 6 months as I can not afford L glass. I have gotten to a place where I can get most if not all of my shots acceptable, focus wise, and exposure wise, but I was just wondering if there was some trick I didn't know of for the xD models to make it easier during a shoot.

That stuff aside, I LOVE my M42 lenses and am only thinking to spend money on a 85mm from Canon because I would like some AF during low light event shots. Looking over Craigslist in Toronto I see that a Takumar 85mm f1.8 is going for around $700 which is basically the same as a Canon 85mm f1.8. I think given the two being the same price, I would go for something with AF.

Samyang 85mm 1.4 ~$200 US

I have trouble paying over $100 for any manual glass that isn't Zeiss.. Seriously at that point you're approaching AF range. The Samyang lens is awesome, but I'd rather add $150 to it and get the canon 85mm f1.8 It's seriously a bargain and an awesome performer.

So you're willing to pay more for inaccurate AF, slower speed and not as good bokeh... ok... to each his own...

LAD wrote in post #9216049
So you're willing to pay more for inaccurate AF, slower speed and not as good bokeh... ok... to each his own...

If you were talking of the 85mm f/1.8 when you made this statement you are 110% wrong. It's a known Bokeh Monster and the AF is pretty good as well. Some prefer it to the 85mm f/1.2 L

I'd be willing to go shot for shot with you to prove this.

Anyone got any shots of the Samyang 85mm. I know that Samyang gets their lenses built by other manufacturers, anyone know who makes this one?

AudibleSilence wrote in post #9216200
If you were talking of the 85mm f/1.8 when you made this statement you are 110% wrong. It's a known Bokeh Monster and the AF is pretty good as well. Some prefer it to the 85mm f/1.2 L

I'd be willing to go shot for shot with you to prove this.

I agree with all the above. When I shot canon, I owned both it and the 85 1.2L. The 1.8 was faster AF too. We ended up buying the 135F2, selling the 85 1.2L and keeping the 1.8. LOL