MF lenses: Revuenon Special 135mm f/2.8
It was one drunk night at the bar when I discovered that I enjoy manual focus allot. Back then I was used to canon AF system, and I only had AF lenses… at the bar, the problem was the dim lightning that didn’t allow my canon EF 50mm 1.8 to lock focus accurately – so I put it manual and I tried my luck. To my surprise I discovered that I can manual focus pretty well, in low light, even with 30Ds small viewfinder!
The very next sober morning, I decided to get few proper manual focus lenses… I was recommended m42 screw mount (Pentax) lenses that are of high quality and can be easily adapted to canon digital camera. Surprisingly this lenses cost only few bucks and sharpness (if you focus properly) is exceptional. I also like the feel of old lenses, they are well built, and render interesting colors / bokeh.
Overall: I’m very happy with the purchase. Lens is cheap and gives pretty good results. Mine had no blemishes on the glass, considering that it’s probably older than I am. Optical performance is pretty good, sharp all around the frame. Also Gives interesting bokeh… I do have problem with the colors though, they seem to be over saturated, I had to reduce saturation in couple of photos.
Adapting to canon camera: As you can see on the photo above, I used adapter purchased on eBay. Apparently, this version of adapter has a micro-chip that tells canon camera that the lens attached is of canon. Don’t really know how this works, or if it useful… One obvious advantage over non chipped adapter is the MF confirm light, when focus is spot on, red square lights up as it would on any canon camera in MF mode. BTW, works only on the center point, so it’s not really useful – I’m still busting my eyes trying to get appropriate focus. If you are serious about MF lenses, best option would be to purchase split screen for the viewfinder – This make manual focus piece of cake! But this screens are expensive, and they are not readily available for all digital cameras.
Body description: On the photo above you see the profile of the lens, it’s not big, but feels quite heavy. It’s solid metal, nice to handle. Zoom ring is smooth, and you can feel the difference over AF lenses put in MF mode… On the body it has F number ring, which snaps nicely, and distance meter.
Problems: Now I want to tell you one really bad thing about this lens, you cannot focus anywhere closer then 2.5 meters! This is quite a drawback in my opinion, makes it hard to shoot specific close-up portraits for example.
Quick Sharpness Test
F/2.8 Downsized full image
F/2.8 Center crop (100%)
F/2.8 Corner crop (100%)
Samples
Here you can download full size image of the sample above
Here you can download full size image of the sample above
The sample photos above are shot in the room, under Sigma 500 ST flash. In the original photos colors poped up to much so I decreased saturation. Other than that, no editing whatsoever.
See for yourself!
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There are 7 comments on this post.
Trackback URL | Comments RSS FeedThere is a way to make use of all the focus points on a 20D. so I think it would work on your 30D…
I’ve checked the 30D manual ( http://www.canon-30d.com/Canon-EOS-30D-Manual.PDF ) and this is doable…
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See page 77 on selecting the AF point on how to set this. You can only do this in P, TV, Av and M modes. All others are automatically set. Let me know how it works out for you
Thanks Mike! It works for me too.
I’m having another issue though, I cannot use this lens anywhere besides f/2.8 – when I change aperture (stop it down a bit), camera overexposes. I understand what the problem is: canon camera / lens system has aperture open at max all the time, only when you click shutter it stops down and takes proper exposure. In my case, I have a manual aperture ring, I stop it down, but camera doesn’t understand that it’s stopped down. I might not be right, but there is a problem, something related to this.
Thanks, very nice perspective
I can see from the dates, that Google really work for the people! Lets have a lager one day, London?
@Peter Hovmand: haha, see you in London!
You can make it focus closer if you remove the big screw which limits the travel of the focus ring, remove the aperture pin and reverse the spring which normally keeps the diaphragm wide-open when pin is not pressed. My lens focuses now a bit closer than 2 meters.
Alex » Really? great tip! thanks
Is there any drawback to doing this? I don’t want this lens to disintegrate in my hands