On yesterday, I posted a query about a tilt/shift lens that appeared on the
Bay.
<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1374730623&rd=1>
Nobody knew much of anything, and nobody seemed to be able to find out
anything. What a sorry bunch of researchers y'all are! I did better.
Before anybody jumps on the BIN for one, you might consider a couple of
tidbits I have extracted from a review of one of these Russian-made 35mm
lenses from the August 2001 issue of "Shutterbug."
"Unlike even the cheapest Sigma or Tokina lens, the lettering and numbering
on the lens is poorly applied. Machining is often rough and the
shift-adjusting knob wobbles slightly in its hole. The main body of the
lens meets the base with a thick piece of poorly cut white nylon. It's a
less than impressive package."
"In the field, this was an average performing lens. Set flat with no
movements, performance was decent, about what you'd expect from a modern
zoom lens set at 35mm. When tilted, the edges of the image began to fuzz
out quite badly at maximum tilt and wide-open. Shift was a little better,
though the far edge of any shift image was still quite soft and displayed
some chromatic aberrations. I've seen worse, but that was in the 1970s."
Ah yes, the far distant '70s, those yesteryears when most of our Zuikos
were designed and/or made.
But I digress. Quoting further:
"In the studio, with strobe lighting, mounted to a high-end digital camera,
the results were actually quite good. At f/22 I was able to produce razor
sharp images with a fantastic level of detail."
Just shows how little it takes in the way of lens quality to look good on
even "high end" digital.
And finally:
"Of course, working with a T-mount manual lens is still a chore, and the
weird set and release stop-down mechanism on these lenses leaves a lot to
be desired."
Strangely, though, I'm almost tempted, just to see what one is like. Of
course, that's the same philosophy my wife and I have regretted employing
more than once at the supermarket when we rhetorically ask each other, "How
bad could it be?" and then, after one bite, we find out how bad it can be,
toss it in the garbage and call Domino's.
Walt
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I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return.
---W.H. Auden, 9/1/1939
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