malykh.com notes

2024-06-14

Cujo 1: Right crank arm (again)

The right crank arm (of my Cannondale Cujo 1) loosened, again. A common problem with the FSA Comet crankset.

I tightened the crank bolt with a 10mm hex wrench.

See also related notes:

Шатун Cujo 1 (2019-05-15)

Image albums:

Bicycle

2024-06-13

Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5: Samples [2] - APS-C - f/4.5

Photos taken with the Samsung NX10 (1.5x crop factor, 14.6MP) and the Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 at f/4.5.

Note that color vignetting ("color shift") is much less than on the Samsung NX2000. This is an advantage of the older 14.6MP sensor over the newer 20MP [APS-C] sensors of the Samsung NX series.

However, manual focusing on the NX10 is difficult due to the insufficient live image magnification.

See also related notes:

Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5: Samples [1] - APS-C - f/4.5 - "color shift" (2024-05-16)
Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5 (M39x1/44): Very rare wide-angle triplet (2023-10-05)
Samsung NX10, NX300M, NX500: Color-shift (1) (2016-04-02)

Image albums:

Staeble-Werk Choro R 35/4.5

2024-06-12

Thread mount adapters for M39x1 (2024)

All thread mount adapters for M39x1/28.8 that I have:

From left to right:

1. M39x1/44 (Paxette rangefinder mount) to M39x1/28.8, 15.2mm long.

2. M39x1/45.2 (Zenit SLR mount) to M39x1/28.8, 16.4mm long.

3. M42x1/45.5 (Common M42 SLR mount) to M39x1/28.8, 16.7mm long.

See also related notes:

Leica M as universal mount (2024-08-01)

Image albums:

Lens accessories

2024-06-11

Vivitar V3800N: More details

The Vivitar V3800N 135 film camera has a Pentax K mount without electronics, it supports the stop-down indicator.

So you have to set the aperture on a lens. This is unusual for me after Pentax digital cameras, which had no stop-down indicator support.

The film advance lever has two "neutral" positions:

And it is not a power switch (unlike some cameras).

The self-timer flips the mirror up before the picture is taken. This is useful when using a tripod.

But the self-timer lever feels very cheap and fragile. I prefer not to use it to avoid breaking it.

The camera has a fully mechanical shutter with good characteristics: 1/2000 fastest shutter speed and 1/125 x-sync.

The camera operates without a battery. The battery is only needed for the TTL light meter. To use the TTL meter, you should install two LR44 batteries:

LR44 batteries are cheap and easy to find.

To activate the TTL light meter, press the shutter button halfway down. There is also a button near the pentaprism cover.

This button also activates the TTL light meter. And it is very convenient. When you rotate the aperture ring, you can press the shutter button. But when you turn the shutter speed dial, it comes in handy to press the "meter" button.

Also note the depth-of-field preview lever. But be careful with your thumb or finger, the DOF preview lever moves when the shutter is released.

Another key feature of the Vivitar V3800N is Multi-Exposure. There is a button (near the v3800N label):

While the multi-exposure button is pressed, the film does not advance when the film advance lever is moved. Only the shutter is cocked.

The camera is easy and intuitive to use. The only thing I read in the manual was how to set the film speed (ISO). To do this, you have to lift up and turn the film speed dial (of course, there is no DX code support).

See also related notes:

Vivitar V3600: Rare film camera (2024-07-23)

Image albums:

Vivitar V3800N

2024-06-10

Pentax K 28/3.5: Samples [1] - FF - f/3.5

Photos taken with the Sony a7c (FF, 24MP) and the Pentax K 28/3.5 at f/3.5.

See also related notes:

Pentax K 28/3.5, K 30/2.8, K 35/3.5: опять к старой теме (2022-05-22)

Image albums:

Pentax K 28/3.5

2024-06-09

Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/3.5: Maintenance of my copy

When I first started using the Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/3.5, I noticed that it could not focus further than about 1 meter. I even thought that my way of adapting M40x1/44 lenses was wrong.

But then I compared the appearance of my copy and other copies (found on the Internet). And the optical unit of my lens is moved forward even when focusing to infinity.

Obviously, the lens was assembled incorrectly, so I partially disassembled the lens to fix it.

First I found the right start of the multi-start thread of the helicoid. This made it possible to focus to infinity, but also to focus beyond infinity.

Second, I found the right number of turns of the single-start thread of the helicoid. This allowed the lens to focus properly.

The lens after these corrections:

The part with the focus limiters:

Looks like someone removed the close focus limiter. Now the lens can focus much closer than 0.6-0.7m.

This copy also allows the aperture ring to be turned beyond f/3.5 (without actually changing the aperture).

I found some photos of lenses with the same behavior. I decided to keep it. It doesn't bother me because the aperture ring is pretty stiff to turn.

Now the lens is fully usable.

See also related notes:

Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/3.5 (M40x1): Uncoated (non-T) version (2024-05-30)
Praktiflex M40x1 lenses on modern cameras (2023-08-25)

Image albums:

Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/3.5

2024-06-08

Lenses from USSR (2024)

I have shot a lot with lenses made or designed in the USSR. I had different models: Индустары (Industars), Гелиосы (Helioses), Юпитеры (Jupiters), Миры (Mirs), Таиры (Tairs), Веги (Vegas), Зенитары (Zenitars), and even Вариозенитар (Variozenitar). But I am not a fan of them.

Now I have only a few 50mm Industars (26M, 50, 50-2 - all Tessar-like), just because they are too cheap to sell.

I use the Industar-50 (rangefinder M39x1/28.8 version, 1958) to check the adjustment of M39x1 adapters and cameras.

The main problem with USSR lenses is the high variance of copies, poor mechanics, and overall bad quality (latter ones are even worse). The only advantages for me were price and availability.

I don't plan to get any more USSR lenses.

See also related notes:

Filter thread: 40.5x0.5 vs 40.5x0.75 (2024-09-13)
Industar-26M 50/2.8: Samples [1] - FF - f/2.8 (2024-06-19)
Lenses I owned (2004-2024) (2024-06-17)

Image albums:

2024-06-07

Samsung NX 60/2.8 Macro: Samples [1] - APS-C - f/2.8, f/4, f/5

Photos taken with the Samsung NX20 (1.5x crop factor, 20MP), the Samsung NX300M (1.5x crop factor, 20MP), and the Samsung NX 60/2.8 Macro at f/2.8, f/4, f/5. The profiled lens (distortion) correction is disabled.

(NX300M, f/2.8)

(NX20, f/2.8)

(NX20, f/4)

(NX20, f/2.8)

(NX300M, f/5)

(NX300M, f/2.8)

See also related notes:

Samsung NX 60mm f/2.8 Macro ED OIS SSA: мои впечатления (2014-04-28)

Image albums:

Samsung NX 60/2.8 Macro

2024-06-06

Pentax Auto Extension Tube Set K: Tube #3 (26mm)

Chinese extension tubes for Sony FE (MF) are very poor and almost unusable. Their only purpose is to estimate the needed tube length. And after some estimation, I decided to find an original Pentax extension tube.

The difference is that a Chinese tube is mounted between the camera and a Pentax K - Sony FE adapter, while a Pentax tube is mounted between a Pentax K - Sony FE adapter and a Pentax lens.

This is the extension tube #3 of the Pentax Auto Extension Tube Set K.

The set contains 12, 19, 26mm tubes. So this tube #3 is 26mm long. It is enough for my tasks.

This set is called "Auto" because it supports the stop-down indicator and aperture control of the Pentax K mount (only mechanical, there is no electronic).