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2025-05-13

Motorola Edge 50 Pro: JPEG vs DNG

JPEG images from the Motorola Edge 50 Pro are poor quality. They are overprocessed: oversaturated, oversharpened, and excessively noise-reduced.

Fortunately, the Pro mode (in the Camera app) offers the option to shoot in raw (DNG). 

The ultra wide angle and long focus cameras produce poor results due to their tiny sensors (1/3" and 1/3.94"), even in DNG. I rarely use them. The ultra wide angle camera also exhibits significant "mustache" distortion (in DNG/JPEG).

Also note that the macro mode uses the ultra wide angle camera. The resulting DNG contains the entire image without cropping and resampling.

However, the main (wide angle) camera (1/1.55") is quite good in DNG. The resolution and detail are adequate for 12.5MP (raw 50MP data is unavailable).

The image in DNG is obviously noise-reduced by software. However, the noise reduction is rather coarse at high ISO. Additionally, noise remains visible when processing at low ISO (boosting shadows).

Both the DNG and JPEG images taken with the main camera show visible barrel distortion.

Another issue is the slight green tint that is visible under certain conditions. This may be due to ART (raw processor). I now fix this issue by adjusting the white balance during processing.



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Posted by malykh в 19:31 0 comments

2025-05-11

Pentax A 35-70/4: Samples [1] - FF - 35mm - f/4

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)
Lens: Pentax A 35-70/4 at 35mm and f/4

There is noticeable barrel distortion at 35mm. The minimum focusing distance is too long for wide-angle close-ups.










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Posted by malykh в 18:00 0 comments

2025-05-09

API SQ/ILSAC GF-7

New API Service Category SQ/ILSAC GF-7 (GF-7A/7B) oils are available from 31 March 2025 (first permitted use).
Posted by malykh в 20:01 0 comments

2025-05-07

Slik Sprint Mini II: Tripod mounting plate adapter

The Slik Sprint Mini II tripod uses a proprietary mounting plate. Normally this doesn't bother me, but sometimes I want to switch between cameras quickly.

In this case, I attach an Arca Swiss mount adapter.





Posted by malykh в 19:18 0 comments

2025-05-05

Industar-50 lenses

I have several Industar-50 50/3.5 lenses.




From left to right:

SLR M39 1958
RF M39 1958
SLR M39 1964
RF M39 1965
SLR M42 1980 (Industar-50-2)

None is optically perfect. Some are better, some are worse. But all are decentered. I see it clearly when I try to use them.

Posted by malykh в 21:00 0 comments

2025-05-03

Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator 35/2 (Pentax K): The lens that can break your film camera

This is one of the Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator lenses. The Mitakon [Zhongyi] Creator 1:2/35mm.




The lens has 7 elements in 5 groups and 9 aperture blades.




The lens does not offer outstanding image quality, but its characteristic is a rather smooth background blur (especially for a retrofocus lens).

The Mitakon 35/2 has several mount options. My copy has a Pentax K mount. I chose this mount to be able to use it with a film camera (I have several suitable ones). But when I tried to mount the lens on my Vivitar V3800, I broke the camera.




The stop-down coupler broke off after I tried to mount the lens.




The stop-down indicator is made of plastic and fell off because of the Mitakon lens.

The reason is the incompetence of Zhongyi Optics. They do not have enough knowledge and understanding to design a Pentax K mount lens.

In contrast to all Pentax K digital cameras, almost all Pentax K film cameras have the stop-down coupler (except cameras with "crippled" Pentax K mount). The stop-down coupler is used to mechanically transmit of the position of the aperture ring to the camera for proper metering with automatic diaphragm.

For example, one of the Pentax lenses has a stop-down indicator:




Even if a lens does not have an automatic aperture (as in the case of the Mitakon lens) there should be a groove for the stop-down indicator. 

For example, a T[2]-mount to Pentax K adapter:








Now look at the flange of the Mitakon lens:




There is no a groove, so mounting the lens on a Pentax K film camera can break or bend the stop-down coupler.

Unfortunately, my Vivitar V3800 cannot measure the exposure correctly after such a break. Even with an M42-Pentax K adapter the camera now assumes that the aperture is fully closed, so the metering is incorrect. I should use a dedicated light meter.

Posted by malykh в 19:49 0 comments

2025-05-01

Rodinal: Back to 1:50 from 1:100

I really liked the lazy style of [semi]stand B&W film development with 1:100 Rodinal. But there was uneven development (and repetitive streaks originating from the sprocket holes) on some film.

I tried pre-soaking a film and a little more agitation, but it didn't help much. Perhaps I should use a very aggressive agitation (for an hour!), which goes against the spirit of [semi]stand development.

So I went back to the 1:50 solution: developing in about 10 minutes with moderate agitation. In this case, the uneven development was gone.



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Posted by malykh в 08:16 0 comments

2025-04-29

Staeble-Lineogon 35/3.5: Samples [2] - FF - f/3.5

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

The minimum focusing distance of the lens is about 1m, which is very long for practical use. It makes sense to try the lens with the macro helicoid next time.









Posted by malykh в 23:00 0 comments

2025-04-27

Pentax A 35-70/4: Manual focus zoom lens

I had the Pentax A 35-105/3.5. This lens surprised me when I tested it on APS-C (crop 1.5x) digital cameras. But it is quite unhandy to use. Too big and too heavy for a small camera.

I sold it before I bought the Sony a7c, so I didn't test it on a full frame sensor.

Now I have the Pentax A 35-70/4.




This lens is more comfortable to use. I tested it a bit with the Sony a7c. And it looks pretty good. Also it is possible to test the lens on a film camera: the Pentax Super A. This camera even supports program modes (P, Tv), since the Pentax A has the A position of the aperture ring.

An unusual (for me) thing I found on the Pentax A 35-70/4 is how the minimum focusing distance (MFD) depends on the focal length.

70mm: 0.247m
50mm: 0.275m
35mm: 0.575m

The shorter the focal length, the longer the MFD.

Posted by malykh в 22:42 0 comments

2025-04-25

Motorola Edge 50 Pro: Cameras

Rear cameras of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.

1. Main (wide angle) camera (so called 1x)

Sensor: 1/1.55" 50MP (12.5MP after binding) OmniVision OV50E, crop factor 4.2x
Lens: 5.89mm (25mm equiv) f/1.4 OIS


2. Ultra wide angle camera (so called 0.5x)

Sensor: 1/3.00" 13MP Hynix Hi-1336, crop factor 7.5x
Lens: 2.13mm (16mm equiv) f/2.2


3. Long focus camera (so called 3x)

Sensor: 1/3.94" 10MP Samsung ISOCELL 3K1, crop factor 9.5x
Lens: 7.06mm (67mm equiv) f/2





There is a macro mode in the Camera application, in this mode the ultra wide angle camera is used with cropping and upsampling up to 13MP (in JPEG).



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Posted by malykh в 16:14 0 comments

2025-04-23

WD Elements 640GB (2010)

A portable external hard drive called WD Elements 640GB (WDBAAR6400ABK-00).




It is an old one (2010). Its connection is USB mini. 




What does the WD Elements contain? It is easy to disassemble:







Inside is a Scorpio Blue SATA2 2.5" 640GB 5400rpm hard drive (WD6400BEVT).




I once used a circuit board from this WD Element as a SATA2-USB adapter to connect an SSD to a PC. It works!



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Posted by malykh в 09:10 0 comments

2025-04-21

Pentax Super A: My new film camera

The Vivitar V3800 and Vivitar V3600 are nice cameras. They have a good mechanical (!) shutter with a speed of 1/2000. However, after practical experience, I changed my requirements to a camera with a Pentax K mount. I also did not like the light meter limitation of the Vivitars.

I still wanted a camera with manual focus only, no exceptions. The camera had to have a shutter speed of at least 1/2000. But I agreed to an electronically controlled shutter. And I wanted the Av mode, where the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed according to the light. And at the same time, the camera had to have a manual ISO setting that could be reduced to very low values (<50) to make it easier to use expired film.

I chose the Pentax Super A (also known as the Pentax Super Program in some markets).


(the Pentax Super A with the Pentax K 30/2.8)

Electronically controlled shutter: 15"-1/2000.
Supports Av mode: the shutter speed is displayed in the viewfinder and on the top LCD screen with the aperture selected on a lens.
ISO range: 6-3200 (manual only, DX is not supported)
Powered by two SR44/LR44 batteries.

I like the Pentax Super A. It is handy and easy to use. The main disadvantage is the age of these cameras. The Pentax Super A was introduced in 1983, so the cameras are quite old. And this is not good for such a complicated camera. My copy has a few minor problems. The Vivitars are not as solid, but are much younger and in better overall condition. However, I prefer to shoot with the Pentax Super A.

Posted by malykh в 20:47 0 comments

2025-04-19

Sony a7c: v2.01 firmware

Surprisingly, there is a new firmware update v2.01 for the Sony a7c.

===
Allows the camera to display a notification when new software is available

WPA and WEP functionalities are no longer supported. You will no longer be able to select WPA or WEP when connecting to Wi-Fi. Please use the more secure WPA2 moving forward

Improves the operational stability of the camera

Note: This update is only available for Windows and macOS. A memory card version is not provided.
===

The previous v2.0 was released in December 2021.

I would like to update the firmware, but will wait for feedback.



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Posted by malykh в 08:30 0 comments

2025-04-17

Seido Origin CrMo 144 (bike saddle)

I replaced the OEM WTB saddle with the Seido Origin CrMo 144 on my Cannondale Cujo 1 (2018).






I hope this will reduce wear and tear on my pants.

Posted by malykh в 15:40 0 comments

2025-04-15

Vivitar V3x00: Light meter limitation

When I first started using the Vivitar V3800, I noticed that the light meter did not work correctly when a fast shutter speed was selected. I thought this was a problem with my copy, but the Vivitar V3600 shows the same behavior. So I think this is a limitation of the whole Vivitar V3x00 series (V3000, V3600, V3800).

The light meter limitation: 

When ISO 25 is selected, the light meter always displays + (overexposure) at 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000.

When ISO 32-50 is selected, the light meter always displays + (overexposure) at 1/1000, 1/2000.

When ISO 64-100 is selected, the light meter always displays + (overexposure) at 1/2000.


This is quite annoying as I like to use wide ("fast") apertures with a 100-50 ISO film. Outdoor light requires the use of fast shutter speeds, but I am confronted with this limitation.

Of course, I could use a dedicated light meter, as the limitation doesn't affect the shutter speed (only the built-in light meter), but it's not very practical.



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Posted by malykh в 08:50 0 comments

2025-04-13

3RTs53 battery

I bought a film camera and found an old battery in it:




This is a 3RTs-53 (3РЦ53) non-rechargeable battery: 3.75V, 0.25 Ah.




There are three RTs-53 (РЦ53) cells enclosed in a wrapper. RTs-53 is an analogue of PX625 (a small button shaped mercury battery).



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Posted by malykh в 18:29 0 comments

2025-04-11

Instax film sizes

Approximate Instax film sizes (depending on measurement ±1mm)




Instax Mini: 46x61mm (or 46x62)

Instax Square: 61x61 mm (or 62x62)

Instax Wide: 99x62 mm


When compared diagonally to 43mm (36x24mm frame size).

Instax Mini: ~76mm (1.76 times larger)

Instax Square: ~86mm (2 times larger)

Instax Wide: ~117 (2.72 times larger)



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Posted by malykh в 23:30 0 comments

2025-04-09

Staeble-Telexon 135/3.8: Samples [2] - FF - f/3.8

Camera: Sony a7c (FF, 24MP)

The lens works quite well, despite some fungal damage to the optical elements.









Posted by malykh в 12:17 0 comments

2025-04-07

Pentax Q: Non-electronic lens support

The first thing to understand is that Pentax Q cameras have very small sensors: 1/2.3" (5.6x crop factor, 12MP) for the first Q and Q10 models and 1/1.7" (4.6x crop factor, 12MP) for the last Q7 and Q-S1 models. It is possible to mount non-electronic (manual focus) lenses, but such large crop factors make them rather useless except in a few specific cases.

The only original adapter for MF lenses is the "Pentax Adapter Q for K-mount Lenses". It has the advantage of a built-in [mechanical] leaf shutter, but it is quite rare and expensive. Other [non-original] adapters are non-electronic, I have two such non-electronic adapters. And I have tested them with my Pentax Q (with the latest 1.14 firmware).

As you would expect from Pentax, the Pentax Q offers Av and M modes for non-electronic lenses. In Av mode, the light meter (Center-weighted and Spot) works, so the camera sets the shutter speed according to the conditions. Auto ISO can be used in Av mode. Note that Auto ISO cannot be used in M mode, all camera parameters (shutter speed and ISO) are set by the user.

The sensor-shift image stabilization (SR) works with non-electronic lenses, the camera asks  for the focal length when switching on (also available in the menu).




The SR can be activated in Live View to stabilize the image during manual focus.




MF Assist magnifies the image to make manual focusing easier.




Press the OK button to activate the magnifier. Turn the e-dial to change the magnification factor (x2-x4), the magnification area can be moved with the cursor buttons (press OK to return to the center). Press the shutter-release button halfway to turn the magnifier off.

Focus Peaking is supported.




It looks like a coarse sharpening with a white border around the focused objects.

Full image (without Focus Peaking):




Full image (with Focus Peaking):




MF Assist (without Focus Peaking):




MF Assist (with Focus Peaking):




Looks unusual to me, but it helps.

The Pentax Q doesn't have a built-in mechanical shutter, but some Pentax Q lenses have a leaf shutter. With other lenses the camera's electronic shutter is used.




As I wrote before, the original Pentax K adapter has a leaf shutter, that can be used with Pentax K lenses. But non-original adapters have no shutter, so the electronic shutter of the camer is used.

Apart from the rolling shutter problem, the electronic shutter has a slow shutter speed limit: 2"-1/8000 (1/13-1/8000 with a flash). Bulb mode is also not available with the electronic shutter.

Also note that a built-in ND filter is not available with non-electronic lenses, as an ND filter is part of some (4 of 8) Pentax Q lenses and not part of the camera.

Overall, the Pentax Q's support for non-electronic lenses is good, but the large crop factor ruins it.

Posted by malykh в 19:31 0 comments
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