28mm PC-Super-Angulon-R

[Winedemonium]

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I've just ordered one. For the M240. I've read mixed reviews, but most of them are from the film or crop digital days. Any M240 users of this lens out there?

[a911s]

I had one that I used on the R in the '90s. Image quality was better than the Nikon 28mm PC, but not quite as good as the fixed 28mm R II. 

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[masjah]

See my post under Architecture in the Photo Forum about four pages back titled Holy Trinity Church, Hull. (Can't really judge quality on a Forum scaled image but it gives some idea.)

[tobey bilek]

Pretty decent lens.  Mine is converted to Nikon mount.  On a 800 series camera,  there are both up/down and left/right levels that can be displayed in the viewfinder at the same time.   No other Nikons have this.  This is the only way to use a PC lens hand held.  Been trying for 20 + years now.

 

Put yours on a tripod  and level horizontally take exposuremeasure.   Only then shift  and take photo.  

 

The better 28 primes are better than the pc, but not by a whole lot.  

 

Make panos with a micro focus adjuster.   Three exposures,  left, center, right.   keeping the the lens centered by using the focus rail sideways.       The most complicated geometrics will line up perfectly with straight lines  and you will cover about the same as a 15 mm lens or 90 degrees left to right . 

[MarkP]

Bought one to use on the M240 when the camera was first announced.

 

A lot of fun learning to use a PC lens but: 

   Image quality just wasn't there, not a patch on the 28 Summicron

   Corners were really soft & smeared

   In the end, for me,  it was a better idea than a reality.

 

Sold the lens for what I paid for it so all's well that ends well   

Edited September 3, 2015 by MarkP

[Winedemonium]

 

Make panos with a micro focus adjuster.   Three exposures,  left, center, right.   keeping the the lens centered by using the focus rail sideways.       The most complicated geometrics will line up perfectly with straight lines  and you will cover about the same as a 15 mm lens or 90 degrees left to right . 

 

This is super useful advice. Would you mind please - here or in PM - pointing me to an example "micro focus adjuster" product? I put those three words into B&H and got garbage results. I'm guessing this is some type of precise movement rail?

[wmcl]

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Using the 2.8/28 PC Super-Angulon-R on the M and focusing rail slider plates are referenced in this post.

[tobey bilek]

This is super useful advice. Would you mind please - here or in PM - pointing me to an example "micro focus adjuster" product? I put those three words into B&H and got garbage results. I'm guessing this is some type of precise movement rail?

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163878-REG/Novoflex_CASTEL_MINI_Focusing_Rack_Small_Mini.html

 

This is what I use,  but it is an older model I have had since 1970.   Guaranteed I did not some fancy price , maybe $25.   It is also calibrated.   

 

Anyway use it sideways, not front to rear,  Shift max left, 11 mm if I remember,  then shift focus rail Right.   Then center everything, then do opposite.

 

I use the pano join function in CS6.

 

It is also possible to rotate the camera to do a pano,  however if you rotate by camera tripod mount,   near object move in relation to far.    So the trick is to rotate from under one of the nodal points of the lens.

With a slr camera, you can place a vertical object up close in the center and find the correct point by trial and error.  Too far one way,  close moves faster than far,  too close and the opposite happens.

Live view should be useable for this.

 

There are many nice sites on pano photography that will give you similar info on rotation,  but not sliding left/right with three exposures.

 

 https://www.keh.com/367584/tripods-kirk-focusing-rail-fr1-without-quick-release-clamp

 

I think you will need the QR plate to attach to tripod.   Call Kirk Enterprises   KEH also has one other rail.   Put focusing rail in search.

 

 

[jpattison]

Here's three exposures up, centered and down. On a tripod, on a wall with my DMR (so a single 28mm shot is equivalent to a 35mm lens)

I love this lens!

 

John

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Edited September 22, 2015 by jpattison

[Manolo Laguillo]

Winedemonium, a couple of years ago I wrote a short instructional on the 28 PC S-A + M9. MarkP was so nice as to correct it (english is not my mother language). :-)

The M240 did not exist then.

 

With the M240 this lens is very easy to use, even handheld, thanks to the EVF with the level in it.

 

I have a bit of smeared corners only when I shift diagonally beyond 9 mm.

 

I close always to f.11

 

The infinity mark does not work, so to say: you must focus, even when the distance is infinity.

Focusing must be done with the diaphragm wide open, of course.

 

The only problem with this lens is the geometric aberration, which is impossible to correct. In LR the profile of the 21-35 R zoom (setting: 35 mm) is sometimes useful. Very often I leave the image as is.

 

There can be differences between copies of this lens, as always.

I have owned 5 copies of the 28 PC. Three of them were ok. The one I have now is exceptional, but only because I bought it brand new.

 

This lens is a vital part of my equipment. I couldn't do without it.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Manolo Laguillo

[pf4eva]

I'm using it for architecture on M240. I highly recommend this lens. It is less contrasty than latest ASPH lenses, but in terms of sharpness it is very good. I assume opinions came from testing it at 2.8, where corners are indeed very soft. I'm using it on two apertures with excellent results - 8 and 11. 
If you'll buy not damaged and dropped lens - I'm sure you'll be pretty happy with it.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2015 by pf4eva

[Hugh 38]

I found  it  was  good  for  landscapes .  I  would  set  it up  on the  trios   ,  then  lower  the  lens a  little  to   change the  foreground .

 

Great  night picture  above . !