eleskin Posted March 8, 2010 Share #1 Posted March 8, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have many Leica M Mount lenses, including both a 35mm Summicron and 50mm Summicron. I decided to try the famous Industar 61LD just for the hell of it. I paid $19 USD for the lens, and boy what a pleasant surprise! This shot was a studio portrait at around f8.0 1/250. The tonal range and clarity are amazing. Sharpness blows me away, especially for the cheap price! I printed a 17"x22" on my Epson 3800 and the print looks as good as my Summicron!!! WOW!!! Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/114822-industar-61ld-and-m8-is-incredible/?do=findComment&comment=1252517'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 8, 2010 Posted March 8, 2010 Hi eleskin, Take a look here Industar 61LD and M8 is INCREDIBLE!!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
eleskin Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share #2 Posted March 8, 2010 Here is a closeup Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/114822-industar-61ld-and-m8-is-incredible/?do=findComment&comment=1252524'>More sharing options...
SiOnara Posted March 8, 2010 Share #3 Posted March 8, 2010 I just received mine from eBay. I paid £23! I am still awaiting an adaptor from HK. Look forward to seeing what I can get from this ultra cheap lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbgeach Posted March 9, 2010 Share #4 Posted March 9, 2010 I am glad you had such a positive experience, I would just like to point out that almost every lens is VERY sharp at f/8. Your big bucks go to making it sharp at 1.4 or f/2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eleskin Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share #5 Posted March 9, 2010 True enough that the big bucks go to the wider f stop lens sharpness (not the Noctilux which I have. The Noct "look" is more important than sharpness). I agree that the Leica glass is sharper wide open in most cases. This lens is cool not so much because it is reasonably sharp at f2.8 and very sharp after f5.6 as expected, but because it does so well being a very very cheap lens. Most lenses for M Leicas are very expensive, and it is nice to see something that is very usable at a cheap price. For me, this is experimentation and fascination with the Russian efforts at producing photographic tools. The fact that they copied off of German designs is even more interesting, and in some cases, the Russians improved the German designs. Another very important issue is most of these older lenses, Russian included, are not quite as contrasty as newer designs, making them a wonderful tool for Black and White work. I feel they actually give a greater tonal range and more gentile transition from shadow to highlight, especially with modern digital sensors (M8/M9). Another nice thing here is these cheap but usable lenses offer one affordable backup lenses in case of disaster. For me, Leica glass is not cheap. Yes, I have some focal lengths in more than one version (I have the 50mm Summicron and Noctilux), but generally, I have one of each focal length due to cost. All of my lenses, both Leica and Russian are used. My Voigtlander 15mm Super Wide Heliar and 40mm Nokton were bought new, but were reasonably priced for new. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eleskin Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share #6 Posted March 9, 2010 I may also add that the excellent quality of the sample I posted here also has much to do with how good the sensor really is on the M8 (and on the M9). It is proof that Leica and Kodak know what they are doing despite all of the criticism in the photo world dominated by Japanese technology. The Japanese at their best are at the top of the heap, but Kodak and Leica have shown us all what can still be done by the companies that were responsible for making photography popular for many people in the world that previously did not use a camera (due to the use of large cameras and tripods, glass plates, etc,,,). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezc203 Posted March 9, 2010 Share #7 Posted March 9, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Now THAT is $19 well spent! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mzcloud Posted March 9, 2010 Share #8 Posted March 9, 2010 So what kind of adaptor do you need for it to work on the M? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiOnara Posted March 9, 2010 Share #9 Posted March 9, 2010 I understand the Industar 61LD is radioactive too! Even more bang for your buck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmanda Posted March 29, 2010 Share #10 Posted March 29, 2010 So what kind of adaptor do you need for it to work on the M? Sorry for the slight hijack.. I'd be interested to know this too. I'm thinking this is a cheap way to get a lens to use, whilst i save up for some Leica glass. Be awful to have the M8 and not be able to use it Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptong Posted March 29, 2010 Share #11 Posted March 29, 2010 Sorry for the slight hijack.. I'd be interested to know this too. I'm thinking this is a cheap way to get a lens to use, whilst i save up for some Leica glass. Be awful to have the M8 and not be able to use it You need a LTM to M mount adapter, there are many different ones available from Leica, Voigtlander, Rayqual etc etc and of course the cheaper Chinese ones to be found on ebay. The Chinese ones can be of dubious quality, it's down to luck of the draw with them. You do need to be aware that to code lenses you need the type that are full circle, not those with a wasted cutout in them. The Voigtlander V2's have the full circle style though some other manufacturers do have similar in their ranges check this when buying if you want to code the lens. The cost of a decent mount will be about same cost as one of these lenses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted March 29, 2010 Share #12 Posted March 29, 2010 I've got mine for $ 9,00 plus $ 10 for shipping and I'm not so excited. Looks like a piece of bottle glass to me. Still have to try it more extensively though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
squarenegs Posted March 29, 2010 Share #13 Posted March 29, 2010 I've owned one of these little, radioactive Russians for several years, though it's only ever done duty on my R-D1 and not my M8 On this camera it's about an 82mm equiv. focal length; great for for portraits, of course. The images it has delivered are quite lovely and, yes, sharp. However, close in and at wide aperture settings I can't rely on the Industar. It is obvious that, at least my example, focuses behind my chosen focus point. I've been told by a service person that this can be cured with the lens/camera body combination adjusted using, as I recall, a collimator. This is an investment I find much to costly to make in a lens that came as the body cap on a FED 5 I once owned. That said, I enjoy the lens and won't sell it but I have to regard it as a toy, not a tool to be relied upon. Best regards to all on the Forum Sam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakesbmarchand Posted November 26, 2010 Share #14 Posted November 26, 2010 (edited) my industar 61 ld just arrived this morning-looking forward to playing when my m-m39 adapter arrives! eleskin: your portraits are amazing! Edited November 26, 2010 by jakesbmarchand more text Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karl101 Posted November 27, 2010 Share #15 Posted November 27, 2010 (edited) I think I have one of those attached to my old FED 4 camera. The lens has N-61 2,8/52 written on it, the N is written backwards and it is a bit worn. I've ordered an adaptor to try it out. Karl. Edited November 27, 2010 by karl101 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mc_k Posted November 27, 2010 Share #16 Posted November 27, 2010 can you still find new-old-stock Russian items anywhere? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestMichigan Posted November 27, 2010 Share #17 Posted November 27, 2010 Hello, could you expound on why it's known as a radioactive lens? Was it: Built in a Chernobyl Shed? ;-) Made with Radium to give your images a Leica-Like 'Glow'! Hee Hee Outfitted with Uranium Batteries? :-p R. in Mi. I understand the Industar 61LD is radioactive too! Even more bang for your buck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 27, 2010 Share #18 Posted November 27, 2010 No - Thorium was used in some of the lens elements to improve the quality of the optical glass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemgill Posted November 28, 2010 Share #19 Posted November 28, 2010 Actually Thorium's radioactivity is extremely low. In nature, thorium is found as thorium-232 only, and Thorium 232 decays very slowly by emitting an alpha particle. The half-life of thorium-232 is about 14.05 billion years. So no real issue technically (but probably bad for the publicity....) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestMichigan Posted November 28, 2010 Share #20 Posted November 28, 2010 Well, I prefer my false answers... they're funnier! Although it would probably cut down on the chance of an equipment theft if I plaster Radioactivity Warning Labels on my Camera Bag. :-) No - Thorium was used in some of the lens elements to improve the quality of the optical glass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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