A shiny gem: UV Topcor 1:2 f=50mm Tokyo Kogaku

Cost: $9.50 (average market price $20)

OK, what's not to like about this lens? It's absolutely beautiful, maybe the best looking lens I own. In very shiny metal, with a good feel and weight to it. Looks very similar to some early east-German and Russian lenses, but of much better craft and quality. Would love to see the camera that normally goes with it. It is very different from other lenses in this series, although they are pretty mucg stunning also with their look.

The focus is very smooth, and as all UV Topcor lenses, the aperture ring is actually in the camera (or the adapter in this case) but also works smooth. Did I already state that this lens is gorgeous?

Image quality is fairly decent, and better then the average of the UV Topcor lenses. The lens provided some really decent colors, good sharpness, but some color aberration that gave the lens it's own "style". With 5 blades, the bokeh does look a little "busy" in some shots.

From all UV Topcor lenses tested up to date, this one is my favorite, and without any discussion the best looker of them all.

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 50mm

Maximum Aperture: F2
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: UV Topcor
Optics: 6 elements
Blades: 5 blades
Focussing: Manual
Minimum Focus: 0.6m
Filter Size: 49mm
Weight: 160g
Length: 26-31mm
Production: 1960's
Serial Number: 68038796

More information on: Topcon

Samples:

1/160 sec - ISO125 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO160 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO160 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO125 - Handheld

1/250 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO3200 - Handheld

1/200 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO400 - Handheld

1/200 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/320 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/1000 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/1250 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

For a change, a nice: Sigma UC Zoom 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 Multi-Coated

Cost: 20$ (average cost 33$)

Online reviews do not seem to be to friendly to this lens, but I was pleasantly surprised. Compared to some other Sigma lenses I reviewed, this one came out pretty good. It is very possible that this lens is from the moment in time where Sigma finally made the step from a cheap low quality lens manufacturer, to the high quality optics creator it is today.

The lens is made from plastic, but does not feel "cheap" or flimsy. The focus barrel has a nice rubber grip and a smooth action, and the aperture ring work nice, but could be just a thatch smoother. The range ring is smooth, but could be a little wider for easier handing. And with a matched hood, it does have the looks, but is not flaunting with it.

As stated, image quality is much better then I expected, and is reviewed by others online. My experience was rather good with nice colors, excellent sharpness across the frame when stopped down a step or two, and no noticeable color aberration. I was actually pretty impressed with the quality of some of the pictures.

I think it's a keeper. A nice all-rounder with the 28 to 70mm range. And a very light lens compared to some newer lenses of that range today. Can't go wrong when you grab this lens for a quick step outside.

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 28mm-70mm
Maximum Aperture: F3.5-4.5
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: MD (Minolta)
Optics: unknown
Blades: 6 blades
Focussing: Manual
Minimum Focus: 0.5m
Filter Size: 52mm
Weight: ?g
Length: 68-86mm
Production: unknown
Serial Number: unknown
UC: Ultra Compact lens design, reducing weight and size of the lens.

More information on: Sigma Corporation

Samples:

1/400 sec - ISO3200 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO200 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO6400 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO400 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO400 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO250 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO125 - Handheld

1/4000 sec - ISO20 - Handheld

Sources:
https://www.pentaxforums.com

Interesting find: Itoh Kogaku Higon Zoom 1:5.6 f=100mm-200mm

Cost: $20 (average market price unknown)

Sometime you just buy on the looks alone. When I saw this lens in a small Chinese thrift store in Richmond (BC), I just had to own it. It was cheap, but foremost it kind of looked like a steampunk lens with the light metal stripes and the way it zooms out. And a quick look up on my phone confirmed that it was a lens from an original manufacturer. That last bit of information closed the deal.

The lens is a push/pull preset zoom lens. Preset means that the lens has two aperture rings. One is used to "preset" the aperture, the other one is used to actually stop the lens down to that aperture.
In use, you would set the aperture ring to the shooting aperture that with old viewfinders, could make for a very dim focusing screen. So, you would open the lens up with the second ring, focus and then turn it until it stops, which would put you at the preset aperture for shooting. It was a way of allowing for fast aperture setting without having to count clicks.

I hoped, being an original lens from an actual lens glass grinder company, that this would be a high quality piece of mechanics. However, they made only a few lenses, and the once with a smaller range had a good reputation, but this one was a typical early zoom, so pretty much sucked.

It does have a nice 12-blade iris, so is capable of some super soft bokeh. But that's where the good ends. The lens is wobbly with the front element being very loose. The zoom is to loose instead of being smooth. But most important, the image quality is seriously lacking. As the lens seemed to have some cloudiness in the middle when zoomed in, I thought it was probably the result from haze within the lens. And on some pictures, you can clearly see the haze (white cloud). So I thought that the softness of the lens could have the same cause. But when looking for some other, rare, reviews of this lens, the softness described as a "glow", seemed to be a common theme, so likely not a defect, but the poor quality of this lens.

So, not really a keeper, but I might hold on to it, for the "steampunk" looks, and the fact that the lens and brand is fairly rare but interesting.

Lens Specification:

Type: Push-Pull Preset Tele-Zoom
Focal Length: 100-200mm
Maximum Aperture: F5.6
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: T-Mount to M42
Optics: unknown
Blades: 12
Focussing: Manual
Minimum Focus: 10ft
Filter Size: 58mm
Weight: 718g
Length: 180-235mm
Production: +/- 1970
Serial Number: 10242
Made in: Japan

More information on: Itoh Kogaku

Samples:

1/60 sec - ISO320 - Handheld

1/60 sec - ISO160 - Handheld

1/60 sec - ISO320 - Handheld

1/60 sec - ISO1250 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO500 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO1250 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO3200 - Handheld

1/400 sec - ISO500 - Handheld

Compact and solid: Olympus OM-System Zuiko Auto-Zoom 1:4 f=75-150mm

Cost: $21 (average market price $40)

This Olympus zoom was the first zoom designed for the OM-System Camera's and has been a pretty successful lens in sales and quality. It's a two-touch fixed-focus (parfocal) lens, or in other words, once it is in focus, any change in magnification or focal length will not result in any changes to the focus. That make is really easy to use, although it's safe to always check and adjust the focus for the upmost sharpness. This also lens handles very smoothly, and is easy to focus.

The lens was a technological step forward in optical and mechanical engineering, resulting in a compact and for it's day, a light-weight design, while providing steady high-quality images. Something that was no common yet for zoom of that era. It also included specialised optics to remain high quality even when shooting a minimum distance.

Today, it feels more like a solid, heavy lens, but oozing old quality with a metal build, retractable hood, and a lot of attention for details. Try to find a good zoom lens today, with this range, and of this small size.

Image quality is very nice, with nice colors, decent sharpness in all corners and a minimum of color aberration. I'm really getting impressed with these older Zuiko lenses. This is my 3rd one, but others are to follow for sure. A keeper...

Lens Specification:



Type: Two-Touch Tele-Zoom
Focal Length: 75-150mm
Maximum Aperture: F4.0
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: OM
Optics: 15 elements in 11 groups
Blades: 8
Focussing: Manual
Minimum Focus: 160cm
Filter Size: 49mm
Build-In Hood
Weight: 455g
Length: 115-122mm
Production: from 1974, or from 1984 with the "MC" or Multi-Coated marker.
Serial Number: 287764
Made in: Japan

More information on: Olympus Corporation

Samples:

1/80 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/60 sec - ISO160 - Handheld

1/100 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/500 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/320 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/100 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/100 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/160 sec - ISO100 - Handheld

1/100 sec - ISO100 - Handheld