Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Oct 11, 2021 14:39:35 GMT
Posted: Oct 11, 2021 14:39:35 GMT
It has taken quite a while before being able to lay one's hands on this beauty: Yashica's Yashinon DS-M 200mm f4 in the classic M42 mount. Yashinon DS-M 200 f4Actually, this one arrived with a C/Y mount, courtesy of an adapter ring, which has now been removed. It would appear that these did not make it to Europe in great numbers. Having popped it quickly onto a digital camera. I am very impressed at the quality of the image it can produce. I plan to organise a shoot-off between this DS-M, the ML and Zeiss 200 f4s. Looking at the contrast and colour of the images, I find it very difficult to see any difference between the results of the DS-M and ML coatings; this is not the first DS-M lens to show such closeness to the later ML models: the 24mm, 50 1.4 and 55 1.2 all seem to match. The only one that shows lower contrast (it may be just my copy) is the 135mm lens which also produces a cooler colour; it's better than the DSB but not as good as the ML.
|
|
Group: Administrator
Post: 1,369 (301 liked)
Join date: February 2017
Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
|
|
on Oct 11, 2021 22:04:04 GMT
Posted: Oct 11, 2021 22:04:04 GMT
That's a very nice find, and I can't say that those of us in the states have any better luck in finding them. I've been watching for one for quite some time, and they are scarce - in any condition. I think your observation on very close similarities between the ML and DS-M models tend to point to a natural progression in Yashica lenses over time. They've spent X amount of money and time to get a better performing model at particular focal lengths, and there's no need to toss it all away and start over, just because the mounting hardware has evolved from screw threads to a bayonet. In some respects, I suspect that lesson may have been harshly learned when it went in the opposite direction from the Pentamatic bayonet, back to the 'universal' M42.
I've seen the same kind of progression with the M42 300mm lenses into the ML's, and short of having no ML 400mm, I'd think there would have been more of the same at the longer level too. The DS-M 135 may have had a similar trajectory and morphed into the ML. Unfortunately I've yet to get possession of a DS-M 24mm, and I'm not even sure if there was a 35mm version ever made to do some comparisons with. I suppose it would make sense to put money time and effort into tooling up for the bayonet mount bodies as a priority, and maybe the lenses get a touch of love with updated coatings, but not much else. They seem to have had a lot on their plate at that point in time, so I assume priorities had to be made.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Oct 12, 2021 3:14:52 GMT
Posted: Oct 12, 2021 3:14:52 GMT
That's a very nice find, and I can't say that those of us in the states have any better luck in finding them. I've been watching for one for quite some time, and they are scarce - in any condition. I think your observation on very close similarities between the ML and DS-M models tend to point to a natural progression in Yashica lenses over time. They've spent X amount of money and time to get a better performing model at particular focal lengths, and there's no need to toss it all away and start over, just because the mounting hardware has evolved from screw threads to a bayonet. In some respects, I suspect that lesson may have been harshly learned when it went in the opposite direction from the Pentamatic bayonet, back to the 'universal' M42. I've seen the same kind of progression with the M42 300mm lenses into the ML's, and short of having no ML 400mm, I'd think there would have been more of the same at the longer level too. The DS-M 135 may have had a similar trajectory and morphed into the ML. Unfortunately I've yet to get possession of a DS-M 24mm, and I'm not even sure if there was a 35mm version ever made to do some comparisons with. I suppose it would make sense to put money time and effort into tooling up for the bayonet mount bodies as a priority, and maybe the lenses get a touch of love with updated coatings, but not much else. They seem to have had a lot on their plate at that point in time, so I assume priorities had to be made. Your comment on the paucity of certain lenses in various territories reminded of the statement from one of our American members that he'd finally been able to acquire a DSB 24mm lens; I had completely forgotten that such a lens existed and I've never seen one, let alone seen one for sale. As for your comment on up-dated coatings, it seems odd that Yashica moved from the multi-coated DS-M range to single coatings for the DSB lenses (though the 50 1.9 may be an exception) before upgrading back to multi-coatings for the ML series. I have no idea if the C/Y DX lenses are single or multi-coated; the 50mm f2 looks like the ML in that respect.
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 272 (39 liked)
Join date: July 2014
Status:
|
|
on Oct 12, 2021 13:48:42 GMT
Posted: Oct 12, 2021 13:48:42 GMT
I'd no idea there was a DSB 24mm but googled and it I'm pretty sure it's identical to the Tokina RMC 24/2.8, a lens I owned in PK then Canon FD mounts when I was younger. The Tokina was popular lens in the late 80's and, from memory, was reviewed reasonably well i.e. not far away from it's direct competitors, Sigmas Min-Wide II and the Tamron 01B or 01BB.
|
|
Group: Administrator
Post: 1,369 (301 liked)
Join date: February 2017
Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
|
|
on Oct 12, 2021 15:56:47 GMT
Posted: Oct 12, 2021 15:56:47 GMT
There seems to be some gaps on what might have been available. I don't recall seeing any separate brochures or any dealer pages for any of the DS-M lenses, and the same goes for the DSB and certainly the YUS line in C/Y mounts. I did look through the draft lens list and it does show not one, but two DS-M 35mm models - Yashica Auto 35mm f2.8, and, Auto-Yashinon 35mm f2.8 - and the 200mm DS-M was the longest prime in that family, so no 300's made it back in until the ML line started.
When I have a chance to gather them up from various spots they're tucked away, I'll see if there are some accessory page inserts in some of the manuals from the period, and I suppose there's a slim chance there's an ad booklet/fold-out too, but I don't recall ever seeing one that had any of the DS-M series featured in them. I think it's highly unlikely there would be anything at all to find on the YUS line. I actually bought a YUS 135mm new (by mail order!) and as I recall, there was no paperwork of any kind inside the box. The packaging was a 2-piece clamshell of styrofoam surrounded by a cardboard sleeve, and one panel of the sleeve had the warranty printed on it. That's the only 'text' I've ever seen released with or for them.
And speaking of the YUS lenses... I just clicked the order button on a 75-150mm f/3.9, so I'll be able to look at it along side the ML version. Well, assuming it still works.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Oct 12, 2021 16:58:38 GMT
Posted: Oct 12, 2021 16:58:38 GMT
There seems to be some gaps on what might have been available. I don't recall seeing any separate brochures or any dealer pages for any of the DS-M lenses, and the same goes for the DSB and certainly the YUS line in C/Y mounts. I did look through the draft lens list and it does show not one, but two DS-M 35mm models - Yashica Auto 35mm f2.8, and, Auto-Yashinon 35mm f2.8 - and the 200mm DS-M was the longest prime in that family, so no 300's made it back in until the ML line started. When I have a chance to gather them up from various spots they're tucked away, I'll see if there are some accessory page inserts in some of the manuals from the period, and I suppose there's a slim chance there's an ad booklet/fold-out too, but I don't recall ever seeing one that had any of the DS-M series featured in them. I think it's highly unlikely there would be anything at all to find on the YUS line. I actually bought a YUS 135mm new (by mail order!) and as I recall, there was no paperwork of any kind inside the box. The packaging was a 2-piece clamshell of styrofoam surrounded by a cardboard sleeve, and one panel of the sleeve had the warranty printed on it. That's the only 'text' I've ever seen released with or for them. And speaking of the YUS lenses... I just clicked the order button on a 75-150mm f/3.9, so I'll be able to look at it along side the ML version. Well, assuming it still works. Just to assure you, there is a brochure: Yashinon Lenses & Accessories which contains the DS-M range. My copy must be an early one as it has an insert for the DS-M 24mm: the others illustrated are the 28, 35, 50 f1.7, 50 f1.4, 55 f1.2, 135 and 200. The other lenses shown are the Auto Yashinon 20 f3.5, 50 f1.9, 60 f2.8 (Macro Yashinon), 300 f5.6, 400 f5.6, Super Yashinon 600 f8, Super Yashinon 800 f8, Reflex Yashinon 500 f8, Reflex Yashinon 1000 f11 along with two Auto Yashinon zooms: 45-135 f3.5 & 75-230 f4.5. It's always frustrating when there's no printing date on these brochures. A Yashica AX is shown with a DS-M lens; the brochure post-dates the launch of the AX as the user manual uses Auto Yashinon-DX lenses for illustration.
|
|
Group: Administrator
Post: 1,369 (301 liked)
Join date: February 2017
Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
|
|
on Oct 12, 2021 23:55:13 GMT
Last Edit: Oct 12, 2021 23:55:50 GMT by lumiworx
If the aforementioned "Yashinon Lenses & Accessories" brochure is the one with the teal banner and a B&W photo showing dew drops on a palm leaf... then I know I had one and saw it not long ago. However... it may have gone on vacation, or escaped altogether. I'll need to dig a bit more before I know which term to use. :)
I can agree 100% with the no-dates frustration on printed materials. There are the occasions when I'll find a dated dealer page, but it's likely those came from some local distributors and not from Yashica. That was one of the reasons I wanted to assemble some kind of camera timeline. At least the lenses that show up on the last few pages of an owners manual can give a rough estimate when correlating the dates of the camera the manual is for.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Oct 13, 2021 9:25:29 GMT
Posted: Oct 13, 2021 9:25:29 GMT
If the aforementioned "Yashinon Lenses & Accessories" brochure is the one with the teal banner and a B&W photo showing dew drops on a palm leaf... then I know I had one and saw it not long ago. Hi, that is the one. Hopefully your copy also contains the insert for the 24mm; if not, let me know and I'll scan mine and upload it to this Forum.
|
|