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Status: My first SLR was an FX-2 in 1979. I’ve been shooting and collecting Yashica/Contax gear ever since.
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on Jan 15, 2023 3:40:05 GMT
Posted: Jan 15, 2023 3:40:05 GMT
This is widely regarded as an inferior lens, produced by Cosina during the last gasps of 35mm film photography, but it provided an adequate "super zoom" option. I have an optically identical version in Yashica mount from Vivitar. This particular lens is extremely rare in the United States -- I think it was only sold in Europe.
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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on Jan 16, 2023 4:09:36 GMT
Posted: Jan 16, 2023 4:09:36 GMT
It might not be that the Yashica ML versions are undesirable - at the very least, from a 'completist' collector's standpoint - but they certainly don't show up all that often, so it's hard to assume much on how good/bad they might be. I've yet to grab one, since they have remained rather scarce, but I also haven't been scouring the web in a mad search either. Most of the Yashica-made ML series won't have a lot of variations in their samples... though a few of them do. The 42-75mm's in particular have a wide swing, and have a poor reputation. Of the four I have, only one is excellent in every respect. The 'c' models may not have come from OEM factories, but my experience has been that the variations generally aren't any worse than the ML's - but none I've seen so far are any better optically. Smaller and lighter, yes... but not better in what they produce.It's possible I haven't had a 'wow' version to rave about, but the closest I've come so far is a couple of 50mm 1.9c models. As for Cosina being the 'real' maker, I'll hold off on thinking that's a given. Every other one they've made for Yashica ML branding seems to have garnered an obvious marker (i.e., the "c" suffix), and if they were responsible for anything else, I'd suspect those would be in the "MC" line of zooms made during the final unwinding of the whole Yashica brand. The barrel layout and larger cone holding the oversized front optical group looks very similar to the Cosina branded MF lens, and the one sold under the Vivitar label, but Cosina wasn't the only supplier in the exact same range, that also had a similar look. Kiron/Kino had the same basic range and layout in a Macro, and oddly, as both 3.8-5.6 and 4.0-5.6 models. ProMaster and Spectrum 7 lenses pop up in the same configurations, and they too, were working the same way as Vivitar and didn't make their own optics. That last bit of detail also brings to mind the previous rebranded versions contracted to fit into the ML line. I can't say with 100% certainty that it never occured, but Yashica seemed to prefer no other versions of their designs show up for sale under any other branding. They may have had 3rd party makers fill in a particular need, but that seems to be the extent of them popping up in the market. The same strategy might have - or still does apply - for other big name OEM's, but I don't know other marques well enough to say that is the norm.
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on Jan 16, 2023 14:02:27 GMT
Last Edit: Jan 16, 2023 14:27:00 GMT by xkaes
I have this Vivitar lens, and it's no slouch. The serial # starts with "09" which means Cosina. It is a FIXED lens mount -- and is EZ to find in the USA, and relatively inexpensive.
I can't say if it's the same as the Yashica labeled lens.
Vivitar also sold a similar 28-200mm and 28-205mm, but I know nothing about them.
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on Mar 17, 2023 14:03:17 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2023 14:03:17 GMT
I just received a clean FX-3 Super 2000 and an ML 50mm 1.9c along with an ML 28-210. Purchased mainly because the 28-210 is one of the few ML lenses I'd never owned. Do we think this might be take the prize for the worst ever set of ML lenses?
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on Mar 17, 2023 17:58:43 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2023 17:58:43 GMT
After looking at the Yashica 28-210mm and my Vivitar (Cosina) 28-210mm, they are obviously the same lens. The location and coloring of the markings are different, and my version has a DOF scale, but otherwise the same.
I also just recently ended up with a Vivitar (Cosina) 19mm f3.8 -- as a price I couldn't refuse. It's amazingly small, and the only issue is a ridiculously narrow (62mm) filter thread. But otherwise well made.
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Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Mar 17, 2023 20:24:34 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2023 20:24:34 GMT
It is one of the few Yashica-branded lenses that I'm not inclined to buy, unless the price is very low, as all the reviews I've read from users have been pretty negative. The one universal criticism concerns performance at the telephoto end which is generally described as 'very soft'.
There was one for sale on eBay here in the UK last week attached to a FX-3 Super 2000, which sold for £41 but as I could not justify an 11th copy of that camera, I passed on it; at that price, it was probably a mistake. One day I'll get my hands on one to see whether the criticisms are justified. I'm sure I recall someone in this Forum defending the lens quite robustly a few years back, so it may be that there were inconsistencies in quality control which caused the problems...
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on Mar 17, 2023 20:56:01 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2023 20:56:01 GMT
There was one for sale on eBay here in the UK last week attached to a FX-3 Super 2000, which sold for £41 As it goes, that’s the one I picked up. But then my only other FX-3 is a half frame conversion…
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Mar 18, 2023 10:13:41 GMT
Posted: Mar 18, 2023 10:13:41 GMT
There was one for sale on eBay here in the UK last week attached to a FX-3 Super 2000, which sold for £41 As it goes, that’s the one I picked up. But then my only other FX-3 is a half frame conversion… Phew, I'm glad we didn't get into a bidding war! In the good old days on eBay, you could identify bidders and alert each other to the likelihood of bidding on the same item; so making an informed choice as to whether to proceed - not possible these days. It would be wonderful if you could give us your opinion on the lens (ideally with a piccie or two) given its controversial reputation. Also, if you can find the time, it would be great to have a piccie of your FX-3 half-frame as the only ones I've found on the web are low resolution. Most, but not all, have replaced the lever-wind with a knurled knob - does that apply to your copy? Was it one of the many police cameras which were modified for the purpose of taking mug shots?
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on Mar 21, 2023 12:55:33 GMT
Posted: Mar 21, 2023 12:55:33 GMT
I made a thread about the FX-3 a while back and there are images of and from the camera there. I’m probably going to give it a spin again this summer but need to shoot a few slightly expired rolls in my Bronica SQ-Ai first.
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on Mar 21, 2023 17:56:10 GMT
Posted: Mar 21, 2023 17:56:10 GMT
I made a thread about the FX-3 a while back and there are images of and from the camera there. I’m probably going to give it a spin again this summer but need to shoot a few slightly expired rolls in my Bronica SQ-Ai first. It took a bit of digging, but I think this is the thread... yashica.boards.net/post/2845/thread
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Jul 5, 2023 11:54:27 GMT
Posted: Jul 5, 2023 11:54:27 GMT
OK. I finally plunged in and grabbed one as it only cost me £5. I'm glad I did not pay more! Wide-open, this has to be the worst Yashica-branded lens I've ever used. This copy is soft throughout its focal range - not just the edges but right across the frame - and it has major chroma issues too. Zoom creep would be an understatement - it slams down when held vertically. Its serial number begins with a 9 - if, as is widely suggested, this is identical to the Vivitar version, then as the only Vivitar ones I can find start either 09 or 9, it was definitely made by Cosina. ML 28-210mmNow, it's unfair to condemn on the basis of a single example and so I'd be delighted if some members of this Forum could provide some really good images taken through the lens, especially at f3.5. But positive reviews of the ML 28-210 are proving very difficult to find... Interestingly, my copy performs slightly better in macro mode and if you stop down to f8, you can get some decent photos with the lens, provided contrast is good. But on the basis of this experience, it's one to avoid...
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on Jul 5, 2023 18:35:59 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 6, 2023 12:42:13 GMT by xkaes
My first thought is that maybe you ended up with a dud. Maybe that's why it cost $5. Mine does not have any creep at all. I don't have any shots easily available, and I didn't perform any target tests, etc. I don't know at what f-stops my shots were taken -- probably not wide-open, anyway.
Here's my Vivitar. I wasn't expecting superb results from a lens of this extra-wide range, just a good all-round, all-in-one lens. I'm please with the results, and especially its functionality.
You say that "positive reviews of the ML 28-210 are proving very difficult to find..." Does that mean NEGATIVE reviews of the ML 28-210 are very EASY to find???
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on Jul 6, 2023 9:58:01 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2023 9:58:01 GMT
Hi xkaes It's good to know that there's at least one ML 28-210mm user who is happy with the lens. Perhaps the best we can say is that good examples exist but there may be issues of quality control. It would be interesting to see an image taken with your lens at f3.5 and then perhaps f5.6 or f8. But despite the failings of my copy, it is perfectly usable at the 1:4 macro setting at f5.6-f11. Looking at the MFLenses Forum, a user with 2 copies of the lens complains about IQ as you approach the telephoto end; the valuation on the Allphotolenses database is 2 out of 5 and its host: Lens Club Russia gives it a lowly two stars in every data category. It would seem the lens to buy for the 28-210mm range is the Kiron f3.8-5.6 version which gets a lot of praise. It was produced in a C/Y mount so I'm going to hunt for one as a one-stop lens of quality which covers everything between 28mm and 210mm would be very convenient.
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on Jul 6, 2023 12:39:47 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 6, 2023 12:43:10 GMT by xkaes
Kiron produced two 28-210mm lenses. One is f3.8-5.6, the other f4.0-5.6. I don't have any other details except the f3.8 version focuses much closer -- like the Vivitar. Both have 72mm front threads: www.subclub.org/minman/lenstable.htm
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