SOLIGOR 400mm f6.3 TELE-AUTO LENS - Anyone have it?

[Ian McMillan]

Well, I'm either a damn fool who has parted with his money, or I got a deal!

I picked up the SOLIGOR 400mm f6.3 TELE-AUTO LENS off from Henrys Camera's e-bay auctions yesterday, and it will be sent out to me in a few days.

It's a M42 lens, and in good condition according to Henry's. I paid $75. And now I might just have "buyer's remorse", since I have no idea what images taken with it look like!! I just knew I wanted a long lens to try out some wildlife shots and birding.

Has anybody got this lens? or did I just pick up an albatross?

Ian Mc.

 

[DuncanM1]

These are excellent lenses, and I think you will be happy with it. I wonder if it is a t-mount lens with a m42 t-ring? Many of these lenses were sold under differing names and many had a T-ring mount, which is adaptable to almost any mount designs via t-adapters. I believe these lenses were either designed or first introduced to North America via Spiratone in the 1960s.

 

[Ian McMillan]

Thanks for the vote of confidence in the Soligor!

Of course, in my hands it may not be all that great! I've never used anything that long before, so it will be a real challenge to figure out shooting approaches, etc.

Ian Mc.

 

[Higuel]

Just use it on a tripod, or faster then 1/500 or better even 1/1000 to make sure you are not shaking the image.
Probably you might also want to close to f8 for more sharpness!

Have FUN!!!

 

[MightyMike]

Same lens i used in these photos although mine was a Vivitar...

www.michaelfastphotography.com/galleries/k-3/parks/gtown/index.html

If you find focus trap to be weak set your global focus adjustment to -10, don't forget to set it back again though... I found when you got focus lock spot on it was decently sharp, aslo consider using it at F8.0

I bought mine a lot cheaper but sold it around the price you payed.

 

[MightyMike]

Just use it on a tripod, or faster then 1/500 or better even 1/1000 to make sure you are not shaking the image.
Probably you might also want to close to f8 for more sharpness!
Have FUN!!!

Thanks for resurrecting a 6 year old post! dang now my response looks silly!

 

[Twojugs]

Well, I'm either a damn fool who has parted with his money, or I got a deal!

Has anybody got this lens? or did I just pick up an albatross?

No, Ian, this is an albatross. Totally different thing!!!

Tony

 

[KentG]

Actually these lenses have a fairly good reputation because they are slow with a smaller front element so easier to make decent and the also like a built in stopped down mode so they tended to be sharper than cheap bigger ones. As long as you can live with no mechanical coupling (I can't) which is why you never see me shooting with any of my collection of Pentax SMC-Takumars on any of my DSLRs no matter how good they may be optically (like my SMC-T 300/4). I didn't dive into the lake of digital imaging to go back and use lenses from days gone by. But that is just me.

Kent Gittings