View Full Version : Has anyone used a Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 on a Minolta body?
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 06:59
I was thinking about purchasing a Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens for christmas to go on my Minolta SRT-101 body.
But after researching it some, I don't think that the lens is made with a Minolta mount, but instead would have to be used with an adapter, which would make it impossible for my body to know what aperture I am using, and so I wouldn't be able to use my lightmeter very easily.
Can anyone confirm this for me or tell me this is wrong?
,thanks
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 07:10
I used a Zenitar on an m42 Praktica, the lens is not bad for the price.
with an adapter on the Minolta, the auto stop down mechanisim would not work ,and to boot there is no manual stop down setting lever on the lens.
the good news is m42 SLR bodies are cheap to buy.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 14:20
Ok. I have confirmed that using a Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 on my Minolta SRT-101 will require stop-down metering. I think I understand what stop-down metering is.
Correct me if Im wrong but the stop-down metering wont even be noticable when I have my lens wide open (f/2.8) right?
The only thing that will be different is when I take down my aperture and the viewfinder will get darker (just like the DOF-preview is on) but the the lightmeter reading will still be accurate due to less light coming in.
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 14:36
the problem is the aperture will not stop down on this lens as there is nothing acting on the stop down pin of the 16mm Zenitar when used on the Minolta SRT 101 with the lens mount adapter.
you cannot even set the lens on manual stop down like you can most Takumar and Pentacon m42 screwmount lenses.
Jeremy, the lens is more a novelty and at the price I don't think you can go wrong. Just make sure that an adapter from m42 to Minolta is available. If so you are good to go. Stop down metering isn't the worst thing in the world. You'll get the feel for it. All these people with rangefinder cameras manage with a handheld meter. Stu
http://cgi.ebay.com/Minolta-MD-MC-Zenitar-2-8-16-FISH-EYE-Lens-origin-mount_W0QQitemZ170117454614QQihZ007QQcategoryZ4855 4QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
Why don't you ask if this lens will stop down automatically? Email the seller. Stu
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 14:57
the problem is the aperture will not stop down on this lens as there is nothing acting on the stop down pin of the 16mm Zenitar when used on the Minolta SRT 101 with the lens mount adapter.
you cannot even set the lens on manual stop down like you can most Takumar and Pentacon m42 screwmount lenses.
So is what i said correct? Or is there no lightmeter at all anymore?
Either use an adapter that pushes down the pin or tape it down. It's not that hard.
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 15:04
trust me, I have the 16mm Zenitar lens in m42 mount, a Minolta SRT 101 body, and a M42 to MD mount adapter right here in front of me.
unless you can figure out a way to hold down the aperture stop, the lens will always shoot at f2.8.
and even so, looking at the back of the lens and inside the Minolta body, screwing on the lens with the pin extended might cause some damage to both the mechanics of the lens and or the camera.
unless you can figure out a way to hold down the aperture stop, the lens will always shoot at f2.8.
Like I said.... tape it down.
I have the same combo as well, except my Zenitar already had the pin removed, so it works in M mode only.
It's time to talk Jeremy out of a fisheye!:D
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 15:24
Tape will work in a pinch but it is not reliable.
a more robust method for long term use with this lens in M42 is to buy a
one of the many SLR bodies in M42 .
you will have full functions,and
they are practically giving these away.
thats what I did.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 15:26
trust me, I have the 16mm Zenitar lens in m42 mount, a Minolta SRT 101 body, and a M42 to MD mount adapter right here in front of me.
unless you can figure out a way to hold down the aperture stop, the lens will always shoot at f2.8.
and even so, looking at the back of the lens and inside the Minolta body, screwing on the lens with the pin extended might cause some damage to both the mechanics of the lens and or the camera.
So are you saying that there is no way to change the aperture?
Im sorry I am having a hard time understanding this. Could you just tell me what will be different about using that lens rather than the Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 I use now?
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 15:43
the Rokkor has full aperture communication to the camera's built in meter with no need to stop down the lens aperture to do so.
and the Rokkor also automatically stops down to the chosen f stop opening as you make an exposure and the aperture blades return to fully open after the exposure to give you a bright easy to focus finder.
the Zenitar will not stop down on the Minolta and there is no provision to do so on the lens body, unless you hold down the pin with duct tape at the rear of the Zenitar before you mount it to the Minolta, now the lens will behave like a lens on a rangefinder camera, the physical f stop will match what is chosen on the aperture ring.
like I said before, I am not a big fan of taping anything.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 15:48
the Rokkor has full aperture communication to the camera's built in meter with no need to stop down the lens aperture to do so.
and the Rokkor also automatically stops down to the chosen f stop opening as you make an exposure and the aperture blades return to fully open after the exposure to give you a bright easy to focus finder.
the Zenitar will not stop down on the Minolta and there is no provision to do so on the lens body, unless you hold down the pin with duct tape at the rear of the Zenitar before you mount it to the Minolta, now the lens will behave like a lens on a rangefinder camera, the physical f stop will match what is chosen on the aperture ring.
like I said before, I am not a big fan of taping anything.
Ok. So there is something on the Zenitar that keeps the aperture from changing, but I can tape it down and then it will change?
And then after I do that, it will just be like shooting with depth of field preview on all the time, and the lightmeter should still work fine?
Ok. So there is something on the Zenitar that keeps the aperture from changing, but I can tape it down and then it will change?
And then after I do that, it will just be like shooting with depth of field preview on all the time, and the lightmeter should still work fine?
That's it.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 15:54
That's it.
Ok. So I do not want to buy this lens now. I am going to try and find a Rokkor 16mm f/2.8.
Thank you for explaing it to me though. Im glad I didnt buy it, expecting to have it work just like my 50mm.
I don't know why stop-down metering is such a big issue...match-needle is what most folks grew up with on SLRs.
But the suggestion to buy an M42-mount body's not far off the mark. I've used my Zenitar-16 with great success on two KA-mount Pentax digital SLRs.
And I agree with the poster above who spoke of the value of this lens. It is a hidden jewel! For the money it is one of the best buys out there. It lends itself to all kinds of creative uses. And don't think of it just as a semi-fisheye...when aimed properly it behaves very much like a rectilinear extreme wide-angle.
dc3
xayraa33
11-10-2007, 15:55
yes the light meter will still work.
but if the tape comes off and the pin extents , you might run into some problems taking off the lens as I mentioned in the above threads.
I solved this problem by buying a ten dollar M42 Praktica LTL body at a camera show and use it as a dedicated body for the 16mm Zenitar lens.
the lens is that good and worth the effort.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 16:02
All stop metering means is that the aperture wont stay wide open until the picture is taken right? And so the light-meter can still work because instead of taking the reading from what the selected aperture is, it just sees that less light is coming in. Right?
Jeremy, I gave you a link to a seller on ebay who has the Zenitar in a Minolta mount. Email him and ask if the automatic function of the lens is retained or do you have to manually stop down to meter.
Ok. So I do not want to buy this lens now. I am going to try and find a Rokkor 16mm f/2.8.
Thank you for explaing it to me though. Im glad I didnt buy it, expecting to have it work just like my 50mm.
The Rokkor 16/2.8 isn't cheap. You could easily find and buy a couple of Zenitars for the price of 1 Rokkor 16/2.8.
On my SRT101 and the Zenitar, even stopped down to f8 indoors, I can still see quite well. I shoot mine usually at f4.
I also like my Zenitar because I can move it between virtually all my cameras just using an adapter - except for the Nikons.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 16:35
Am I right about what the metering will be like though^?
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 16:36
Jeremy, I gave you a link to a seller on ebay who has the Zenitar in a Minolta mount. Email him and ask if the automatic function of the lens is retained or do you have to manually stop down to meter.
I dont understand what you mean? What automatic function are you talking about that i might be missing?
He's referring to the automatic stopping-down of the aperture iris.
On the M42 lens, the iris is normally wide open, irrespective of the setting on the aperture ring. This allows the maximum light into the viewfinder and makes focusing easier as it also gives the least depth-of-field (and therefore the subjuect that is in focus appears sharp on the focusing screen).
When you trip the shutter in a camera designed for this lens, a mechanism in the camera pushes against a pin on the back of the lens and causes the iris to stop-down to the selected f-stop.
To allow this camera to accurately meter the exposure, you have to manually stop-down the lens to the selected f-stop - these cameras will have a control for this, and thus you have "stop-down metering" - the camera stops-down the lens iris to the selected f-stop so you can read the meter and set the right shutter speed and/or aperture.
Now, some of the M42 lenses have a button that allows you to lock the iris stopped down to the selected f-stop. That's what xayraa33 was referring to in post #2. With that extra control, you can just lock the iris stopped-down and the meter in the camera will read the light correctly, but of course the viewfinder will not be as bright. I have a Zenit Helios-44M (58mm f/2) that works like that, and I can even use it that way on my Pentax dSLR and the automatic exposure metering will work with the camera set in aperture-priority mode.
However, the Zenitar does not have that button to stop-down and lock the iris, but you can modify the lens either temporarily with tape as suggested by Kin Lau, or more permanently by getting inside the mechanicals of the lens and somehow jamming it closed. Depending on the lens this can sometimes be easily done.
All stop metering means is that the aperture wont stay wide open until the picture is taken right? And so the light-meter can still work because instead of taking the reading from what the selected aperture is, it just sees that less light is coming in. Right?
That is correct.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 17:50
Ok. Sorry about that. I finally understand what you guys have been trying to explain to me.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 17:51
Like I said.... tape it down.
I have the same combo as well, except my Zenitar already had the pin removed, so it works in M mode only.
So having the pin taken out, would make the lens act just like the pin was taped down?
No - you would need to replace it with something that emulates the pin being pushed in.
So having the pin taken out, would make the lens act just like the pin was taped down?
Mine came that way. I could probably take mine apart to see how it was done.
Here's an adapter that looks like it has a built-in collar that will depress that pin for you. http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-ADAPTER-M42-SCREW-MOUNT-TO-MINOLTA-MD_W0QQitemZ7616013515QQihZ006QQcategoryZ30059QQrd Z1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 18:11
for those that have the lens.....Would an adapter like this keep the pin pressed in and have the lens working correctly for stop-down metering on a SRT-101?
http://www.rugift.com/images/m42-minolta-md-adapter.jpg
Looks like it would... my M42->MD adapter doesn't have the extra piece of metal on the inside, but I do have a M42->EOS adapter that does have it, and that's exactly what it does.
JeremyLangford
11-10-2007, 18:51
Looks like it would... my M42->MD adapter doesn't have the extra piece of metal on the inside, but I do have a M42->EOS adapter that does have it, and that's exactly what it does.
thank you. looks like this lens isnt so bad after all.
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