Friday, April 18, 2008

Manual Mamiya Sekor ULD C24mm f4

Not sure if you really require a manual for this lens, but anyway, at least it explains the hidden built-in filter for color and bw photography.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Shootout Mamiya ULD C 24mm vs. Arsat (Zodiak) 30mm

The Mamiya ZD keeps on running and finally a new fisheye lens is added to the collection. Currently Mamiya offers the Mamiya Sekor AF 28mm f/4.5 D Aspherical (link) which comes with a hefty price tag of about 5000 U$ (link, coming close to the price of the back itself!). I cant judge the lens, because I cant get my hands on it without selling all my other lenses upfront, but I assume that it is for sure a wonderful piece of glass like most of the other Mamiya lenses.
I purchased the Arsat 30mm with a Mamiya 645 adapter recently from Ukraine (check ebay for offers around 200 to 300 U$) and it is quite OK (at least if you stop down). I fell in love with the Mamiya Mamiya 24mm f/4 Manual Focus Fish Eye Lens which is non-AF (who needs fisheye with AF?) and is no longer produced since ?. It is a rare lens and comes at 1500 to 200 U$ (used). Luckily I catched one at ebay for 1000U$ and I am very happy with it ! I thought it would be useful to have a simple comparison between the 2 lenses.

Test Settings:
Mamiya AFD II, ZD Back at ISO 50
Mamiya Sekor ULD C 24mm f/4 versus Arsat (Zodiak) 30mm f/3.5
Both images at F8 (infinite), 1/125
Adobe Lightroom without sharpening
Original size 5336 x 4008
Downsized at 1400 x 1052 with org 500 x 500 crops from center and outside position.
(Click on the image to see larger version)