Disappointments

[Roger Hicks]

What have you bought on the strength of its reputation, and then been disappointed by? For example, Tessars seem to me to be wildly overrated: with the exception of a 150/6.3 (which yes, foolishly, I sold many years ago) I've never seen the appeal. To me, most Tessars are perfectly OK lenses but I can't see any reason to rave about them.

I'm not trying to create a hate thread; I'm just intrigued to hear from those who can't get on with things that are widely praised. For another example, I've never been able to get on with Rolleiflex TLRs, because the handling -- throwing 'em from hand to hand to work the controls -- is totally counter-intuitive to me.

Tashi delek,

Roger

 

[Keith]

Leica M7 followed closely by Leica M8!

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

.

For another example, I've never been able to get on with Rolleiflex TLRs, because the handling -- throwing 'em from hand to hand to work the controls -- is totally counter-intuitive to me. ] same here....but in my opinion preferable to the handling of a Mamiya 645! - ok on a tripod...otherwise....:bang:
Cheers, Dave.

 

[gavinlg]

Yashica GSN. What a clunky piece of junk with a nice lens.

Industar 61. Another clunky peice of Junk

Jupiter 12. Worst handling lens I've ever used and average optical quality.

Zeiss ZF 50mm f1.4. When it was on, it was really on - sharpest lens i've ever used at f5.6 but close to useless anything under f2. Unpredictable bokeh.

 

[kully]

I must be very easily pleased, I've never been disappointed by any camera or lens I have bought.

 

[pvdhaar]

Nikon 24-120/3.5-5.6 AFD. Every one was raving about it. With its 5x zoom it would be the ultimate one-lens solution on the go, and touted to be super sharp. Well, it was only sort of sharp when closed down to f11. Flared and ghosted all over the place. Worst thing about it though was that it had severe (inward) bends at 35mm. Completely useless, worthless piece of cr*p..

 

[Harry S.]

EF 85mm f/1.2 L II.

Not a bad lens, but in my experience with it, it isnt particularly exceptional either.

 

[gavinlg]

EF 85mm f/1.2 L II.

Not a bad lens, but in my experience with it, it isnt particularly exceptional either.

Thats the first time I've ever heard anyone ever say anything that wasn't raving about that lens. The one I played with for a few hours was stunning....

 

[Keith]

It would be interesting to go the other way Roger and have a thread asking what people have bought that's gone well beyond their expectations!

 

[notturtle]

Wollensak 159 f12.5 Nowhere near the coverage many claimed. OK for contacts prints but corners useless for enlargement.

Nothing else has been a let down to be honest. Many have lived up to or exceeded the hype. These include:

Mamiya 7 lenses
90mm f8 SW Nikkor
Ebony LF cameras
Walker LF cameras (superb...)
Zeiss ZMs
Canon 135 f2

 

[notturtle]

QC can be an issue with the 85 1.2 lenses esp with used one. I heard one reviewer say the ones he tested new were all OK (a handful), but he had never had a used one that did not need to go back to get sorted. Maybe things need to be so spot on that a few clonks later and its all over.

 

[Harry S.]

fdigital:

I swapped my 50 1.2 for the 85 for a weekend I was going to do portraits with a 5D and a 1DMkIII. I was instructed by the owner of the lens to shoot wide open as much as possible.

I did and the Bokeh was more pleasing with my 50 at the same aperture and there was less fall-off and CA. Add to the fact the slow AF (particularly in poor light!) and the actual distance one needs to be away from the model for anything other than a tight head and shoulders shot. I was happy to get my 50 L back at the end of the weekend.

Not a bad lens, technically a very good one. But disappointed? Very.

 

[gavinlg]

It sounds like the 85mm focal length doesn't suit you so well? if thats the case, i'm the same, and it's the only reason why I own an 85mm f1.8 over a 1.2L. I prefer a 50 or a 35.

 

[35mmdelux]

Zeiss ZF 50mm f1.4. -- I found the OOF of the Zeiss ZF 50mm/1.4 as if looking at life thru a coke bottle. Not pleasant.

Hexar RF -- A big disappointment in its whimpy set of controls.

 

[gavinlg]

Thought of another - nikkor 18-200mm superzoom. Lets just say I hate complex distortion and lens creep, which this lens had in *****s.

 

[Teus]

90mm f/2 jupiter in LTM, bought from another forum member. extremely scratched front lens, very flary and lowcontrast. same for the olympus RC I liked, but also had a scratched lens causing massive flare and uselessness

 

[Rayt]

Rollei film. Not worth the premium over the tried and true.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Most Olympus cameras. Great optics, the mechanical build quality was a disappointment.

 

[Rayt]

Most Olympus cameras. Great optics, the mechanical build quality was a disappointment.

All down hill after the OM1 that's for sure!

 

[martin s]

Rollei film. Not worth the premium over the tried and true.

Wait what? Why? I just love the relabeled APX stuff, so much nicer than e.g. FP4+.

martin