Best lenses for Pen F/FT?

[M like Leica M6]

What patents would have been infringed by a third party lens? Methinks it was mostly the other reasons you listed. There were several makers of tele converters for Pen, so the lens mount definitely wasn't keeping lens makers away.

As far as I remember lens mounts are patented - the patent for the Leica M bayonet has expired in 1999. That also explains why many manufacturers have varieties of their lens mounts over the years... for example the Nikon lens mount: Pre-AI, AI, AI-S, then came the AF modifications and G lenses etc. Olympus is not bad at that either: we had the Pen mount, OM, E-Series, 4/3, mFT etc... this is not just a matter of progress, it's a way to make money 😀

Talking about money, the original adapters that allowed using OM, M42, Nikon or other lenses on Pen cameras, are horribly expensive. I consider having some adapters manufactured, that will neither be too complicated nor too expensive. If you had the choice, which lenses would you adapt to an FT?

 

[flip]

Incidentally, one great thing about the pen kit is the close-focus. Even if you don't use the fabulous macro lens, you can usually get to a 20-30cm range. End the reverse ring is a handy way to increase your flexibility for much less than the macro lens goes for.

 

[splitimageview]

KEH sometimes has rear caps. I bought all they had a year or so ago, when they had a sale, for like $9. Now they want $27 and only have one in stock...

The wides use regular 43mm filters.

I'm not sure that every manufacturer necessarily 'patents' their lens mounts, or even if they all are even patentable, in general. But that's for another discussion.

Close focus is indeed one of the best features of the Pens. 🙂

 

[M like Leica M6]

KEH sometimes has rear caps. I bought all they had a year or so ago, when they had a sale, for like $9. Now they want $27 and only have one in stock...

Well, I think some dealers have a family business:

http://youtu.be/9hynzB459Jc

The wides use regular 43mm filters.

Thanks, I have that size for my Leica lenses 😎

Close focus is indeed one of the best features of the Pens. 🙂

I even think about a super feature that is even better: getting an Olympus OM to Pen adapter or having it manufactured. I own the mother of all macro lenses, the Olympus 80mm/f4 bellows head, and an OM bellows. The 80mm is one of the two best lenses I have ever owned - the other is a 50mm/f2 Summicron.

 

[B.J.Scharp]

It's quite remarkable that there seem to be no 3rd party lenses for the Pen. There were some adapters, made by Olympus and others, but no lenses were made for the Pen mount. This must be the only 35mm SLR system for which Tokina, Tamron, Sigma etc. did not produce lenses.

Actually, I have a Tamron 135mm in Pen F mount, so there were at least some. If I'm not mistaken, it is a T2 lens with a T2-to-Pen F adapter, so other T2 lenses should work with it too, though I haven't tried.

 

[shadowfox]

I keep coming back to the 100/3.5 for close-up:

 

[flip]

nicely-balanced shot, that.

 

[flip]

Even in Japan, where pen stuff abounds, the adapters rarely sink below $150.

 

[raid]

My Pen lenses are very few.
I have the 38mm/1.8 and the 50-90 zoom.
I have a Pen FT.
The Pentax M42 adapter is very useful.
I sometimes use the SMC 50/1.4 on the Pen FT.
You would shoot through the sharpest part of the lens.

 

[B.J.Scharp]

Even in Japan, where pen stuff abounds, the adapters rarely sink below $150.

Are you serious?

 

[flip]

Are you serious?

I never joke about Pen adapters.

 

[retro]

It's quite remarkable that there seem to be no 3rd party lenses for the Pen. There were some adapters, made by Olympus and others, but no lenses were made for the Pen mount. This must be the only 35mm SLR system for which Tokina, Tamron, Sigma etc. did not produce lenses.

I've seen a Vivitar 2X teleconverter in Pen F mount.

 

[raid]

So my M42 Pen adapter is costly too?
I always enjoy using Pentax lenses on the Pen.

 

[B.J.Scharp]

I've seen a Vivitar 2X teleconverter in Pen F mount.

Mine is Panagor-branded, but probably the same thing.

Not very useful in my opinion, especially on a Pen FT. The viewfinder is dim enough as it is, and with the 1.4 crop factor, long lenses aren't exactly hard to get.

(cue someone mentioning that THAT is also worth way more than I expected)

 

[M like Leica M6]

Yesterday my new Pen FT arrived... a beauty, looks, works and even smells like new. It was modified for modern battery voltage 1.5V. I have a 25, 38 and 100mm lens... and here comes a question: my 25 and 100mm lenses are made for the original F and do not have the funny 0-6 scale like the FT lenses. Is there a way how to use the normal f-scale with the funny Pen metering scale?

 

[flip]

Sure. Several ways.

The best is to use another meter. ;-) The Pen meter can be a bit slow to adjust to conditions from what I hear.

Alternatively, on the 25
0=4
1=5.6
...
4=16

And on the 100
1=3.5
1.5=4
2=5.6
...
5=16
6=22

I cannot explain the logic of this system. I use an external meter. Funny, until this moment, I wanted a black FT, but my FV no longer feels lonely.

 

[M like Leica M6]

Sure. Several ways.

The best is to use another meter. ;-) The Pen meter can be a bit slow to adjust to conditions from what I hear.

Alternatively, on the 25
0=4
1=5.6
...
4=16

And on the 100
1=3.5
1.5=4
2=5.6
...
5=16
6=22

I cannot explain the logic of this system. I use an external meter. Funny, until this moment, I wanted a black FT, but my FV no longer feels lonely.

Thanks 🙂

It looks like fuzzy logic :bang: At least, the phase of the moon is not a factor...

 

[M like Leica M6]

I just found this site with some weird lenses for the Pen F/FT, but I don't understand whether they were adapted or regular merchandise:

http://www.hicat.ne.jp/~bianchi/bianchi/lens-2.html

This guy, a retired Zeiss engineer, must be McGyver's brother. He used a Pen to M42 adapter, a Contax Mutar teleconverter and some german rocket science to adapt a Zeiss Planar 50mm/f1.4 to an Olympus Pen:

http://www.schwertner.de/foto.htm

 

[tonal1]

Avatar camera?

Avatar camera?

I've seen a Vivitar 2X teleconverter in Pen F mount.

Retro: what the heck is that camera in your avatar picture? I'm curious as heck!

 

[tonal1]

With all this recent business about converting Pen F lenses for use with micro 4/3 cameras, I would like to see one of these micro 4/3 primes converted for the Pen F !!

I think having a compact, modern 20/1.9 ish lens converted to the Pen F would be a worthwhile endeavor. Or better yet, if Olympus (or maybe Cosina/Voightlander) produced a limited production lens in the old mount. That would put a big smile on my face.