Bizarre and Weird Lenses

[IGMeanwell]

After seeing the classified of the Nikon Amusing Lens set ... a fisheye lens, Macro, and soft focus portrait lens (all can combine to make one large lens)

Made me want to start a discussion of rare, weird, or absolutely unique lenses that if you had a chance and the funds you would bring into your own collection.

One of my favorite pages to glance over now and then is Red Book Nikkor

With bizarre high definition lenses or lenses like the Macro Nikkor 65mm f4.5 with the L39 Leica mount

 

[Stephanie Brim]

The screwmount rigid Summicron. Not necessarily weird, but rare and costly nonetheless. What irks me is that they mostly belong to collectors, sitting on some shelf, and are never used. *I* could actually put one of these to *good* use.

Another not-so-weird yet awesome lens to have would be the Canon LTM 50/1.9 collapsible. With that lens on my Canon P I could most likely easily pocket the whole works.

 

[Finder]

I believe it was Minolta that produced a lens which had a control to bend the plane of focus toward or away from the camera keeping the point on the optical axis the same. This was not a PC lens, but something totally unique.

The Pentax 67 800mm f/4 Super Takumar is a beast. The large-format Schmitd-Baker camera is truely amazing. The Minolta 2000mm f/6.3 catadioptric lens is pretty amazing especially since it used the secondary mirror to focus.

 

[IGMeanwell]

I believe it was Minolta that produced a lens which had a control to bend the plane of focus toward or away from the camera keeping the point on the optical axis the same. This was not a PC lens, but something totally unique.

35mm 2.8 Shift CA Rokkor

 

[Finder]

35mm 2.8 Shift CA Rokkor

That's the one. Thanks for the link. I forgot it was also a shift lens.

 

[IGMeanwell]

That's the one. Thanks for the link. I forgot it was also a shift lens.

Actually on the subject of Minolta's ... I have always been on the look out for the 85mm 1.7 Varisoft lens

seems like it would be fun fun lens

 

[physiognomy]

...Another not-so-weird yet awesome lens to have would be the Canon LTM 50/1.9 collapsible. With that lens on my Canon P I could most likely easily pocket the whole works.

The Serenar 50/1.9 was Canon's standard lens on cameras built between '49-'51 (the rigid Serenar 50/1.8 was then introduced). It is a nice lens, but not unusual. Here's mine:

Peter

 

[Stephanie Brim]

They're just hard to find at a good price now. I'd like one for when I'm wanting to do the whole stealth P thing, but I haven't been able to find one that isn't over the top price wise...even if it isn't in mint condition.

The 'cron is a luxury item that I will never have. I'll have an M-mount 'cron as my second lens for the M2 I plan to buy next year, but that probably won't be until mid-3/4 of the way through the year.

 

[IGMeanwell]

Steph ... here's your Cron Rigid

that is quite the chunk of change

 

[xayraa33]

in Ltm , the collapsable Nikkor 50/2 is much rarer than the 50/1.9 Serenar.
in my earliest old camera gear search I missed out buying a coll. 50/2 Nikkor and a rigid ltm Summicron, they were both for sale at the same time at one store. I had a vague idea that they were not very common.
the 50mm and 35mm ltm Topcors are rare and very good lenses.
I had the pleasure to use a 35/f2.8 ltm Topcor and was very impressed with its preformance.

 

[IGMeanwell]

On ebay right now is an EBC Fujinon 85mm soft focus lens for M42 mount

looks great

 

[Bill58]

How do you like your Natura? I'm debating whether to buy one of those or a Fuji F30 digital for low light stuff.

Bill

 

[IGMeanwell]

I love my Natura ... but I am trying to save for a new lens for my DSLR ... I have a wedding next month

So the natura is pretty much up for sale

Here is a thread with many of my examples