Lomo LCA 32/2.8 art lens for Leica M's

[Godfrey]

Wait a minute.
Last year we were all poking fun at Instagrams and toy camera filters on our cell phones and the "toy mode" on our cameras.
Weren't we ?

Now someone kicks the price of a fun lens up by a few hundred dollars because it has an M-mount, and suddenly we get all buzzy buzzy for it.

"Boys just wanna have fun" (sorry Ms. Lauper).

I never poked fun at toy cameras... I have a few of them, love using them.

G

 

[asiafish]

Looks like fun. I'll wait to see reviews, but I'm very interested. I think this will be a lot of fun on my M-E.

 

[santino]

I have to give credit to Lomo for creating desire for things that are actually inferior to "normal" gear. The LKA, Smena etc are good examples but how come they are now targeting the casual M user? A genious strategy?
Nontheless have fun with the lens! (just not my cup of tea but I wish Lomo all the best).

 

[robert blu]

Sometimes serious photographers desires to have a little fun 🙂 why not?
Ok, I know there are many other ways less expensive and...and...

robert

 

[nightfly]

I love how the word "lomo" brings out the grumpy old man get off my lawn sentiment of the rff. It unleashes everyone's inner john McCain. If it was a Leica lens it would be 10x the price and everyone would forgive it's limitations and praise it's 3d quality and glow.

 

[rolfe]

Like new Industar 22's are available for $50 on eBay all day long. Throw in $10 for a Chinese LTM/M adapter.

Similar size, similar results.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Like new Industar 22's are available for $50 on eBay all day long. Throw in $10 for a Chinese LTM/M adapter.

Similar size, similar results.

Similar results? 😕 Are you blind? 😱

Do you know, most likely you would have to shim it for M before you get some, but not similar results? And this particular lens isn't easy one to shim.
I tried it on M4-2 and sold it, because it was not worth of the hassle.

 

[Huss]

Like new Industar 22's are available for $50 on eBay all day long. Throw in $10 for a Chinese LTM/M adapter.

Similar size, similar results.

Industar is a 50mm focal length, Lomo is 32mm
Industar pokes out, collapsing it may damage some cameras (M5, CLE, digital Ms), Lomo is flat/pancake
Industar is made very crudely, the images of the Lomo make it look quite lovely in construction
Industar is uncoated, Lomo is multi coated
Industar is f 3.5, Lomo is f2.8
Industar needs an adapter, the cheaper you go the worse they get, and that still does not guarantee correct focus. Lomo is M mount, RF coupled
Lomo has presets for zone focussing etc etc
You can buy a Lomo new w/ warranty, w/o having to dog your way through a pile of Industars until you get a good one.



Look, I get it. It's not your thing. But at least come up with a lens that is the same or similar focal length if you are going to provide an alternative.

 

[BillBingham2]

It could be very fun, though there are many Russian M or L 39 mounted 28mm lenses to be had at a much lower price point.

B2

 

[rlouzan]

I'll hack an old broken Lomo CL-A 32mm Minitar-1 lens, to a m body cap.
A fixed f2.8 and zone focus pancake lens for $35.

 

[ferider]

Anybody have a lens diagram for that thing ?

Also would like to know how the lens behaves stopped down.

Thanks.

 

[Huss]

I'll hack an old broken Lomo CL-A 32mm Minitar-1 lens, to a m body cap.
A fixed f2.8 and zone focus pancake lens for $35.

Fixed 2.8, no way change aperture settings or achieve correct exposure in daylight? Ahh. so a broken lens, still broken, put on a body cap that does not register the correct focus.

Awesome.


Do it, post back with your results.

 

[rlouzan]

I should have said "from a broken LC-A camera". The lens diaphragm could be attached, but it's probably easier to attach waterhouse stops/ND filters.
Have you ever heard about photographer Leonard McCombe?
"The eye sees everything as a 35mm lens at f2.8"

Fixed 2.8, no way change aperture settings or achieve correct exposure in daylight? Ahh. so a broken lens, still broken, put on a body cap that does not register the correct focus.

Awesome.


Do it, post back with your results.

 

[Huss]

"The eye sees everything as a 35mm lens at f2.8"

It does not. I just checked.
😉


Anyway, build your lens. Post results. If anything it sounds like a fun project.

 

[Huss]

Some interesting LC-A reviews (Lomo camera) that have image samples.
Now I'm really excited in putting an improved version of this lens on a camera that has better control of exposure and focusing!

http://pixelogist.me/2012/10/22/lomo-lc-a-review/

http://photo.net/equipment/35mm/Lomo-LCA

http://www.paulcoatesphoto.com/2013/04/lomo-lc-a-review.html

 

[rolfe]

Industar is a 50mm focal length, Lomo is 32mm
Industar pokes out, collapsing it may damage some cameras (M5, CLE, digital Ms), Lomo is flat/pancake
Industar is made very crudely, the images of the Lomo make it look quite lovely in construction
Industar is uncoated, Lomo is multi coated
Industar is f 3.5, Lomo is f2.8
Industar needs an adapter, the cheaper you go the worse they get, and that still does not guarantee correct focus. Lomo is M mount, RF coupled
Lomo has presets for zone focussing etc etc
You can buy a Lomo new w/ warranty, w/o having to dog your way through a pile of Industars until you get a good one.



Look, I get it. It's not your thing. But at least come up with a lens that is the same or similar focal length if you are going to provide an alternative.

Maybe I'm lucky, but the Industar 22 I bought focuses correctly with a cheap Chinese LTM/M adapter. It is sharp in the center and increasingly less so toward the corners. That, to me, is the signature of the LOMO lens as well. It is certainly among the tiniest of lenses available for the M cameras.

 

[B-9]

The Canon 35mm f2.8 comes to mind, as it averages around 175$-225$ used.

I know Ide rather have the Canon at the price point.

Again I think, sub 150$ would be a better budget for the Lomo.

 

[Archlich]

The Canon 35mm f2.8 comes to mind, as it averages around 175$-225$ used.

I know Ide rather have the Canon at the price point.

Again I think, sub 150$ would be a better budget for the Lomo.

The MS-Optics Super Triplet Perar 3.5/35 Mark II retailed for 59,900 yen, the 28/4 was 64,900 yen. Both were long sold out and avidly traded on the market.

Consumers are irrational folks indeed.

 

[Huss]

The MS-Optics Super Triplet Perar 3.5/35 Mark II retailed for 59,900 yen, the 28/4 was 64,900 yen. Both were long sold out and avidly traded on the market.

Consumers are irrational folks indeed.

The 35mm Perar is now going for about $1000 if you can find one! And it looks like a far less finished piece - needing your finger nail to move the aperture ring, the focus ring is moved with a screw in (and apparently easily lost) knob. The results are very Lomo-esque, with vignetting, colour shifts and the such.
Makes the Lomo, with its easier to use ergos and more finished look, seem like a deal.

All those peeps saying you can buy a 'insert brand and model here' lens for $20... Here's the deal. You can buy anything old/used for cheap. This is a new, unused, warranty backed lens, the cheapest available in the M mount.

This has become one of those threads where instead of celebrating the fact that someone is introducing a new m mount lens, that no-one is making you buy, the curmudgeons have rallied in outrage!

Quite amusing really.

 

[David Hughes]

Interesting that putting the price up improves the quality. When things don't sell on ebay I must try that on the second go. Plus the sales maker of "Spares or Repairs" which usually starts a bidding war.

Years ago I'd mix slides from the Lomo Cosmic Symbol (used by my son) and the CL and no one would notice.... Nowadays you can get them (not CL's) for a pound in charity shops.

Regards, David