Seagull DF-1 35mm

[sebastel]

i tried to find some info on the HG65, but didn't get anything reliable. seems that there was a lens based on the pentax optical formula on the chinese market, which was later replaced by a different one because of problems sourcing lanthanum glass. anyway, it wasn't labeled Haiou (which is "seagull" in chinese, the brand of the shanghai camera factory).

anyway, this thread reminded me of my Haiou-64, which i didn't try out on film yet. about time ...

;-)

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

i tried to find some info on the HG65, but didn't get anything reliable. seems that there was a lens based on the Pentax optical formula on the Chinese market, which was later replaced by a different one because of problems sourcing lanthanum glass. anyway, it wasn't labeled Haiou (which is "seagull" in Chinese, the brand of the Shanghai camera factory).

anyway, this thread reminded me of my Haiou-64, which i didn't try out on film yet. about time ...

;-)

Try it and post some photos!

 

[Archlich]

i tried to find some info on the HG65, but didn't get anything reliable. seems that there was a lens based on the pentax optical formula on the chinese market, which was later replaced by a different one because of problems sourcing lanthanum glass. anyway, it wasn't labeled Haiou (which is "seagull" in chinese, the brand of the shanghai camera factory).

anyway, this thread reminded me of my Haiou-64, which i didn't try out on film yet. about time ...

;-)

Like said previously in the thread, both lenses appear to be supplied by Huaying Optics, which manufactured Pentax lenses under liscence.

"HG65" stands for:
Huaying =H
Optics ("Guang") =G
6 elements =6
5 groups =5

Popular belief is it's a modified (due to lack of lanthanum glass) Pentax SMC-M 50/2.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Like said previous in the thread, both lenses appear to be supplied by Huaying Optics, which manufactured Pentax lenses under liscence.
"HG65" stands for:
Huaying =H
Optics ("Guang") =G
6 elements =6
5 groups =5

Popular belief is it's a modified (due to lack of lanthanum glass) Pentax SMC-M 50/2.

Wow, this is interesting! Thanks.

I have never shot with the Pentax 50mm f2, but the HG-65 doesn't seem to have lost anything by being made without lanthanum glass. My copy is VERY sharp at all apertures except wide open, and it has nice bokeh and it renders nicely in B&W. I haven't shot any color film with it.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have also seen a lens marked Seagull 610 that looks just like the Minolta 50mm f2 lens. It was sold during the time when Seagull's factory was actually making cameras for Minolta, not just Minolta copies. Here's a photo of one for sale on eBay, along with a Seagull-branded Minolta X-370:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/SEAGULL-DF-300-With-SEAGULL-50-1-8/333597217928

 

[sebastel]

Try it and post some photos!

will do so. got the lens and an srt 100x out of the stack already.

but it's going to take quite some time, as i'm currently more into 120 format, and as soon as the customs finally do their job, 4x5.

 

[Muggins]

My mother-in-law has a Centon, which is a licence-built Chinese Minolta SLR - sorry, can't remember the model of either. What always amuses me is the English-language instruction manuals - they are identical, but for the Centon all the photos of Japanese people in the Minolta version have been replaced by photos of Chinese people. I can see why they'd do it, it just seems like making work for yourself when the text is identical.

Adrian

 

[xayraa33]

The lens is very good on that Chinese SLR camera, more Pentacon in its drawing than a Rokkor or a Takumar.