I just received an email from one of our readers which found that lens on ebay. The description of the owner says: “This lens is 55mm f/1.0~f/11 , was manufactory in Japan by Kowa. Lens rework on Panasonic Lumix G1 GF1 GH1 or Olympus E-P1 E-P2.“. The lens fits on a MicroFourThirds camera without any adapter!
Yep, that is one godawful picture. Retooled to the mount, which is suspect, plus that si one low starting price for an f1.0 lens unless it has some insane reserve.
Anybody may rework virtually any lenses in order to fit the m4/3 mount (moreover, at this moment m4/3 has the shortest flange-back distance of any previously developed systems, including analogic ones).
So, it’s not a big deal to pick a fast lens and make it usable on m4/3 – but you may encounter serious compromises of quality doing that. This is the case of the actual Kowa reworking: The lens fits the mount and really captures the desired amount of light (F1.1) but the quality is hideous – especially when speaking about CA.
zul, I said i cannot find the lens it was adapted from, i was looking for an f1.0 lens at 55mm or somethign that came out as 55mm when crop factor was taken into account, or even one with a similar looking body.
Shouldn’t this be FT5, since it clearly exists, and is being sold by someone?
Will “m4/3rds Rumors” site now start publishing stories about each and every adapted c-mount/t-mount/s-mount/fd-mount/etc. lens floating around on eBay? Have you only just now discovered this phenomenon? If so, I have a 12mm f/1.2 lens here with m4/3rds mount (adapter glued on)… why don’t you add my lens to your website with an FT5, too.
Hi Kai! Maybe you are right. I will delete the FT3 value. Anyway the question was if the lens si real or not. Whatäs interetsing is that it has a MicroFourThirds mount. You have to admit that’s something new.
The body of the lens seems Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm F2.8.
The DOF ruler between the aperature ring and the focus ring shows the original aperature is from something (F2.8?) to F22.
So if it is real, and I guess right, someone reworked the glasses (change the design), to make a F2.8 lens to become a F1.0 lens.
Is it really possible?
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Did you see the sample posted in the ebay auction? Worse than anything imaginable.
Yep, that is one godawful picture. Retooled to the mount, which is suspect, plus that si one low starting price for an f1.0 lens unless it has some insane reserve.
Oh also, I can’t find the lens it was adapted from on http://www.kowa-usa.com/frontend/prodcat.asp though maybe some eagle eyed reader can.
It stated that the lens is rework lens. So it means that they change the mount to fit the m4/3 that’s why you cannot find it from the kowa website.
Anybody may rework virtually any lenses in order to fit the m4/3 mount (moreover, at this moment m4/3 has the shortest flange-back distance of any previously developed systems, including analogic ones).
So, it’s not a big deal to pick a fast lens and make it usable on m4/3 – but you may encounter serious compromises of quality doing that. This is the case of the actual Kowa reworking: The lens fits the mount and really captures the desired amount of light (F1.1) but the quality is hideous – especially when speaking about CA.
The sample pic is awefull.. Even a Holga does better..
zul, I said i cannot find the lens it was adapted from, i was looking for an f1.0 lens at 55mm or somethign that came out as 55mm when crop factor was taken into account, or even one with a similar looking body.
Shouldn’t this be FT5, since it clearly exists, and is being sold by someone?
Will “m4/3rds Rumors” site now start publishing stories about each and every adapted c-mount/t-mount/s-mount/fd-mount/etc. lens floating around on eBay? Have you only just now discovered this phenomenon? If so, I have a 12mm f/1.2 lens here with m4/3rds mount (adapter glued on)… why don’t you add my lens to your website with an FT5, too.
Hi Kai! Maybe you are right. I will delete the FT3 value. Anyway the question was if the lens si real or not. Whatäs interetsing is that it has a MicroFourThirds mount. You have to admit that’s something new.
The body of the lens seems Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm F2.8.
The DOF ruler between the aperature ring and the focus ring shows the original aperature is from something (F2.8?) to F22.
So if it is real, and I guess right, someone reworked the glasses (change the design), to make a F2.8 lens to become a F1.0 lens.
Is it really possible?
not always the title must contain the FTs values…