Overview of the MS Kaleinar-5N lens

MC Kaleinar-5H is an excellent short telephoto lens with f / 2.8-22 aperture and 100mm focal length. His double meets ARSAT H 100 F2.8 - they are the same lens. After the collapse of the USSR, the optics of the Arsenal plant began to be produced under the brand name “Arsat“. They say that this is a Soviet copy Nikon 2.8 / 100 Series Ebut this is not so, Nikon and Kaleinar have different optical schemes.

Overview of the lens Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100mm

Overview of the lens Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100mm

Lens MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 is a legendary lens. MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 was produced for 'Kiev' cameras with 'H' mount. Now the lens MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 is very popular lens due to its relative cheapness and high quality of the resulting photos. He is rightfully considered one of the best Soviet portrait lenses.

view of the MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100 lens from the back and from the side with MDF with an elongated hood

view of the MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100 lens from the back and from the side with MDF with an elongated hood

The current popularity of the MC Kaleinar-5H 2.8 / 100 lens is due to the fact that Nikon cameras have not changed their mount type for more than 50 years. Some of the 'Kiev' cameras have the same mount as Nikon, this allows you to use lenses with the 'H' designation on modern Niko SLR camerasn without any adapters. In more detail about the use of old Soviet lenses in the article about Soviet lenses... For those who want to use the MC Kaleinar-5H 2.8 / 10 on a Canon system, an article about old lenses at canon.

Type of lens enlightenment MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100

Type of lens enlightenment MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100

When using the MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 lens (the letter 'H' in the name means the mount type), there will be no problems with focusing to infinity, as well as with aperture presetting. Once installed on Nikon cameras, the aperture will be at its maximum open position and will only close at the time of shooting - just like with modern Nikon lenses. It is very easy to find out the year of manufacture of a lens - the first two digits in its serial number are responsible for this.

Sample photo on MS Kaleinar 5-n

Sample photo on MS Kaleinar 5-n

The first thing that catches your eye, but rather in the hands - massiveness of MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 10... The lens weighs over 300 grams with its small appearance. MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 10 is made in the good old traditions - glass and metal. Actually, my copy is over 20 years old, but the quality remains at the same high level.

View of the aperture of the lens diaphragm MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100

View of the aperture of the lens diaphragm MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100

Focusing:

The lens has only manual focus. The focus ring is rubberized. When focusing, the trunk of the lens lengthens by about 2 centimeters. The focus ring rotates 270 degrees, so the Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 MC has very large stroke of the focus ring. When focusing, the front lens does not rotate. Focusing on the lens is nice enough. The minimum focusing distance is 80 centimeters.

Diaphragm

The lens aperture has only 6 blades - this is one of the strong disadvantages of this lens. The aperture blades are black, the light in the middle of the lens does not reflect back. F / 2.8 maximum allows easy control of DOF and taking photos with blurry background. The aperture can range from F / 2.8 to F / 22. Please note that when using the lens on Nikon cameras, automatic iris control is possible using the aperture ring on the lens, this is due to the fact that the lens is AI-S compatible lens for Nikon. If you use the lens on other cameras, then the usual manual iris control will be available.

I use or used this lens on cameras without any problems Nikon D90, Nikon D40, D80 и D700.

Sample photo on MS Kaleinar 5-n

Sample photo on MS Kaleinar 5-n

When using the lens on cameras Nikon DX EGF lens will fit 150mm. On cropped cameras, the MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 is a real telephoto lens. Due to the excellent ratio of focal length and aperture, the MC Kaleinar-5N 2.8/100 lens is perfect for portrait and creative shooting.

I have more here one shot at Kaleinar = 5N in the studio.

Attention!

This lens can work in full automatic aperture control mode through the camera and with confirmation of focus... How to do it - read in my article Dandelion Lushnikova.

Dimensions of two portrait lenses

Dimensions of two portrait lenses

Addition to the article:

Recently I got my hands on a Kaleinar-5H lens with an interesting name written through the letter 'C' - 'MC Cbut byjnar-5H 2.8 / 100 '. In the literature, there is an export version with a name through the letter 'K' - Kalejnar-5H (see here) Visually, it is no different from a lens with a name in Cyrillic and looks like this:

The lens has good image quality. First of all, I want to note the excellent sharpness over the entire field of the frame, good contrast, color reproduction. MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 well tolerates backlight, has no distortion. The vignetting of the lens is minimal, especially when using the lens on cropped cameras.

view of the lens MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100 on the Nikon D80

view of the lens MS Kaleinar-5N 2.8 100 on the Nikon D80

Beginning photographers can feel the old days with the Kaleinar-5N 2.8 / 100 MC and appreciate the importance of each shot they receive, as well as increase their level of dexterity and knowledge of photographing methods and techniques. There is even a joke that a novice photographer usually buys the simplest camera Nikon D40 and one of the Helios-81N or Kaleinar-5N lenses.

Dimensions of two lenses

Dimensions of two lenses

Catalog modern brand lenses 'Zenitar' и 'Helios' can look at this link.


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Conclusions:

MS Kaleinar-5n - a unique lens with fabulous sharpness. The lens is in the top five best portrait soviet lenses.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 680 on the topic: Overview of the lens Kaleinar-5N MS

  • Eugene

    Of course it's worth it. Autofocus 85 ka from Nikon costs about 16 pieces, in the secondary market about 11 pieces. And this Kaleinar 100 mm can be bought up to 2 pieces. Another 700-800 per chip. So make a conclusion. And autofocus fifty dollars is also worth buying over time.

    • anonym

      Eugene, do you know other units of measurement besides “pieces”? If not, then pieces of what? Meat, bacon, g..wna?

      • anonym

        Baku.

        • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

          This is at least clearer, otherwise the pieces have a different course. Judging by the price of a dandelion, there must be hryvnia.

          • Eugene

            Sorry, I think you could imagine that this is 1 piece - 1 thousand hryvnia. I just wrote from my tablet, I didn't want to poke around the screen a lot.

  • Vladimir

    Kaleinar you can buy used for 1200 UAH.

  • anonym

    Tell me, please, I have a Nikon 3100 and a kaleinar, is it possible to do something to make autofocus work?

    • Oleg

      Autofocus on the kaleinar ??? Amused. This is a manual lens, we do everything with handles. Well, maybe it’s possible to make it autofocus, but for this you need to gut the autofocus lens and put the stuffing from the kaleinar there. But in my opinion the kaleinar does not deserve it

    • Nicholas

      Is it difficult to work with pens? I’ve been shooting for 50 years. I started with Smena, Lover, Vigilant, then Zenith, Kiev, the film correspondent Nikon. Well, nothing complicated to set the parameters and get a good photo? Spoiled you. dear!

  • anonym

    Thank you for your answer))) I'm just an amateur, hoping that somehow it is possible ... It is not always possible to bring the desired sharpness quickly.

    • Oleg

      Only in manual mode.

  • anonym

    Hello, Arkady. And what Soviet portraiture with automatic focus can you recommend on olimpus e pl7? Answer please!

  • Alexander

    I took this lens after Helios 81H and made sure that Kalainar is already a different level. The picture is sharp open, and lighter than Helios at the same aperture value, the bokeh may not be so beautiful, but the plasticity is many times better, the volume is perfectly reproduced. Good focusing stroke, fairly easy to focus. In short, a great lens, especially if you can find it at a good price.

  • Eugene

    Hello. Please tell me, is it possible to use this lens on a Nikon D5200 camera? The lens is mounted on the camera, after the shutter is released, everything is black on the screen. Maybe something needs to be installed in the settings? Thanks.

    • KalekseyG

      Turns on the M mode and learns to use it. I am happy to help you. By the way, in mode A 5200 shows the necessary video capture with a given iso and aperture. Read all become Arcadia, straight all in a row

  • Eugene

    I tried it in this mode, the lens does not see in others. I am familiar with the mode on other cameras (canon, Fuji) easily, but here a friend had problems, he just bought a camera. So I asked for help. You can link where to get info. Thanks.

    • KalekseyG

      The whole (all) section of the "articles" of the site is happy.

  • Eugene

    In a nutshell?

    • KalekseyG

      I was at least 100500, I was not too lazy for a long time and did not ask questions, but re-read the theory and, by the way, rethought it. He started with the D5200 and industrial-61ls, which he himself converted to Nikon.

  • Victor

    I am tormented with the choice:
    1.Kaleinar-5N
    2.Helios 44-2
    3.Helios 81N
    4.Nikkor 50 1.8D
    Do not tell me, maybe in sharpness, bokeh, and in general, subjectively
    what to choose. Maybe something else altogether. I want to mount F.

    • Maugli

      Question from the category: should I sleep or eat? No, well, seriously, would you at least point out for what, which camera, what do you want to get at the output.

    • anonym

      Nikkor 50 1.8 = everything else is trash, including Kaleinar.
      Kaleinar-5N is so, to indulge, although it did not work badly on film for a portrait.

  • Victor

    Camera Nikon D80. And I would like to sleep and eat. And a portrait and a landscape.

    • Maugli

      Now what kind of lens are you shooting at, what are you not comfortable with?

    • Maugli

      Understand that you cannot shoot “everything” with one fix.

      • Victor

        Now nothing, I want to start by choosing a manual fix. Sold whale 18-55. I really like the inversion of bokeh in 44-2. But he is not a portrait and carved. Here is a kaleinar under the Nikon bayonet, but the bokeh is not so interesting.
        And I think I’ll take 18-105 as a working zoom.

        • Valery A.

          Maybe it’s worth adding 35 / 1,8 DX to the list, since there’s nothing to shoot, but do you need something universal?

          • Victor

            How creative he is. I understand that this is a must have. But a little expensive. But from the inexpensive ones - what I have listed. G40-2, what pictures! Where are Nikon's ones?

        • maugli

          If there is / will be 18-105, then I would take Helios 81n. And maybe some 135ku

          • Victor

            How inconvenient with the manual? Are you tired? Are you bored? Oh, well, I’ll take a fifty dollars ..?

        • Michael

          Well, if you like to look at the bokeh, then maybe the D80 can be sold too, but buy a Canon and three buckets of fixes for the M42? With a manual it’s always inconvenient, with a fix it’s also inconvenient, but you're talking about bokeh, right?

    • Michael

      And so 50 1.8D autofocus (this is the most interesting) and a good lens. Much more modern and technical and more convenient, as indicated in the list above.

  • Eugene

    Victor, in the first place in vain they sold 18-55, unless of course there is any other autofocus zoom. For everyday photos and for light creativity, he is not so bad, and still he is needed. Now, by choice - if you take Helios 81H, then Helios 44-2 is absolutely unnecessary, especially since the first has a Nikon bayonet. As a staff (if there is no autofocus fifty kopecks) Helios 81H is what you need. Kaleinar-5N is already a portrait lens, by the way, also with a native mount. I have both and also Jupiter 37A with a KP-A / N adapter. All 3 glued Lushnikov's chips. Cheap and a set of basic focal points. Well, Nikkor 50 1.8D is already more expensive. But since you have a camera without a “screwdriver” it will not be much better than the Helios 81H. Better to pick up on "AF-S 50mm 1,8" or even better on "AF-S 35mm 1,8". Most of the time I have the “AF-S 35mm 1,8” on my camera. And all the rest for different creative tasks.

    • Eugene

      AF-S 18-105 is a good replacement for 18-55. With the manual, you are not so much tired as it takes. If you need to shoot something specific and not a lot, then you can, but if you need to shoot an event or something else where you need to take a couple of hundred rough photos to leave a couple of dozen later, then this is very difficult for a beginner. It is for unhurried calm shooting. Once again I will focus on “AF-S 35mm 1,8”.

      • Victor

        Just the same with my screwdriver (D80). The plan is as follows: 50 1.8d, 18-105, and one of the manuals. That's about the manual, and that's the whole snag. I’m going to have 44-2 and remake it with autofocus with a dandelion.

  • Victor

    Bullshit wrote why dandelion if there is autofocus.

    • Eugene

      If the camera is D80, then the 50 1.8d is just what you need. Zoom 18-105 to it is the same. But then manual 44-2 is absolutely unnecessary - the focal point is almost the same - 50 versus 58. And I have not heard about the conversion to autofocus 44-2 - it will cost more than 81H with a dandelion. If you need a manual, then look towards Kaleinar 5H (100 mm). With a dandelion, he pleases me with the convenience and the pictures obtained with his help.

      • Victor

        I’ve been going with Kaleinar recently, a friend gave me a try. It’s not always convenient when the plot needs to be immediately grabbed. And so I also like the lens. Only often with a focus I miss. Do you also have a green light often blinking in the viewfinder? Or is it necessary to achieve a constant glow?

        • Valery A.

          A constant glow means that the subject (the plane where the subject is) is in focus. And the rangefinder scale is at zero. Blinking - at the border of focus (focus is unstable).

          • Eugene

            For a stable fixation at infinity, I had to let go of the 3 screws that fix the focusing ring, turn it a little and fix it again. It was just that the movement of the ring towards infinity was not enough - it rested against the limiter.

      • Oleg

        I join, native 50 1.8D, if you want to start on a budget, the best of this option. I had an Arsat (Helios) 81H - a good lens, but not for a photo walk. I bought it for 1000 UAH a year ago, changed it with a surcharge of 1100 UAH for Nikkor 50 1.8D, and everything became much easier. It is better to buy this Nikkor for a wide range of tasks (if the choice is from these options), but you can additionally buy Kalainar (today the price is 1-1,5 thousand UAH) for leisurely portrait photography. Kalainar in addition, since Helios has focal lengths close to Nikkor, and Kalinar with 100 mm focal length is still better for a portrait. Well, except that you are very delighted with the Helios twisting of the background.

  • Sergei

    I would like pictures with this lens

    • zengarden

      I found an old one shot on a Nikon D7000

    • zengarden

      And this is almost in the backlight (contrast is lost)

  • Peter

    There was a given subject on M42. After comparing with the Pentax-K 100 / 2,8 bought for the same money as Kaleinar, Kaleinar was sold. For both the sharpness and the XA is significantly inferior to the pentax.

  • Vladimir

    I didn’t use the Pentax. I need to search the kaleinar even on the open one, the aberrations throughout the field are well corrected. Even the coma is very small. On the open one it’s very sharp. I have three of them. There is a clouding of the penultimate lens, pay attention when choosing. All different years. It is induced very easily. Good lens.

    • anonym

      Thanks for the lens advice! What else should you pay attention to when examining before buying? We, in fact, have nothing to choose from ... So I found one, asked for about 6500 rubles, phoned, said that they would give it for 5000 ... Judging by the serial number in the photo - the lens of the 85th year of production ... So, how I read here, without blackened aperture blades? Mold, cloudiness, backlash ... What else to look for? It's just that this is my first Soviet manual (except for photo-youth in the distant 70-80s) ...)))

      • zengarden

        5 thousand - somehow a lot for him. For that kind of money, if only in perfect condition, with a normally working diaphragm, no dust / mold / haze, etc. Here for 7-8 you can buy Nikon 105 / 2.5, which is much better.

        • anonym

          Well, this is Kazakhstan ... In a year I have only met the second Kalainar ... For that, at first they asked for about 2500, then threw off to 1500 ... But! He was killed in every sense! Completely! And this one (judging by the photo) is quite decent ... Now I phoned, I'll go look ... maybe I'll throw it off ...

        • anonym

          Well, this is Kazakhstan ... It's generally difficult to find something on Nikon ... Quite often everything is Canon's ... And the Kalainars ... Last year one was put up for 2500, then thrown off to 1500 ... But he was completely killed! And this one (from the photo) is very decent ... Now I'm going to look, maybe I'll move the price even further. In my opinion, it’s better Kalainar for 5 thousand than the new Jungnow ... the price is the same ...

          • Vitaly N

            Look for watch out for olh. I am from Astana, they asked for 40000 tenge for a kaleinar, I found a 105 / 2.5 nikon for 32000. And that kaleinar is still being sold ...

            • anonym

              I, too, from Astana ... Apparently this is that Kaleinar and is ... I asked for 40 thousand, agreed to pay for 30000 by phone, gave my address and disappeared again ... I won't get out of the CFM for a month. I am already thinking of taking Nikkor 85 / 1,8G on credit ... but the infection is expensive! We have 200 thousand, and in Almaty 153 ... We'll have to wait, apparently ... And with Nikon, how lucky you are!

  • Novel

    I look at something conflicting reviews.
    my feelings:
    in sharpness, it is very good on all apertures throughout the field, and it can not be much inferior to any lens in this parameter, in principle! because its resolution is almost equal to the resolution of most matrices.
    according to aberrations, there are enough of them, of all colors, especially purple, especially in the open.
    by backlight, side light, as expected, bad!
    I confirm there is a problem of clouding of the negative rear lens (not gluing, gluing one and it is front) in many specimens.
    treated, wiped (scratches may remain)
    bokeh-boring, but quite even and calm.
    on mechanics, the ones with the rubber ring are better. they are newer and the diaphragm jamming is fixed there (the piptik sliding along the guide is longer)
    but it is better to insert the diaphragm balls in the old design, where they are inserted from the back and twisted.
    but in a new trick. if anyone needs how to insert them, ask here.

    • Roman

      example

  • Ars

    Question? And without a dandelion, cameras such as the Nikon D3100-5100 will generally be able to shoot with it?
    Thank you!

    • KalekseyG

      Could, but manual focus and mode M. Learn.

  • Mikola

    But is it possible to put this lens on a sony d200

    • Roman

      Mikola, you need to know what mount your camera has and find the Nikon mount adapter f-your mount.

      • Mikola

        Thanks. We will try

  • Igor, Kharkov

    I constantly take kaleinar for concerts, before that I lay idle for a long time
    sharpness is excellent, I use only the screen
    nice picture, conveys volume, on Nikon d5100 crop, the increase is of course strong, I’m shooting off at 30-90 as it’s usually dark
    an excellent lens (and inexpensive) with my own image, I use 81 Helios paired with it
    https://ibb.co/bV3de6

  • Valery

    I bought it in very good condition 88g with a sign of quality, but a little backlash on the d7000 carcass, is this allowed? Helios 81H sits tight.

  • Valery

    I bought it in very good condition 88g with a sign of quality, but a little backlash on the d7000 carcass, is this allowed? Helios 81H sits tight. Tell me.

  • Valery

    Understood, loosened the three screws on the shank, therefore, backlash.

  • Andrei

    Help solve the problem with this lens
    When you release the shutter, I hear a sound, like a blow, and then there is a rumble, how to hit an iron or something
    I read that it can touch the mirror, sawed back. But nothing has changed
    The backdrop is already shorter than that of my native fifty dollars, and the sound as it was and remained (((
    What could it be?
    Nikon D610
    There is no sound on the crop

  • Oleg_VK

    There is one more peculiarity of the Kaleinar-5H lens, in particular with respect to Jupiter 37-A - it is a slightly “cold” shade of color rendering.

    BUT! Lens sharpness (Kaleinara) - AMAZING !!!

    Both Kaleinar-5H and Jupiter 37-A are my best portrait photographers and, may the photographers forgive me, my best “flower” lenses (they shoot “portraits” of flowers better than anyone else !!!!) not macro !, but a general shot .... !!!

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