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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
for a portrait, blur the background, the volume of the picture, in short words can not convey. but since you used a large number of Nikon lenses, which one is closer in the drawing, so that you look and find it difficult to answer a kaleinar or nikon?
In most scenes, even very different lenses will be very, very similar to each other, this is confirmed by my actions, for example, https://radojuva.com.ua/2012/09/lenst-detect-3/. As a portrait, I would recommend 85 1.8G, if the camera is with a motor, then you can 85 1.8D Another 105 DC is not bad and I personally like Tamron 90 2.8
Thanks, until our tastes match :)
Arkady Good afternoon!
Thank you very much for your articles and reviews. Please tell me: Nikon 3100 I want to try Soviet optics. There is an opportunity to purchase Kaleinar-5N. Priority portrait, child, flowers, plants and nature in general. Please tell me: is it worth taking or better to look for Helios-81N. In terms of versatility, which is preferable. And by the year of release there are any preferences or no difference.
Helios-81n will be more universal, I recommend it. It is better to pay attention not to the year of release, but to the immediate state of the sold specimen.
Thank you!
Great portraiture. No offense to the author I will answer some questions. Without a cloudy coating (fungus) in the secondary market now Kaleinar can not be found. There is nothing terrible. I hesitated for a long time, but it turned out to be very simple. On the shank side, it is disassembled, cleaned for two times. My came with two shanks in the set H and M42. There is Helios-81, very much. It is similar in quality of the picture to Kaleinar, only it eats, but the focal one is different. I’m renting on the D90, I plan to put a dandelion.
Oleg, I also got a specimen with a fungus on the second minus lens for 2 kilo rubles. Part of the fungus was on the inside of the mount. Everything from the fact that it was kept in the room for a long time along with a camera in a case. The only thing is that after removing the fungus, barely noticeable traces remained on the enlightenment. Interestingly, all other optical surfaces were not touched by the fungus.
I propose that the author make a small comparative review of Soviet optics with modern analogs and a description of all the advantages of a particular technique, taking into account age and price. I think it will be interesting for many to publish such an article
I will try to do it.
Tell Arkady! Maybe the question is off topic, in your photos I often notice that your ISO is usually 200 and higher, even in good natural light I usually set it to 100/200, "I'm afraid" there is a lot of noise, how to deal with ISO on high-aperture manual lenses (fixes) or Kitov !?
The lower the ISO, the better. In the photo I have ISO 200, as on some cameras, such as Nikon D40, D50, 70, 70s, D90, D300, D300s, D1, D1h, D700, D3, etc. ISO - 200 minimum base ISO
I would like to have this lens on Canon, if I put it through the Nikon-Canon adapter, will there be any loss of infinity or not?
Everything will be fine.
Hello! Tell me, what kind of haze on the rear lens is sometimes found?
Scuffs, enlightenment clambers, maybe anything.
Please see if it doesn't bother you.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/561/68479153.jpg
Thank you!
picture quality is very poor, I can not say anything.
Say that it is better to buy nikon d5100 or d3200. The purpose of portraits, rest, nature. Are there lenses for Helios-81N and Kaleinar-5N MS. Do they fit these cameras? Thank.
I would take the D3200 - a great camera. Lenses work, but only work in M mode.
3200 loves the light very much. In low light conditions, where 5100 will take normal handheld pictures, 3200 will have micro lubrication in half the cases. Also, the 3200 does not have such interesting functions as the shutter lag (for shooting in the dark from inexpensive tripods it is important), interval shooting and custom menu settings, as well as adjusting the photosensitivity in long jumps. I’m shooting in a rabbi and don’t use it, but I’ll still mention HDR and a more flexible d-light setting.
I tested both cameras for a week, though with whale lenses.
The price of the cameras is the same.
I have to disappoint you: on the D3200 there is still a function for delaying the shutter (learn the materiel as a manual)
Please tell me, I have a Nikon D60, and I really want to try Soviet lenses, especially the Kalinar 5H, or recommend some good light fixture that would fit my camera :))) Plizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... ... ... ... ....
From the Soviet I recommend Helios-81n, from my native Nikon - https://radojuva.com.ua/2012/02/obzor-nikon-50-mm-f-1-8-g-af-s/
In one place you say that the friction of this lens is difficult, and in another place it is simple
There was still context.
Sorry, you say “shallow DOF” first, and later “deep depth of field”. Although this does not detract from the merits of Kaleinar and your work on the rehabilitation of old photo optics :))
Each answer has its own context; pulling out answers without context is unacceptable.
Hello Arkady!
I have Soviet lenses “MC Kaleinar-5N”, “Mir-24N” and “Nikon lens series E”. I want to take the body of D90. Question: Is it worth taking the kit's kit, 18-55 or 18-105, with the specified manual optics. Thanks)))
You can do without a whale, but still 18mm is sometimes very useful.
Good afternoon! Tell me please! In what mode will Kaleinar 5n work when installed on a Nikon D5100?
Only in manual mode M, described in more detail here - https://radojuva.com.ua/2011/04/optika-na-nikon/
Hello Arkady! Is the kaleinar’s focus ring metal or rubber?
Hello Arkady! I didn’t understand about DOF at open aperture. In “Pros” you write:
“Small DOF at full aperture. Getting into sharpness, of course, with manual focusing is difficult, but with experience comes the rapid achievement of good results. "
But in “Features” it is the other way around: “Focusing on it is quite simple compared to other Soviet lenses, this is due to the rather large depth of field at fully open aperture.”
Please clarify whether small or large GR on an open aperture, maybe I somehow do not understand it :-)
It depends on what to compare.
Good day!
Failed to read everything, tell me on the shovel manual lenses the Nikon D7000 exposure meter will be or should you be a shaman?
yes it will.
Hello!
Thanks so much for the review!
There was such a question - I install this lens on d7000, I adjust nonCPU 100 / 2,8 in the settings (all according to the textbook) ... when I change the aperture to 4..5.6..8, etc. the camera does not see the aperture changes - 2.8 shines on the screen .. is this how it should be or am I doing something wrong? How to make the camera see changes in aperture in general and then adjust the exposure coupler?
This should not be the case with Kaleinar, perhaps he was turned into a skirt on the diaphragm ring.
On the other hand, I thought - when I twist the diaphragm ring - the diaphragm lever presses on the “jump rope”, which in turn does not change its position, because it “jumps” only at the moment of shooting, when the mirror is raised.
And the camera does not know in any way whether I change the aperture on the lens without a processor or leave it the same ..
And when you change the aperture on the lens, do you see the change in the camera?
Arkady good afternoon! Can you please tell me when installing a dandelion on Kaleinar 5N, the diaphragm and exposure compensation are also set like on Helios 81N?
Yes, exactly.
Thank you!
The most delightful Soviet glass. This is probably the only moment where the appearance and content are not satisfactory. Aperture would be more ... It's a pity that now it is not produced.
Hello! I already have Jupiter-37A, which I really like. Is it worth replenishing your kit with Kaleinar or there are no special differences? Does Kaleinar “draw” better?
Thanks in advance for your answers.
Do not. Everyone decides about drawing for himself.
hello Arkady! tell me, how do you think the charm of Kaleinar or Jupiter-37a is that they are not expensive with good picture quality or are they better than modern Nikon portrait fixes?
They are not better than modern ones, but at the same time they can show a good result. As soon as the hands reach, I will make examples on Kaleinar and the full frame.
this charm for 1300 on the market saw-not quite cheap.
can't wait to see! )))
And if Kaleinar (inherited) gives an illuminated (blurred) picture, what could it be with him? Are the lenses dirty? Or the effect of light aperture blades?
Good afternoon, I bought myself such a lens, when using it with an external flash, a dark (black) stripe appears at the bottom, and it all depends on the position of the focusing ring, I take a picture with a focus at 1 m - wide, at 3 m small, at 20 m - absent. Camera d5100