Accidentally on flickr I found a couple of photos on Vega-12B, with signature bokehnator (Bokener). Vega-12B Really a great lens, but in my opinion, it still does not reach the Bocker. The bokeh of the lens is slightly twisted, circles in the blur zone are clearly traced. Regarding the bokeh and the lens design, remember that each person has their own tastes and preferences, because on the Internet you can find many good and bad reviews about Vega.
Vega-12B. View of the lens.
I reviewed two lenses: 'Vega-12B ' - export version and the usual 'VEGA-12B'. It's funny that the lens says exactly Vega-12B, in Latin letters “Vega” and in Cyrillic the letter “B” (designation of the bayonet). In the USSR, it has always been interesting to combine the Latin and Cyrillic letters in the names of lenses and cameras, which is only the occasional transliteration of MC into MS. Several German publications even wrote about the problem of the names of Soviet photographic equipment, and there were always explanations in the catalogs of equipment.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
TTX Vega-12B
Optical design: 5 elements in 3 groups
Focal length: 90mm
Aperture limits: F / 2.8-F / 22
The weight: 480g
Front Filter Diameter: 58mm
Number of aperture blades: 6 pieces without blackening.
MDF: 60cm
The optical design of the lens takes root from Carl Zeiss Jena Biometar 2.8 / 80. Many people really like the picture that planars and biometars give, but recently I heard from one old photographer who used the Biometar that he really did not like the biometar bokeh. Therefore, the taste and color of all the pieces are different. Those who choose a similar lens from the medium format most often stop at the lens MS Volna-3 2.8 / 80 which has a more predictable picture.
Vega-12B. View of a modern camera with a KP-6 N crossover
Lens Highlights Vega-12B:
1. The lens is designed mount B (not to be confused with B), this is a copy of the mount Pentacon Six (P6). The Vega-12B lens was standard for a number of medium format cameras Kiev-6S, Kiev-60, Kiev-88S, etc. It could seem. that 90mm is a bit too much for a regular one. But on medium format, the angle of view for 90mm was much wider than for 35m film.
The difference in focal length and bokeh between Vega-12B and Nikon 85mm AF F1.8D
2. As befits an old manual lens, it has focus scale, manual iris control and depth of field scale. Indication of depth of field is available from aperture 4.0 to 22.0. The aperture control ring allows you to set the aperture to 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22. The aperture control ring has only fixed values, a nice click is heard when setting the next or previous value. The focusing ring is metal and ribbed, has a stroke of approximately 300 degrees. Long stroke of the focusing ring very convenient for smooth focusing ..
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
3. Since the lens is from a medium format camera, when using full frame and crop almost no vignetting and distortion. When used at full frame or on 35mm film, this will be a regular 90mm lens. On the cropped NIKON DX matrix, the viewing angle will be equivalent to the viewing angle for 135mm 35mm film lens. In any case, that on a full frame, that on a crop, a lens with its body range is great for portraiture.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
4. Who reads to Radozhiva, already managed to notice that basically, all old lenses have very good metal construction. Vega-12B is no exception. The lens, with its considerable weight, is nice to hold in your hand. Any camera with Vega looks pretty decent. Weight balance with mine Nikon D200 perfectly distributed on a small Nikon D40 the lens seriously outweighs the camera.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
5. The lens has diaphragm pressure control. You can aim at fully open, and take a picture at the set value using the aperture ring.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
How to use the Vega-12B lens on modern cameras
I use Vega-12B on Nikon cameras without any problems using an adapter KP-6 \ N. In more detail about the use of old manual lenses on Nikon in my article Soviet Optics... On Canon, you can easily use a lens with an adapter Pentacon SIX - Canon EOS or with two adapters KP-6 \ 42 + M42 - Canon EOS. More details about using old lenses with Canon in articles Old Lenses on Canon.
Picture on Vega-12B
Understand correctly, the best picture result can be obtained from Vega-12B in its native 6x6 medium format. In extreme cases, it will also be good in the full frame, but a certain zest of Vega-12B is lost on the crop, although the photos are just excellent. Therefore, I brought Vega-12B into list of the best Soviet portrait fixed lenses. In general, the picture does not have vignetting and distortion on the crop. The bokeh is good, circles in the blur zone are clearly visible. HA well fixed, but due to small spherical aberrations, the picture slightly borrowed the effect monocle - well-defined contours in the photo, but slightly soft. Sharpness? I don't want to talk about sharpness on Vega. For those of you who care, 2.8 is already decent sharpness. When the aperture is closed, the sharpness increases almost linearly. The contrast is excellent. The backlight is mediocre, since the lens has only one-layer coating. The picture appears slightly yellow in the viewfinder, but BB on a digital camera does it.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
Sample photos on a Vega-12B lens and sprinkled DX camera Nikon D200... All without any kind of treatment. RAW -> JPEG, resized from 10MP to 1600 * 1200, quality at conversion 80%, imprinted data from EXIF about shooting options.
As advertising: I'm sure many have heard of the legendary medium format lenses Vega-12B, Volna-3, etc. If you want to buy them - please contact us from the manual optics section. We kindly ask you not to email me and in contact about buying or selling lenses, I'm just writing Articles и REVIEWS, You will be answered about the availability of one or another instance of the contacts on the Manual Optics page.
VEGA-12B 2.8 / 90
Catalog modern brand lenses 'Zenitar' и 'Helios' can look at this link.
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Conclusions
Vega-12B excellent full-time lens for medium format. On a 35mm film or on a crop it turns into a good portrait with a characteristic biometar picture. Vega-12B is interesting for its sharpness and contrast.
Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram
and specifically from Soviet optics (lens model)?
If from Soviet optics, then there are not many options: Helios-40, Helios-40-2, Jupiter-9, Helios-123N
Arkady you as a person who understands very well in photographic equipment, give me advice on what should I buy as a portrait portrait Nikon 1.8d or arsat 123n? please tell me))) fotik 7000 carcass
Unfortunately, I have no idea in what conditions you would shoot a woman’s portrait and what level of dexterity you have. If there is a lot of time and manual focusing is not a problem, then Helios-123N, if speed is important, then Nikon 50mm F1.8D, for a long time I shot a fifty-fifty D lens, a completely working lens.
Thank you!
Help out !!! Need a drawing of the adapter K 88 / Nikon.
Can not help. Take from someone, measure.
If you are interested - here are some portrait works, see how this lens shoots:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liberov/sets/72157630817299602
Of course it’s interesting.
good afternoon Arkady.
Tell me where can I buy Vega 12b?
For example, in the manual optics section.
Good time of day! tell MS Volna-3 2,8 / 80 or Jupiter-37A there is a choice but there is no way to test (
Different lenses. For what purpose?
more often planned for outdoor portraits.
Both lenses are well suited for this, if on CROP, then Vegu is better.
thank you
Arkady, tell me, what will be better for video on 5100? When talking with Alexander, he told me that he bought a vega from a person, as for the video, though now only the photo is pounding)
It is worth buying Soviet optics or don’t bother to buy an 18-300 station wagon as it has 3 units and 3 af, there will be a great picture and it’s like when you install a microphone, you won’t hear the af motor
Do you imagine shooting at 300mm without a tripod? The picture will be excellent, but in the area of the body of the range it will be difficult to shoot video, the picture will be better in some ways, worse in some ways for the fix. Many of my colleagues for DSLR video use 18-135mm lenses.
and should I take vega on this matter?
It is too telephoto, too, the picture will tremble and focus is only manual. I would take for leisurely experiments with the slider (zoom-in, back focus).
Sorry for the unprofessionalism (I would take for leisurely experiments with the slider (zoom-in, back focus). ????
I usually shoot some events with cameramen, they use specialized video technique. The slider is the kind of thing that the camera drives, let's have a collision effect. There are different sliders. I'm not a video expert. Focus zoom-in - when a defocused scene is shot first, and then focus slowly appears in the frame.
I understood everything) only I have very few objects on the farm, there are 50 helios, 18-55 whales and 55-200 for which of them? only 18-55? or need to buy only 18-135? here I have some problems)))
Your arsenal is enough for the video. Vega-12B is interesting as a portrait for a photo.
Thanks Arkady then I’ll only buy a microphone.
Now there is only the intrigue of the action)))
I will try next time to do a better promotion, this is the first experience of Radozhive.
Your site is cool!
Thanks, I try :) do not forget about helping the project.
no, no, I’m not forgetting, at work, everything in the block is only at home in the evening
The review will soon be another 3 fifty, and all three interesting :)
I subscribed to the site just in case.)))
I bought myself such a lens. I thought for a long time in choosing between Kaleinar 5N, and Vega 12, I settled on the latter because of its price.
Vega satisfied, gives a nice soft drawing, like bokeh. I use mainly as a portrait.
Of the minuses, I can only say that the backlight does not hold well. Side flares can still be fought by shooting in the RAV and adjusting later, but with the backlight it’s completely bad. However, as with many Soviet lenses.
By the way, your Vega from the review yellow most likely, because the diaphragm blades are made of brass. Already on copies after 82, the petals are not made of brass.
In my copy of 84, the petals are gray, from another metal, I do not observe the yellowness of the picture.
Although some, on the contrary, use this yellowness to give the picture a special retro charm.
Tell the teapot. Can I connect it to the pentax rx ?? And if so, how
Maybe Pentax's?
Alexander - tell me - there are both Vega 12b and Jupiter 36b. I'm thinking of buying an adapter, and I also want a dandelion for them - but I don't fully understand - it turns out that the dandelion will need to be glued to the adapter - right? and can both lenses be used?
by the way - http://aukro.ua/perehodnik-kp-6-n-s-pentacon-six-na-nikon-i2647740697.html but I don't understand why in the photo of KP-A / N ...
Yes, dandelion stick on the adapter. Both lenses can be used. In the photo, a homemade adapter with a part of KP-A \ N. And yet, Alexander is not here.
Arkady sorry))
accidentally wrote) ..
Thanks, I will order. I hope it won't let you down))
vega-12b or industrial-29?)))
Both are good, I would take Industar
Is there a practice of using “H” lenses with EOS, for example ARSAT 50 mm? If yes, what are your impressions? Please recommend an adapter. Thanks.
There is no practice, but they lead like any other manual lenses. Any adapter, I prefer adapters without chips.
Arkady is such a question. There is m42 / H and ordered KP 6/42 (on a film camera). Will I be able to put vega through these 2 adapters or is it better to take KP 6 / N. ?
KP 6/42 + m42 / H may not give infinity. Better KP-6 \ N.
Thank you. I will try