Review Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D

For the opportunity to review the Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D lens, many thanks to Andrei Mikhailovsky, who sells.

Review Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D

Review Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D

This time I got a review with a rather unusual 2.8 / 200 lens. For 200mm focal length aperture F / 2.8 is considered very good. The lens has a large front lens with a filter diameter of 77mm. The lens itself is quite small for a 200mm fast fixed telephoto lens. For many photographers, the 200mm focal length is the extreme limit in its arsenal of lenses, usually 2.8 / 200 is used by modern photographers with high-speed, expensive zoom lenses of type 2.8 / 70-200. This Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 is several times smaller than modern monsters 2.8 / 70-200 in size and weight.

It looks like a lens on a modern camera

It looks like a lens on a modern camera

That's just when shooting, I noticed that excerpt on a bright sunny day it does not quite correspond to F / 2.8. Most likely real aperture the lens is a little smaller, somewhere around F / 3.2-4, it’s hard for me to pinpoint. Nevertheless, the lens has sufficient aperture for worry-free handheld shooting at high shutter speeds. I would like to separately note the ergonomics of the lens - focusing is very 'smooth' and oily. The lens itself looks very good on the camera, very well assembled, a little annoying small built-in hood.

Type of indicators and aperture openings

Type of indicators and aperture openings

The focus ring at the lens is rubberized, rotates 270 degrees... The minimum focusing distance is 2.2 meters, the lens has depth of field and focusing distance scale. On the focusing distance scale, infinity 'starts' after 200m.

Lens drawing

Lens drawing

The lens has a 'M / A' aperture mode switch. In the 'A' mode the blinking diaphragm mechanism works for cameras with M42 mounting thread. The diaphragm itself has 8 blades, the petals are black, matte (well made). The minimum F-number is F / 22, and only fixed apertures can be set from F / 2.8 to F / 22.

Enlightenment of the front lens

Enlightenment of the front lens

How to use with modern cameras?

Lenses with mounting thread M42 (M42 X 1 / 45.5), such as the lens from this review, are very easy to use on almost any modern digital camera (both SLR and mirrorless), for this it is enough to choose the right adapter (adapter). You do not need to carry out any additional steps to modify the lens.

The cheapest adapters can be found at Aliexpress.com... There are adapters (adapters) with a chip that provide more convenience during shooting, usually chips are used to confirm focus and / or metering exposure, and form the correct EXIF. The chip does not affect the image quality in any way.

For some SLR cameras (for example, with the Nikon F-mount), you need to use adapters with a corrective lens, which allows you to focus correctly at all focusing distances. For any mirrorless cameras, such a lens is not needed, and the adapter is a simple decorated hollow metal tube with an appropriate mount.

For SLR cameras

  1. Canon: For cameras Canon EOS with bayonet mount EF / EF-S need an M42-Canon EOS adapter, such an adapter with a chip can be found herewithout chip here.
  2. NIKON: For cameras Nikon DX / FXas well as for cameras Fujifilm и Kodak with a Nikon F mount, you need an M42-Nikon F adapter, you can buy such an adapter without a lens and a chip here, with a lens without a chip herewith chip without lens here, with lens and chip here. Why a lens? Why chip?
  3. PENTAX: For Pentax cameras with K mount, you need an M42-Pentax K adapter, you can buy such an adapter here.
  4. SONY/MINOLTA: For cameras with a Sony / Minolta A mount, you need the M42-Sony A adapter, you can find such an adapter without a chip at this linkwith a chip at this link.
  5. OLYMPUS/PANASONIC/LEICA: For cameras with a 4/3 bayonet mount (not to be confused with Micro 4/3!) You need an M42-4 / 3 adapter, you can buy such an adapter here.

For mirrorless cameras

  1. SONY: For cameras with 'E'/'FE' mount series SonyNEX и Sony Alpha you need an adapter M42-Sony E (aka M42-Sony Nex), you can find it at this link. An autofocus adapter is also available for these cameras. Techart PRO Leica M - Sony E Autofocus Adapterwhich can be found at this link.
  2. OLYMPUS / PANASONIC / KODAK / XIAOMI: For cameras with a bayonet mount Micro 4/3 (Micro 4:3) you need an adapter M42-Micro 4/3, you can find it at this link.
  3. CANON M: For cameras with Canon EF-M mount need adapter M42-Canon M, it can be found at this link.
  4. CANON R and RF-S: For cameras with Canon RF mount need adapter M42-Canon R, it can be found at this link.
  5. Nikon 1: For cameras Nikon 1 Series need adapter M42-Nikon 1, you can find it at this link.
  6. Nikon Z: For cameras Nikon Z series (FX/DX) need an adapter M42-Nikon Z, it can be found at this link.
  7. FUJIFILM X: For cameras with mount X need an M42-Fuji X adapter, you can find it at this link.
  8. FUJIFILM GFX: For medium format cameras G-mount need M42-Fuji GFX adapter, you can find it at this link.
  9. SAMSUNG: For cameras with NX mount, you need an M42-Samsung NX adapter, you can find it at this link. There are no adapters for the NX mini camera yet.
  10. PENTAX: For Q-mount cameras, you need an M42-Pentax Q adapter, you can find it at this link.
  11. SIGMA / PANASONIC / LEICA: For cameras with L mount you need an M42-Leica L adapter, you can find it at this link.
  12. LEICA: For cameras with a bayonet mount Leica M need adapter M42-L / M, you can find it at this link.

If you have any questions on compatibility and adapters - ask in the comments (comments do not require any registration at all).

Sample Photos

Photos without processing. On Nikon with lensless adapter can focus up to about 30 meters. The lens is a little soft at F / 2.8, but when you close the aperture to F / 4 it has excellent sharpness. On F / 2.8, you can easily take portraits. The lens suffers from chromatic aberration, but is not particularly afraid of flare.

Personal impressions

In general, the Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D turned out to be a very nice lens. First of all, I want to note its compactness and bokeh pattern. The lens is shorter Jupiter-21A 200mm F4.0Jupiter-21M 200mm F4.0 и Tele-H 200mm F3.5. Of course, the Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D is inferior in design to the medium format Carl Zeiss Jena DDR Sonnar 2,8 / 180 (my personal opinion), but messing with Soligor is a lot easier.

Please note that there is an earlier version of the NON C / D lens with a 72mm diameter front filter. They say that the new version from my review is better than the old.

Sample photo on the lens

Sample photo on the lens

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


Conclusions:

Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D is a good high-aperture telephoto lens that can serve as an excellent portrait lens on full-frame cameras.

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

Add a comment: tessai

 

 

Comments: 20, on the topic: Review of the Soligor 200mm 1: 2.8 C / D

  • Vgtq

    It's great that give examples on kenon and nikon and on crop and ff.!

  • aidyn

    But what about Nikon and infinity?

    • Lynx

      everything is said in the article both for Nikon and for infinity.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      There is no infinity, it works up to 30 meters, all this is indicated in the review.

  • anonym

    pleasant!

  • Oleg

    Arkady thanks for the review, an interesting lens. I liked the photo with the dog

  • Hleb

    There is a version with 3.5 aperture.
    Do not know how it is with infinity, and what is the difference in the picture compared to this?

  • Yura

    I compared this glass for aperture ratio with Kenon 70-200 / 2.8 on fujifilm x-e2
    The aperture ratio of this lens is one-on-one like that of Kenonovsky 200 mm
    With full confidence, we can say that the declared aperture 2.8 is absolutely correct. And the image quality, in terms of sharpness, was not inferior to Kenon.

  • Jury

    I have a Soligor 200mm F3.5.
    Interesting thing. While mastering.

  • Sergei

    I had the imprudence to buy the Soligor 200mm f2.8 OM mount, in order to put it on my Nikon D80, tell me please, is there an adapter and where to get it?

  • Ivan

    Here you offer it as an alternative to Pentacon, but with a better aperture, but write yourself in the review that it is overpriced and in reality corresponds to f4, then it might be better not to offer :)

  • Igor_K

    I have a twin brother "Soligor 200mm \ 3,5" http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soligor-Tele-Auto-200mm-f-3-5-Manual-Focus-Telephoto-Lens-for-Nikon-Non-AI-Mount-/111056475591 under the name Vemar tele auto 200mm \ 3,5, produced by the Japanese company Komine ”. Lens Non Ai, weight 750g, 8 diaphragm blades, non-multi-layer coating. Compared to the one presented in this review, my “chromatite” is much stronger, the sharpness is soft when open, the contrast is quite acceptable, the color rendition is yellowish-greenish, the picture is noticeably improved by 5,6, in general it is almost comparable to the Pentacon 200/4, but significantly inferior similar to 200mm "Orestor" and "Tokine" in all respects, except for price and design. Due to the low resolution, small depth of field, softness in the open, it can be successfully used for portraits, especially if the model is “Balzac +” age, but MDF 9 feet is not very convenient. My conclusions: at its price of $ 30-50, it is interesting for its constructive, soft, “vintage” picture, with certain skills in correcting chromatic aberrations in the editor, it can be used to train the nervous system of the photographer and the model (the focus confirmation button naturally does not work) , besides - it looks on the camera - it is simply incomparable, but from the close in price “Telear N”, there will be much more practical benefit (IMHO).
    Dear author, as always - RESPECT!
    PS Who are interested in the old 200s, here's a curious reference:http://kontur.narod.ru/fotomuseum/dvesti.html

  • Musja

    A dirty Soligorov drawing, albeit sharp. That means they had the same lenses then too. - gray.

  • Alex

    How will he feel on the crop (Nikon)?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Will feel normal. In the photo there are pictures on the crop of kenon.

  • tessai

    To be honest, this lens is good, if any. If not, then you should not chase him. The picture is ordinary, there are no color rendering features. The money that sellers, stunned by the luminosity, ask for it, does not correspond at all to what you get in the end. I got a lens as a gift. He was pampered with them from three months old and gifted.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Tessai -Good comment (tip) is very grateful. Sellers really ask a lot for dubious quality

  • Victor

    Yesterday I bought an ebay at the auction, it cost a little more than $ 200, I could not resist and bought it because I tried it from a friend and was stunned by the picture, the backdrop is simply blurred, sharp from the open - one to one Canon FD 200 2.8, which I originally wanted, but in I did not come across a good condition, I look forward to it. Summer's soon!

    • Alez

      For $ 200? Etikennovskaya Elka with af? For $ 30-40 with delivery around the world there are enough of them there, as well as analogues from kenon. But any telezoom with a price of a hundred bucks is not comparable better in the picture and more convenient, and stabilization easily compensates for two stops in aperture ratio

  • Paul C.

    I have had this since new in Nikon F-mount.

    My example is still mint- the workmanship on the cd Soligor lenses is excellent.

    At 2.8 it is a fantastic headshot lens, and it enables wonderful portraits outside a studio by narrowing the amount of background included behind the subject to simplify the composition.

    F2.8 also makes images “snap” into focus on a focusing screen way better than the F4-5.6 alternatives. In the days before AF and amplified EVFs, when 800asa fujicolour was the highest acceptable film for many color magazines an F2.8 200mm was a critical piece of equipment. Today those technologies and sensors happy at 32k iso settings and “digital bokeh” means that lighter f4 zooms can compete.

    However it renders faces beautifully when wide open and is sharp and contrasty just one stop up, so I won't part with mine in a hurry!

    The retractable lens hood is too small. I have a rubber “3-stage” one that makes outdoor images better by blocking veiling flare from out of image light sources.

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