MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 review

According provided by lens MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 many thanks to Alexander Mezhevitin.

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 review

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 review

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 is a standard standard lens for film cameras with M42 thread. This is one of the last mass standard fifty kopecks for Zenit cameras.

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).

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50

View of the MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 lens on the ZK

First impressions of the lens are negative - the plastic body in the hands feels like a cheap Chinese toy. The focusing ring is not very comfortable, it is tapered. And the chamfers of the lenses are not blackened, and there are only 6 aperture blades, well, even a dark matte color. Poor manufacturing quality is associated with a reduction in the cost of production - when creating a lens, they tried to minimize the costs of manufacturing the lens and at the same time obtain good optical quality. In the end it turned out, but in my opinion it became a kind of nail in the coffin of Soviet optics, which at that time was already far behind foreign analogues.

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50

Lens trunk MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50

There are many Zenitar brand lenses with a focal length of 50mm, for example MS Zenitar-M 1,9 / 50 и Zenitar-M 1,7 / 50. Fifty zenitar is usually very sharp and, in general, good lenses. The lens from this review is slightly inferior to them in build quality, but optically pretty good.

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50

Multi-Enlightenment of the MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 Lens

The focus ring of the MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 rotates 180 degrees, while the trunk of the lens lengthens noticeably, and the front lens does not rotate when focusing. The lens has a focus distance scale from infinity to 35smwhich is pretty good for a fifty dollars. But due to the fact that MDF is small enough 180 degrees of the focusing ring is not enough for smooth focusing. There is also a depth of field scale and an infrared shift mark. Aperture closes to F / 16, between F / 2 и F / 16 there are many intermediate values. Also MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 has a blinking aperture device without aperture control switch. Front filter diameter non-standard - 46mm, it will be difficult for him to find a cover and a filter. On the lens you can find the inscription M1: 5 which informs about the maximum magnification that the lens creates when focusing on MDF.

The parameters shown in the photo gallery:
All shot on Canon EOS 350D. EGF lens on Canon 350D is 80mm. On-camera JPEG L, high quality (without any processing). Noise reduction at slow shutter speeds was turned off. Parameters: contrast correction - 0, sharpness - 0, saturation - 0, tone color - 0. Used white balance: 'Mainly cloudy'. Photo size has been reduced to 3MP.

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


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


Conclusions:

MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 optically turned out to be a pretty good fifty dollars - in the center of the frame it is sharp even at F / 2.0, holds side and back light well, bokeh is not for everybody. But the workmanship of MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 is very weak, and aperture slightly decreased compared to the older brothers of the lens. Personally, I would buy exceptionally high-quality metal old Zeniths.

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

Comments: 105, on the topic: MC Zenitar-M2s 2/50 review

  • Artem

    Yes! Some kind of g .. I would just take this for nothing

  • Archer

    Ano
    nimu:
    Have you been so interested in this lens?
    And it became so sad that you did not see the model?
    Thank you say that in general this glass fell into view!
    And they will express themselves, "a pronounced sign of a weak amateur mattress"!

    • anonym

      Yes, along the way "ordinary pontorez")))))))

  • Valentine

    Taste and color ... Today, in the interval between aircraft takeoffs at the airfield, he himself shot something like that, but at 18-105mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor + D5100
    Many thanks to the author for the excellent photo articles with links and descriptions of many things in “simple language”. That would be another article about light and shadow ... Their play, etc. That is, the tricks and "subtleties" of their use for beginners

    • Novel

      Valentine, pay attention to 8020photo.com - a person specializes in this, you can re-read the entire site from the very beginning. Here the resource is of a somewhat different purpose, technical, not compositional and artistic.

      • anonym

        Roman, thanks a lot for the link, bookmarked ...

  • anonym

    Aunt, and we don’t need portraits or sensible photos. We already made conclusions about the glass. Here is not a photo gallery or exhibition, here a review is being conducted. Come on, bye)))))))))))

  • Arkady Shapoval

    There is not always time for a model. Conclusions on the lens can be done using the presented gallery.

  • Timur

    Gentlemen, do not pay attention, a friend has confused God's gift with scrambled eggs, he is an occasional guest on the site, let him go in peace.

  • Sandy

    Subjectively, there is not enough sharpness in the center. Although, as you can see, this instance is pretty battered by life, and something is enlightened. In the presence of G-44-2, this instance is not interesting despite the enlightenment and matte petals.

  • d.martyn

    I liked the samples. Great value for money - I love that. Arkady, thanks for the reviewer.

  • Stanislas

    at the very same one, bribed the price. in general, it will pull)) http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4119/26176015.2/0_a3e77_d7af5117_orig

  • Yuriy75

    I looked at the prices, they asked for him 300gr. Add another 500 and you can buy a Canon EF 50mm f / 1.8, which has more interesting characteristics and autofocus. There is no point in buying this glass for more than 100g.

    • Alexander

      I got this lens at AUCRO for 170 UAH

  • Vladimir

    not enough photos of people. Portraits are best tested in public. Where is your wife, Arkady?))

    • Denis Anatolyevich

      It sounds selfish about a wife ... Just a model is not enough for you?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      50mm is not a portrait lens, even on a crop it is very conventional.

  • Ivan

    in comparison with older brothers, I would look - from 50 / 1,7, for example)

  • Andrey

    I have a new one ... great portraits come out. True, sharpen them ... torment

  • Fighter

    I am always happy to read your reviews, but specifically I even wanted to comment on this for the first time, because I do not agree with some positions. Probably there was no time for normal testing or there was no desire, you could tell the reader about this in advance. I myself used several copies of this product, and in order not to list the differences, I will provide a link to my review (do not count for advertising) http://chzhu-cin.livejournal.com/18561.html

    • Arkady Shapoval

      This does not change matters.

  • Jury

    Lord really did not recognize the planar scheme ????? It can be seen from the picture, well, maybe not on these samples (I can’t judge with impartiality, since I saw other pictures earlier), in short it’s a modern Helios 44 which slightly shortened the RF and more clearly illuminated me))), and the Zenith 50 1.7 is completely another optical design and a completely different design, the beauty of this lens is that you can buy it at KMZ for 1300 rubles (if I'm not mistaken) brand new, agree for such a quality is an incredible price, and who says that the 50 1.8II boot is more interesting in the picture let the glasses wipe, they see misted, to infinitely above canon as a whole is much wins, because he autofocus (though not the best) but there is, and all it really is for a modest price, but there is generally a penny a figure more interesting (though specific and universal it will not name)

  • a guest

    The lens is quite ambiguous, interesting in drawing. At first I was not impressed, until after playing a few days, I drove into the essence of this glass. Despite the design with all its shortcomings, the lens deserves attention, and more and more often there is a desire to use this particular glass.

  • Alexander

    In the open, you can’t get into sharpness, soft. And yesterday I noticed that in the cold, the diaphragm starts to work out, it does not open, it does not close

  • Yura (winter spock)

    well, just right bokeh cool, like for business. )))

    I am also a lover of highly artistic wild backgrounds. (Rokkor-PF 1: 1.4) Ale tіlki for creativity.! Licher Mitzi Can Soooo Taake Zatsіniti = D
    And for ordinary mortals, give a re-assignment of frames with a direct background (de “everything is visible”), well, on the extreme “straight” aquaboke zenitar. Tim is bigger, wildly artistic cool backgrounds for an hour so will be seen from the main ones (Helios-92_); marvel at the portrait, and bachish landscape ...))

    Ay, Arkadiy.! Two words: a robot file;)

    ps: the shopping truth of photography is hourly overly one-sided. (

  • Sergei

    Hello everyone, I want to take such a lens. Is it worth taking it or taking a fisheye attachment for aliexpress?

  • anonymous i

    Unpacking the MS Zenitar-M 2/50 lens
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2vP26xpR0

    1,5 thousand in a rashka costs, which is no more expensive than on ebee.
    http://www.shop.zenit-foto.ru/ob-ektivy

  • anonym

    unpacking the new lens of the Krasnogorsk factory
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2vP26xpR0

  • anonym

    factory sells lenses and now
    http://www.shop.zenit-foto.ru/ob-ektivy

  • anonym

    I accidentally stumbled upon Yandex photos taken by someone using this glass and I’m just gored, for me it is probably underestimated because of a dull appearance, maybe someone knows its analogue with autofocus because I will take it unambiguously.

  • asp

    A very good lens.

  • Ujeenyuh

    I have one :) Very light, compact, excellent sharpness, open! in general, I am very surprised by its optical quality, in contrast to the terrible case ... The feeling of the rotation of a shuffling ring is just like a cheap one :)) ... But! Again, sharpness is excellent. Probably the sharpest lens of all fifty dollars that I have seen, including Minolta AF 50 / 1,7 (I have a Sony A580). All the others at open aperture are very soft, often soft ... right up to fog. This one is not! Maybe I have a good copy, but overall I'm happy with it.

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