Industar-55U 140 / 4.5, adapted for SLR cameras. Review from the reader Radozhiva.

View of the Industar-55U 140 / 4.5 lens and examples of photographs from it specifically for Radozhiva prepared Rodion Eshmakov.

Front view of Industar-55U

Front view of Industar-55U

For the free-of-charge source lens I thank Vladimir Deyev.

Technical specifications

Optical design: Tessar, 4 lenses in 3 groups

Optical design

Optical design

Field of view: ~ 50 degrees (in native format)
Resolution (center of field): ~ 35 lines / mm
Format: 9 * 12 cm
Mounting thread: missing, there is a mounting flange
Filter thread: no
Aperture: 9 blackened lobes
Production: MMZ
Anterior focal length - 128,18mm
Rear focal distance - 122,29mm
Transmittance - 0,80
Resolution 29/14 center / edge
Luminous diameter of the first surface - 31,4 mm
Luminous diameter of the last surface - 27,8mm
* No exact lens information found in sources

Lens device

Industar-55U is a lens from the medium format photo enlarger Belarus. Initially, the lens is not suitable for use with modern cameras. It can not be installed on the camera, because it does not even have a thread / mount. Industar-55U is often found in the secondary market and is generally quite affordable.
The lens is an unmodified lens block with a diaphragm and a mounting flange. The diaphragm switches with clicks on each foot, has 9 petals devoid of matte blacking. The hole is close to round, although far from ideal.

Aperture Industar-55U

Aperture Industar-55U

Thanks to its huge rear segment, the lens can theoretically be mounted on any modern digital SLR camera, which was done.

To do this, first of all, the lens was disassembled and changed in some places:

  • Unscrew the locking screws of the hood-nut and unscrew it. Caution - she holds the lens!
  • Unscrew the diaphragm ring screws, remove the balls (do not lose them), remove the long diaphragm drive screw.
  • Twist aperture ring
  • Saw mounting flange from diaphragm ring
  • Reassemble the aperture ring, install the balls (optional - if you like the aperture with clicks), twist everything as it should.
  • Replace the hood and secure with the locking screws.

Next, it was necessary to choose a focuser to the lens. Because It has a large diameter - a difficult task. I approached the question somewhat without troubles - I inserted it into the primitive helicoid from Triplet 78 / 2,8 with the counterpart with the M42 mounting thread ordered from a turner. It turned out not very high quality, although in general there are no complaints.

Behind the rear lens, I installed two light cutters of the desired diameter to increase the contrast. This is required by all medium and large format lenses.

As a result, we got a funny-looking TV set 140 / 4,5 with MDF about 1,2 m and very smooth (and slow) focusing (due to the fact that you need to make two full turns to MDF).

The appearance of the lens

The appearance of the lens

It is not difficult to use the lens in real conditions, focusing is quite convenient. There is a significant disadvantage of the lens in terms of use - it is difficult to catch accurate sharpness through JVI. This is due to lens aberrations. Adequate MDF and even aperture are particularly attractive. Let's see if optics are attractive?

Optical properties

The lens is at its core a medium format standard for 9 * 12 cm frame. Given the format, somehow you do not expect a high-quality image in a small format from the lens, especially - crop.

In addition, the lens has a low aperture - F / 4.5, which is small for such a focal length. Typically, lenses of this class have aperture from f / 4.

Despite these shortcomings, the lens forms a nice picture. Indeed, Industar-55U does not have high sharpness - spherical aberrations have a strong effect on F / 4.5, the picture is soft.
The lens has a plastic picture - sharpness increases with aperture, although there is no desire to aperture with its F / 4.5.

On contrasting details, the chromatism of the lens is noticeable - purple and green halos, fringing.
Sharpness is distributed exactly over the frame, because only the central part of the light spot of the lens is used.
Vignetting is missing.

Color rendering is natural, slightly warm.

The lens has a very pleasant and unusual bokeh - a circle of blur with a bright edging, "tracks" are formed in the background.

Industar-55U

Industar-55U

In the backlight, the lens catches large faded hares and loses much contrast. Well, it is not intended for photography, yes.

Industar-55U

Industar-55U

In principle, I want to note that although the lens does not replace a normal ordinary telephoto class 135 / 3.5, it can act as a portrait lens, a “spectacular” telephoto whose task is to create an unusual picture.

Hack and predictor Aviator

Industar-55U is an unusual and interesting format lens from an enlarger. Forms a beautiful, but generally not high quality (in sharpness) picture, does not have a high aperture. It is worth thinking about the advisability of adaptation, but if the flaws do not stop, the lens can be used as a portrait lens - in this respect it is very attractive.

A list of all reviews from readers of Radozhiva will find here.

Add a comment: Rodion

 

 

Comments: 25, on the topic: Industar-55U 140 / 4.5, adapted for SLR cameras. Review from the reader Radozhiva.

  • KalekseyG

    Well done. Hands are sharpened, and inquisitiveness is wonderful!

  • zengarden

    And where to read about these light cutters, how to calculate them? but it turns out that large-format optics give extra illumination outside the matrix, which is unlikely to contribute to a good image. Somewhere already saw about it, but forgot ...

    • Rodion

      There I went on trapeziums: you need a large trapezoid with bases, acc. matrix and dia. of the rear lens, divided into segments parallel to the bases. And the length of these segments is the diameter of the light cutters for a given point.

  • Ilya

    Uninteresting lens.

  • Alexander

    I still try to understand ... can someone explain to me, maybe you, Arkady: why? Why make a lens out of an old pan? Do we live in the taiga? Is there really not enough manual, autofocus, modern, old, new, branded, non-branded, Soviet, imported, good, bad, and any other optics in the secondary and primary markets? The process of coating the inside of an old pan with soot to enhance contrast is no longer a photograph. Call it what you want, but it's not a photograph. Arkady, are you not afraid to spoil your karma? )))

    • Lynx

      "Patamushta we can!" (from)

      • Rodion

        Indeed - simply because it seems possible. And you have to try everything.

        • Lynx

          Do not. But something is possible))

    • Arkady Shapoval

      > Is it really not enough manual, autofocus, modern, old, new, company, non-company, Soviet, imported, good, bad and other any other optics in the secondary and primary markets?

      This is all other other optics.

      what for? Why make an lens out of an old pan?

      Ask Rodion.

      Are we living in the taiga?

      Looking through the comments and their insanity in the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, I came to the conclusion that in the taiga :)

      Are you not afraid to spoil your karma?

      Protects me canonized goddess Ray :)

      • Lynx

        Ummm ... .. are bears and tigers talking to you?

        • Rodion

          Lynx is already there)

          • Lynx

            )))

    • Rodion

      I do not give up trying to figure this out: http://www.penta-club.ru/forum/topic/18946-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%B0%D1%85%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B-%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D1%8D%D0%BA%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/
      Who can explain to me - write, pliz.
      This is not just a taiga, it is barbarism, this is when you take a working normal lens and make out of it just a flawed stub that cannot do the most important thing - normally give a picture.
      I was especially impressed when the primoplan 58 / 1,9 was disassembled into a monocle - well, isn't it taiga)
      In general, since there was no view on the lens - it should be, even though it is a "pan". Since there is no information on the network for him - it should be. Since no one can stick these lenses in, let them know that at least this is possible.
      There is nothing wrong with the fact that a lens that had been gathering dust for years simply saw the sun.

      • Lynx

        This is just an adult constructor.
        A bunch of details that can be sorted and glued in different ways.
        For those who buy an old VAZ, too pendulum or bulky

        • Rodion

          I’m all for it if it’s not for the good lenses. In fact, all these industrialists are also just a constructor, which is assembled for the sake of interest.

      • Alexander

        … No, definitely, there is nothing wrong with that. Absolutely. Only now, there is little clear meaning. I think that iron and its characteristics do not make sense. The conventional "viewfinder" allows the photographer to take a special look at reality, to concentrate his attention through the lens. It makes it possible to see and comprehend reality in a special way at the correct, from his point of view, moment in time. No more. By itself, neither the viewfinder, nor even, I'm not afraid of this word, the LENS - make no sense. Therefore, the process of communicating with glass and iron should be as convenient as possible for the photographer. Technique, both very good and the worst, should not divert attention from the main thing. Otherwise, it is no longer a photograph.

        • Rodion

          I don’t understand what you wrote about. Apparently, in photography I do not understand at all.

        • Valery A.

          Bravo! Great syllable, sensible thoughts. I think everyone will agree with this, but few will speak out that way. You are probably a writer.

    • Jury

      The Armenian Radio gives a very competent and comprehensive answer to such questions:

      WE ANSWER: WE DO NOT ANSWER STUPID QUESTIONS ...)

  • Vladislav

    Still good photos come out :)

  • Valentine

    Rodion, Thank you for bringing the dusty glass back to life !!! They revived, screwed up, the photo turns out - it's already great. For example, I made friends with my Nikon the threadless Vega-11U (it is not in the reviews, if I’m interested, I can share photos and the concept of fastening), so I’ll tell you, from these photos I print pictures on the walls, but it would seem that it’s hopeless glass! I am very glad that there are still straight-handed masters, you are doing everything right, and it is clear that from the heart! I wish you success!

  • finch

    It is designed for 9x12, but which circle does it cover as much as possible? really little information.

  • Nicholas

    Hello Arkady, thank you for your righteous labors. Tell the next one, what does it mean "I installed two light deflectors of the required diameter behind the rear lens"?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      But this is not my review, ask Rodion

  • Audrius

    Such reviews are very important for experimental purposes, when the originality and aesthetic side of optical effects is important, and not the so-called "quality" of the image.

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