Industar-58U photo zoom lens adapted for SLR cameras. Review from the reader Radozhiva

View of the Industar-58U lens and examples of photos from it specifically for Radozhiva prepared Rodion Eshmakov.

Appearance of the adapted Idnustar-58U

Appearance of the adapted Idnustar-58U

For the lens provided free of charge, I thank Vladimir Deyev.

Lens specifications
Optical design: Tessar (4 lenses in 3 groups)


Focal Length: 74,92mm
Angular field of view: 55 degrees (in native format)
Format: 6 * 6 cm
Front focal length: 65,82mm
Back focal length: 62,76mm
Transmittance: 0,80
Resolution power (center / edge): 36/19 lines / mm
Light diameter of the first surface: 21,0mm
Luminous diameter of the last surface: 18,1 mm
Mount: special flange
Filter thread: no
Aperture: 9 blackened lobes
Production: MMZ

Lens device

Industar-58U is a lens from a medium format photo enlarger of the Belarus type. In the 60s, the Iskra medium format rangefinder camera was produced, in which the standard lens was Industar-58, which did not have the letter “U” in the name. Optical lenses are completely identical with the exception of some features:

  • The I-58 for Iskra cameras had a built-in shutter;
  • Industar-58 for Spark cameras had a different antireflection coating (with a bluish tint, the old type). Industar-58U has a single-layer enlightenment, but still newer - which should affect the color rendering for the better;
  •  Industar-58 for Iskra cameras had a fundamentally different frame and, most importantly, the lens unit was glued in front (i.e., in comparison with the presented optical scheme, the opposite is true). A similar solution has found application in the Sokol cell;
  • The resolution of the old I-58 is slightly less in comparison with the I-58U: 35/12 versus 36/19 lines / mm.

It is worth noting that the Industar-58U has several options for frames - one of them is compact, the lens is used similarly to the Iskra camera. The other, as in the review, is a curious large “bell” with a small lens block somewhere in the depths. In it, the lens block stands with a single lens forward.

A photo of the appearance of the original lens was taken from periscope.com.ua (I. Kosarekov)

A photo of the appearance of the original lens was taken from periscope.com.ua (I. Kosarekov)

Unlike its rangefinder older brother, the Industar-58U does not have anything that a photo lens usually has - it is essentially just a lens unit with a beautiful, almost round, 9 lobes diaphragm. The aperture is switched by clicks and is important for stops.
The lens has a large working distance, which allows you to install it on most cameras. However, to use it on modern cameras - you need to hook it up somehow! This will be discussed further.

Lens adaptation features

The Industar-58U has a terribly impractical home building.

A photo of the appearance of the original lens was taken from periscope.com.ua (I. Kosarekov)

A photo of the appearance of the original lens was taken from periscope.com.ua (I. Kosarekov)

Adaptation option using the lens housing 500/8 (photo I. Kosarekov)

Adaptation option using the lens housing 500/8 (photo I. Kosarekov)

If you are not ready to carry such a design with you (after all, this is not a 2-kilo projection monster, but only a 75 / 3,5 lens!) - your native case will have to be “optimized” hard.

  • First of all, you need to remove the stupid bell: unscrew everything from the ring of diaphragms and the “hood” itself (do not lose the ball), take the inside of the “hood”, then twist the outer one. The lens instantly becomes compact.
  • In the screwed part of the socket, the mounting flange should be “optimized” - i.e. its front end.
  • Screw the shortened socket back (it will not be superfluous) and lock it with a screw.
  • Return the screws to the diaphragm ring: diaphragm drive, two long screws previously connected to the scale, a screw with a ratchet ball (optional).

After these manipulations, we got a very decent compact lens block with a large reliable hood.

Next, the problem arises of selecting a focuser for the lens: the lens block is very large in diameter (55 mm), and the rear segment is also not rubber in any way. Only focusors with FR ~ 200 mm have such focusers (Tele-N - about 50 mm, for example) - and this is not acceptable in our case, because focusing will then be disgustingly inconvenient.

Therefore, it was decided to order the simplest focuser from the turner, similar to the LETI-92M projection lens mechanism 2/60: two glasses, one with a groove (2 turns, full stroke 30 mm), and the other with a rod hole that goes through the groove, and with M42 thread. Such an extremely simple design, although not quite a standard of convenience (the helicoid is completely open, the aperture ring is somewhat uncomfortable), but it allows you to effectively use the capabilities of the lens and, nevertheless, is conveniently and smoothly focused. And also it is very affordable, which is important.

Rear Lens Assembly

Rear Lens Assembly

After testing, it was revealed that with such a focuser movement, an MDF of 0,35 m is achieved - which is a very good indicator for such a lens. The scale of macro photography is significantly larger than that of Industar-61 LZ:

Industar-61 LZ, MDF 0,3 m

Industar-61 LZ, MDF 0,3 m

Industar-58U, MDF 0,35 m

Industar-58U, MDF 0,35 m

It is as if hinting that the Industar-58U would be nice to attach to field macro photography ...
Now it remains to see what this lens is capable of.

Optical properties

Industar-58U, like most photo-enlarging lenses, does not please high aperture - usually the optics of such a FR has a relative aperture of at least F / 2.8. This one is 2/3 of the foot darker. On the other hand, common lenses of the 17-85 and 18-135 class on this FR will be ~ 1 stop darker. But not one aperture evaluate lenses.

Unlike the Industar-55U, this lens showed very good image quality: the sharpness of the lens is quite decent with an open aperture. At first, I was afraid that the lens would be akin to Industar-29 in sharpness, or rather, its absence. But no - on its F / 3,5, the lens is certainly better than the 29th on F / 4.

The main contribution to image quality is made by spherical aberration - the lens still has some residual small software. The software even seemed to be smaller than that of the vaunted Industar-61 (it is very soft on F / 2.8).

The Industar-58U is practically devoid of chromatic aberration - they can be seen only on MDF, with macro photography - in this respect it is much more pleasant than Industar-61 (and the I-58U also has 75 mm focal length, which is also useful in macro photography - you do not need to scrape the object with the front lens )

In general, the lens is so pleasant on the open aperture that it was necessary to close it only to increase the depth of field and resolution during macro photography, when the aberrations still take their toll.

Due to the nature of the distortion, the lens is very plastic - the software leaves the stop almost completely with aperture.
The lens has a very good, natural color rendition - a relatively new single-layer enlightenment, although not MS, but not what it was in the 60s. The contrast is also quite good - although I didn’t even put light cutters.

The lens pattern is also very interesting and pleasing to the eye. I am very sorry that I have not met this lens before. Bokeh is very interesting.

Bokeh lens

Bokeh lens

Thanks to the almost round aperture, the lens is good for shooting on covered ones - the nuts do not climb glaringly out of the motley background.

F / 3.5, MDF

F / 3.5, MDF

F / 5.6, MDF

F / 5.6, MDF

The lens, being a regular medium format lens, will not allow vignetting on small format cameras. Naturally, there is no distortion.

In general, the lens is very worthy optically - both from an aesthetic point of view and from a technical one. I'd love to try it also in portrait shooting.

Conclusions

The Industar-58U is another medium-format photo enlarging lens. Unlike many of its kind, this Industar has very good image quality and a very nice picture. I strongly liked the lens!
Thank you for reading, Eshmakov Rodion.

Add a comment: Bkrg

 

 

Comments: 15, on the topic: Industar-58U photographic zoom lens, adapted for SLR cameras. Review from the reader Radozhiva

  • Zloy

    Pancake! Well, there are people with heads and arms not torn off! And enough patience! The result was worth it!

  • zengarden

    Interesting lens, wonderful photos :) and the bokeh pattern is quite peculiar, I especially liked where the branches are in the background. Such a selection of contours is perhaps a special feature of SF optics; as it turned out, even for a photomagnifier.
    Well done, Rodion, continue your experiments!

    • Rodion

      Thank you for your feedback!
      The selection of contours, the edging of the circle of confusion is a consequence of the presence of a small undercorrected spherical aberration, which is very often present in the optics of the SF and BF.
      Striking examples are industars, primotars, telemegors and trioplanes.

      • Nikita

        Recently tested this lens. And the first thing I noticed was that bokeh was completely uncharacteristic for Tessar. Moreover, if the object is close, then the bokeh becomes like a trioplane, and if far, then the classic tessar. Is this due to spherical aberration itself or to the mismatch of formats? Can someone explain what happens optically?

  • anonym

    I liked the photos, but damn they are ordinary, any helios or Jupiter will give such a picture. Isn't it a pity to the author of the time for this? and how many pictures were taken for the total report if 40 were submitted?

    • Rodion

      I’m afraid that you are still not so good at pictures of lenses of different schemes, since you can confuse Industar, Helios and Jupiter)
      I do not regret time at all - I really liked the lens.
      There were more pictures, but some of them were similar - I asked them to choose the best ones.

  • Abnm

    This lens has a twin brother. "Industar-55U", 4,5 / 140, BelOMO. Four-lens anastigmat for enlarging negatives up to 9x12 cm. Designed for universal installations such as “Belarus-SB-1” and “Belarus-SB-2”. Aperture limits - 4,5-22. Connecting thread 47 mm. Weight 290 g. It was also used as a reproductive one.
    I have a pair of them - 58 and 55 in this form factor: http://www.photohistory.ru/index.php?pid=1230911830715885
    I shot them with the help of macromech, and it turned out both infinity and a completely decent macro. Optically, it is practically no different from the described 58-U. Impressions of the lenses are generally positive.

  • Bkrg

    This review disappeared somewhere from the main page of the site

    • KalekseyG

      Always like that. Everything flows, everything changes. Time, alas, does not slow down.

  • anonym

    Learn guys how to shoot this miracle
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/129007474@N06/27371931623/in/photostream/

  • zaNOza_74_Perm

    Industar 58 + Nikon D80

  • Victor

    Industar 58 + Nikon D80

    • Rodion

      Great macro comes out)

  • Mark

    Excuse me Arkady, please explain why my lens is not like yours?

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