LOMO T-43 40/4, adapted for cameras with EF mount. Review from the reader Radozhiva

Overview of the LOMO T-43 40/4 lens, adapted for cameras with an EF mount, especially for Radozhiva, prepared Rodion Eshmakov.

Appearance of the adapted lens

Appearance of the adapted lens

LOMO T-43 is the lens of the world's largest Smena-8M camera, the number of released copies of which exceeds 21 million. Smena-8M is currently considered to be perhaps the most affordable film camera, however, the camera itself is almost never used for its intended purpose (due to the lack of a mirror / range finder, exposure meter) or its lens - it is non-removable and does not fit without adaptation to modern cameras.
Relatively recently, information appeared on the Web about the successful transplantation of this lens to the CPS with the APS-C frame format, which caused a desire to repeat this procedure and look at the world through the eye of the most common camera.

Characteristics of LOMO T-43 40/4 (reference A.F. Yakovlev)

Optical design: triplet
Focal Length: 41,78mm
Relative Hole: 1: 4
Field of view angle (on 35 mm film): 55 degrees
Aperture: 8 blades, black, shiny
Aperture Limits: F / 4-F / 16
Back focal length: 35,52 mm
Light transmittance: 0.87
Resolution (lin / mm, center / edge, KN-1 film): 45/19
Filter thread: 35 mm
Features: fixed camera lens Change, built-in central shutter.

Features of adaptation and constructive T-43

As already mentioned - the T-43 is a fixed lens. But this does not mean that it cannot be removed . On the contrary, to disconnect the lens from the Smena-8M camera, you only need to unscrew the two long screws at the back (with the back cover open). But even in this form, the lens is not suitable for use, because does not have the usual attachment to the camera. The lens unit contains three parts: a central shutter (the most complex part, not needed for alteration), a focusing “nut” with a focus ring, a lens block with a diaphragm (combined with a focusing “screw”).

The protruding rear of the T-43, adapted to the EF mount

The protruding rear of the T-43, adapted to the EF mount

T-43 - a lens for mirrorless cameras, with a small working distance. Therefore, its use on the CZK is complicated by the need for a radical alteration of the housing with a deepening of the lens block inside the camera. In addition, the lens can only be mounted on cropped CZKs - a mirror will be touched on full-frame cameras. For the BZK, the alteration will be reduced only to removing the central shutter and changing the mount to a threaded type M39 or a bayonet fitting of the desired system.

Removing and twisting everything from the lens (be careful - the metal is thin and soft), we achieve the separation of the white aluminum focusing ring (it is the front part) and the central shutter unit. I do not recommend spoiling the look of the body parts - they can still come in handy. In the end, the lens unit should remain in the hands in a small helicoid with a wide flange. We put the focusing ring and the ring with aperture numbers (depth of field scale) aside - wait in the wings.

It is necessary to remove the protrusion around the circumference inside the "nut" of the helicoid in order to insert the lens block into it from the other side. We remove the extra fractions of a millimeter that interfere with the mirror when focusing on “infinity”. The helicoid lens block is installed in the shank with the desired mount so that infinity focusing is achieved.

Next, we remove the excess from the focus ring so that it can be mounted on the lens block recessed deep into the camera. We fix the ring with the depth of field scale so that it does not interfere with focusing (it will require revision with a file). We denote the mark on the focus ring (it is desirable to make it coincide with the long distance symbol on the focus ring), which corresponds to focusing at infinity and coincides with the triangular mark of the installed ring. The lens is ready!

View of the adapted T-43 when focusing on infinity

View of the adapted T-43 when focusing on infinity

After adapting the T-43 to SLR cameras, we get not just a pancake, but an ultrathin pancake: pay attention to how much the T-43 is smaller than the tiny Industar-69!

"Pancakes"

"Pancakes", T-43, And-69, And-50, I-26M

Despite the absence of stops, the lens can be used to safely drop the lens block - to completely unscrew it, you need to turn the focus ring as much as 2,5 turns. MDF can be taken ~ 0.5 m when unscrewed by 2 turns. An adapted I-26M rangefinder is also used in the same way.

View twisted exactly 2 turns of the lens block (almost MDF)

View twisted exactly 2 turns of the lens block (almost MDF)

Aperture control is carried out in the same way as on an unadapted lens - a ring on the front side. The alteration did not touch her at all - the lens retained its authenticity, its “face”. It warms the soul.

Aperture LOMO T-43

Aperture LOMO T-43

The lens diaphragm is surprisingly eight-petal. Typically, manufacturers of lenses for cheap cameras save by installing a five- or six-petal lens. You can not be afraid of nuts in the bokeh and wait for eight-ray stars from point sources of light. The aperture, although black, but not matted, can lead to a drop in contrast in difficult light conditions.

It should be noted that usually lenses made in the USSR need to blacken the chamfers of lenses. But at T-43 they are rolled and this operation will not work.

We emphasize that the T-43 is quite easy to disassemble and relatively easy to adapt (although more complicated than the I-61 rangefinder) for APS-C format SLR cameras and, especially, for mirrorless cameras. The strength of this lens lies in the simplicity of its device and manufacturability, which allowed it to become a regular for the most massive camera in the world.

Optical properties of T-43

T-43 - the simplest three-lens anastigmat with a mediocre aperture. It is distinguished by its short focal length - only 40 mm (in fact 42 mm), which makes it, one might say, standard on cameras from the APS-C format (EGF ~65 mm).

By the way, for old SLR cameras there was a similar class of lens - Carl Zeiss Tessar 40 / 4.5.

Small FR and low aperture (common for “pancake” is aperture order F / 2.8) allow you to achieve a large depth of field (which was important for the scale camera). Together with insignificant dimensions and a decent angle of field of view, this makes the lens attractive, especially for street photos. But is it possible to get a decent result with the simplest cheap triplet?

It turned out that at all apertures the lens is very sharp in the center of the frame. However, even at F / 11, it is not possible to achieve full sharpness across the APS-C frame, the corners pull the maximum for a rating of "satisfactory". At F / 4-F / 5.6, you can completely forget about the edges - the strongest coma, pronounced astigmatism completely blur the image in the corners, turning it into an indistinct mess up to F / 8.

Far field sharpness at f / 4

Far field sharpness at f / 4

Far field sharpness at f / 11

Far field sharpness at f / 11

The best picture quality is achieved at F / 11, with a further decrease in the relative aperture, diffraction manifests itself, sharply worsening the image.

The contrast of the lens is satisfactory in soft light: it is only slightly reduced by “haze” and is easily corrected in the editor. In hard backlight, the lens tends to give “sunny rain” on the open aperture and a single bright flare (when the light source is close to the center of the frame), on the covered “rain” disappears. Also, in a hard light, a rather dense veil of the color of enlightenment is expressed - light blue.

In the back of f / 4

In the back of f / 4

In the back of f / 5.6

In the back of f / 5.6

Veil in backlight (reflection from the water) at F / 11

Veil in backlight (reflection from the water) at F / 11

Color reproduction is correct, slightly shifted to a warm area.

As for bokeh, it is difficult to obtain because of the small aperture, only at small focusing distances the blur becomes quite strong. It is tightly twisted due to vignetting and coma. Blur circles have a border. In terms of bokeh, the lens resembled the I-50 and I-69.

Bokeh T-43 40/4

Bokeh T-43 40/4

You can study the optical characteristics (sharpness in the center, field and contrast) of the T-43 40/4 in more detail and compare them with the Mir-1A 37 / 2.8 characteristics by reading this article.

Conclusions

The T-43 is a fun ultra-compact lens. It can serve as a photographing cover for the mount (everything is better than pinhole) or "original" and unusual staffer for street photography. Combines a good viewing angle and high sharpness in the center of the frame with negligible dimensions. Photos on the lens are obtained with a slight touch of aura of family albums from the USSR, filmed on "Changes" and "Viliya-Auto".

Thank you for your attention, Eshmakov Rodion.

You will find more reviews from readers of Radozhiva here.

Add a comment: Ivan

 

 

Comments: 88, on the topic: LOMO T-43 40/4, adapted for cameras with EF mount. Review from the reader Radozhiva

  • serjkar

    Until now, I click on the film Change and have never seen such terrible edges. I feel that the whole point is in the great non-telecentricity of the resulting system - the exit peephole at the glass is scanty, and the matrix is ​​so big. The beams at the edges are too steep. The film is a little more tolerant of lens non-telecentricity, especially b / w with flat crystals. And the cells of the CC matrix are whole wells. A little light falls at an acute angle, and you will get all the charms - vignetting, color shift, and all the other unsightly daub. And this business will not go away on any diaphragm - the rear peephole will no longer be

    • Nic

      Filmed on Viliya in the late 80s, then his edges were always blurred, it was especially noticeable in the room, when wallpaper and furniture around the edges were visible in the picture. And Viliya was, as for me, a little better than Smena.

      • Ivan

        There was "Viliya" and "Viliya-Auto". For me "Viliya-Auto" was better than Smena (Smena-8M), as the built-in exposure meter without batteries allowed shooting in automatic mode.

  • Paul

    Why redo it? It’s better to charge the film and shoot at full frame. And the result is better and less hemorrhoids.

    • Serg

      what full frame? 8mm film full frame?))))

      • Victor

        Where is the 8mm film? o_O

  • Paul

    A photo of flowers is especially good, bokeh is very pleasing to the eye.

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    In general, this lens is mainly used on mirrorless mirrors using a helicoid from Industar 50, 61 L / D and similar early releases, using only the T-43 lens unit. I got an excellent result with such a lens based on the re-thinned Industar 61 with an adapter on Nikon 1 J2, for a mirror Nikon did not bother. Ready-made T-43s with M39 threads can also be purchased relatively inexpensively from Evgeny Belyaev, a lens adaptation master from Lipetsk.

  • Nic

    I thought about trying some other lenses besides Helios-44m. I don't know if it's worth it? I bother myself with Helios-44 on Nikon D5100. I am satisfied with the result only if used as a portrait.
    It would be interesting to compare the result of the film and the figure, something suggests that the pictures from the film would look better.

    • Novel

      Interesting - compare. After comparison, interest may diminish.

    • Ivan

      Film shots, especially with this lens, couldn't be better.

      • master

        It could be better. CFK will get out those flaws that do not matter for the film

        • Ivan

          You can say anything. Please provide evidence.

  • Roman East

    How did you get it so compact, what camera did you put on, what is its focal length?

    I adapted to the Sony-NEX mirrorless camera through this way, to achieve infinity, I had to decently move it away from the sensor much further than Industar-69.

    • Rodion

      How about reading at least the title of the article?)

      • Anatoly

        Hello Rodion. Where you have a comparison of pancakes industrial 69 will only work as a macro. Therefore, it looks larger than t43. In fact, Industar 69 on Nex is less than T43. Yesterday I just adapted T43 to Nex and Sony A7. It remains only to make a stopper in the lens.

  • Trueash

    I bought today such a trick, already neatly transplanted into the focuser from the I-26, albeit in a different way, with the expectation of mirrorless cameras. I shot a little, but in general, I can confirm Rodion's conclusion: everything that is close and in the middle of the frame is quite sharp and voluminous. The rest that is at the edges and in the distance is something indistinct. For a street (“10 m - F / 8 - snatched out - removed) it is quite suitable, and even somehow stimulates a creative approach (like“ in the back, everything drags on with a veil, how can they make a feature of this bug? :)

  • Dmitriy

    in the photo Izhevsk, such a soft summer. My own sister had one in childhood, and my father FED, 30 years have passed, the cameras are intact and are waiting for their release.

  • Anatoly

    Hello. I also completed the T 43 lens. I used two macro rings from materials m39 * 16 mm and m39 * 5mm. Adapter ring m39-m42. Slim adapter M42-NEX. Super glue gel. The lens itself was not particularly impressive! It seems to me that Industar 69 will be sharper across the entire field of the frame on a crop (Sony Nex) and will probably be wider.

    • Morokhov Vyacheslav

      I bought a Smena 8M lens with a Sony E mount. My camera is a Sony a6000. I don’t understand... Where do you see the terrible

  • Anatoly

    The rest of the macro rings from the kit can also come in handy! For example, for another project, well, or for its intended purpose)))

  • Michael

    About fifty years ago I adapted the T-43 to the Zenit-3m. The corner with Helios was really missing.
    The alteration was the simplest - a ring with an M43x39 thread was screwed into the T-1 case. All this product was screwed into the thread of the apparatus.
    To ensure infinity, I had to slightly reduce the length of the frame (on sandpaper).
    In order not to interfere with the mirror with a file, I sawed off the back of the frame of the lens block. At the same time, the threaded ring was ground off and the rear lens had to be fixed with glue.
    Focusing was carried out by turning the lens out of the camera.
    Everything worked quite well.

  • Morokhov Vyacheslav

    I bought a Smena 8M lens with a Sony E mount. My camera is a Sony a6000. I don’t understand... Where do you see the terrible blur around the edges?

    • Rodion

      Click on the landscape and you will see.

    • Viktre

      Even if it was clamped there would be a blur.

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