Manual Lens Pergear 12mm f/2 (Fuji X)

[MiguelATF]

In my (ongoing) search for the right ultra wide angle lens to use with my Fujifilm camera (currently an X-T5), I purchased this relatively unknown lens, lightly used, for about $100. The lens is currently selling for about $140 (USD) brand new so no one in their right mind would call the lens pricey. It's compact and feels solidly built, with a clickless aperture ring and smooth focus ring. This is what it looks like on my XT5--

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Haven't had many chances to use it but I'm trying it out little by little. Here are a few photos taken with it today. All were taken with different in-camera jpeg film simulation 'recipes', some with varying amounts of artificial 'grain' or other characteristics, depending on the individual 'recipe'.
This first was taken inside my local supermarket (using a Classic Negative recipe by Luis Costa)--

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The next is of a snow shovel, on my front porch, with overcast (grayish skies) weather and light - and using Ritchie Roesch's Color Negative 400 recipe from his Fuji X Weekly website--

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The last, taken in afternoon light on the street in Ashland Oregon, uses another Fuji X Weekly recipe, Vintage Color v2--

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The Field-of-View is (obviously) v-e-r-y w--i--d--e ... I'm still trying to figure out how to use it most effectively (and am relatively clueless so far). But I think it's going to turn out to be a 'fun' lens, with some character.

 

[MountainMan79]

Why does the exif info say 21mm instead of 12mm? Or is that just what happens with a “dumb” lens?

Pics look good though.

 

[MiguelATF]

Why does the exif info say 21mm instead of 12mm? Or is that just what happens with a “dumb” lens?

Pics look good though.

Hey Chris, the simple reason why is because when one is using a manual focus lens without Exif connections on a Fuji body, you have to dive into the Menu to find the correct setting to specify the focal length, and some other info about the lens. I forgot to do it - and when I uploaded the pix here, I asked myself the exact same question you asked me. Ten minutes later I figured it out and redid the internal camera settings - so, hopefully, the next time I upload photos taken with this lens, it will say 12mm.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

 

[MountainMan79]

Makes sne

Hey Chris, the simple reason why is because when one is using a manual focus lens without Exif connections on a Fuji body, you have to dive into the Menu to find the correct setting to specify the focal length, and some other info about the lens. I forgot to do it - and when I uploaded the pix here, I asked myself the exact same question you asked me. Ten minutes later I figured it out and redid the internal camera settings - so, hopefully, the next time I upload photos taken with this lens, it will say 12mm.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

Makes sense. I’m just not familiar with interchangeable lens Fuji cameras.

 

[Herbert Hound]

Hey Chris, the simple reason why is because when one is using a manual focus lens without Exif connections on a Fuji body, you have to dive into the Menu to find the correct setting to specify the focal length, and some other info about the lens. I forgot to do it - and when I uploaded the pix here, I asked myself the exact same question you asked me. Ten minutes later I figured it out and redid the internal camera settings - so, hopefully, the next time I upload photos taken with this lens, it will say 12mm.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

Errr Miguel.... could you tell me where the setting for doing this is please as my Meike 12mm also shows up as 21mm in the exif data. I've searched through the menu a couple of time and haven't found it.

Your photos look really good. I ought to use my 12mm more, but as most of my photography is when I'm out with my dog then manual focus and a "difficult" focal length gets to be awkward.

 

[MiguelATF]

Errr Miguel.... could you tell me where the setting for doing this is please as my Meike 12mm also shows up as 21mm in the exif data. I've searched through the menu a couple of time and haven't found it.

Your photos look really good. I ought to use my 12mm more, but as most of my photography is when I'm out with my dog then manual focus and a "difficult" focal length gets to be awkward.

I can both understand and agree with what you said, Colin - doing manual focus with a 'difficult' focal length can be... tricky. And trying to do so while walking one's dog... infinitely more tricky, I'd imagine.

Incidentally it took me some patience - and frustration - and a bit of sleuthing - to figure out where the command-control-menu item for changing focal lengths actually was. It ain't easy. So let me walk you through it:

1. Go into the MENU and open the Menu section at the top - called I.Q. - which by the way has 4 pages of menu line selections
2. Go to Page 4 of the I.Q. Menu
3. The last Menu line is titled MOUNT ADAPTOR SETTING - this is the one you want so select it or click on it and it will take you to--
4. A screen with a list of 6 possible Lens settings (LENS 1, LENS 2, LENS 3, etc...) - and a default focal setting for each which can be changed. The default setting of LENS 1, at the top - which presumably refers to your Meike lens (or in my case, to my Pergear lens) has a default value of 21mm. But when you click on it or select it--
5. It opens a new Sub-Screen - FOCAL LENGTH SETTING - and when you click on that one, it will finally open--
6. a 2nd Sub-Screen called INPUT FOCAL LENGTH. It is currently set at 021 - aka 21mm - so simply change it to 012 - or 12mm
Once you've done that, there is also another screen which lets you change the "LENS NAME" if you so choose. (I changed mine from LENS 1 to "Pergear 12mm"

Apart from partially correcting the more-or-less nonexistent EXIF info for the lens, I think this has one other potentially important benefit - by letting the camera know what focal length your manual (or 'vintage') lens is, you are also helping it set the IBIS correctly for this lens. Obviously on earlier Fujis without IBIS, this wouldn't matter - but for an X-T5, it should help. (Theoretically it wouldn't be as important for an UWA lens like a 12mm - but for a much longer or even telephoto focal length, it could be very helpful.)

That's how you do it. That's the 'good news'...

The bad news - or the irritating part - is that I haven't figured out a way to get the camera to remember these inputted changes. When you turn the camera off, then on again - all the focal length (or lens name) info which you just painstakingly entered... is gone. Theoretically there should be a way to somehow either save the info - or get the camera to 'remember' the lens - or both... but I don't have a clue how. If I figure it out, I'll update this thread - but right now, it's driving me nuts.

 

[Herbert Hound]

I can both understand and agree with what you said, Colin - doing manual focus with a 'difficult' focal length can be... tricky. And trying to do so while walking one's dog... infinitely more tricky, I'd imagine.

Incidentally it took me some patience - and frustration - and a bit of sleuthing - to figure out where the command-control-menu item for changing focal lengths actually was. It ain't easy. So let me walk you through it:

1. Go into the MENU and open the Menu section at the top - called I.Q. - which by the way has 4 pages of menu line selections
2. Go to Page 4 of the I.Q. Menu
3. The last Menu line is titled MOUNT ADAPTOR SETTING - this is the one you want so select it or click on it and it will take you to--
4. A screen with a list of 6 possible Lens settings (LENS 1, LENS 2, LENS 3, etc...) - and a default focal setting for each which can be changed. The default setting of LENS 1, at the top - which presumably refers to your Meike lens (or in my case, to my Pergear lens) has a default value of 21mm. But when you click on it or select it--
5. It opens a new Sub-Screen - FOCAL LENGTH SETTING - and when you click on that one, it will finally open--
6. a 2nd Sub-Screen called INPUT FOCAL LENGTH. It is currently set at 021 - aka 21mm - so simply change it to 012 - or 12mm
Once you've done that, there is also another screen which lets you change the "LENS NAME" if you so choose. (I changed mine from LENS 1 to "Pergear 12mm"

Apart from partially correcting the more-or-less nonexistent EXIF info for the lens, I think this has one other potentially important benefit - by letting the camera know what focal length your manual (or 'vintage') lens is, you are also helping it set the IBIS correctly for this lens. Obviously on earlier Fujis without IBIS, this wouldn't matter - but for an X-T5, it should help. (Theoretically it wouldn't be as important for an UWA lens like a 12mm - but for a much longer or even telephoto focal length, it could be very helpful.)

That's how you do it. That's the 'good news'...

The bad news - or the irritating part - is that I haven't figured out a way to get the camera to remember these inputted changes. When you turn the camera off, then on again - all the focal length (or lens name) info which you just painstakingly entered... is gone. Theoretically there should be a way to somehow either save the info - or get the camera to 'remember' the lens - or both... but I don't have a clue how. If I figure it out, I'll update this thread - but right now, it's driving me nuts.

Thank you soooo much, Miguel. I might be able to help you with that last part. One of the most irritating things about the X-T5 is that when you change something which ought to be a global setting, it only remembers it for the Custom setting you were in when you changed it. I've just re-set the lens info when I was in C6, and then when I choose the C5 recipe... it's not there! Switching off then on again the info is still in C6. It looks like I'll have to go through C1 to C7 plus the "Nothing Selected" and re-set it in each.

 

[MiguelATF]

Thank you soooo much, Miguel. I might be able to help you with that last part. One of the most irritating things about the X-T5 is that when you change something which ought to be a global setting, it only remembers it for the Custom setting you were in when you changed it. I've just re-set the lens info when I was in C6, and then when I choose the C5 recipe... it's not there! Switching off then on again the info is still in C6. It looks like I'll have to go through C1 to C7 plus the "Nothing Selected" and re-set it in each.

Thanks, Colin. Good suggestion.
I actually have my XT5 set up for 7 different 'Custom' settings - each one being a different jpeg film simulation 'recipe'. The solution which worked was, basically: going into each separate Custom recipe - C1, C2, C3, etc... - making the changes (activating MF Assist Focus Peaking, then modifying the focal length and lens's 'Name' - and THEN going back and SAVING the changes into each Custom setting.
Once I did that... problem was solved!

 

[MiguelATF]

Another sample from this little lens. This one taken with the Kodachrome 64 recipe from the FujiXWeekly website.

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[MiguelATF]

One more from the Pergear 12mm (using a 'recipe' by Luis Costa).

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