Manual Lens TTartisan 100mm f2.8 Triplet (Soap Bubble Bokeh Monster)

[Roboticspro]

Good Afternoon,

I received the lens this morning, mounted it to my Canon 5D Mk II via a cheap "chipped" adapter, and had some fun. It is very well built, all metal with a good feel, similar to old SMC Pentax lenses and the like. It is an air-spaced triplet, with a 13-blade iris, 49mm filter size, and an M42 mount, easily adapted to most any body. Minimum focus distance is a hair under 1 meter, so a set of M42 extension tubes (Asahi-Pentax #1-3) will be taken with the lens for close-ups. The focus is super-smooth and well-damped, and it has 1/2 stop clicks, all the way to f16, then a full stop to f22. It does need a lens hood (short tele type ~ 50-75mm) because it flares pretty "bad/good" from the sun or reflections off of the water. I think a nice touch was the addition of the D-O-F scale which is an old favorite of mine. Wide open (f2.8) generates the "soap bubbles", along with lower contrast, and gets a bit better at f3.3, but f4 is the limit of the soap bubbles appearing, just nice round bokeh circles/balls after that. I found the sharpest apertures (center and edges) to be at f8-f11 with a FF 21MP sensor; your mileage may vary.... The shot across the watershed (trees in distance) was about 100 meters from my dock, shot at f8, the center and edges pretty darn sharp as seen on the RAW files.

Regards,

Edd

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[rayvonn]

Thanks for the report and yes, the bokeh images look extremely like the old lens it's based upon. It's excellent that this lens is available at such a low cost to users not collectors and in terms of output I'm struggling to think why one would desire the old Trioplan over this. And you've extended the cool factor by getting these images off a non mirrorless camera (not a fact, just my subjective view).

 

[Roboticspro]

Thanks for the report and yes, the bokeh images look extremely like the old lens it's based upon. It's excellent that this lens is available at such a low cost to users not collectors and in terms of output I'm struggling to think why one would desire the old Trioplan over this. And you've extended the cool factor by getting these images off a non mirrorless camera (not a fact, just my subjective view).

Thank you...about 5 years ago I was interested in getting one of the original Meyer Optik versions but not willing to pay the premium price that was asked. Later came the reissue that was listed at about $1000 USD IIRC, but for me, this "open box" at 118.00 USD with shipping was a no-brainer. While it is pretty much a one-trick pony, much like a circular fisheye, there are subjects that just fit the effect perfectly. I'll be looking forward to next years' fall season, during some portrait work in my woodlands....

Regards,

Edd

 

[Brian]

F2.8 is a stretch for a triplet- Most classic short Telephoto lenses using a triplet design limited themselves to F4, I have the Zeiss Triotar 8.5cm F4, Canon Serenar 100/4, and Nikkor-T 10.5cm F4.

This certainly is a good price. The Meyer Optik- Just too much money.

 

[Brian]

These are with the 1960 era Nikkor-T 10.5cm F4, this one in F-Mount. Was not a popular lens, sold new into the early 1970s "dirt-Cheap". Then- became a cult lens. This one was ~$100.
Preset Aperture.

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One odd thing: The Infinity Mark is well to the left of the actual infinity stop. At first- I thought my lens was misassembled. Then discovered- they are like this by design, seems like they did not have enough room for 10m and infinity.

 

[Brian]

The Canon 100 F4, also a triplet, Leica Mount, late 1940s.
Yellow filter on the M monochrom. This lens was much sharper with the Y2 filter.

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[Brian]

And the 1930s Carl Zeiss Jena 8.5cm F2 Triotar.

Contax RF mount, with a adapter to M-Mount. I need to try this on my Nikon Z5, I bought an adapter for external mount Nikon and Contax lenses. Another Cult Classic, but prices coming under $150 again.
With Patience and Luck.

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This lens first came out 90 years ago. Mine is ~1937.

On the New lens: you can really see the Focus Shift in the "Bokeh Balls" from F2.8 to F4. That gives the pronounced edges. The color inside- some chromatic aberration. Stop down to F4: should make a really good portrait lens. Two Trick Pony?

If you prefer not to have the Vintage lenses posted with this one, just let me know. I see a lot of heritage in this new lens- going back 90 years, so wanted to put in the comparison. These were always considered good portrait lenses. All of them are uncommon. Prices are all over the place- $100 to $150 with patience, and $500 that some of the usually suspect sellers want for them.

 

[Brian]

Just one more.

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This is a Bokeh Monster lens. Made from parts of a Nikkor 5cm F1.4 combined with a Canon 50mm F1.5. RF coupled across full range.
When I saw the Meyer Optik lens for ~$1,000 and the Leica 73/1.9 Hektor: Figured I could make lenses that do that out of stuff in the Parts Bin.

 

[Brian]

TTArtisans introduced an RF coupled M-Mount version.

M 100mm F2.8 Bubble Bokeh

Full Frame Soap Bubble Bokeh Clicked Aperture M-mount Use it on modern cameras with an adapter Full metal body

ttartisan.myshopify.com

BUT- the RF cam of the lens causes a Vignetting problem with full-frame cameras. On the M8- will not be a problem. They should have used a "Tongue" type RF cam, rather than a solid cam. The "Triotar" design is not a Telephoto lens, but is a long focal length lens. Part of the image circle is eclipsed by the Cam. On the Canon 100/4: Tongue type Cam. If the RF cam of the TTArtisans lens Rotates as you focus, not much you can do. If it remains stationary, like on a Jupiter-9: It could be cut.

 

[William Lewis]

TTArtisans introduced an RF coupled M-Mount version.

M 100mm F2.8 Bubble Bokeh

Full Frame Soap Bubble Bokeh Clicked Aperture M-mount Use it on modern cameras with an adapter Full metal body

ttartisan.myshopify.com

BUT- the RF cam of the lens causes a Vignetting problem with full-frame cameras. On the M8- will not be a problem. They should have used a "Tongue" type RF cam, rather than a solid cam. The "Triotar" design is not a Telephoto lens, but is a long focal length lens. Part of the image circle is eclipsed by the Cam. On the Canon 100/4: Tongue type Cam. If the RF cam of the TTArtisans lens Rotates as you focus, not much you can do. If it remains stationary, like on a Jupiter-9: It could be cut.

That's highly unfortunate about the RF cam. I would have been very tempted by this lens otherwise. It would have been a nice companion to my 90/4 Elmar on my M 240.

 

[Brian]

Save yourself some money, get the M42 version, an adapter for M-Mount and use live-view. I'll be watching for open-box specials...

"Little Known Secret"... Most of the Minolta Chiyoko lenses of the late 1940s and early 1950s are "Suped-Up-Triplets" where the front element of the classic Cooke Triplet is split into a 3-element cemented group. Middle element and rear element- classic Cooke. Now I have to test them for Bubble Bokeh. The 45/2.8, 50/2.8, and 85/2.8 are all 5elements in 3groups, 3-1-1 "Triplets". They often fly under the RADAR screen.

 

[William Lewis]

Or in my case, I like using my Oly VF2 for live-view

Been eyeing the 45/2.8 anyway. Just moved up on my list and adding the 85/2.8 to it as well.

 

[Roboticspro]

Brian,

Thanks for the history lessons on the lenses; looks like you have a plethora of vintage glass. I still have a bit of Zeiss (LTM-M42), Canon (FD-FL-LTM), and Voigtlander LTM with me that I do adapt to film, DSLR and IMLC bodies. It is just part of the fun for me...

Regards,

Edd