Excellent vintage Soviet lens - Industar 61!!

[@yorkwilson4367]

Finally! Smart, to-the-point vintage lens reviews without all the flaming narcissism. I absolutely love what you're doing, man. Thank you so much!

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much for the kind comment. I really appreciate it!

[@fintonmainz7845]

I get the impression that photography had a special place in the lives of people behind the "iron curtain".

[@VintageOptiks]

That’s true! Photography was a very popular hobby which is why there are so many vintage cameras and lenses all over the former Eastern Block.

[@TheConspirateWarrior]

Arts in general did, if you forgo about politics and the the lack of certain liberties, the scope to which other citizen rights (not usually looked upon by the usual bigots) reached was quite remarkable at some point, even if not everybody enjoyed those amenities to the same extent.

[@followtheboat]

Ironic, because I just ordered one of these shortly before discovering your channel. I didn't know about the grease issue so I'll keep my expectations low. Lovely story about your uncle, how nice to have some embotional attachment to this lens. Long may it serve your family well.

[@VintageOptiks]

Nice! I hope the one you ordered will arrive with a smooth helicoid. But if it's stiff, regressing it is really not that difficult. Yeah I am really thankful that my uncle kept his photographic equipment. I also got a Helios 44 from him. He often used it to take photos of me and my sister when we were kids. It's a real treat to be able to use those exact lenses now when I'm older.

[@alexeydushnila]

I accidentally found this lens in the closet. I liked it so much. Organically sits on the camera and gives out a very beautiful bokeh.

[@VintageOptiks]

That’s great you found one in your closet! Enjoy!

[@hiramabiff885]

Thanks for this review. I have two FED's and I am going to mount the lenses on my digital Leicas and check them out. I am embarrassed my FED's have been packed way for years.

[@VintageOptiks]

You are welcome! You should definitely try adapting your Soviet lenses to your Leica. You'll be surprised at how well they perform on digital! Cheers!

[@samcoleman8275]

Great video and a classy tribute to your uncle!!!

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much!!

[@SamTaylors]

Great review, made all the more compelling by the personal touch. Thank you for sharing

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much!

[@xavierfumat7567]

I got this lens and was not expecting much but was surprised at how good it is! The price is ridiculous! Great video!

[@JuanBuhler]

I just found your channel, I'm only surprised it took the KZbin algorithms so long to suggest it to me. Great reviews, you're very thorough and methodical. I have the Industar 26 and the 61 L/D on my queue of reviews for my still very new channel, so this one video was great to find. They are really interesting lenses and some of the best value out there for a lens for mirrorless nowadays.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you Juan! Glad you are enjoying the reviews. That's great you started a channel about vintage lenses!! I agree that Industar lenses are an amazing deal for the quality that they deliver. Looking forward to your Industar 26 and 61 L/D reviews and good luck with the channel!!

[@markpedwell1250]

Top quality review thanks. I have subscribed 😊

[@VintageOptiks]

Thanks so much!

[@Oholisfliesandfishing]

I wish you made those reviews a bit longer. I watch them all... I dont skip a second.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you! I’m glad to hear you enjoy watching the videos. I’ll try to make them longer.

[@ralph4840]

Thanks for the nice video! I own an Industar, it came with a Revue-3, a German imported/rebranded FED-3. I'm not as enthusiastic about the quality of the lens as you are, but its a beloved part of my childhood

[@VintageOptiks]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!

[@adams.555]

You always deliver great, informative content with beautiful imagery. Thank You!

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much for your nice message!! It's so nice to hear that people are enjoying the content.

[@CarmineTavernaPhotography]

Great content A+

[@VintageOptiks]

Thanks so much! 🙏

[@vladimirmalchev202]

Thanks for the review. I have a Fed 3b camera, which belonged to my grandfather. It has an Industar 61 lens for which i ordered a M39 to M4/3 adapter to fit on my E-M5 III camera.

[@VintageOptiks]

You are welcome! That's great that you also have a FED 3b in your family. There is something really special when you know that someone related to you enjoyed this wonderful lens and now you can continue to enjoy it as well. Take care!

[@Eyeamsurreal]

Thank you very much for this video. It was very helpful and informative!

[@VintageOptiks]

Glad to hear you found the information helpful. Thank you for the feedback.

[@the4bergs73]

I really enjoy your channel. Great storytelling and information shared. I love my copy of this lens. Best $5 I ever spent. Very small and compact. I really enjoy your DIY instructions on how to use old rangefinder lens. I might suggest another lens for future review to consider. The Vivitar 55mm f 2.8 Auto Macro. Great build quality, and 1:1 macro in relatively compact lens. Keep up the great work. I love your 70’s theme style and music.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much for your kind message! That’s great that you found the Industar 61 for only $5!! Amazing deal for what this lens can do! Glad to hear that you are enjoying the DIY episodes! I’m obsessed with adapting vintage fixed lenses! They are so much fun and can perform really well on digital! Also super unique rendering, bokeh and colors! I would love to try the Vivitar macro you mentioned. I love shooting with macro lenses! Thank you again and take care!!

[@sarmatiko]

@@VintageOptiks 5-7$ It the common price for FED cameras with their typical kit lenses here in Ukraine. They were produced in really large quantities, in different modifications so it's pretty easy to find working camera (maybe requiring some CLA, but still) + lens in good glass condition + leather case for that price. As usual they sit somewhere in dry shelf for 40-50 years, just waiting to be sold for peanuts, because regular people don't shoot on film anymore (one BW film roll costs more than FED2/3/4/5+lens lol)

[@liflexdesignworks]

Very cool graphic design and easy to understand instructions. From Japan.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much!!

[@zilog1]

Thats incredible

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you

[@fatherheer]

Love the video and the connection you shared with your uncle...thanks for another excellent video!

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much!

[@martoto53]

Greeting from Bulgaria!

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you! Greetings from USA!

[@Gearjunkie35JasonBallou]

Have one on the way from eBay for $30. Now to adapt! Using Canon T3i and Nikon1 J1 mirrorless cx sensor. Love this hobby. Thanks for the review

[@ivan9066]

My second camera was a Fed 3 just because it looked neat. I was surprised by the industar lens even at f2.8 the centre was extremely sharp with lovely bokeh and wonderful colour rendering. I sold it recently,because stoped using it, loved the feel and look of the due.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thanks for sharing your experience. The Industar 61 is definitely a great little lens! I was really surprised at the images I was able to get from it considering it’s age and small size.

[@pabloferrer1839]

Lucky nephew.

[@VintageOptiks]

Yes I am :)

[@paulinap-k8409]

Can't wait to get my Industar lens :) but as I wrote on Ig, mine is 53mm. So just need an adapter now. Great video as always 👍

[@VintageOptiks]

It's fun little lens for sure!! I am excited for you to try it!! Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@lastchancetosee42]

Thank you for the review. Really interesting and well made.

[@VintageOptiks]

You are welcome! Thank you for the kind comment.

[@labandedancefing]

just bought a couple of these last week + an industar 26m !

[@VintageOptiks]

Nice! Enjoy!

[@LorenzoGreco1]

Thx you for the video :)

[@VintageOptiks]

You are welcome.

[@scottfly5917]

Great little lens, much love from Bulgaria

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you! Sending love right back.

[@williamsiviter8760]

Again, thank you for your systematic review pointing out both the positives and negatives of the lens. The 1m short focusing distance was useful to know, and would generally be a negative for me, but the price will not stop me trying it.

[@VintageOptiks]

You are very welcome. The 1m MFD is really the main downside of this lens. Otherwise it's a really nice nifty-fifty. If you try it, I hope you'll enjoy it. Take care.

[@FoxtrotMikefm]

I use my copy of this lens, & other M39 optics, mounted on a Leica screw to Leica bayonet adapter. This arrangement is then attached to a helicoid Leica bayonet to Sony-E mount adapter. This helicoid only allows about another 4 or 5mm of bellows extension, but it is enough to get you down to about 45-50cm close focus, which greatly improves the lens' walk-around potential. On a lens like my M39 Nikkor, 50mm f/2 Sonnar type, which focuses down to 1m & then disengages from the rangefinder cam to go down to 45cm, this screw-to-helicoid-bayonet-to-NEX double adapter arrangement will get you down to around 30cm. Certainly not macro, but nice & close.

[@VintageOptiks]

Sounds good! I love being able to focus close with my vintage lenses which is why I often use helicoid adapters instead of normal adapters.

[@studiosnch]

My first LTM lens and seriously one of the best. Bought one when I bought a FED-5V from Lomography; the camera is now unusable but the lens is still working like yesterday. Don't mind the naysayers and the Leicapeople, this lens from Kharkiv is the GOAT for its price and performance. And don't worry about its radioactivity: it has less annually-released roentgens compared to a banana, I think.

[@VintageOptiks]

Great to hear that you also love this wonderful vintage Soviet lens. Very under-appreciated IMHO.

[@GrumpyTim]

Excellent video as always. When I first started work (a fair few years ago), a colleague bought a second hand Leica for lots of money and I followed suit in a more budget way buying myself a Zorki, which was fitted with an Industar 61 - great little camera and lens, both of which I still have. I also have a second Industar 61, which stays fitted to a Micro 4/3 adaptor so I can use it whenever I want. I have a great fondness for these soviet lenses because, when I was growing up, they were thought of as inferior and poor quality - it's great to see them being coveted these days.

[@VintageOptiks]

Glad to hear that you appreciate Soviet lenses and that you’ve experienced how good the Industar 61 can be!! Soviet lenses are great and are super cheap. After all, they copied Zeiss and Leica! How bad can they be :)

[@GrumpyTim]

@@VintageOptiks I think it was just lens snobbery at the time that spread the rumours regarding poor quality Soviet lenses, maybe quality control wasn't as good as some Japanese manufacturers but that just adds to their charm and mystique - I wouldn't have known better myself so I just listened to the people around me. I'm gradually building up my Soviet lens collection and loving all of them.

[@VintageOptiks]

@@GrumpyTim Yeah there is definitely lens snobbery when it comes to vintage glass. I love using lenses that don't get much love, but are actually great performers. That's one reason why I'm excited about adapting fixed lenses from little cheap cameras. Nobody cares for them, but they are awesome!

[@GrumpyTim]

@@VintageOptiks Yeah, I really like the fixed lenses you adapt for digital - I'm still particularly fond of the one with the square aperture, that one was really special.

[@nikolinkageorgieva2022]

Great and excellent video👏👍

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you!

[@cjewe1z]

Bulgarian? Very nice. What do you know about Letchkov? On a serious note, which version of these lenses is the best?

[@VintageOptiks]

The Magician Letchkov? :) Regarding the lens, this is the only version of the Industar 61 that I’ve tried so far and its really good!

[@robertbirnbach2312]

great video

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you!!

[@radaisakov4408]

Ova objava o objektivu INDUSTAR 61 je najpreciznija ( most relevant)iz razloga što je prikazana njegova konstrukcija od 4 objektiva prekomerna od TESAR-a iz Jene!!!!!!!!!

[@tplyons5459]

My first FED was a FED-4 with the I-61 but I can't remember if it was the Panda or all black radio active lens

[@antontaranenko8824]

Thanks for the nice review 😊 It is funny, but I got my Industar fro my father in Ukraine... Also have sentimental feeling to it... Other than that it is nice Tessar design lens, however original Carl Zeiss Tessar with red T coating performs better, colour and contrast wise...

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you Anton! That’s great you got your Industar from your father. Yeah it’s really special when a lens or a camera comes from somebody in your family. I have a Zenit E with Helios 44 that was also given to me by my uncle. It’s true that the Industar can’t compare to the original Zeiss Tessar T, but it’s still an excellent performer. Cheers!

[@jameslevine6137]

Perhaps this might help with minimum fucus distance...For my Jupiter 8 I bought an LM-FX helicoid adapter, then inside that I attached an M39-LM insert. The helicoid extends far less than my other helicoid adapters, but it's surprisingly effective. Anyway, maybe a configuration like that would be more convenient than extension tubes. The helicoid reduces minimum distance of my Jupiter 8 from about 1m to about 0.3m. BTW I don't recommend the Jupiter 8 so far... It's boring. Love your videos!

[@VintageOptiks]

Hi and thank you for reaching out. It's great to hear about your solution for shortening the MFD on your Jupiter 8. I am a huge fan of helicoid adapters! They are so much more convenient than extension tubes. After I discovered them, I rarely use normal adapters. It's so great to be able to shorten the MFD on my vintage lenses! I made a whole video about them and how much I love them! They are a real game changer. Glad you enjoy the videos. Happy shooting!

[@burstongreye7090]

Such a deal save for the slightly loose feeling focusing helicoid on mine.

[@VintageOptiks]

Yeah, it’s a great little lens! Mine had the opposite problem - the focusing helicoid was very stiff, due to dried up grease, but it was very easy to fix and now it’s as smooth as butter.

[@Aviopic]

What you need is the 61L/Z version with a minimal focus distance of 20cm or thereabout !

[@VintageOptiks]

Would be fun to try it.

[@Русский-з9о]

У меня есть возможность сравнивать всю линейку объективов ФЭД. Сравнив, я сделал интересный вывод... картинка, резкость, всё хорошо. Но цветопередача отличается, весьма. Больше всего красивые цвета рисует поводковый Индус 26м, пятидесятых годов. Очень похоже с ним - тубусный индус 50. Индус 61, указанный в фильме, - резко синит. На нескольких таких же, 61, такая же история. Резкое отличие в лучшую сторону - Индус 61ЛД. Цвета приятные, но И 26м поводковый - цвета красивее. А Индусы 26м без поводка, шестидесятых годов - спокойные цвета.

[@lilomopon7804]

Hi, dear sir I saw your videos and I am a beginner so, can you help me and tell would Fuji FX adapter L 39 M39 and Lens Industar f 2.8 55mm work on my DSLR Nikon d 3400 afp dx?

[@VintageOptiks]

Hello. If you have a Nikon DSLR you can’t use Fuji FX adapter. Fuji adapters are only useful for Fuji cameras. You’ll need an L39/ M39 to Nikon adapter.

[@dimitriskaravgoustis2367]

Nice video and great review. Can you advise me please if i can use this lens to my Nikon Z6, usind an adaptor i already have from M42 lens mount to Nikon Z cameras, by adding a step up ring from M39 to M42 ? Thank you in advance for your support !

[@VintageOptiks]

Tank you! Yes, you can definitely use the M42 to Nikon Z adapter you already have with an additional M39 to M42 step up ring. It will work great! Enjoy and have fun!

[@VintageOptiks]

The only thing I'm a little concerned about with this set up is focusing at infinity. You'll definitely be able to use it for close and medium shots, but infinity might not work. Not sure. You'll have to check and see. Good luck.

[@dimitriskaravgoustis2367]

@@VintageOptiks Thank you my friend!!!!

[@johncreasy1300]

Hi. I understand that your uncle is from Bulgaria. Can you tell me who is it? Is it famous?

[@VintageOptiks]

Yes my uncle is from Bulgaria. And no, he is not someone famous. Just a person who enjoyed photography. Unfortunately he passed away around the time I made this video.

[@johncreasy1300]

Thank you for the answer. I was born in Bulgaria. I am living now in Bulgaria. I like photography. I was started to collect old cameras and lenses. And I like your videos. They are very useful for me. I respect the work and time that you put on these videos. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@VintageOptiks]

You are welcome. I was born in Bulgaria as well, but left a long time ago and now I live in the United States. Glad you enjoy the videos. I appreciate the feedback.

[@titus4646]

Is L39 and M39 the same?

[@VintageOptiks]

L39 or Leica Screw Mount is 39mm diameter with 26 threads per inch and a 28.8mm registration (from film plane to lens mount) And M39 was used by Soviet Zenit 1,2,3 and 3M cameras. It also had 39mm diameter with 26 threads per inch but the registration was different- it was 44.5mm.

[@kamishimoproductions8587]

You have continued to share and amaze with your insights on Russian lenses and vintage lenses. Thanks again this information is priceless.

[@VintageOptiks]

Thank you so much for the kind message!! Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the videos. Take care.

[@maxbashyrov5785]

'Soviet' lenses, not 'Russian' lenses.

[@ddizon666]

What size the lens hood

[@VintageOptiks]

The filter thread size is 40.5mm, so if you can find a screw-in lens hood with that thread size, it will work great.

[@classic.cameras]

Just picked up one of these lenses for $8 USD. It has only 6 aperture blades unfortunately and was made in 1986 (according to the Soviet serial number that starts with 86) For a literal piece of crap in its day, its grown into a beautiful looking lens with a image uniqueness that is interesting.

[@VintageOptiks]

Wow, that's a ridiculous deal for this awesome little lens! Enjoy!

[@classic.cameras]

@@VintageOptiks I am looking forward to using it. Picked up a Zorki5 with a 5cm f2.8 recently too for $18 USD. So I have two crappy USSR lenses to play with. My wife shall be annoyed. Muhahahahha

[@VintageOptiks]

@@classic.cameras Haha! That's awesome you got another vintage Russian lens! Does the Zorki 5 work?

[@maxbashyrov5785]

It's not FED-3B, but FED-3В, Cyrillic letter, rather close to 'v'.

[@vladnickul]

The 26M does not have a chrome finish. is just aluminium. (the 61 is a better version of the 26, its bade from a better alloy. it has different coating and a light baffle at the back.- be carefull of ebay the whole camera is worth at max 50€ in all estern europe, don't be fooled.)