I got mine lens today.

Can't comment much yet.
Metal lens. Not up to the Vivitar Series 1 or Canon FD L standards, of course.
As you know it has aperture ring on the front as on most industrial lenses. Do not like it.

My lens has a problem, mount is not attached properly, it wobbles.

Lens is absolutely usable at F1.6, despite heavy chromatic abberations (they are down at about 2.8, at 2.0 still strong).

Another vid :

Review from Steve Huff (this is final one):

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2011/10/20/the-slr-magic-12mm-f1-6-hyperprime-lens-review-for-micro-43-by-steve-huff/

>A new lens design. Designing lenses is not very easy. There only about a dozen manufacturers around the world who actually design *quality* lenses nowadays

They could just ask Kowa or other quality CCTV lens manufacturer to made lens according to specifications.
It really can be some lens with added lens group acting as tele converter.

That lens looks quite interesting.

Using a longer lens and wideangle adapter with apertures of arround F2.0 is nonsense - I have tryed it and IQ is horrible. It just doesn't work.

But I think it is absolutely possible that its a modified Kowa LM8HC - it looks VERY similar. Teleconverters can deliver sharp images and the 8mm seems to already nearly cover the m4/3 sensor (as shown in the other thread). With a 1.5 teleconverter it would definitely cover m4/3, even putting any distortion at the corners outside the sensor. Only apperture would not be F1.6, it would more be like F1.7 - but I have no idea how to really test this small difference.

Finding the right teleconverter, putting everything together to make a solid lens is not easy and some effort. And the Kowa does cost arround $300, so adding $200 for the teleconverter and effort is not absolutely over the top - it isn't cheap either.

As I don't have the lens, I can't test it - but someone with the lens in there own hand can try to seperate the rear element form the rest of the lens. If thats a 1.5 teleconverter and a 8mm lens - the SLRmagic might be a little rip off, but that doesn't matter. It would be much more interesting to be able to use the whole Kowa lens series with a teleconverter on m4/3 cameras ;-)

I think it is very interesting how this lens was designed and built, but not for the bashing, more out of pure technical curiosity.

My first testshoot with the prototype Noktor 12mm.

That 12mm is $254 on that link!! Cheapest I've seen for that one. These lenses are for 1" sensors. All the other cheap CCTV lenses are for 1/2" or 2/3" so that looks like they need to be 26mm+ to cover the sensor while that 8mm almost covers .

http://www.kowascope.com/frontend/proddisp.asp?co=10000380
A link to the 1" Kowa sensor line with model numbers for further searches. 8mm to 50mm is f1.4!

EDIT: Looks like spytown has 12mm-50mm between $254-$300. The 8mm is around $320.

I think a really good test would be for anyone with a 25mm lens that provides full coverage on M4/3 to put a 0.45x or 0.5x wide angle adapter on it, and shoot some tests - stills and motion, and just show the results. If the results are any good we have just proved that it is possible to use a decent wide angle adapter to achieve similar results. I'm not saying its good or bad or deceptive or not, but I think if we all find we can get a 10mm or 12mm equivalent without much light loss using a decent wide angle adapter then we have achieved something at least. (20mm pancake with 0.45x would be really interesting)

@Vitaliy_Kiselev Sorry, but I still don't have to prove anything. It's safe to assume that someone who has made fraudulent claims about all his products is going to do it again. As you said earlier, human nature. SLR magic claims this is an original design, he's the one who has to prove it to the potential buyers. I think it's a reasonable expectation.

Also, I can assure you that I have better things to do than argue the benefit of exposing frauds on a webforum. If you don't see it, then don't worry, I won't keep at it. No point in trying to caution willful victims. Sure, if this lens prove to be an original design, I will apologies.

@nomad As he did for the other rebadged lens, he just makes those numbers up. The 26mm was a 25mm. I can make up numbers too, can't you? Beside, light loss from a WA adapter is minimal, a third of a stop maybe?

This guy has been caught trying to pass rebadged CCTV lens as original designs 4 times out of 4 already. You guys are suggesting we give him another chance, in case he's not trying to screw us again, is that it? That's quite a departure from the realm of reason. I learn faster than that, personally. Am I special?

I don't think it's too much to ask for the lens formula. We are talking $500 here, that's a lot of money to risk on someone with an history of deception. A few tough questions are called-for, even if that makes me and sohus the bad guys.

Best regards.

I say, people should judge by results ...
What would happen if same lens and quality was branded as "voigtländer" should there be complains ?
Make movies, and let others guess what lens was used, i doubt any one will say a "CCTV" ...
I just don't have funds (to buy this one), this will be my second dream lens ... (after nokton 25mm 0.95)

SLRMagic needs a new brand name. I don't like their ghetto name. BTW a nice review, @eoshd.

@kron

I am not "censoring posts cruicial to SLR magic" :-)
As you can see your post about " 25mm with WA on top " still remains in topic.

But your last post and this one is of no help to any of the members.
Because you repeat same information that you can't prove in any way.

>"I find it extremely disingenuous of you to ask me to prove that. You know I can't and won't,"

This is that I must ask you in any case, because otherwise it is unfounded bashing.

>This lens is identical to the Kowa 25mm, it just has a WA and a m4/3 adapters.

Last time I talked with people who have the lens they do not see any screw on wide adapter or attached m43 adapter.

In no way I want to protect SLR Magic guys.
If I'll have this lens in my hand I promise you that I'll do anything to find m43/WA adapters.
But if I won't find them be ready to take your words back and say sorry.

Under 25mm Kowa lens you mean this one - http://www.industrialvisioncomponents.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_130&products_id=390 ?



Specs - http://www.industrialvisioncomponents.com/documents/kowa/LM25JC.pdf