Zesnar 28mm f/2.8. If you’re looking to purchase this lens I always check Ebay for good deals. It helps me if you purchase it through one of these links here in this review. When you purchase through these links it financially enables me to devote time to develop this site further. Thanks for the help! -Todd

Barrel
Metal.

Weight
8 oz (227g)

Focus Ring
Rubber on Metal.

Close Focus
1.2 feet (0.4 meters).

Filter Threads
52mm, Metal.

Aperture Ring
Metal.

Diaphragm
6 blades stopping down to f/22.

Mount
M42 Metal Mount.

Made in
Korea

 

 

 

 

Sharpness
f/2.8: Not horribly soft but has decent contrast. Suffers from chromatic aberration and a ton of spherical aberration.
f/3.5: Quite sharp but still has a fair bit of chromatic and spherical aberration.
f/4: Pretty sharp with a hint of chromatic aberration.
f/8: Very sharp with great contrast and no signs of diffusion until f/14 area.

Vignetting
Quite a bit of vignette but quickly reduces when stopped down and is basically gone by f/5.6.

Bokeh
The bokeh is both busy and distracting.

Flare and Ghosting
Not a whole lot of flare and the evident ghosting is nicely colored and shaped but covers quite a bit of area.

Distortion

A fair bit of Barrel Distortion as expected.

Recommendations
On AF Camera
Optics:          ★ ★
Mechanics:   ★ ★
Ergonomics: ★ ★ ★
Usefulness:   ★ ★ ★
Availability:    ★
Overall:          ★ ★

On MF Camera
Ergonomics:  ★ ★ ★ ★
Overall:          ★ ★
Out of 5

This lens performed better then I had expected but still has a few problems. Color and contrast is decent and I enjoyed the ghosting for some artistic photos but it is technically poor. Stopped down a fair bit gives some nicely sharp images and could make a good landscape lens.
A few problems with the lens is the build feels hokey. The rubber grip is studded sharply and grips well but the focus ring didn’t feel tight enough or perhaps my helicoid was wearing a bit.
The lens suffers from some barrel distortion and the bokeh is quite busy and not smooth. The biggest problem is that the lens suffers from quite a bit of spherical aberration at larger aperture stops.
Overall the lens performed better then I had expected. If you stumble upon one they are fun to play with but I would not go out of my way searching for one.
If you do find one I would check Ebay to see if there are split focus screens for your camera to help with manual focus. Also this lens works great on many digital cameras with a M42 Adapter and are cheap all over ebay.

 

Did this review help?
My hopes are to take the time to continue developing this website with more test photo based reviews. If you are ever interested in purchasing this lens or other photography equipment please do so through these links here in this review. I would check Ebay for good deals. This helps support my family and allows me to take more time for the site. The best part is this site is free for you and I link good deals I find!

Sometimes these links will actually give you better deals then typical retail prices! I personally buy from the links I have listed whether looking for new gear or fun old stuff. I can personally attest to their good & safe service from years of experience. Thanks again to you, our readers, for supporting us! -Todd