Reviews – JAPB

May 2, 2025

Walk-around: Konica Hexanon AR 40 mm f/1.8

The Konica Hexanon AR 40 mm f/1.8 is a 1980s kit pancake lens. And it’s cheap as chips. But is it any good?
I went on a spring Sunday walk with only this lens to work with.

April 30, 2025

March-April 2025 Update

This update briefly lists all the new articles/pages added to JAPB during March and April of 2025

March 12, 2025

Walk-around: Chinon Auto Zoom 28-50 mm f/3.5–4.5

This Chinon 28-50 is a compact 1980s wide-angle to standard zoom. The focal length range is (IMO) perfect for an urban walk-around.
Knowing I would have two hours to kill in Tallinn (Estonia), I mounted this lens to see what its weaknesses are.

February 28, 2025

January–February 2025 Update

1-2/2025 has to offer: two new lens mounts, five company profiles, 25 new data sheets, one cold winter walk-around and a deep-dive into the development of a lens over 50+ years. Enjoy.

January 12, 2025

Walk-around: Topcon RE.Topcor 35 mm f/2.8

Introduced in 1963, the Topcon RE 35 mm f/2.8 was the only 35 mm lens in the entire Topcon ‘pro’ line. How did it manage to defend its turf so well?

December 31, 2024

October-December 2024 Update

This update briefly lists all the 20 new articles/pages added to JAPB during October, November and December of 2024.

September 30, 2024

July–September 2024 Update

This update briefly lists all the new articles/pages added to JAPB during July, August and September of 2024, including two West German lens mounts and 25 new lens data sheets.

June 30, 2024

April–June 2024 Update

This update briefly lists all the new articles/pages added to JAPB during April, May and June of 2024 including an article that summarises all 7 Mamiya 35 mm lens mounts.

Topcon UV Topcor 35 mm f/3.5 lens on Topcon Uni camera with paw patrol toy.

May 31, 2024

Walk-around: Topcon UV Topcor 35 mm f/3.5

This little lens with its modest mainline specifications and with its origins in Topcon’s consumer/budget range does nothing to engender high expectations …

Nikon Df, Nikon 50-300 mm f/4.5 and some toy dinosaurs

May 10, 2024

Walk-around Nikkor F 50–300mm f/4.5

This lens is nothing short of the precursor of all of the subsequent superzoom lenses that try to replace an entire bag of lenses.

February 29, 2024

February-March 2024 Update

This update briefly lists all the 32 new lens data sheets and two company profiles added to JAPB during February and March 2024.

January 31, 2024

January 2024 Update

This update briefly lists all the new articles/pages (including 5 articles related to lens mounts and 13 lens data sheets) added to JAPB during January 2024.

December 31, 2023

November-December 2023 Update

Here you can find all new articles/pages added to JAPB during November and December 2023. My personal favourite of these ≈20 additions is the article discussing the ‘Soviet Nikon’.

October 31, 2023

September-October 2023 Update

11 new data sheets is not a lot, but it’s all we managed during two very busy months.

September 1, 2023

July-August 2023 Update

15 new lens data sheets (most of which focus on German and Soviet lenses) as well as two articles.

July 1, 2023

April–June 2023 Update

This Post holds a list of every new content that’s been added to JAPB in April-June 2023.

March 31, 2023

March 2023 Update

This Post holds a list of every new content that’s been added to JAPB in March 2023, including 5 articles and 11 lens data sheets.

February 28, 2023

February 2023 Update

February 2023 has brought a dozen more articles on lens mounts as well as two lens data sheets.

January 31, 2023

January 2023 Update

This Post holds a list of every new content that’s been added to JAPB in January 2023, including an article about the Rollei QBM mount and 29 new lens data sheets.

Decorative image showing a hand holding a newspaper

December 22, 2022

December Update

This Post holds a list of every new content that’s been added to JAPB in December – always one of the (otherwise) busiest months of the year.

November 3, 2022

The (positive) effect of (positive) change…

To celebrate the occasion of the 100th new article in roughly as many days …

July 17, 2022

Comparisons, Reviews, Walk-arounds, and data sheets

Dear readers, In a few paragraphs, I will describe a slight policy/strategy change for JAPB, but first, let me tell you why… For me,…

June 30, 2022

The illustrious fast fifty

JAPB has recently published its first comparison of legacy fast fifties, and while some lenses were unsurprisingly good, others were surprisingly decent, one was refreshingly different, and one contender managed to produce a real surprise. Read more here.

March 13, 2021

The real effect of a scratched lens

… I can now offer visual proof of what I said earlier, namely that scratches and dents in a lens’ element do not show up as such, but that they have an effect on the lens’ sharpness, contrast, and flare-proneness.

JAPB is a website centred on photography and photo gear, with a special interest in using old lenses on modern cameras.

We (currently, I) are not trying to push you to buying new, expensive gear. Instead, our approach is the opposite (in all aspects). Instead we want to help you made informed decisions, and if we can be said to ‘push’ anything, that would be relatively cheap, old gear.

JAPB is non-profit, in fact this is a loss generator. Some day that might change, but we’ll make sure that does not happen at the expense of the audience.

You can read more here.