Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Review

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 is a Soviet telephoto zoom lens for 35 mm cameras with a constant aperture. It has a focal range x2,5. It was produced in 1978 in USSR on factories KMZ and Arsenal. This is one of the few Soviet zoom lenses; they can be counted on the fingers.  This review presents the first version of this lens for the M42 system. Marking without the letters at the end. Later the lenses for M42 began to mark Granit-11M 4.5/80-200, also has a version for Nikon F - Granite-11H 4.5/80-200. Later versions have a multi-coating and marked in the front barrel the letters "MC." In the 90s, the plant Arsenal produced this lens under the name MC ZOOM ARSAT 80-200mm 1:4.5 with M and N letters, respectively. The optical design 11 elements in 9 groups.  

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Specifications

Focal length: 80-200mm

Aperture: f/4.5– f/ 22

Weight (gr): 950

Length (mm): 165

Filter Ø (mm.): 58

Aperture blades: 6

Min. focus distance (m.): 1.5

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Handling and Mechanics

The lens is well assembled in a metal barrel and sits well handle on the camera. Weight 950 g allows you to shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/60 at the long end. There are two rings, then that is wider - the focus ring. What narrower - zoom ring, it rotates 90 degrees. When zooming, the lens does not change its size. It's nice. 

Granit-11 at infinity mode At MFD mode

Focusing is smooth. The focus ring is rotated 270 degrees, the front part of the lens extends about 2 cm. When focusing, the front lens rotates. The first versions of the lens have no mechanism for automatic preset aperture. Instead, there is an interesting mechanism, something like the one that Jupiter-21A. Ring sets the desired aperture value and then closed the hand lever to the set next to the ring. The automatic preset aperture mechanism

Granit-11M and Granit-11H already have an automatic preset aperture, and they have no such mechanism. By the way, about the automatic preset aperture at Granit-11M heard that it is unreliable and sometimes later broke. The diaphragm closes smoothly and has 6 aperture blades. 

The lens has a built-in hood, which extends about 2 cm. In my copy, it came loose and, when lowering the lens down, falls under its own weight.

View on Nikon camera

I mount Granit-11 on the Nikon camera through the adapter M42-Nikon without glass. At the same time, lose the ability to focus on infinity—maximum focusing distance at the long end about 20m, on a short, about 6 m.

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Examples

I captured all of the examples on Nikon D3100. RAW export, no post-processing.

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Sharpness

On wide-open lens is not very sharp at all focal lengths. But in the short end, sharpness a little better.

200mm f/ 4,5

100mm f/ 4,5

200mm f/ 4,5

Sharpness is good for shooting women portraits.

200mm f/ 4,5

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Character and Bokeh

The lens has a beautiful character. Boke I also liked, even though it is a zoom lens, it has its own character. 

200mm f/ 4,5

150mm f/ 4,5

100mm f/ 4,5

Boke I liked more than Tamron 70-210 f/ 3,5

80mm f/ 4,5

At the long end of the shooting portraits, aperture f/4,5 is enough to separate the subject from the background.

200mm f/ 4,5

200mm f/ 4,5

200mm f/ 4,5

150mm f/ 4,5

Photos obtained voluminous, airy.

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 Contrast and Color Reproduction

The lens has good contrast. The colors are natural when sunlight colors are bright, vivid. 

200mm f/ 4,5

100mm f/ 4,5

At the long end, contrast drops slightly due to the spherical aberration.

100mm f/ 4,5

As it befits Soviet lenses, it does not keep backlight. Lateral moves up until help blend. Afraid of stray light.

200mm f/ 4,5

Summary

Granit-11 4,5/80-200 is good for its time zoom lens. I would like it sharper with such luminosity. Suitable for creative ideas and portraits.