Hi folks,

I'm considering the purchase of a Hoya 400/5.6 for Canon FD, chiefly because of its bargain-basement price. But I've never heard of Hoya making lenses -- only filters.

For the odd bit of (amateur) wildlife and sports photography, can anyone recommend or caution?

Thanks, BW

-- Beth Welsh (cybrbeth@unicom.net), July 14, 2000

Answers

Well, like everybody else, I haven't heard of Hoya lenses. I THINK I read somewhere that they supply some of the glass Canon uses, but I could be imagining that. They make very good filters, so maybe this lens is decent too. If there is any way to try before you buy, do it though.

As for the salesman, he has very big dollar signs in his eyes. A 400 f5.6 having a front element about the same diameter as the lens barrel is normal. A 400 f2.8 on the other hand, has a much larger front element. It also cost about 6 or 8 times as much.

I wouldn't worry about the limitations of lenses made for the FD mount when it comes to design either. Unless it is a really old lens, say 1960s or earlier (maybe 1980s for third party) it should be fine. The biggest problem with older lenses was a lack of decent multicoatings. I know real Canon lenses from at least the late 1970s on were great lenses. Even my EF 50 f1.8 doesn't seem as sharp as my old FD 50 f1.8 was.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), July 14, 2000.

Don't worry Al. I view all third party lenses with caution, no matter what the vintage, so I understand where you are coming from. I also like to have the latest and greatest when I can aford it. I just wanted it to be said that up to a point, age was a pretty bad way to judge a lens. While things like internal focusing are nice, I'd have to think that most lenses made for FD mount are older designs since all of the new third party lenses seem to be for AF cameras. The modern conveniences are nice if you can get them, but there is no use worrying about them if they aren't available for your camera.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), July 14, 2000.

Beth,

Did you actually see this lens? If not, maybe the person describing it is reading the filter ring.

Hoya has been in the filter business for a long time. They co- advertise with Tokina for the intent of using their filters on the lenses marketed under the Tokina name. The two companies are under a single corporation, but in my 20 plus years in photography, I have never seen a Hoya lens.

Another thought. Canon has been out of the FD line for awhile now and is exclusively marketing their EF (auto focus) range. Independant producers may have stay around a bit longer, but this lens may be quite dated. If it is in good shape and cheap, it may be worth a look, but now a days, the optics are quite a bit improved, as are the handling features. Once you use an internal focusing lens, it is hard to go back to the traditional helicoil type. Especially for wildlife that may not stick around for you to focus.

Good luck. Al

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), July 14, 2000.

I haven't heard of Hoya lenses. Sometimes, the sellers of used lenses sometimes think they have a Hoya or Tiffen or whatever brand of lens because that is what they read on the front of the lens.

-- Hector Javkin (h.javkin@ieee.org), July 14, 2000.

Yes, it is indeed a Hoya lens, not just a Hoya filter. (The seller sent photos.) The outer element engraving reads "HOYA HMC TELE-AUTO."

A camera store salesman told me to watch out for lenses this long that didn't have outer elements significantly larger than the main tube. This lens fits that category. Any thoughts? I appreciate the feedback so far.

Thanks, BW

-- Beth Welsh (cybrbeth@unicom.net), July 14, 2000.

Brad,

I in no way meant to imply that old lenses are not good. I am a Nikon user who will put my older late '60's thru '80's lenses up against the new stuff anyday. especially the build. I've had the plastic junk fall apart under average use, while the older stuff just keeps plugging along. I was only indicating that in telephoto designs, internal focus has really been one of the best advances... only 90 degrees from the minimum to the maximum distance. Also usually the minimum focusing distance has really been shortened up. I have a Nikon 300mm f4.5 lens, that while excellant in almost everyway, can't compete against the 300mm f4.5 ED IF version prior to the release of autofocus. It seems that the focusing ring just keeps turning and turning. If sports and wildlife are the subjects and you are using manual focus lenses Internal focus (IF) can be the differance between getting the shot or not.

Beth,

Brad is correct... the diameter is determined by the maximum aperture, and 5.6 is slow enough to allow a smaller lens tube. Still another thought, a lot of us photographers have bought lower end equipment to "save" only to find that in the end, we get what we should have bought in the first place. If you know absolutly that you want / need a telephoto lens for you photography... why not get one of known quality that won't be a hinderance to your talent? The initial outlay may be more, but it can save you money in the long run.

Again, good luck. Al

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), July 14, 2000.

Beth, the HMC stands for Hoya multi-coated. For their filters, this means three coats per side (6 total). Don't know what it means for lenses, though. The date of manufacture might be worth investigating, but my experience with Hoya multi-coating is that anything made since 1980 should be quite good. Hoya used to manufacture lenses for third parties, and let the third party put their name on the lenses. Among the companies Hoya has manufactured lenses for are Vivatar.

-- DJSoroka (DJ2SOROKA@msn.com), July 14, 2000.

I may be one of the few people here who have actually owned a Hoya HMC lens. It was a zoom from the early 1980s (the original sales receipt was dated). It was optically ok and mechanically a tank. Close focusing was rather distant, though. The original dealer was a camera shop in England, so the Hoya-branded lenses may not have made it to the U.S. market.

Under the Hoya HMC label, there was (reading from the back of the little brochure, dated 1981): 24/2.8, 28/2.8, 35/2.8, 135/2.8, 200/3.5, 300/5.6, 400/5.6, 28-85/4, 35-75/4 Macro, 70-150/3.8, 75-205/4 Macro, 75-260/4.5 Macro, 80-200/4, and a 100-300/5.6 Close-Focus. No variable-aperture zooms listed. Quite an extensive line-up.

-- John Kuraoka (kuraoka@home.com), July 14, 2000.

Yes, John is right. The lenses were good and made like a tank. As well Hoya makes the optical glass at there own factory. They use a continuously smeltin process which allows a really good quality. Regards.

-- Ralf Grambrock (101.51955@germanynet.de), July 15, 2000.

Hoya and Tokina are part of the same company. It's quite possible that the same lenses were sold under different names.

-- Bruce Rubenstein (b_rubenstein@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

Not sure about your lens, but I have a Hoya 24-40mm wide angle lens for Canon FD which can produce excellent results.

-- Eric Ung (eung@hongkong.com), July 16, 2000.

I don't know about the taking lenses. Some of them got a pretty bad press when they were introduced, rightly or wrongly I don't know. I do know that I own two Hoya wide-angle enlarging lenses, a 40mm that covers 35mm, and a 60mm for 6x6cm. They are superb lenses, easily matching anything else on the market, and because of Hoya's lack of reputation, I got them for a song.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), July 17, 2000.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!

FYI, I decided to purchase the lens. I should have it in a couple of weeks -- if anyone is interested, I can post some photos taken with this lens.

BW

-- Beth Welsh (cybrbeth@unicom.net), July 18, 2000.

I too own a HOYA HMC 28mm f2.8 lens for my Minolta and it produces excellent results.

-- Jin D (jind79@hotmail.com), January 21, 2001.

When I acquired my Olympus OM1 last year, one of the lenses that came with it is a "HOYA HMC ZOOM&MACRO 70-210mm 1:3.8"

I haven't been able to get any information on this lens despite asking in a few places.

Very mysterious!

-- Eirwyn Davies (davies@btinternet.com), March 11, 2001.

I too have a Hoya HMC, a 28mm f2.8, OM fitting. I've found it to be a perfectly good lens - almost as good as my zuiko 50mm (!) , bought it second hand here in the UK for next to nothing. I have never seen another Hoya lens tho' ... and I spend a lot of time looking for second hand lenses.

Regards.

-- mike green (mjg199@soton.ac.uk), June 25, 2001.

Just bought a Hoya HMC 70-150 f3.8 (C/Y fit). It is very solidly built, seems sharp, and was very cheap (£25). It will flare if the sun is in the frame, and no doubt suffers from some distortion as all the zooms of this vintage do, but it is clearly very good value for money. I have some old test reports on these early 80's zooms, and the hoyas rate about the same as the tamrons, tokinas and yashicas - ie pretty good. You obviously aren't going to get Carl Zeiss guality, but for £25 you don't expect it. Used as a very flexible portrait lens, where somewhat lower contrast is actually A GOOD THING, this 70-150 is just fine. There seem to be plenty of Hoyas available here in the UK.

-- Michael Goodliffe (michaelgoodliffe@hotmail.com), October 21, 2001.

I'm afraid i don't know a great deal about photography, but i am a coating technician employed at Hoya's UK factory. The multi-coat is designed to reduce surface reflection and i can assure you that the lenses a manufactured to the very highest quality

-- michael paul mitchell (mike@mpm2k1.fsnet.co.uk), December 04, 2001.

Hoya did make lenses previously, I have seen some in their agent's showroom in Singapore. Some mini-labs here still keep one of two pieces as their special price items.

Kenko, Hoya and Tokina are inter-related, I read from somewhere that Kenko is the overall boss of the lots. It should be no surprice for you to read on some brochures and instruction sheet that Hoya glasses are manufacture by Tokina, Kenko or the reversed. Hoya probably stopped making lenses and concentrated on making filters because of Tokina.

-- Huang Guoqiang (hguoqiang@yahoo.com.sg), January 26, 2002.

hi, just want to say i have 2 hoya hmc lenses and am very happy with them. they are both prime, 135mm f2.8 and 200mm f3.5.. both lenses cost me a staggering £25 !!!!!!! and optically are extremely good. hope you enjoy yours as much... bye, martin whittaker.

-- martin whittaker (martinwhttkr@aol.com), March 15, 2002.

Just thought I'd add my two penn'th.

I bought a Hoya 75-260mm Zoom (with macro) brand new many years ago. It has been by far the best performing lens I've ever owned. Sure it's big, a bit heavy (good for stable hand-held at max zoom), but has suberb definition centre and edge. The macro is VERY crisp although rarely used.

It's a twin ring which suprisingly I've come to prefer since when you are focussing, you don't inadvertantly alter the zoom and vice-versa.

Even though it has not seen heavy use, the Hoya has nevertheless served me well over the years. It has also been all over the world, yet it's still in mint condition. The mechanics operate as crisp and sweetly as the day I bought it, (not loose and sloppy like some one- touch zooms go).

If you get chance to pick one up second-hand I recommend you grab it!

Hope this is of interest to some.

Terry.

-- Terry Ashton (terry.ashton@uk.coflexip.com), March 25, 2002.

Hello. I have a Hoya hmc zoom & macro 35-105mm 1:3.5 and it wont get lens flare ?

also a 28mm 2.8f both for my loverly Minolta XD7 MD fit,

-- Stuart Aird (stuart@zizigy.net), July 02, 2002.