LOMO T-43 is the lens of the world's most popular camera, Smena-8M, the number of copies of which exceeds 21 million. Smena-8M is currently considered perhaps the most affordable film camera, however, neither the camera itself (due to the lack of a mirror/rangefinder, exposure meter) nor its lens is almost never used for its intended purpose - it is non-removable and is not suitable without adaptation to modern cameras.

Relatively recently, information appeared on the Internet about the successful transfer of this lens to a central lens with the APS-C frame format, which prompted a desire to repeat this procedure and look at the world through the eyes of the most common camera.

Optical design: triplet

Focal length: 41.78mm

Relative aperture: 1:4

Field of view (on 35mm film): 55 degrees

Aperture: 8 blades, black, shiny

Aperture limits: F/4-F/16

Back focal length: 35.52 mm

Light transmittance: 0.87

Resolution (line/mm, center/edge, KN-1 film): 45/19

Filter thread diameter: 35 mm

Features: fixed lens of Smena cameras, built-in central shutter.

T-43 is a lens for mirrorless cameras with a short flange. Therefore, its use on the central control system is complicated by the need to radically redesign the body with the lens block recessed inside the camera.

T-43 is the simplest three-lens anastigmat with mediocre aperture. What makes it stand out is its short focal length - only 40 mm (actually 42 mm), which makes it, one might say, standard on cameras with the APS-C format (EGF ~ 65 mm).

By the way, for old SLR cameras there was a lens of a similar class - Carl Zeiss Tessar 40/4.5.

A small DF and low aperture (typical for a “pancake” aperture is about F/2.8) allow you to achieve a large depth of field (which was important for a scale camera). Together with its tiny dimensions and decent field of view, this makes the lens attractive, especially for street photography. But is it possible to get a decent result from the simplest cheap triplet?

It turned out that at all apertures the lens is very sharp in the center of the frame.