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Just about to enter in the MF lenses tendency

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Rooru S

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Hi Sony NEX users...I have my NEX-5K/B since september last year and I love it. Have both E-mount kit lenses, ECU and ECF converters for the pancake, SAL75300 and the SAL50F18...But seeing so much enjoyment with MF lenses around here, I want to join the excitement while I wait for the new E-mount lenses and bigger flash. The SEL18200 will come after the price drops a bit if possible.

Any recommendations for used or new MF lenses between 20mm and 50mm with max. apertures ranging from 1.1 to 2.0, and the price range from being free and 600USD?? Oh, and I don't want russian made lenses because I have read that many of them lack or skipped quality control department. Any help? Thank You..!
 
My recommendation is the Contax G 45mm f/2.

The adapter is quirky but the lens has stellar performance, and IMO is worth the extra hassle. It's also nice and small.
--
A rose by any other name is still a chicken.
 
its important to understand what is your shooting preference.
do u do portraits, landscape, architecture, interior, etc etc...
then u get lenses that suits your interest...
 
you have 600.

If you want small:

CV 21 Skopar look hard: 275 or less
Canon RF 50/1.8 and 100/3.5 150 each.

SLR:
Canon nFD (not L) 50 1.2 225
Canon nFD 20/2.8 200

MD/pentax/OLY 135/3.5 35USD. They are really small and 270 grams, nFD 135 is 335 grams.

either package less than 600 including adapter/s
 
Rooru S said:
Hi Sony NEX users...I have my NEX-5K/B since september last year and I love it. Have both E-mount kit lenses, ECU and ECF converters for the pancake, SAL75300 and the SAL50F18...But seeing so much enjoyment with MF lenses around here, I want to join the excitement while I wait for the new E-mount lenses and bigger flash. The SEL18200 will come after the price drops a bit if possible.

Any recommendations for used or new MF lenses between 20mm and 50mm with max. apertures ranging from 1.1 to 2.0, and the price range from being free and 600USD?? Oh, and I don't want russian made lenses because I have read that many of them lack or skipped quality control department. Any help? Thank You..!
Click to expand...
Honestly, unless you want to deal with purple corners, I wouldn't spend the money on rangefinder lenses less than 35mm. A good place to start is Contax G, Pen F and Voigtlander M lenses, if small size is a priority.
 
john inglis said:
uhuh07
Do you prefer the nFD 50 1.2 to the Fl 55 1.2?
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jeez just wrote a nice long reply and the forum ate it :(

I have the FL now, but it's kind of heavy. About the same as the nokton.

The standard nFD 50 1.2 is only 318 grams and 200+ bucks, best super speed deal by far. Check flickr for images, careful to avoid the seductive L version, which most likely is the best MF superspeed ever made (at any price) selling around 450 bucks.

I love my nokton images but hate having it on the nex. I just pray the canon LTM i found will be good, so I can sell the nokton.

I paid 170 for my FL 55, scuffed up (no dents) but with real clean glass. I need to sell it one of these days.

If I was on a real budget I would use the standard nFD for sure. 150 g lighter than the FL and with modern coatings.

The FL might have better bokeh---it's kind of a poor man's rokkor, but I'd bet the nFD is fine.
 
Hi guys..! Thanks for your valuables replies..

I have been thinking about the following lenses (I wanted fast 35 & 50 or 55mm lenses)

Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 around 279.99USD
Zeiss Planar T* 35mm f/2.0 around 152.99USD

both on Ebay. What do you think guys? I tried to find FD lenses , and found a nFD 50mm f/1.4...should I stick with the 55mm FL 1.2 or the 50mm nFD 1.4? the f/1.4 is around 129.99

there is a difference between FD lenses and nFD?

Also found several Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lenses but almost twice or triple the price of the Canon lenses...but there's a lot of them around 300-500USD so there's not so much problem getting one, while getting a good canon it's almost a race..there's a bunch of Rokkor, Minolta, etc etc etc 50mm f/1.4 lenses. It's that much the difference between 1.4 and 1.2 apertures? by this you can guess my approach of taking pictures with available light, without using flash.
 
Rooru S said:
Hi guys..! Thanks for your valuables replies..

I have been thinking about the following lenses (I wanted fast 35 & 50 or 55mm lenses)

Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 around 279.99USD
Zeiss Planar T* 35mm f/2.0 around 152.99USD

both on Ebay. What do you think guys? I tried to find FD lenses , and found a nFD 50mm f/1.4...should I stick with the 55mm FL 1.2 or the 50mm nFD 1.4? the f/1.4 is around 129.99
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All these are high prices. Look at keh.com to see 15% more than you should pay. I bought a good user FL 50 1.2 from keh last fall for 165USD.

the nFD lenses are usually much lighter. You can check the weights here:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/index.html
Rooru S said:
there is a difference between FD lenses and nFD?

Also found several Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lenses but almost twice or triple the price of the Canon lenses...but there's a lot of them around 300-500USD so there's not so much problem getting one, while getting a good canon it's almost a race..there's a bunch of Rokkor, Minolta, etc etc etc 50mm f/1.4 lenses. It's that much the difference between 1.4 and 1.2 apertures? by this you can guess my approach of taking pictures with available light, without using flash.
Click to expand...
A good 1.4 will work in low light, but 1.2 is better--however DOF gets really tight. This gives you more creative options. Many of the 1.4 lenses are sharper than the 1.2s at F4---but this great depends on the model.

Just remember you are talking about 75mm EFL NOT a normal lens---a portrait lens.

A good 35 is much more flexible on the nex--I think a 28 is even better. Sigma makes a 30mm f/1.4 which is pretty good in several mounts. They are pricey though at around 350--but I could be wrong.

the CV nokton 40/1.4 is a good lens and VERY small, CF at .7 meter I think, and they can be found used for a bit over 300.

Be patient and study up while you watch auctions. Bid late, so your options are open. Watch FM, DPI, RFF and any other good forum marketplaces.

Check completed listings on ebay to see the good prices.

Every day you see overpriced lenses, just ignore them.

here's a cute 50 and only 129 grams:



 
Just bought the Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 from KEH. While the order it's being processed..any good Canon FL adapter for my NEX-5? I don't know if there's some specific requirements with those Canon Old lenses...

my next lens it's going to be something between 24mm, 28mm and 35mm, but that after I play a bit with my Canon on Nex Combo...
 
Rooru S said:
Just bought the Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 from KEH. While the order it's being processed..any good Canon FL adapter for my NEX-5? I don't know if there's some specific requirements with those Canon Old lenses...

my next lens it's going to be something between 24mm, 28mm and 35mm, but that after I play a bit with my Canon on Nex Combo...
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any FD adapter will work

fastest to get and cheapest from rainbow imaging on ebay or direct. 20USD

You might think about getting a 135 as your next lens, since that is far beyond the Kit range.

the nFD 135/3.5 (330 grams) would be the smallest and lightest for use with your FD adapter

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/nfd/data/135-800/nfd_135_35.html

Should be a very sharp lens and under 50USD. There is also a 135/2.8 which is a bit heavier, but faster.

OR, and maybe better would be one of these 2:
nFD 85/1.8
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/nfd/data/50-100/nfd_85_18.html
nFD 100/2.8
http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/nfd/data/50-100/nfd_100_28.html

the 100 is only 270 grams, and both of these should be spectacular lenses with modern coatings

here is the MD 135/3.5 at 260 grams (25USD):



and a shot from it:



the best first step up from the kit is really this:



that's the spectacular CV 75/2.5 heliar: about 300USD
here a shot:



The kit is a perfectly capable lens from 18-55, regardless of what some silly people say about it. It's just a bit slow.

28 is a very good length for the nex (better than 35), and you could probably find a Kiron 28/2 in FD mount for about 125USD. Fast wides get pricey.

Here is the best FD lens ever made at any time, according to the true FD afficianados:



a shot from it:



have fun :)
 
The canon FD 24mm f2s looks great but seems pricy on the bay. I will wait to see how the Zeiss E 24mm does. Of course the FD will be useable on other cameras! And now that I look at the KEH November catalog, I see listings under 300. Might be worth some patience.
 
headofdestiny said:
Honestly, unless you want to deal with purple corners, I wouldn't spend the money on rangefinder lenses less than 35mm. A good place to start is Contax G, Pen F and Voigtlander M lenses, if small size is a priority.
Click to expand...
Even if the Zeiss Biogon ZM 25mm f/2.8 has some purple corner issues, you can always crop out the extreme edges and still have a much wider view than 35mm. Wider than a 28mm lens I'm guessing.
 
john inglis said:
The canon FD 24mm f2s looks great but seems pricy on the bay. I will wait to see how the Zeiss E 24mm does. Of course the FD will be useable on other cameras! And now that I look at the KEH November catalog, I see listings under 300. Might be worth some patience.
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Yeah, I will wait also for the Zeiss E 24mm..The Canon nFD 24mm f/2 seems very popular because I can only find the f/2.8 variant and the few f/2 are a bit high in price for my budget..

The proposal to get a Canon FD 100mm or 135mm as a Telephoto/Lightweight Combo seems very interesting..there's no problem being a un-stabilized system??? There's some times with my SAL 75-300 that I have problem trying to maintain the camera stabilized. So how is the experience with those mid-telephoto prime lenses?
 
At 90 or 100mm and wide openish I need to be very careful to check the focus at 7x and also then frame the shot right. Between 150 and 200mm I need to take shots in bright light to be happy.
 
Alupang said:
Alupang said:
Honestly, unless you want to deal with purple corners, I wouldn't spend the money on rangefinder lenses less than 35mm. A good place to start is Contax G, Pen F and Voigtlander M lenses, if small size is a priority.
Click to expand...
Even if the Zeiss Biogon ZM 25mm f/2.8 has some purple corner issues, you can always crop out the extreme edges and still have a much wider view than 35mm. Wider than a 28mm lens I'm guessing.
Click to expand...
True, but I would still just wait for the NEX Zeiss 24, or maybe get a 24mm SLR lens.
 
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