Reading mode: Light Dark

Sharpest, smallest prime - preferably 35mm

Go to last post
A

abcdan

Member
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
I am happy with my Nex 5 kit lens but am looking for something sharper and more compact. I am considering anything from 24-50mm, but would probably prefer a 35mm the most. I also need it to autofocus since I will be using it as a walkaround lens. I can't deal with having to manual focus all the time.

Cost isn't a huge issue, but I'd prefer to keep it under $600-$700. Would love to hear some recommendations for the best quality, most compact prime out there for my NEX 5.
 
There are currently only 3 autofocus lenses for the sony nex. Only one is a prime. The 16mm. The other 2 are the zooms. The kit zoom (1855) and the expensive zoom (18200). Thats all you have if you really need autofocus.

If you want something else, you loose auto focus so you go to manual focus with a lot of excelent lenses. But thats it.

So basically, for what you asked, there is nothing. You will have to make a compromise. If you want a prime and portable, and sharp, you will need to go with manual focus with an adapter.

If you really really need auto focus, you loose transportability because the best lens is the 18200, that is big (at least for the nex lenses, it is not a big zoom compared to current DSLRs)

This will be at least until the Carl Zeiss is available. And before you ask, it hasnt even been announced, so it will probably will be at the end of the year, or even next year.

Ti@go.
 
Sorry, and I forgot another option. Using the Sony Alpha adapter with sony alpha primes. But that will give you a very big and heavy prime, and also the cost is big (the adapter is expensive) and also, it is a slow autofocus.
 
There is the LA-EA1 adapter that allows you to use the Sony Alpha A mount lenses with auto-focus. Auto-focus with these is supposedly pretty slow compared to native E mount lenses, and the adapter isn't cheap either, but that does open up the option of some auto-focus Nex-compatible primes in the neighborhood of 35mm. Not small, though, by the time you combine the SLR lens with the adapter.

Your best bet is to wait a few months for other E mount offerings from Sony and hopefully 3rd parties, like Sigma.

--

Nex-5 with kit lenses, Contax G 35, and a number of legacy lenses (mostly Canon FD)
 
TiagoReil said:
Sorry, and I forgot another option. Using the Sony Alpha adapter with sony alpha primes. But that will give you a very big and heavy prime, and also the cost is big (the adapter is expensive) and also, it is a slow autofocus.
Click to expand...
For the record: the alpha primes are incredibly light. My SAL3518 + LAEA1 is probably half of what my takumar 50mm / f1.4 is and easily 1/8th of what my Canon FD 35mm / f2 is.

--
-mark

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_mcd/
 
Unless you need speed, consider Sony's SEL30F35 as well. It should be sharp.

For your price, I'd recommend either the 35mm Voigtlander Nokton f/1.4 or the 35mm Contax G Planar T* f/2.0. They are very different lenses. The Contax is reasonable sharp and easy to work with, even wide open. The Voigtlander is more of a 'classic' look (higher field curvature) and allows you to make your subjects 'pop' out more, for pleasing pics. It is also a faster lens.

For a little bit more, you can get a Zeiss ZM Biogon f/2.8. It is slower, but very good optically.

We are expecting a Sony/Zeiss SEL24F20Z lens to be announced soon. I expect it to be in between the 16mm and the 30mm lens (which is too close to the 1855 in size). This lens may be a great walkaround lens, albeit a little wide (but this did not stop the X100 enthusiasm). f/2.0 should suffice for many situations. It likely will be a little more expensive.

Also look at the 18200, it is really a great lens.




abcdan said:
I am happy with my Nex 5 kit lens but am looking for something sharper and more compact. I am considering anything from 24-50mm, but would probably prefer a 35mm the most. I also need it to autofocus since I will be using it as a walkaround lens. I can't deal with having to manual focus all the time.

Cost isn't a huge issue, but I'd prefer to keep it under $600-$700. Would love to hear some recommendations for the best quality, most compact prime out there for my NEX 5.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the replies. Alright so since there isn't really an AF option for me, what are the best MF options for me? I want something really sharp and compact, and hopefully under $700. So for that price, what do you guys think is the best 35mm lens for my NEX 5?
 
abcdan said:
Thanks for all the replies. Alright so since there isn't really an AF option for me, what are the best MF options for me? I want something really sharp and compact, and hopefully under $700. So for that price, what do you guys think is the best 35mm lens for my NEX 5?
Click to expand...
How about speed? You haven't said what you prefer in terms of lens speed.

As always, there's a bit here that's left to interpretation like the bokeh of each individual lens (which can't be rated, as it's usually a matter of preference) or the color rendering of the lens.

As mentioned, the CZ 35 / f2.8 biogon t is quite sharp, it also has a very soft bokeh. It should be possible to find one within your price range.

f2.8 is adequate for shallow DoF (in my opinion) but it leaves some to be desired if low-light performance is your concern.

Comparatively, there's the voigtlander nokton 35 / f1.4 which is an awful lot faster, fairly sharp (a little low contrast and not as sharp wide open) with fair field curvature. It can make for some impressive vibey results, but is not as clinical as the CZ.

You can also look at some SLR lenses but in terms of size, the adapter will move most of them out of the realm of "small" even if the lens itself is small (an adapter must make up the registration distance, so SLR lenses will always be longer as they have longer registration distances).

One of the SLR lenses that may fit your bill would be the Konica Hexanon 40mm / f1.8 which with the adapter comes out to be about the size of the kit zoom (SEL1855). I'm not crazy about the bokeh of the Konica, as it can be a bit busy but it seems to be pretty nice rendering if the bokeh is not offensive to you.

--
-mark

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_mcd/
 
If you're really looking for the smallest, then I'd look into the Voigtlander 35mm Nokton or Color Skopar (Nokton is f1.4, and the Color Skopar is f2.5). They're both in the Leica M mount. They're a bit more expensive, but still within your budget. And they're just as sharp, if not sharper, than most lenses you'll find sub-$1000.

edit - Color Skopar: ~$300 USD. Nokton: ~$600 USD. Brand new, of course.
 
I had a Color Skopar before I got the Contax. Either would be a good choice. The Voigtlander is smaller and less expensive, the Contax is a bit sharper and faster, and still pretty small.

One other option to consider is a Leica Summaron.

It's a bit slower: F3.5 or F2.8. A nice example of the 3.5 can be found (with a bit of searching) for about $300 - $350. It is VERY small, and exceptionally well-built. It's also quite sharp, though not as high contrast as the Contax or Voigtlander.

--

Nex-5 with kit lenses, Contax G 35, and a number of legacy lenses (mostly Canon FD)
 
dunders said:
Don't forget the CZ Biogon 2/35 (as opposed to the 2.8/35). I haven't used mine on the Nex much yet (more on the ZI), but I like what it does:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunders/5708387643/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dunders/5708953390/in/photostream/

Sharp enough, fast enough for my purposes. Renders very nicely. WIthin your price range SH.

--
Paul

... lost in the Irish Sea.

http://flickr.com/photos/dunders
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if this meets the OP's criteria... it's quite a bit larger than the old Summaron and the prices I'm seeing are in the neighborhood of $1K. Looks like quite a nice lens, though.

--

Nex-5 with kit lenses, Contax G 35, and a number of legacy lenses (mostly Canon FD)
 
Life is compromise, I guess.

The 2/35 is sharp. Mine came in at the top end of his budget second-hand and in virtually unused condition. It is most certainly larger than the Summaron (and very different in character, judging by the work I see from John Bean). It is, however, small in comparison with any of my adapted Pentax lenses.

I was throwing it in the ring as it ticked two out of four boxes: earlier input had already disposed of AF and had stretched the budget, so size might also be up for discussion :).

--
Paul

... lost in the Irish Sea.

http://flickr.com/photos/dunders
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top