Samsung NX 30 mm f/2 or Nikkor 28 mm f/2.8?

arvidb wrote:

So I just bought an NX500, and I also just recently bought a Nikkor 28 mm f/2.8 AI-s lens on Ebay. Both are in the mail on their way to me. My old camera is a Nikon D40 and one of the reasons I got a new, mirrorless camera is that I want to try my hands at using older manual focus lenses (because they can be bargains - great optics for their price apparently? - and also since I like their build quality).

Do you think I will get by with the manual focus Nikkor on the NX500 or should I buy a Samsung 30 mm f/2 while stocks last? (After watching this lens test I don't feel particularly impressed by the 30 mm f/2 Samsung, but it's the only Samsung lens that has an attractive focal length and aperture to me).

On the plus side for the 30 mm is that it is a pancake lens (small).

How difficult is it to learn to use manual focusing effectively in say an indoor "dinner with friends" setting? What if I throw a dog in the situation? Will I really get more in-focus shots with the 30 mm in low light than with a good manual focus lens?

If it isn't clear yet I'm an amateur who takes photographs sporadically, but I do have an interest in learning better photography techniques and I think it would be fun to learn to use these older manual focus lenses.

I have a few legacy lenses that I use with my NX300 and I enjoy them when I'm playing around, but generally I stick with the autofocus lenses when I want to be sure to get the shot.  I use the 30mm f2 as my primary lens and it serves my purposes well, it is sharp wide open at f2 and keeps the camera somewhat pocketable with its compact size which is not something I can say about my legacy lenses.

I'd say try the manual lens first, if it meets your needs then there you have it.