Lens you would rush to buy if...

Mir · Expire: 2017-09-30

28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M (III)
Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2

Rick1779 · Expire: 2014-06-06

tb_a · Expire: 2019-08-28

Rick1779 · Expire: 2014-06-06

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I'd love the Minolta AF 1.4/85 and 2.8/20 for my a850.

Coincidentally, I just bought two Sigma AF lenses for my a850 that are pretty good alternatives for the price - a 2.8/90 macro and a 3.5/18, they cost me under 100ukp for the pair.

The 2.8/90 is great, lovely bokeh, sharp as a tack, very little CA, if you see one, it's well worth grabbing.

The 3.5/18 is pretty good too, it has a fair bit of barrel distortion and vignetting, but both are very easily corrected in photoshop, it also has 2-3px purple fringing on the edges, but again, that is easily corrected. Overall, it's a good lens, but I bought it as a stopgap until I find something better.

I haven't done anything to correct the distortion or vignetting here, just a quick test shot:

100% crop, I forget what aperture, f5.6 I think, it's certainly sharp in the central region:

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Attila's Helios 40 with red P to go with my 44 red P Edit: looks like it's been sold.
CV 125 APO Macro
CV 65/2 APO Macro (NEW)
CV 40/1.2 (NEW)
SMC Pentax K 85/1.8 & 28/3.5
CZJ 75/1.5 thin
Leica M 50/2 no focus tab
Orestor 100/2.8

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

The only expensive mf lens that I can think of right now that I wish I had is the Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 SSC Aspherical. But I might not be successful finding one for "only" $1000 anymore.

thebbm · Joined: 11 Dec 2013 Posts: 294 Location: France montpellier

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Well, first of all, because I don't speak french, I wasn't able to puzzle out how to load the concluded auction in your first link. But the lenses in the second and third link I was able to view. I dunno about 5000 Euros for that lens. It is an early FD because it has the chrome bayonet ring in front. It shows "AL" instead of "Aspherical" and has a gold ring. Neither of these have I seen before. So I guess it must be a very rare lens. But 5000 Euros? Yeah, I think he's smoking something.

BTW, I wish that 598 Euro price could be found on US eBay. I took a look there earlier and found several of these lenses. They ranged in prices from about $1,000 to over $1,400. Whew. About a year ago, they were selling for about $600. So I think these prices involve a considerable amount of wishful thinking. But I dunno -- I haven't checked any closed auctions yet, so maybe they've increased that much. But if that's the case, I'm thinking I can probably buy a nFD 50mm f/1.2 L for less.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

There's a f1.1 50mm by Kamlan that is very cheap and might be a viable alternative for APS-C users:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kamlan-50mm-F1-1-APS-C-Large-Aperture-Manual-Focus-Lens-for-Sony-E-Mount/232287297187?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D43781%26meid%3Dde45ae11f8ec44f781baec64d3aa3ce1%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D371951827004

stevemark · Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 4073 Location: Switzerland

visualopsins · Expire: 2025-04-11

Gardener · Joined: 22 Sep 2013 Posts: 950 Location: USA

@cooltouch

It could be real, and frankly, if you have a super-rare lens like that it may make sense to hold out and wait for a stupid rich collector. It also makes sense on another level - purposely overpricing it drives the traffic to his store.