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List of small lenses?
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:49 am    Post subject: List of small lenses? Reply with quote
I like small lenses. If I could afford a digital rangefinder I would have one! But in the meantime, I am interested in the smallest SLR lenses available.

For example, my NIkon E 100mm f2.8 is barely bigger than many 50mm primes. It is only 215g and is 62.5mm dia by 58mm long.


I don't have a lot of experience with many lenses, but I know my Takumar 55mm 1.8 was very compact compared to some other 50s I have owned as well as the Nikon 50mm 1.8 E.

What I am hoping for is for others to pop in and recommend the smallest lenses in various focal lengths and apertures that you have come across. The lenses should be ones that people would actually want to use, not a holga or pinhole cap! Smile

So let's hear it. What are your favorite tiny SLR lenses?


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Forgot about the Zuiko MC 85mm f2. It is only 60x48mm and 260g.

Compared to the Helios 40-2, it is a pancake lens!

Speaking of pancakes, there is the Zuiko 40mm f2 at 60x25mm and 140g!

Too bad it is kind of rare and quite expensive for a "normal" lens.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zuikos!
All the Olympus primes under 135mm are as small or smaller than the average 50mm.
As a bonus you can leave the adapter in your 1000D and shoot it as a native OM camera less auto aperture.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:28 am    Post subject: Re: List of small lenses? Reply with quote
tkbslc wrote:

.... as well as the Nikon 50mm 1.8 E.


The Nikon E 2.5/35 is of similar size. And one of the Nikon/Nikkor 1.8/50 Ais lenses is a pancake as well.

One I would love to try is the Cosina Voigtlaender Ultron 2/40 - again very small.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Zuiko !


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
From takumars 55 1.8 is sure one of most compact, I agree.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Canon FL 50mm f/1.8 is quite small -- 48mm front filter size. Its biggest drawback is it's a Canon FL/FD mount lens.

Also, there's all those M39 lenses that can be used on some SLRs with the appropriate adapter.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Fujita 135/4.5 is comparatively microscopic, and the Hanimex / Palinar (Tokina made) 100/4 is also pretty tiny! Then there're the Industar 50-2 which is so small, I've already managed to lose two copies
Laughing


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm assuming we are limiting this to SLR lenses ?

Because there are a lot of very tiny rangefinder lenses of course. Even if one leaves out all the Leica Elmars and the various makers 35mm lenses for LTM, there are the extremely small Sandmar lenses for the Argus C3, and all the other old rangefinder systems likewise.

As for SLR lenses -

Converto-Tamron 4.5/135 is also tiny, but as Shrek says the Fujita 4.5/135 is indeed smaller still, and probably the smallest 135mm SLR lens ever.

The Tokina 4/100 is also a tiny lens, ditto.

Other very small lenses that I have

Ludwig Meritar 2.9/50, at least mine in Exakta mount is.
Auto-Takumar 2.2/55 - many of the early Takumars are very small indeed.
Isco ? Schacht ? Telisar 3.5/35 preset - tiniest 35mm ? I have this in M42
CZJ Tessar 3.5/50 in Exakta mount


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
CZJ Biotar 2/5,8cm is tiny, as is the chrome Tessar 2.8/50 T I have.

The Auto-Takumar 3.5/35 is also quite small.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Contax 2.8/85mm Sonnar is pretty compact at 47x62.5 (LxDia), and the Sonnar 100/3.5 is a couple of millimetres bigger than the diminutive Series E 100/2.8. The Contax 45mm Tessar is only 19mm deep.

I do have one lens that's only 3mm deep, but that's a lens cap with a pinhole in it.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 2/5,8cm. Prewar design, postwar manufactured, mine is marked Biotar T 2/58. Only about 2.5 times as "thick" as an M42 lens rear cap.



Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 is a modern, ultra-sharp pancake. Same thickness as matchbox, when attached to camera body.



Same size is Nikkor GN Auto 45mm f/2.8, another pancake in what's essentially a Tessar design.



Also exists as newer Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P (newer is better IQ than old version). Photo here: Black http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/p4528b.jpg and chrome http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/p4528.jpg


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
cooltouch wrote:
The Canon FL 50mm f/1.8 is quite small -- 48mm front filter size. Its biggest drawback is it's a Canon FL/FD mount lens.


Thats need'nt be a drawback...If you have a lathe or know someone with one (say a local engineering firm) you just need to remove 2mm from the mounting boss (The bit the FL/FD mounting plate screws onto) and you can get infinity focus without needing an optical adapter and having to compromise on image quality. Wink

cooltouch wrote:

Also, there's all those M39 lenses that can be used on some SLRs with the appropriate adapter.


There is only one good M39 mount lens IMO...The silver finish Helios 40 85mm f1.5...There are two problems with that lens though:
1) It has a fixed position tripod bracket (which can be removed by undoing two screws)...The later 40-2 version hasa rotating tripod mounting collar.
2) It has a totally non-standard 66mm filter thread, so you cant use standard 67mm filters on it, like you can on the later 40-2 version.
It could never be considered a pancake lens though.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
auto-takumar 55mm (1.8/2/2.2) 46mm threads
auto-takumar 35mm 3.5 46mm threads
fish-eye-takumar 18mm 11 (this lens is really, really thin)
smc pentax-m 40mm 2.8 49mm threads


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Industar-50-2 ...
Laughing

Hard to find smaller one.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Attila wrote:
Industar-50-2 ...
Laughing

Hard to find smaller one.

I was just about to mention this one. Smile

But otherwise: +1 for Zuiko OM lenses.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
Attila wrote:
Industar-50-2 ...
Laughing

Hard to find smaller one.

I was just about to mention this one. Smile

But otherwise: +1 for Zuiko OM lenses.


Surely look 21mm,18mm pretty amazing how small and others too.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes Atilla, that one was meant to be the last!

My small ones are bigger: M42
Steinheil 50mm 2.8 Culminar (alu)
Hanimar 35mm 3.5 (preset)
Super-Takumar 35mm 3.5
(and Industar ofcourse in M39 and M42)
SR/MC: Minolta 45mm 2.0
Exakta: Tessar 50mm 2.8 (alu, click)


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The

Enna Werk Sandmar 4.5/35mm for Argus C3

Schneider-Kreuznach Jsogon 4.5/40mm for Exakta (tiny but heavy)

Argus Cintagon 2.8/50mm for C44

are all quite small but easily adapted to M42 use.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
love my industar 50 Very Happy


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Enna Werk Sandmar 4.5/35mm for Argus C3

comment - all the Argus C3 lenses are very small. The smallest is the original 3.5/50mm Cintar.

Argus Cintagon 2.8/50mm for C44

comment - not all that small

are all quite small but easily adapted to M42 use.

comment - The Argus lenses would only be usable to infinity on the micro 4/3, if an adapter could be made. Argus C3/C4(Geiss)/C44 had a slightly longer back focus than LTM, but not that much more.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
+1 for Industar and OM lenses.

until recently the 3.5/35 Takumar was my smallest, now it is the Auto Takumar f2/55mm.
Only have it a few days but already I love this lens..these colors..for being so small onlookers may not suspect the reach of it's actual 75mm on my APS-C, great for candid portraits.

old presets are often smaller than their later versions


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have a Super Takumar 105mm f2.8 preset lens that seems pretty small to me. It's pretty short and uses a 46mm filter.

As has been said, there are some pretty compact Zuikos. It always amazes me to see a photo of the Zuiko 21 f2 next to the Distagon 21 f2.8.

Some of the early Canon FL lenses were based on rangefinder lenses and are pretty compact.

--Geoff


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
+1 for the nikkor 45P:



The piece hiding the lens is the hood!

patrickh


PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Luis,

Thanks for the correction on the register distance of the Argus. I have not yet received the parts that will allow me to convert them to M42 mount, which is easy. However, now that I know that the register distance for the Argus rangefinders is diminutive I won't strive for infinity. I still haven't found a source for the FFD, all I see is the 44.45mm which must be for the Argus SLR - hence my confusion. Do you have the FFD for the C-3 and C-44?

Oh, well, I'll use these lenses for macro work. The build quality is good, especially the Steinheil 100/3.5.
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