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Please suggest a really good 24-25mm lens.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:53 am    Post subject: Please suggest a really good 24-25mm lens. Reply with quote
I love 28mm on the NEX-5N but I keep thinking that 24mm could be even nicer, if I can find the right lens that is.

Please suggest a 24-25mm lens. It does not have to be cheap as long as it has that something very special. One obvious contender is the Sony AF Distagon 24/2 in native E-mount.

Last edited by Pontus on Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:29 am; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I am very attached to my Konica Hexanon 2.8/24, great lens in every aspect.

The Yashica ML 2.8/24 is also very highly regarded.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Vivitar 24mm f/2.0 Close Focus has a good reputation. I own one but the adapter never shows up so I haven't tested it yet.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Olympus Zuiko MC f2.8/24mm, unsurpassed at corner performance and smallest size for a SLR lens
( for a rangefinder I am told the cv Skopar 25/4 should be great )


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
LGH wrote:
Vivitar 24mm f/2.0 Close Focus has a good reputation. I own one but the adapter never shows up so I haven't tested it yet.

I didn't know that Vivitar made a 24/2 close focus lens. Are you referring to the 52mm filter version made by Komine or the 55mm filter version made by Kino or yet another version?

And thank you everyone for the suggestions, keep them coming.

I'm a bit intrigued by the CV 25/4. Very small with the adapter.

Last edited by Pontus on Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Avoid the Vivitar 24/2 Komine lens (the non-close focus version). It's horrible at wide apertures!

The Carl Zeiss Distagon 25/2.8 is pretty nifty, that's the lens I'll be using on my Nex-5n for street stuff Smile


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
Avoid the Vivitar 24/2 Komine lens (the non-close focus version). It's horrible at wide apertures!


had the same experience with the Kiron version


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
What about the Zeiss ZM 25/2.8 Biogon? It's as expensive as the Zony Zeiss 24mm but much smaller (and slower).


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
i think a lot depends on what youre looking for because there are very good IQ choices listed above. imo, if i can get the same or very similar quality at similar price between a few lenses, then size becomes very important to me with mirrorless cams for both ergonomic and aesthetic reasons. if the same hold true for you then the olympus and the skopar are the ones that should be taking the lead. i ave the skopar and its tiny as a thimble but yet a great performer on my m4/3. the zuiko has the same reputation being slightly larger.

ive had the yashica and the konica, and while i really liked both, i liked the yashica more, though its a little larger. but seriously, from these choices its hard to make a bad decision.
tony


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LGH wrote:
Vivitar 24mm f/2.0 Close Focus has a good reputation.

The copy I had was not that stellar.

The best lens in that range you can find is probably the Zeiss Distagon 2.8/25.
But it's pretty expensive.

The Nikkor 2.8/24 is also very good, but won't come cheap either.
In the rame range (money- and performancewise) you'll find the Zuiko 2.8/24.

The best value (=good performance and built for rather little moeny) perhaps has the Tamron 2.5/24.

Pontus wrote:
What about the Zeiss ZM 25/2.8 Biogon? It's as expensive as the Zony Zeiss 24mm but much smaller (and slower).

Also a good suggestion, but also very expensive.

BTW, keep away from the Leica Elmarit 2.8/24. It's good, but not as good as the price tag might promise. That lens is way too overpriced!


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I forgot about the Nikkor 24/2.8, thanks Carsten! Prefer the Distagon for character, but the Nikkor is very sharp indeed. And cheaper.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
All 24mm lens is good as other from top brands, no exception. You can spend fortune on most expensive brands, but if you compare it with Nikon, Konica , Minolta etc difference will little if any and nothing what you can't improve it well with a few clicks in post processing.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
And we must not forget the Minolta Rokkor 2.8/24 which is an excellent lens - but meanwhile also quite expensive.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
These are very sharp IMO but am not sure about distortions for buildings shots as I do not own any expensive 24mms to compare them with:-
Ensinor 24mm and Sigma 24mm superwide II.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think that what I currently have (Voigtlaender Skopar 4/25) is the best price/performance ratio that you can find in a 25mm lens.
I don't know of any other lens that can beat it at it's price.
Of course if you go up to Biogon or Elmarit you get even better, but you spend 3-4 times as much.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
And we must not forget the Minolta Rokkor 2.8/24 which is an excellent lens - but meanwhile also quite expensive.

+1 for the Minolta MD 24mm Rokkor
Optically very good lens with very good colors and sharpenss, but price became often higher than the later (slightly improved) 24/2.8 AF version from Minolta (AF will work with special Adapter on NEX).
You will have to spend 120-200€ for them.

And +1 for a Voigtländer Skopar 4/25 - it's also very good and very small. That would be my choice because of the small size.

And if you wan't something really really stellar you should look after a used SEL24F18Z (native Sony E mount lens with AF!) and you will get extremly good optical quality Wink But price will be above 500€ used Very Happy

Last edited by ForenSeil on Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:03 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I would agree with Graham - I love my Distagon 25/2.8, and my nikkor 24/2.8 AIS


patrickh


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
In what mounts is the skopar available?


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
In what mounts is the skopar available?


I have the old version, in L39 screw mount
it is not rangefinder coupled, but that is not important for use with Nex or other EVIL camera
There is also a newer version, with M bayonet, which is rangefinder coupled
of course it costs a bit more.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Canon fd 24/1.4 on nex.
A lens that is easy to use.

Also Ensinor 24/2.8,

Both very sharp wide open.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kuuan wrote:
Olympus Zuiko MC f2.8/24mm, unsurpassed at corner performance and smallest size for a SLR lens
( for a rangefinder I am told the cv Skopar 25/4 should be great )


I was going to pick one up today (had an agreement with the seller), only to receive an email he had sold it to a guy that was going to pick up another lens he had and who saw it lying on his table. God damnit! I have honestly been looking for a good, affordable copy for a year, but still no luck. This guy was selling it for 100€ with hood and leather tube. It also was the MC version. Meeeh!


PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry to hear your story TijmenDal Sad

Has anyone tried the PEN-F 25/4. Tiny lens, and can be found for not too much money. Could not find much info.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pontus wrote:
Sorry to hear your story TijmenDal Sad

Has anyone tried the PEN-F 25/4. Tiny lens, and can be found for not too much money. Could not find much info.
it´s designed for Olympus Pen-F half-frame (18x24mm) camera, so it won´t cover FF and it has only 28.95mm register distance. that´s not a problem with your NEX. according to quality of other Pen-F optics it should be worth a try.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pontus wrote:
Sorry to hear your story TijmenDal Sad

Has anyone tried the PEN-F 25/4. Tiny lens, and can be found for not too much money. Could not find much info.


I have one coming in about 3 days and can report soon after.
Generally the Pen-F lenses fit a NEX perfectly well!
Unlike the longer lenses the wide Pen-F lenses I already have, the f3.5/20 and f2.8/25, somewhat vignette, similar to SLR lenses on 35mm film resp. FF.
They shine with near absence of distortion! ( as compared to a number of 24mm SRL lenses I have experience with, my e.g. otherwise fabulous Nikkor-N.C Auto 24mm f2.8 distorts rather strongly ) and I'd think good resolution. But they quite heavily suffer from loss of contrast around strong light sources. The effect is quite strong, I don't know the correct technical term, I'd describe it as 'light bleeding' from light sources into the surrounding area. I'd think coatings are not so good.

edit:
found samples to show the near absence of distortion of my f2.8/25mm Pen-F Zuiko on NEX5N:
entrance to a "Sentō", a local public bath house in Kyoto



a Meiko in Gion district in Kyoto:



on the second sample the areas on top of her head and the top right corner had strong contrast loss due to the light from the sky behind. I had invested quite some time PPing upping the contrast, crudely done, see the "border" of my PPing on the mats covering the windows
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