Need a good and fast 35mm

Ivan Lee · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 9:58 pm Post subject: Need a good and fast 35mm

hey guys, I think I have a small gap between 28mm and 50mm. My Minolta 35mm f/1.8 is nice, but a little soft wide open, and with some CA.

I want a lens with no CA and decent bokeh.

I think I can't afford Zeiss/Leica...so my options are very limited... and absolutelly NO Nikon/Pentax/Takumar because of the inverse focus ring.
So my options are more and more limited...

I had a MIR 35 f/2 and sold it because it was very soft (maybe a bad sample)

thanks!

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

take a full frame, a 85 will give you better results than any 35 on your Lumix

aleksanderpolo · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 684

inverse focus ring is actually fun. Now I don't even notice whether I am turning clockwise or anticlockwise anymore. Laughing

I thought that minolta 35/1.8 is one of the better 35? I don't have it, so I can't really tell if nikon 35/2 is sharper (it's sharp enough for me) or not, if you don't mind inverse focus Wink

guatipen · Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 76

Minolta 35mm f1.8 is incredible for me.... and mir 24-m one of the best i test in 35mm....

with the minolta....

Whit the mir 24-m

egidio · Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 222 Location: slovenia

funny that your mir was soft, mine is sharp wide open, but its a lot sharper stopped on 2.8. I heard some nikon 35mm are great. It's actually hard to get cheap wide lens that is fast and sharp, specially on small sensor

edit: oh sorry nikon has inverse focus ring.

I actually never even know which way is the normal way, I use different lenses and it doesnt bother me if focusing ring is in different way.

Ivan Lee · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject:

To me the inverse focus is a huge issue, because all these lenses I use for movie stuff... and I usually work as a 1st AC (focus puller) on movie making.
And I'm so familiar with the (focus to the right, close focus, focus to the left, infinity)... the inverse focus bothers me a lot.

Of course, this is not an issue with still photography... but with movie making, it is, in my humble opinion Smile

The MIR I had was soft even at f/2.8, and it also had a very weird bokeh, I heard this lens was a copy of the Nikon...but I'm sure I got a terrible sample...

Maybe I could try again...

thanks!

egidio · Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 222 Location: slovenia

do you shoot video with canon? For video investing in canon 35 1.4L is good choice, they are not that expensive used (relatively)

mr_Equator · Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Posts: 42

I may suggest CZ Distagon 35mm 1.4 but it's pretty expensive now...

Ivan Lee · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:36 am Post subject:

Chris Watson · Joined: 12 Apr 2010 Posts: 168 Location: Fort Worth

egidio · Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 222 Location: slovenia

You can put FD lens on gh1 right? Thats a good idea, but I dont know much about old FD L lenses, but they must be good and relatively cheap nowdays,
maybe canon fd 35 f2 or 35 f2.8 TS

Ivan Lee · Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 6:45 am Post subject:

karabud · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 843 Location: Lodz

martinsmith99 · Expire: 2013-11-18

I found a reasonably priced CZ Flek. If you keep looking and have patience, one will show.

I've no idea about the focus ring as I'm not quite that bad......yet Laughing

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Perhaps a Zuiko 2/35?
There is one sold in Hamburg for €125,-.

I might sell my Leica Summicron 2/35, but I don't know yet...

DSG · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 544 Location: London, UK.

I recommend the Nikon 35mm f1.4 Ai-S. Wink

Ivan Lee · Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:16 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the replies... I just received a Rokkor 35mm f/2.8 and I really liked it's perfomance... nice wide open perfomance (less CA than the 1.8 version) and is insanely sharp at f/4 and f/5.6... and the bokeh is nicer too.

But I'll need a faster lens... the Zuiko should be nice, but all Zuikos are so expensive... and the nikkors are great, but the silly inversed focus ring pisses me off... Sad

Arctures · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 295

I am looking for super fast wide lens too. And I have found Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm 35 f/1.4 M.C., Leica M. It has relatively low price and I am curious has anybody had any experience with this lens and how good is it wide open?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Voigtlander-Nokton-Classic-35mm-35-f-1-4-M-C-Leica-M-/140435285564?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item20b298663c#ht_2799wt_907

Joosep · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 305 Location: Estonia, Tallinn

My Mir is SUPER sharp wide open.
Got it for 250 EEK, thats about 22 USD.

spleenone · Joined: 26 Dec 2009 Posts: 1130 Location: Slovakia

My advice is get the FDn 35/2. It is really better than Canon EF 35/2 which is soft and AF lens Very Happy

FDn is sharp with newer design that FD ssc 35/2 and has also beautiful character of bokeh and colours.

marty · Joined: 09 Apr 2009 Posts: 767 Location: Italy

uhoh7 · Joined: 24 Nov 2010 Posts: 1300 Location: Idaho, USA

FYI paid 122USD on ebay for FD 35/2 SSC concave about six weeks ago.

another one to consider might be the sigma 30mm 1.4, this could be bought new in canon mount and also used MF in 4/3 or APS-C

399USD new.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I have this opportunity for two Nikkors
one is the 35/1.4 AIS
the other is the 35/2 AIS
really beautiful condition.
Details here:
http://forum.mflenses.com/nikkor-ais-35-1-4-and-35-2-t35217.html#1098031
Shipping registered (not insured) to Brazil is 20 Euros, insured may be 30 Euros (but I need to check if available.
If you are interested, please let me know shortly. I don't have these lenses, I need to buy them from a local store.

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

Don't forget the Vivitar 35mm f/1.9, which comes up on eBay occasionally. I bought one off eBay in Canon FD mount, but I don't have any shots to show you that I took with the lens wide open, unfortunately. My experience with it is good, though. I've been very satisfied with the photos I've gotten with it. S/N begins with 28, so it was made by Komine.

I found a thread here from three years ago, where there are a couple samples taken with the lens wide open. Have a look:

http://forum.mflenses.com/vivitar-35mm-f1-9-t501.html

My FD mount 35/1.9 was cheap -- I don't recall how much I paid for it, but probably less than $40. I'll wager it'll be more expensive for a Nikon/Pentax k/M42 mount. I have a clean "AI'd" 35/2 Nikkor that I use with my DSLR so I haven't paid much attention to the lens's price in different mounts. But I'm sure it goes for quite a bit less than the FD/Nikkor offerings.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04