Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:23 pm    Post subject: Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7 Reply with quote
I wonder if anybody here can recommend a legacy 35mm that works well with FF ?

I have a PG Rokkor with a lazy iris that is just adequate (worse than the 37-70mm Rokkor zoom).

Size and speed less important than contrast and sharpness. I have Minolta MD, Nikon F and M42 adapters already, but happy to get another for the right lens


PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RE, AUTO TOPCOR 2.8 / 35
Carl Zeiss Flektogon 2.8 / 35
Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8 / 35
Voigtländer Color-Skoparex 2.8 / 35 (same as Distagon)
Minolta MC W. Rokkor-HH 1.8 / 35

Those i have experienced and liked on the a7


PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A Flektogon 2.4/35 is hard to beat for the price.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have two favorites -- one can be found for a reasonable price, and the other usually not.

For years, my favorite 35mm lens was the old Canon FL 35mm f/2.5. It's a beautifully made lens and mine has always delivered exceptional images. Plus you can usually find one for a reasonable price, if you're patient.

This next lens, you'll have to be extremely patient to find one at a reasonable price, ever since it was "discovered" by the mirrorless crowd a couple years ago: the Vivitar 35mm f/1.9. This lens is exceedingly sharp and contrasty. I bought one in Canon FD mount just to add to my collection about five years ago. Paid $40 for it. But that was then. Now it's a different story. You might possibily be able to pick one up for cheaper in Minolta MD/MC mount or Canon FD (not easily adaptable to either Canon EOS, Pentax, or Nikon), but because of the rising popularity of mirrorless cameras, this distinction may no longer hold.


PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:33 pm    Post subject: MIR-24 2.0/35 Reply with quote
I have a certain fondness for the Jupiter-12 and Konica Hexanon 2.0/35. However what I am going to recommend is a new lens to my collection, the MIR-24 2.0/35. Rather than talk about it let me share some recent photos. All of these are out of camera JPGs taken with an A7II.


















PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Olympus OM 35mm f/2.8 Shift lens is a cracking 35, with the added bonuses of shift of an open/closed button for the aperture allowing focus wide open and stop down to shoot. It's also smaller and lighter than a classic Canon FD 35/2.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My favourite 35mm lens on my A7r is my Canon FD 35/2.8 Tilt/Shiftits IQ is astounding, the only issue I have is its size.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My first choice is the Flektogon 35 / 2.5, The MIR 1B isn't a bad copy though. I also like the Jupiter 12 35 / 2.8 but I'm not sure if it comes in M42 ? There's two Soligor 35 / 2.8's in my box, and one is OK while the other is very good. The very good is a Tokina No. 1731**** and the OK lens is a Kiron No. 211***. It's a bit of a lottery with wide Soligors.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I tested some of my 35s lens on A7. The best one is the MD W.Rokkor 35/1.8. Might be the pain MD 35/2.8 will be even better but I need the extra speed and DOF.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:41 am    Post subject: Re: Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7 Reply with quote
hemeterfilms wrote:
I wonder if anybody here can recommend a legacy 35mm that works well with FF ?

I have a PG Rokkor with a lazy iris that is just adequate (worse than the 37-70mm Rokkor zoom).

Size and speed less important than contrast and sharpness. I have Minolta MD, Nikon F and M42 adapters already, but happy to get another for the right lens


Because the sensor stack of the A7 is 1.9mm vs 1.1 for Nikon D810, or 1.2 for Canon 5D3, the A7 struggles with many film 35s, including SLR registers. It's not that they are terrible, but the bite you see with the native FE35/2.8 is not there. This can be addressed with the Kolari thin stack mod which costs 400USD, and then the legacy lenses really shine. However that's not possible for many, and I did try many 35s on the stock A7.

For me, the best was the FD 35/2 Lanthium SSC with concave front element.


DSC00087-4 by unoh7, f/8


DSC00114-2 by unoh7, f/2


DSC00019 by unoh7, f/2

The centers are quite good with most 35s, but the filter stack induces a FC which is most evident at wide apertures or at infinity, and means the edges appear to smear a bit, or with RF lenses, a lot. In fact it's just the focal point on the edges is closer, so if you put closer objects on the edge, the lens can appear sharp across the frame.

If you do go to the trouble of doing the mod, the world is your oyster. Here a lens which is literally unusable on the stock A7(terrible smearing on the edges), the ZM 35/2, now on the A7.mod:

DSC03392 by unoh7, on Flickr


Foothills of Smoky Dome by unoh7, on Flickr

Most who really crave high performance with the A7 cameras buy a native lens set. That route is also beset with pitfall however as copy variation is rife. Far more than Canikon lenses. Ming, who does a very good blog, had to try 5 55/1.8 copies to get a good one. But a good one is really good on the stock sensor as the processor recognizes the lens and helps, besides the basic design adaptations for the thick stack.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Topcon re 35mm, flektogon, pentax smc 35mm 2.8 is quite sharp for the price. Lots of good choices.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I really like the rendering of the Konica Hexanon AR 35/2.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't know for A7 but for my A7s i'm very happy with the Voigtländer 35mm f/1.7 Ultron (old version, M39).


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:29 am    Post subject: Re: Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7 Reply with quote
uhoh7 wrote:


Because the sensor stack of the A7 is 1.9mm vs 1.1 for Nikon D810, or 1.2 for Canon 5D3, the A7 struggles with many film 35s, including SLR registers. It's not that they are terrible, but the bite you see with the native FE35/2.8 is not there. This can be addressed with the Kolari thin stack mod which costs 400USD, and then the legacy lenses really shine. However that's not possible for many, and I did try many 35s on the stock A7.


The centers are quite good with most 35s, but the filter stack induces a FC which is most evident at wide apertures or at infinity, and means the edges appear to smear a bit, or with RF lenses, a lot. In fact it's just the focal point on the edges is closer, so if you put closer objects on the edge, the lens can appear sharp across the frame.


Most who really crave high performance with the A7 cameras buy a native lens set. That route is also beset with pitfall however as copy variation is rife. Far more than Canikon lenses. Ming, who does a very good blog, had to try 5 55/1.8 copies to get a good one. But a good one is really good on the stock sensor as the processor recognizes the lens and helps, besides the basic design adaptations for the thick stack.



Can you explain this story a bit further?

I do not understand what mean with lenses not working optimal on some sensors.
And do you mean field curvature with the term "FC"?


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Perhaps uhoh7 could start a thread about this A7 mod for those who are interested.
A good opportunity to discuss his experience and his theory about this topic. Meanwhile we could carry on discussing about lenses.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7 Reply with quote
chris_zeel wrote:
uhoh7 wrote:


Because the sensor stack of the A7 is 1.9mm vs 1.1 for Nikon D810, or 1.2 for Canon 5D3, the A7 struggles with many film 35s, including SLR registers. It's not that they are terrible, but the bite you see with the native FE35/2.8 is not there. This can be addressed with the Kolari thin stack mod which costs 400USD, and then the legacy lenses really shine. However that's not possible for many, and I did try many 35s on the stock A7.


The centers are quite good with most 35s, but the filter stack induces a FC which is most evident at wide apertures or at infinity, and means the edges appear to smear a bit, or with RF lenses, a lot. In fact it's just the focal point on the edges is closer, so if you put closer objects on the edge, the lens can appear sharp across the frame.


Most who really crave high performance with the A7 cameras buy a native lens set. That route is also beset with pitfall however as copy variation is rife. Far more than Canikon lenses. Ming, who does a very good blog, had to try 5 55/1.8 copies to get a good one. But a good one is really good on the stock sensor as the processor recognizes the lens and helps, besides the basic design adaptations for the thick stack.



Can you explain this story a bit further?

I do not understand what mean with lenses not working optimal on some sensors.
And do you mean field curvature with the term "FC"?


Yes, the thick cover over the sensor in effect adds a extra element. To achieve proper results on the optical bench the Sony lenses need 2mm of optical glass added:

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/10/sony-e-mount-lens-sharpness-bench-tests

they are tuned to the thick sensor cover. SLR lenses are not and the end result is: "meh". Not that you can't take great pictures: the centers are basically fine, and bokeh is smoothed. But forget the accross the frame performance you would get on film.

Because yes, the cover makes a field curvature on it's own.

See for example this overview of various SLR lenses on the A7 and note how often FC is mentioned by this very experienced shooter:
http://phillipreeve.net/blog/manual-minolta-lens-ratings/

Film in effect has "no cover" and the lenses are designed for that. Bottomline: the D810 is superior to any A7 with any Nikon SLR 35 because it's cover is only 1.1. (though the sensor is made by Sony LOL)


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
memetph wrote:
Perhaps uhoh7 could start a thread about this A7 mod for those who are interested.
A good opportunity to discuss his experience and his theory about this topic. Meanwhile we could carry on discussing about lenses.


Good suggestion as the other A7 owners here seem quite happy with the performance of retrofocal lenses on their cameras.


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
There's so many Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm... are they all good or depends? We're not talking about the "Jena" version right?


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
memetph wrote:
Perhaps uhoh7 could start a thread about this A7 mod for those who are interested.
A good opportunity to discuss his experience and his theory about this topic. Meanwhile we could carry on discussing about lenses.


Good suggestion as the other A7 owners here seem quite happy with the performance of retrofocal lenses on their cameras.


By all means lets attack another member for his take on a topic, yet again.

You guys want to ignore the reality of how the various sensors effect lens performance, it's fine. But don't try to "sensor" me. LOL I'm fully on topic in trying to get the best 35 performance on a7.

I made the first post ever on the camera in this forum (Ian ridiculed that post and the camera at the time, as well--now he is expert on A7), and I know what I'm talking about. Smile

It's your choice to listen or not. Smile

You guys know the options already, did it ever occur to you the OP or other readers may not?


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Recommendation for a nice 35mm for Sony A7 Reply with quote
uhoh7 wrote:
chris_zeel wrote:
uhoh7 wrote:


Because the sensor stack of the A7 is 1.9mm vs 1.1 for Nikon D810, or 1.2 for Canon 5D3, the A7 struggles with many film 35s, including SLR registers. It's not that they are terrible, but the bite you see with the native FE35/2.8 is not there. This can be addressed with the Kolari thin stack mod which costs 400USD, and then the legacy lenses really shine. However that's not possible for many, and I did try many 35s on the stock A7.


The centers are quite good with most 35s, but the filter stack induces a FC which is most evident at wide apertures or at infinity, and means the edges appear to smear a bit, or with RF lenses, a lot. In fact it's just the focal point on the edges is closer, so if you put closer objects on the edge, the lens can appear sharp across the frame.


Most who really crave high performance with the A7 cameras buy a native lens set. That route is also beset with pitfall however as copy variation is rife. Far more than Canikon lenses. Ming, who does a very good blog, had to try 5 55/1.8 copies to get a good one. But a good one is really good on the stock sensor as the processor recognizes the lens and helps, besides the basic design adaptations for the thick stack.



Can you explain this story a bit further?

I do not understand what mean with lenses not working optimal on some sensors.
And do you mean field curvature with the term "FC"?


Yes, the thick cover over the sensor in effect adds a extra element. To achieve proper results on the optical bench the Sony lenses need 2mm of optical glass added:

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2015/10/sony-e-mount-lens-sharpness-bench-tests

they are tuned to the thick sensor cover. SLR lenses are not and the end result is: "meh". Not that you can't take great pictures: the centers are basically fine, and bokeh is smoothed. But forget the accross the frame performance you would get on film.

Because yes, the cover makes a field curvature on it's own.

See for example this overview of various SLR lenses on the A7 and note how often FC is mentioned by this very experienced shooter:
http://phillipreeve.net/blog/manual-minolta-lens-ratings/

Film in effect has "no cover" and the lenses are designed for that. Bottomline: the D810 is superior to any A7 with any Nikon SLR 35 because it's cover is only 1.1. (though the sensor is made by Sony LOL)


The register distance is to long for a Nikon DSLR to be any fun with the majority of legacy lenses.

There are many dslr`s with thicker filter stack than the Sony A7 series. The A7 filter stack is what you can call avarage (1,85mm). Leica cameras on the other hand have very thin filter stack. I have quite a few RF lenses and I will do the Kolari mod pretty soon for sure.

Last edited by Nordentro on Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:39 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
uhoh7 wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
memetph wrote:
Perhaps uhoh7 could start a thread about this A7 mod for those who are interested.
A good opportunity to discuss his experience and his theory about this topic. Meanwhile we could carry on discussing about lenses.


Good suggestion as the other A7 owners here seem quite happy with the performance of retrofocal lenses on their cameras.


By all means lets attack another member for his take on a topic, yet again.

You guys want to ignore the reality of how the various sensors effect lens performance, it's fine. But don't try to "sensor" me. LOL I'm fully on topic in trying to get the best 35 performance on a7.

I made the first post ever on the camera in this forum (Ian ridiculed that post and the camera at the time, as well--now he is expert on A7), and I know what I'm talking about. Smile

It's your choice to listen or not. Smile

You guys know the options already, did it ever occur to you the OP or other readers may not?



Are you sure about all consequences of this modification , especially with FE lenses?
Do you ignore that this modification consists also in removing the AA filter ?
Do you think this last point has no influence on the performance?
In that case , are you sure that the thickness of the glass can be considered as decisive with SLR lenses?
Would you recommend an A7r or an A7mod for an SLR lenses user ?
The same question if this user has also FE lenses ?
You are talking about D800 , does anybody have compared the subjective results between this camera and a D750 ( Sony 24 Mpx without AA filter) ?


PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
memetph wrote:
uhoh7 wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
memetph wrote:
Perhaps uhoh7 could start a thread about this A7 mod for those who are interested.
A good opportunity to discuss his experience and his theory about this topic. Meanwhile we could carry on discussing about lenses.


Good suggestion as the other A7 owners here seem quite happy with the performance of retrofocal lenses on their cameras.


By all means lets attack another member for his take on a topic, yet again.

You guys want to ignore the reality of how the various sensors effect lens performance, it's fine. But don't try to "sensor" me. LOL I'm fully on topic in trying to get the best 35 performance on a7.

I made the first post ever on the camera in this forum (Ian ridiculed that post and the camera at the time, as well--now he is expert on A7), and I know what I'm talking about. Smile

It's your choice to listen or not. Smile

You guys know the options already, did it ever occur to you the OP or other readers may not?



Are you sure about all consequences of this modification , especially with FE lenses?
Do you ignore that this modification consists also in removing the AA filter ?
Do you think this last point has no influence on the performance?
In that case , are you sure that the thickness of the glass can be considered as decisive with SLR lenses?
Would you recommend an A7r or an A7mod for an SLR lenses user ?
The same question if this user has also FE lenses ?
You are talking about D800 , does anybody have compared the subjective results between this camera and a D750 ( Sony 24 Mpx without AA filter) ?

The Low Pass Filter(LPF/AA filter) is replaced with a thinner LPF similar to the one in the Leica M9.
http://kolarivision.com/product/sony-a7-series-thin-filter-legacy-lens-upgrade/


PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I can't read that, sorry. Only removal'of AA filter.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well thank you to everybody who replied - you have given me some unexpected suggestions as well as the "usual suspects".

I did snag a Asahi Super Multi Coated 35/f3.5 from Ebay yesterday, on impulse really because it seemed quite cheap and I have seen some rather nice images from it. Unfortunately it will be a while before I can get my hands on it; I live in Mexico and have had to postpone my usual Xmas trip home to the UK where I can collect it (along with some others).

Anyway I now have 35mm prime fever so I may go into Mexico City and scour the 2nd hand shops here to look for some other of your suggestions.. The concave Thorium beast from Canon does look very interesting and I might get lucky - who knows.

As to the Kolari issue - there does seem to be an advantage, but it is expensive and not really a route I want to follow at the moment.


PostPosted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
vanylapep wrote:
There's so many Carl Zeiss Flektogon 35mm... are they all good or depends? We're not talking about the "Jena" version right?

Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm exists only... Carl Zeiss has Distagon or Biogon
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3