Top 3 Manual lenses recommendations for Sony a7? (portret/B&

[goranilic]

HI,

Recently purchased A7 and this opened whole new experience for me due to a large variety of options for using adapters.

Would like to hear from members what would be your recommendation according to your experience with MF lenses on A7. I am specifically interested in portret lenses shooting indoor, also some low light BW. Focal lenght from 50mm to 135mm... primes only.

Very eager to hear what are your top 3 options...
Budget up to $400.

Best.

Gor
P.S. hope this is not a duplicate thread?!

[leemik]

50: Helios 44-2, Pancolar 50/1.8, Takumar 50/1.4, 55/1.8.. lots of good cheap 50's
85: Jupiter-9
135: Pentacon 135mm f/2.8 with 12 blade aperture ("Bokeh Monster")

[bernhardas]

edited

[Raxar]

you should take advantage of the being mirror-less and short flange of your camera! for example any 3rd party lens with MD-FD-AR-XM mount is gonna be cheaper than AI-OM-M42-CY because they cant be used on canon SLRs.

also B&W and indoor means contrast is not a big problem! so i think canon FL lens would be good choice! they are super cheap and feels very good (all metal design) you can get 50/1.4 and 135/2.5 for about 100$ combined! if you need faster glass 58/1.2 is about 150$. as for 90mm, Gontax G sonnar 90/2.8 is the best (considering its price) imho.

[TrueLoveOne]

You are going to get as much opinions as there are different lenses.... it's all a matter of taste!

Stroll around on this forum, look at sample pictures and take your pick.

I'd say (my personal opinion) take a look at Minolta and Konica primes, top-class glass at very reasonable prices!

[dan_]

The lenses in the 50mm range are, most of them, very good and you'll end up owning a lot of them if you take the MF path. But, sooner or latter, you'll get at least one Helios 44M-x (they simply are the best bang for the buck). Why not to start with one of them? They only cost ~30$.
The Helios 44-2 has more character and swirly bokeh wide opened while the Helios 44M-7 has the best coating.

In the 135mm range the situation is similar - most of them are very good. I'll follow the bernhardas recommendation and advice you to go for a Zeiss Contax 135 f/2.8 for ~180 USD. It simply is one of the best 135mm MF lens that money can buy.

For the 85mm range I'll consider some different, more modern options. I'll go for a new Samiyang 85mm f/1.4 for ~260$ if f/1.4 is a must.
If you can live with f/2.8 I'll strongly recomand the Sony SAM 85mm f/2.8. It is an AF lens but on your A7 it needs a LA-EA3/4 to AF. Otherwise, with a cheap manual focus Minolta AF -> E-mount adapter, it can only be used in the manual focus mode.
It is a modern Sonnar of a surprising good quality for what it costs - I've payed for mine 150$. Yes, It has a cheap, all-plastic mount, but the IQ is really nice - very sharp from wide opened and with a lovely Sonnar Bokeh. I've recently got mine and I'm still amazed of how well it handles the Hi-Res sensor of my A7RII. Its a pleasure to use it. It's very light and small compared with other 85mm lenses - perfectly poketable! Highly recomended!
You can see some sample photos here.

[cooltouch]

Since you're interested in low-light photography, and since your budget is up to $400, I'd recommend looking for lenses in the f/1.2 to f/2 range. I'm assuming this $400 is per lens and not total for your three lenses, right?

In the 50mm range, I think Canon lenses are a good choice. The FL 55/1.2 usually runs about $100 or so less than the FD 55//1.2 (not the aspherical, though). So prices range roughly from $150 to $250. I own a copy of each an I believe they use the same optical formula. I''ve tested mine against each other and I can't tell the difference in terms of IQ. Functionally, they are equivalent performers on the A7, since the FD's full aperture metering capability isn't used. Both are very good performers, even when used wide open.

With portrait focal lengths, you have a lot of choices. The Canon FD 85/1.8 is a nice performer, as are the Nikon 85/1.8 and 85/2. The old M42 Takumars will also fall within the same general price range as the Canon and Nikons. I've heard good things about the Minolta 85/1.7 but I've never used one. Even the Samyang 85/1.4 is excellent. Prices will range from a bit less than $200 to about $270 for a new Samyang. The Minoltas tend to go for $300 and up. Something a bit longer, around 100mm, and my preference is the Nikon 105/2.5. Prices for it are about the same as they are for the Nikon 85/1.8.

Fast 135s can get pricey. If you shop around, you can find the Nikon 135mm f/2 within your budget. Then there are the various aftermarket 135/1.8s whose prices can be all over the place, but occasionally can be found within your budget. And there's also the Vivitar Series 1 135/2.3 -- a touch slower but typically a good deal cheaper than the Nikon or the fast aftermarkets.

So there's considerable flexibility in your wishes/demands. Happy hunting!

[dan_]

If the budget is 400$/lens then indeed there are a lot of better options.

[cooltouch]

Well, $400 per lens is what I assumed, since the OP mentioned low light preferences. If the total budget is $400 that changes things drastically. I'd go for a 50/1.4, 85/1.8 and a 135/2.8, or maybe a 135/2.5, to stay within budget. Barely. Might even be able to fit in the Vivitar S1 135/2.3 and stay under $400.

[memetph]

In the 50mm range , I like very much the Rollei Pkanar 50 1.8 and the Zenitar 50 1.7.
As a short telelens I like the Canon FD 100 2.8 .
altogether far below your budget.

[newst]

A set of LTM rangefinder recommendations.
Advantages are small size and quality glass and the Soviet alternatives are very inexpensive. The M39 to Sony E adapter is small and inexpensive.
Disadvantage is that rangefinder lenses generally have a minimal focus distance of about one meter.

Canon LTM 1.8/50, excellent, small and light, sharp.

As a Sonnar alternative, Jupiter-8 LTM 2.0/50 or Canon LTM 1.5/50.

Canon LTM 1.8/85 or Jupiter-9 LTM 2.0/85.

Canon LTM 3.5/135 or Jupiter-11 LTM 135/4.0

[listera]

Too many combinations exist for $400. Most of the major brands have good offers for 50 1.4 & 85 1.8 and 135 2.8 slots.
Canon FD might be the most easily accesible set.
I would prefer a Zuiko set, but each poster would have her/his own pick.

[kansalliskala]

Nikkor 55/2.8 and 105/2.5

edit: was $400/lens? you get both for that

[Jiaming]

Almost all 50mm lenses are good enough and inexpensive. I use takumar 55 2 and pentacon 50 1.8, both very nice.
135mm lenses are similar, mostly good and affordable, but I would highly recommend Color-Dynarex 135/4 - the color is excellent! The aperture is a bit small though. Taks are also decent choices. Meyer/Pentacon bokeh monsters should be good (I do not personally have experiences), but seems that they are over-priced.
85mm lenses are more expensive, but should still be well within the budget. I would recommend some soviet stuff, like Jupiter -9 or Helios-40. Another choice might be using medium format lenses. They are generally pretty good, but quite bulky.

[Marek]

Some newer cheap Japanese/Korean +/- 50mm lens, they tend to be pretty fast quite often, although usually not very sharp wide-open

Russian portrait lens are still a bit cheap, Jupiter-9, Helios-40, Kaleinar 100, or German Telefogar 90 (a bit harder to adapt) and Orestor 100 to name a few. But there is no real bargain in portraiture cathegory for lets say $25

There is plenty of cheap fast 135mm lens but I'd pick some less fast but cool Meyer instead to cover bubble bokeh, just as Primotar 135 or Telemegor 180. Tair-11 (silver one) is pretty good, cool looking and still quite affordable stuff too


Have some of these for sale in good overall condition, feel free to drop me a line if you want to

[bwana]

[quote="goranilic"]HI,

Recently purchased A7 and this opened whole new experience for me due to a large variety of options for using adapters.

Would like to hear from members what would be your recommendation according to your experience with MF lenses on A7. I am specifically interested in portret lenses shooting indoor, also some low light BW. Focal lenght from 50mm to 135mm... primes only.

Very eager to hear what are your top 3 options...
Budget up to $400.

Best.

Gor
P.S. hope this is not a duplicate thread?![/quote]

I use almost the full suite of Samyang/Rokinon/Bower manual lenses (6.5/8 f/3.5, 14 f/2.8, 24 f/1.4, 35 f/1.4, 85 f/1.4 & 135 f/2mm) on A7R, A7S, A7 II and A7R II cameras, and find them good value.

If I had to choose three, I'd take the 14, 35 and 135mm. The 85mm is reasonable but there are a lot of great 85mm lenses on the market. The 24mm doesn't get much use because I also have the Sony FE 24-240mm which you would normally find on at least one of my cameras and it just sorta gets used more often, but the 24mm @ f/1.4 is great for low light shooting.

I also use Metabones III/IV, Commlite, Fotodiox and King automatic adapters with Canon EF mount lenses, and also adapt Canon FD, Pentax, Minolta, M42, T2, Sigma and Tamron lenses to the A7 bodies. Image quality with adapters is at least as good, if not better, on a Sony body as it was on the original body.

If you can, rent a few lenses to get a feel for them, then see if you can negotiate a rent to buy arrangement...

bwa

P.S.: I should mention I also have a Sony FE 70-200mm lens. It is soft on the edges and in the corners. I find the Sony's FE 24-240 to give better image quality and is about half the price!

[dan_]

[memetph]

You are probably right regarding his FE 70/200.
I have nevertheless many doubts about DXOmarks . Comparing my FE 28/70 and my FE 16/35 in reality at 35 and 28 mm and watching the DXO measurements is surprising. Those measurements do not reflect the reality.

[stevemark]

I would recommend the following three lenses:

* Canon new FD 2/135mm (wonderful for portrait - due to its bokeh i like it much more than any of my (many) 2.8/135mm lenses
* Minolta MD 2.5/100mm (small, lightweight, contrasty & sharp) od Nikkor AiS 1.8/105mm
* Any of the following (all these lenses behave nearly identical): Canon FD 1.8/85mm SSC or newFD 1.8/85mm, Minolta 1.7/85mm, Nikkor Ai 1.8/85mm
* For portrait on the A7 i would NOT recommend a 50mm lens but a 58mm such as the Minolta MC 1.4/58mm or the MC 1.2/58mm (which is in reality 59.5 mm lens)

Stephan

[uhoh7]

Stock A7, 400 bucks OK

Canon FL 55/1.2 = 120USD
Kiron 28/2 in FD mount (maybe)= 70USD
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kiron-28mm-f2-/371541540889?hash=item56819a0019:g:EZUAAOSwpzdWp9qd
Canon FD 85/1.8 80USD
Canon FD 135/2.8 maybe 70 USD? or less.

There you go fast lenses, sharp, and under budget

Get K&F FD adapter for under 20USD:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LECYIWE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

[Rick1779]

85mm Jupiter-9
135mm jupiter-11

both in ltm

50ish mm
Helios-44
Minolta MD Rokkor 50/1.7 or Rokkor 45/2
Planar 50/1.7

out of the focal range
Nokton 40/1.4

[goranilic]