Which Lenses for Trip w/ NEX-5N

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

I'm considering purchasing a NEX5N instead of the new Canon G1X for an upcoming trip to Europe. I have a Canon 5D2 and would prefer not to carry all of that gear around. If I go with the NEX5N combo, I'd be looking both a wide angle (preferably under 20mm) and 50mm fast primes. Manual focus is fine. Would you mind posting some recommendations for a total budget on lenses for around $600-800? I was thinking about going Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.4 Rolleiflex for my 50mm lens.

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

I would recommend a Tokina RMC 17mm F3.5 (available in M42, Canon FD and some more) as wide angle.
The M42 version should also work fine with your 5DMKII

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I would recommend the Sony SEL 2.8/16 (the Sony pancake) instead of an MF lens for the superwide shots.
Superwideangle SLR lenses adapted to the NEX-mount are insanely huge!

A nice and compact 28mm lens, such as the SMC Pentax-M 2.8/28 or a Zuiko 2.8/28 could work as your "normal" lens and a fast 50mm (e.g. the OM Zuiko 1.4/50 which also is pretty compact) as your portrait tele.
Finally a Leica Elmar-M 4/90 would complete your set.

You can find the 2.8/16 pre-owned for about US$ 150,-.
The Pentax-M 2.8/28 will be aroung US$ 50,-, the OM Zuiko 1.4/50 perhaps something like US$ 100,- and the Leica Elmar 4/90 about US$ 200,-.

So the whole set will set you back about US$ 500,- so that you even could add the Kit lens 18-55 OSS which sometimes is extremely useful.

Effective focal lenghts will be: 24mm, 42mm, 75mm, 135mm and 27-83mm. All you need with a NEX!

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I'll take a look at that Tokina but it may be too large to put into a jacket pocket. I'm liking the sample pics of the Zuiko's that I've seen. However, it looks like the converter adds a good amount of extra length to the lens. Is there a slimmer OM converter available for the NEX?

hoanpham · Expire: 2015-01-18

Nex 16/2,8, or MF pentax M20/4, zuiko 21/3.5, any pancake lenses. Pentax 50/1.7, 28/3.5, M85/2, M100/2.8, M135/3.5 or zuikos equivalent...

bhargav · Expire: 2014-11-24

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

I my experience wide angles are more important than 50mm lenses on holidays with APS-C cameras
You want so see something from the brackground.
And yes the Tokina RMC is pretty large on NEX

revers · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:28 pm Post subject:

Reasonably small, light & sharp is the Minolta 45/2.

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I agree with all above. I think you can afford a Voigtlander 12mm Leica M mount lens , that is usable on NEX with a simple Leica M adapter
and you will have a stunning 18mm lens on your NEX. Lens is very small , perfect company of your NEX.

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

Thanks for the continued suggestions everyone. The Voigtlander looks great but abit out of budget unless I can find one at a lower used price. I'd prefer to get the new Zeiss for NEX which has auto focus if I'm going to purchase a lens at that price. Are there any other alternatives for small form factor super-wide?

Also, The minolta 50mm looks like a great smaller lens but the converter for NEX is also very thick. It would be nice to carry the NEX5 with a mounted 24mm (or below) with a 50mm in my coat pocket during the trip. Maybe this is abit unreasonable Smile

ForenSeil · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 2726 Location: Kiel, Germany.

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

No fannie packs for me Smile

I think I'm going to go with the Konica 40mm based on size, price and image quality and the Voigtlander 15mm for size, price and focal length. That will run around $1000 for the kit. I'd be tempted to look at the Fuji x100 for that price but I really wasn't impressed with the x10 when I tried that a few weeks ago.

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

the 16 is the cheapest and fine if you are not too demanding.

I'll leave out the SLR glass because it's too large to travel with IMHO.

Also small but far superior for landscapes: cv 15 in ltm or M (can be found for 300USD with patience)

The best wide I know for the nex:

ZM 18mm

how good is it?
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/969329/120#10106093

only the leica 18 is in this league in the 16-19 range on the nex sensor.

Tedat · Joined: 08 Nov 2011 Posts: 800 Location: Berlin/Germany

revers · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:55 pm Post subject:

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I had 15mm Heliar in L39 mount I couldn't try it on m4/3 due it goes deep into camera body, I believe it's unusable on NEX too. I saw 12mm Voigtlander with Leica M mount on NEX-3.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Oh if you want a small inexpensive packet to travel , buy Samsung NX100 with 20-50 kit lens. It has stunning IQ and small, inexpensive.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

Looks nice but I would rather put the money into something I will use when I get home. I'd also go with the G1X if I went that route due t the sensor size and viewfinder. I'm actually leaning towards the NEX7 now but they seem to be pretty hard to come by :/

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

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

I finally figured out my lens selection. I'm slightly over budget but it's looking like I'll be moving to all nex from my current 5D2 setup. I've been extreemly impressed with the images that I've taken with the 15mm (and Voigtlander 40mm which I've since returned in favor of the Contax G's). For the trip, I'll most likely be taking the 15mm/45mm and maybe the 28mm. Thanks again for the suggestions everyone and I'll post pics taken with the new G's when I get them.

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

without question the best bang for buck in a nex lens set.

Very light.
Very sharp.

The only downside is the Contax G adapter and it's mechanical focusing, and you have nothing for low light. Bokeh on the 28 and 45 must be watched.

the small fast ones that come to mind are:

CV ultron 28/2 (not super small--but good) 1.9 also fine
CV 35/1.4: sharp outside the deep corners, some distortion, but very small. (40/1.4 cheaper and also works)
Pen-F 42/1.2 Fantastic on the nex, good both wide open and sharp at f/8, samllest super speed available. Downside is contax like bokeh.
some sort of fast 50. Ideal would be a very clean sonnar 50/1.5--mabye late 50's zeiss contax--but a J3 if good, would work, and there are a number of others--includig maybe the nikon 50/1.4--mine is no good at distance but others are.

the old zeiss sonnars are small and very interesting

nonac · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 28

I was planning on using the 45/2 for low light.