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Archive 2012 · Compact 200'ish alts?

mco_970
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p.1 #1 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Any suggestions for compact/high IQ 200mm+ lenses for NEX? Don't care if they are slow (f/4 or so).

I have CZJ135, looking for a bit more reach when needed.

Mar 06, 2012 at 03:11 PM

alexandre
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p.1 #2 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Zuiko 200/5 is tiny and good but not great. Maybe for NEX it's better because you'll use sweet spot only.

Mar 06, 2012 at 03:15 PM

Smiert Spionam
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p.1 #3 · Compact 200'ish alts?

The 200/4 AIS Nikkor and the 200/4 Canon FDn are both pretty tiny by modern SLR standards. Of the two, the Canon is a hair smaller and lighter, though it's not a dramatic difference. The Canon also has the advantage of a slimmer adapter. I sold my 200/4 AIS before I got my first NEX, so I haven't tried them back to back on the same camera. I recently bought the Canon for occasional use on the NEX, and I'm quite pleased by it. I suspect the Nikon might be a tiny bit better optically, but I don't have anything concrete to base that on, beyond some dissimilar examples. Both are quite good.

Both are inexpensive -- the Nikon is $100-150, while the Canon is just absurdly cheap. I think I paid $30 for it from KEH.

Mar 06, 2012 at 03:22 PM

FlyPenFly
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p.1 #4 · Compact 200'ish alts?

The Pentax M42 mount 200mm F4.... is not good, don't buy that.

Mar 06, 2012 at 03:31 PM

m-a-x
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p.1 #5 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Not 200mm+ but close, and GREAT: the CV APO-Lanthar 180mm F4

Mar 06, 2012 at 04:03 PM

Michael Gordon
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p.1 #6 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Zuiko 200/5 in MC flavor is a bit hard to find. CV180/4 is very compact and APO and close focusing but expensive.

http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/eSIF/om-sif/lensgroup/200mmf5.htm

CV180 f4 485 gm 66mm X 59mm 49mm filter!! MFD 1.2m Max mag 1:4

Mike

Mar 06, 2012 at 04:26 PM

wfrank
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p.1 #7 · Compact 200'ish alts?

From DDR there are the Jena 180 and 200's. Also 300's. Some of these can be had cheap, the below 200/2.8 is the same generation as my CZJ 135/4, but if you're lucky you'll find them in Zebra versions :-)

It's supposed to be a good performer, but I dont know how it is on the high-density 5N.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carl-Zeiss-Jena-DDR-Sonnar-200mm-F2-8-Len-42mm-fit-nikon-canon-pentax-sony-ect-/220969355536?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item3372ccc910#ht_578wt_1396

Mar 06, 2012 at 05:01 PM

Smiert Spionam
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p.1 #8 · Compact 200'ish alts?

I would dearly love to have a CV 180/4, both for the NEX and for my Nikon. If it were re-released at/near its original price, I'd probably buy it. But at the current market prices, it's a lot harder to justify.

Fantastic lens, by all accounts, though.

Mar 06, 2012 at 05:16 PM

Bifurcator
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p.1 #9 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Move up to the 300 range for actually "more reach".

Good 300mm primes are not compact though.

Good 300mm lenses incluse the Canon nFD 300/4 L, the Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 300/4.5, etc. Unless you budget goes into the thousands? Both those are between like $500 and $575.

If your budget is significantly lower many people seem to poopooh the idea but... there are quite a few older zooms that cover 200 to 300 and just simply rock on an APS-C or �4/3 camera! Many are light weight and just as compact as the �4/3 offerings - yet with better IQ and they only cost $50. And for that you could get 2 or 3 of them and still not be getting close to the cost of a native zoom nor any of the ones mentioned in this thread so far!

If your budget is higher then the APO Lanthar that m-a-x mentioned seems like it would be nice! I know for sure the 125 APO Lanthar rocks - and a half!

Mar 06, 2012 at 06:12 PM

Smiert Spionam
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p.1 #10 · Compact 200'ish alts?

What zoom is better optically than a $30 Canon FDn or $100 Nikon AIS 200/4?

Obviously, a 300mm is longer, but also obviously, they're bigger, and more expensive. For me, 200mm works well as a compact tag-along -- if I'm at 300mm or beyond, I'll probably want a tripod.

Mar 06, 2012 at 06:26 PM

rico
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p.1 #11 · Compact 200'ish alts?

My compact tele is the Yashica 200/4 ML C and the price is right. Will need a C/Y adapter. I also have the sibling 300/5.6 ML C, but it's in another weight class and more prone to motion blur.

Mar 06, 2012 at 08:16 PM

mco_970
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p.1 #12 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Thank you for the suggestions ~ I have some research to do now ~ I am looking for something lightish and cheapish that I can pack on my mountain bike.

It is becoming clear that I will eventually be pedalling around with a ridonkulous amount of gear! Guess I'll have great quads.

Mar 06, 2012 at 09:18 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #13 · Compact 200'ish alts?

m-a-x wrote:
Not 200mm+ but close, and GREAT: the CV APO-Lanthar 180mm F4

That lens is tough to beat, if you can find a copy. It would balance fairly well on the NEX and is equally good close up as it is at distances. Bokeh can be a little... meh, which makes it a questionable choice for portraits. But that's its only weakness. Sharp and incredibly well corrected. If you really like the focal length, it's one of those lenses you pay through the nose for and then, after shooting with it, wonder why you didn't have to pay more. It can be hard just to locate though, so some alternatives...

I really like the Elmarit-R 180/2.8 vII (shaped like a flashlight, last version pre-APO) but while small for the focal length and speed, it's still a chunk of glass. Good bokeh, wonderful draw for portraits, and stopped down to f/5.6, it's gets as sharp and practically as well corrected as it's APO sibling. The 180/3.4 APO isn't anything really special close up, and the bokeh can get downright squirrelly, but it resolves an amazing amount of detail from 10M to infinity. It may sound like hyperbole, but pixel-peeping land/cityscape shots from this lens may take your breath away. It too is a chunk, though, but if you only want the lens for distance shooting, you would probably find it worth the hassle.

I feel like the Nikon Ais 200/4 Macro should get mentioned. It's a long lens, nowhere near compact, but the performance is impressive and, like most MF Nikons, it's easy to find and relatively inexpensive. It's also internal focus so, you know, it won't get any longer. And it's got a tripod mount, which will come in very handy since it's so long. Did I mention the length? Seriously, though, it's a great lens and has a kick-ass focus range.

The OM 200 f/4 and 5 are the two smallest lenses I've shot in this range and, between the two, I'd go with the f/4. I have to say, though, I don't think 135-200mm was really in Oly's wheelhouse. And I'd skip the Canon FD offerings entirely, as there's not much there to get excited about.

Mar 06, 2012 at 10:18 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #14 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Bifurcator wrote:
Move up to the 300 range for actually "more reach".

Good 300mm primes are not compact though.

Good 300mm lenses incluse the Canon nFD 300/4 L, the Olympus Zuiko Auto-T 300/4.5, etc. Unless you budget goes into the thousands? Both those are between like $500 and $575.

If your budget is significantly lower many people seem to poopooh the idea but... there are quite a few older zooms that cover 200 to 300 and just simply rock on an APS-C or �4/3 camera! Many are light weight and just as compact as the �4/3 offerings - yet with better IQ and they only...Show more →

I bet the Contax 80-200/4 would be great. Not the most compact, but not all that huge and heavy. It's a little more than $50, but the IQ seems to justify the price.

Mar 06, 2012 at 10:24 PM

Lotusm50
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p.1 #15 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Zeiss Contax 200/f4.0
Nice, compact and a pretty good performer. All that color and contrast Zeiss is known for. Not expensive at all.

Mar 06, 2012 at 10:24 PM

pdmphoto
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p.1 #16 · Compact 200'ish alts?

I like what I get with my late model OM 200/4.

Mar 06, 2012 at 11:59 PM

slungu
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p.1 #17 · Compact 200'ish alts?

The Leica-R 180/2.8 II is a very nice lens, but I would recomend it when used with a Canon 1Ds and not with the NEX. I had that lens, liked it a lot, but I would be skeptical about pairing it with a small cam even if shot from tripod. Also got a FD 300/5.6 for the NEX - it's not that bad, but difficult to handle since it is long after all and very prone to CA wide open. The Zeiss 200/4 while not having a great MTF chart might fit the bill with it's 550g weight or for 100g more you get the 80-200/4 that might be better at 200mm than the prime.

Mar 07, 2012 at 02:09 AM

mco_970
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p.1 #18 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Yeah, I'm thinking hard about the 80-200. I have seen photos from it posted on the forum that are beautiful and the price on it is about right. It would pair really nicely with my 35-70.

Plus I have the adapter for it - that helps.

Mar 07, 2012 at 09:20 AM

CVickery
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p.1 #19 · Compact 200'ish alts?

+1 on the 80-200. Having second thoughts about selling mine.

Mar 07, 2012 at 09:54 AM

Peire
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p.1 #20 · Compact 200'ish alts?

Good and (relatively) small 200mm on the NEX from my experience:

C/Y:

Sonnar 200/4 , bit bigger but still not much 180/2.8 Sonnar and 80-200/4 Vario Sonnar (1m min foc dist at 200mm!).Forget 200/3.5 Sonnar - too much CAs.

Nikon:

200/4 AI/S,bigger but very good 180/2.8 ED (all versions), Nikon 80-200/4 AIS and 75-150/3.5 series E (other zooms of this focal length made by Kiron under different brand names are also regarded to be very good - I used Vivitar 75-150/3.8)

Minolta/Rokkor:

MD/MC Rokkor 200/4,MD Rokkor 75-200/4.5 - also 70-200/4 (not tried yet) very good and frequently overlooked

Pentacon Six (6x6cm) :

MC Sonnar 180/2.8

Canon FD: 200/4 and bigger 200/2.8 (SSC and nFD)

Mar 07, 2012 at 10:14 AM

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