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Archive 2014 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.

  
 
RustyBug
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Well, when the topic is Bang for the Buck ... the definition of Bang is certainly a factor, as is threshold, etc.

These are all lenses that perform well past functional, but each has their limitations / shortcomings of different varieties. In the realm of optics, it may not always be a matter of which is better, but sometimes it is a matter of which of your poison(s) do you want to avoid.

CA & weak corners vs. more contrast. While some folks view the greater micro-contrast of the C/Y as part of their Bang, others view good corners and absence of CA or distortion as part of their Bang. While still others prefer biting sharpness their Bang.

Given that no single lens (in the realm of this discussion) can achieve all attributes equally, they all must give some concession(s) @ compromise. Which concession(s) a person is willing to make is certainly an individual choice ... then when it comes to Bang for the Buck, yup the low dollar tends to win when one considers that all are making a concession of one type or another ... barring a specific preference toward one attribute @ desired vs. undesired.





Aug 01, 2014 at 09:49 AM
Tariq Gibran
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


+1 very true!


Aug 01, 2014 at 10:26 AM
WhyFi
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


RustyBug wrote:
These are all lenses that perform well past functional, but each has their limitations / shortcomings of different varieties. In the realm of optics, it may not always be a matter of which is better, but sometimes it is a matter of which of your poison(s) do you want to avoid.

CA & weak corners vs. more contrast. While some folks view the greater micro-contrast of the C/Y as part of their Bang, others view good corners and absence of CA or distortion as part of their Bang. While still others prefer biting sharpness their Bang.

Given that no single lens
...Show more

Certainly, and it's the same thing in audio, except that we're talking about things like dynamics, imaging, tonal balance, etc, etc; knowing what trips one's trigger is key.




Aug 01, 2014 at 10:46 AM
tsdevine
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.



I was a little disappointed with the Canon 28mm f/2.8 IS. Holds sharpness in the corners well, but there is a fairly big drop in sharpness across the frame going from f/8 to f/11. At least on mine.

I like my Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AI-s better as it's sharper over most of the frame (except the deep corners) at the apertures I normally shoot. It also doesn't seem to drop as much in sharpness going from f/8 to f/11 either.

I've seen a little more CA on the Canon vs the Nikon as well.

Again YMMV....could be my lens.

-Tim

AhamB wrote:
That's why I mentioned rendering. You can't compare rendering in numbers, but the difference is big enough for me to pay the premium for the Contax. The Zuiko is plenty sharp, especially for its price. I bought and sold mine for 30 euros (around $50). I like the ergonomics of the Contax better too (focus ring especially).

@Tariq: I hadn't heard about the Pentax K 28/3.5 being good before (can't find it on ebay, btw). The Contax isn't the sharpest landscape 28 mm out there, but it can give very pleasing images with good sharpness across the frame. I definitely wouldn't
...Show more




Aug 01, 2014 at 12:13 PM
ebookman
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Landscape with Contax 28mm f/2.8 C/Y This has to be one of the best landscape lenses for under $250 or maybe just one of the best 28mm lenses at any price. -- Sony A7r



http://jendale.smugmug.com/Other/Fort-Ebey/i-f5vrkDM/0/O/DSC04109.jpg



Aug 02, 2014 at 09:19 PM
osv2
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Flav wrote:
I want to ask from experienced users of old manual focus lenses - hopefully used on new high resolution cameras, what is in their regards the best bang for buck manual focus 24 or 28 mm lens for landscape (or 21, why not).
I've just bought a Sony A7 with the 55/1.8 and added a rokinon 14/2.8 for ultra wide, but i'm missing a wide angle, and my budget is too limited at the moment


on the a7r... 28mm or longer is much better than 24mm, and there are a metric ton of cheap 28mm primes out there.

you want cheap... bottom of the barrel: 28mm generics can be surprising, but not the 49mm filter thread versions, nor the old 58mm filter thread versions, like soligor, unless you get lucky... i think that the other filter size for the generics is 52mm? think albinar adg, it's clean across the frame, but it still has slight vignetting at ~f10... my copy is slightly decentered.

i have three 28mm/f2.0 kiron/viv lenses, that have a 55mm filter thread... not pretty on the sides wide open, but by ~f10, they are good across the frame, probably keepers... just watch out for oily aperture blades.

the pentax-m 28mm f/3.5 is fairly sharp wide open, great lens, but it only has five aperture blades, so the bokeh can get downright ugly on rare occasions, like when you are shooting a center-focused object, with a close background... unfortunately the SMC Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8 also has five blades, so possibly all of the old pentax 28mm slr primes are the same?

i have a pristine konica hexanon 28mm f/3.5, it's contrasty and sharp, but vignettes badly wide open on the a7r... plus it's decentered.

the oly 28mm f/3.5 has a kind of similar contrasty look to that konica, so it has potential, but both of the wide oly lenses that i have are decentered, so no more oly; there are more reliable alternatives.

lately i've been evaluating a minolta celtic 28mm f/2.8; they go for cheap, and they don't have that funky five blade aperture setup.




Aug 03, 2014 at 12:09 AM
Frogfish
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


There was a post above (Whyfi) that mentioned having a lens that 'sings to you'. For me this is the C/Y 28/2.8. The CA doesn't matter, in most cases it's easily removed, but there is just something about this lens I love. Unfortunately I sold it when I left Pentax for Nikon, wish I hadn't and the more people talk about it the more I want it back ! However it's not the lightest 28mm out there (as with all Contax's, though I do like metal lenses).

Currently I'm using the Zuiko 24/2.8 for my wide needs on the A7. It is pretty sharp across most of the frame and renders nicely .. and is very small and light.

For me 24mm is close enough to 28mm not to matter. Now 21mm is something else (I have the Zeiss for that - but again size and weight is an issue).

Pentax K28 f/3.5 : I haven't tried this lens but over here (on the Chinese equivalent, but better controlled, version of EBay) it goes for $115 to $200 with the majority of the lenses around the $140-150 mark. I've found prices here to be comparable to the USA and much cheaper than the UK, for example. They are usually in excellent condition as most are sold by dealers from around the country and dealers just won't buy lenses they now have issues (also because you can easily return them if they are in poor condition).

Edited on Aug 03, 2014 at 12:41 AM · View previous versions



Aug 03, 2014 at 12:36 AM
LightShow
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


If you are looking at the Pentax K 28/3.5,, the K 30/2.8 should also be looked at, I was looking for the 30/2.8 when the K 28/2 popped up, it's very good out till the extreme corners where it gets muddy, a small crop and it looks fine.
My Konica AR EE 21/4 was better than I expected, and has good corners.

I have so many lenses I need to spend time with its ridiculous, but I do like having the choice.



Aug 03, 2014 at 12:40 AM
kezeka
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Zeiss 21,25, or 28 are all great lenses.


Aug 03, 2014 at 12:55 AM
Tariq Gibran
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


LightShow wrote:
If you are looking at the Pentax K 28/3.5,, the K 30/2.8 should also be looked at, I was looking for the 30/2.8 when the K 28/2 popped up, it's very good out till the extreme corners where it gets muddy, a small crop and it looks fine.


The K 30/2.8 behaves exactly as you say. The corners go blurry on the A7r. I compared it side by side with my K 28/3.5 and found no advantage to the 30/2.8 - not in sharpness nor in general rendering (color, contrast, bokeh). In fact, the 28 was even a tiny bit sharper until the corners where it of course was much superior (showing sharp corners). Given the huge price difference (the 30 will run 2x to 3x the price of the 28/3.5), I don't see any advantage (beyond size and about 1/2 stop) for the 30/2.8 on the A7r.

So, you have the Zeiss/ Pentax designed (9 element) K 28/2 here:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-K-28mm-F2-Lens.html

...or one of the more compact, later versions?

If so, I'm very curious about it's performance.




Aug 03, 2014 at 05:33 AM
tsdevine
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.



The Nikon 28mm AI-s is very sharp, except in the very, very deep corners where it gets slightly soft (stopped down.)

http://www.devine.photography/img/s11/v30/p612514434-5.jpg

-Tim



Aug 03, 2014 at 06:26 AM
philber
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Flav wrote:
Found it! Olympus 28/2.8 or 3.5 because it has the same 49mm thread as my Zeiss 55! easiest decision ever


You might consider the Olympus 28 f:2.0. Not quite as easy to find as its slower siglings, but not rare. In IQ, it outperformed the Leica R Elmarit 28 f:2.8 v1, which, for a lens this cheap (200$ tops), is very good news. And it is light, and small, and 49mm.



Aug 03, 2014 at 06:51 AM
mhespenheide
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Tariq,

Are there any distinguishing features of the Pentax K 28/3.5, other than relying on the seller to say that it's the original K-series? Different filter thread size, minimum focusing distance, etc.?

As someone who hasn't looked through a lot of Pentax lenses, I'm struggling to find one -- or at least know what I'm looking at isn't the later Pentax-M series. (Do I have that right?)

Thanks!



Aug 03, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Tariq Gibran
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


mhespenheide wrote:
Tariq,

Are there any distinguishing features of the Pentax K 28/3.5, other than relying on the seller to say that it's the original K-series? Different filter thread size, minimum focusing distance, etc.?

As someone who hasn't looked through a lot of Pentax lenses, I'm struggling to find one -- or at least know what I'm looking at isn't the later Pentax-M series. (Do I have that right?)

Thanks!


Yes. Around the filter thread ring, the original K version will read only "SMC PENTAX" whereas the later M version will read "SMC PENTAX-M". Physically, they are very different as well. The original K version is much larger and has a 52mm filter size, the M version 49mm.

Here is the Original K version 28/3.5 (8 element design):
http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5540407/SMC_PENTAX28.jpg

Here is the later 6 element, M version (Image from Pentax Forums):
http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/data/27/SMC_Pentax_M_28mm1.jpg



Aug 03, 2014 at 12:13 PM
osv2
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


here is an example of the bokeh from a pentax 28mm five blade aperture... 100% ooc jpeg:

28mm pentax bokeh, five blade aperture lens



Aug 03, 2014 at 02:34 PM
Mike Ganz
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


I'm partial to my Canon FD 24/2.8 SSC...very sharp, great colors, and spot-on when shooting hyperfocally. Haven't tried my C/Y 28/2.8 yet...waiting on an adapter which should be here any day. But going by how the C/Y performed on my 5D II, I'd have to say that you couldn't go wrong with this lens either.

I also have a Vivitar 28/2.0 Auto Wide Angle in Canon FD mount from my long-ago FTb/AE-1/A-1 film days but can't recommend it...just doesn't seem to play well with the Sony sensor. Ebay prices for this seem to be all over the map as well. Caveat emptor.



Aug 04, 2014 at 06:12 AM
mhespenheide
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


Tariq Gibran wrote:
Yes...


Thanks!



Aug 04, 2014 at 12:39 PM
mohawk51
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


I use the Voigtlander 28mm F2.8 pancake on film cameras a lot for landscapes. The 28mm Focal Length doesn't throw the background so far out of the picture as more intense wide angles. The background and the foreground are put closer together, so to speak. I also use the Voigt 40mm F2 pancake for landscapes. That is a beautiful lens with extreme sharpness to the extreme corners (what I like in a lens). I would never sell or trade that lens. Both the 28 & the 40 are great companions for road trips. I also throw in a Nikkor 85mm F1.8


Oct 13, 2015 at 10:31 AM
hauxon
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


The Zeiss 2.8/25 is a great lens and the Contax version seems to be going for $350-$400 on Ebay. I sold mine for the 2/28 (also great but more expensive) but 25 is still terrific and I think it has more "pop" than the 28.

Zeiss 2.8/25 ZS with adapter on Canon 5DII
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7096/7294926368_69f254155a_o_d.jpg

Edited on Oct 13, 2015 at 11:21 AM · View previous versions



Oct 13, 2015 at 11:19 AM
timballic
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Best bang for buck 24mm or 28mm old lenses for landscape.


mohawk51 wrote:
I use the Voigtlander 28mm F2.8 pancake on film cameras a lot for landscapes. The 28mm Focal Length doesn't throw the background so far out of the picture as more intense wide angles. The background and the foreground are put closer together, so to speak. I also use the Voigt 40mm F2 pancake for landscapes. That is a beautiful lens with extreme sharpness to the extreme corners (what I like in a lens). I would never sell or trade that lens. Both the 28 & the 40 are great companions for road trips. I also throw in a Nikkor 85mm
...Show more

I've just been comparing the CV 28/2.8 SLII on my A7 with several other 28mms I own, and in the corners my copy of the CV is not very good, being soft/smeared with blue/purple fringing that is impossible to remove. Maybe a fault of the A7 cover glass(?, but non of the other 28mms were as bad.
Apart from the corners the CV isn't bad.
My C/Y 28/2.8 was the clear winner except for the far corners where it was soft, but not smeared or fringed, (field curvature seems more with it on the A7 than on the 5DII).
Overall the FE 28/2 and the OM 28/3.5 were best right out to the corners, though for 92% of the field the C/Y simply shines

CV 28mm Top Left 100% F8 (Kindai Rayqual adapter which is beautiful with other lenses.)
CV 28/2.8 100% Top left by Timothy Ball, on Flickr

C/Y 28mm top left 100% F8
C/Y 28/2.8 100% top left by Timothy Ball, on Flickr

FE 28/2 at F8 (After distortion removed)
FE 28/2.8 (After De-distortion by Timothy Ball, on Flickr

Whole test scene, with C/Y 28/2.8 @ f8. (Full size viewable on Flickr)
C/Y 28/2.8 @F8 by Timothy Ball, on Flickr



Oct 13, 2015 at 11:21 AM
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