Hello everyone!
I'm searching for a small and compact 28mm to always carry my a7 II with me. I'm considering 3 lenses: The super cheap and tiny TTartisan 28mm f5.6, the voigtlander 28mm f2.8 and the voigtlander 28mm f2.
I know the sensor stack problem using M mount lenses on sony bodies, but are these lenses so unusable at relatively close diaphragms (f5.6-f8)?
You’re in so much luck! Voigtlander is just now releasing their 28/1.5 for the E mount, so it’s optimized for the thicker filter stack. It’s only 320g!
I second the Sony 28/2. It has pleasing background rendition, becomes sharper across the frame at the apertures you mentioned, you get AF, weighs only 200g. Used copies on FM are usually $200 or less. (Also, in case 35mm focal length would work for you, I like the smaller lighter 120g Zony 35/2.8)
If you need autofocus, the FE 28/2 is a decent lens. I owned it and like most of the images I got from it.
If autofocus is not required, I’d definitely go with the new Voigtlander 28/1.5 they just made for e-mount. It’s available in a few days.
The Sigma 24/3.5i suggestion above is also a good one. Very small, very light, autofocus, and good quality. Easily cropped to 28mm. Or the Samyang 24/1.8 might be good too. The Voigtlander 28/1.5 in e-mount would be my choice.
mudlake wrote:
If you need autofocus, the FE 28/2 is a decent lens. I owned it and like most of the images I got from it.
If autofocus is not required, I’d definitely go with the new Voigtlander 28/1.5 they just made for e-mount. It’s available in a few days.
The Sigma 24/3.5i suggestion above is also a good one. Very small, very light, autofocus, and good quality. Easily cropped to 28mm. Or the Samyang 24/1.8 might be good too. The Voigtlander 28/1.5 in e-mount would be my choice.
I second your views on the Sony 28. It’s light, cheap and delivers very nice images. If one wants AF, I’d pick this lens up for cheap and try it out. It gets a bad wrap from many that never shot with one. It might just surprise you.
I'm a sucker for small lenses as well, and if you definitely want 28mm, I echo others and say try a 28 f/2. Wide-open it might not be the best according to some, but if you plan to stop down some most of the time, the IQ difference starts to fade.
I had one, and decided I'd rather have the 24G, as it's smaller, slightly wider, and f/2.8 was fine. I also have the 35 2.8 which is redundant for my uses, as I also have a well-tested copy of the 28-60. But- like the 28-60 it's a very sharp copy that was tested by a long-time FM'er, and with values having gone down on it, figure I'll just keep it for occasional use.
If the OP prefers a manual focus lens and a very small one, I think CV 28/2.8 VM Type II is a great option. I have that one and I've also had CV 28/2 II (Ultron that is currently available / in production). From the 2, I preferred the 28/2.8 and have kept that one. Both would be fine for stopped down photos on Sony at f8 in my experience. 28/2.8 is also pretty much fine at f5.6 but improves a bit further at f8 in the extreme edges and corners.
If the size is not as critical, then the upcoming CV 28/1.5 E-mount version would be my recommendation as well. I'm expecting to get my copy tomorrow (on Japan release date which is 23rd of Jan). I've had the VM version of that lens until now but I'll be trading it away after getting the E-mount version.
As for some other ideas of AF oiptions, Samyang Remaster Slim is really compact and light and includes the 28/3.5 lens module (along with 32/2.8 and 21/3.5). The IQ is a little bit "classic" oriented which might or might not fit your taste and it also needs to be stopped down to around f8 for best results with all of the 3 lens-modules when looking for best corner-to-corner sharpness. I personally like it quite much with all 3 lens modules.
The kit lens 28-60/4.5-5.6 is really good if one just looks for high corner-to-corner sharpness and very crispy photos and doesn't need a faster aperture. I personally don't like the handling of that lens as much though as it's not so compact and doesn't feel so refined in the extended position when shooting. It's pretty compact in "collapsed" position though.
I have the Viltrox 28/4.5 as well but I don't really like it. Main problems for me are that it's AF only (no MF option at all), and it doesn't produce great corner-to-corner sharpness at f4.5, bokeh is not nice, aperture is fixed, and it's weak when shooting against light (lots of veiling flare) and I didn't like the unusual sunstars either...
I much prefer the Samyang Remaster Slim in the pancake AF lens realm. The weight difference is also minimal.
The lack of a good 28mm lens for Sony mirrorless cameras is really amazing and I always live in hope of one being released!! 28mm is my favourite focal length for street photography and reason why I keep coming back to the Leica Q system (I had the original Q then the Q2 and now the Q2 monchrom). after a lot of research quite a few years ago the only lens I could find the performed well on the A7 way the Minolta 28mm 2.8 M- Rokkor. Very small and light and can be found cheap used if you can find a good copy as it is a very old lens by todays standards
I believe the Sony 28/2 is the current best choice for "small 28 for street photography" with Sony cameras. The Viltrox 28/1.8 is okay too, but bigger, and has a lousy clickless aperture ring. I would rule out all of the manual focus 28mm lenses for anything that requires fast accurate focusing.
NJPhotographer wrote:
I believe the Sony 28/2 is the current best choice for "small 28 for street photography" with Sony cameras. The Viltrox 28/1.8 is okay too, but bigger, and has a lousy clickless aperture ring. I would rule out all of the manual focus 28mm lenses for anything that requires fast accurate focusing.
If wanting AF basically sadly true. I have had 2 copies over the years and both gave very mediocre performance and am hoping that someone makes something good one of the days
QuietOC wrote:
That M-Rokkor looks much worse than the quite good Sony FE 2/28.
totally different as of course it's only MF and I am not up on the more recent lenses from Voigtlander but 10 years ago this was the the M mount 28 that suffered the least from corner smearing
