ulrikft2 wrote:
I guess I have to wait for the CV 35 1.2 (the new one) and see if that one is up to spec and small enough to use on such a small camera.
it won't be small that's for sure.
I have a CV 35/1.4 which for some reason is controversial, but it's very small, very fast for a 35, and is plenty sharp in my tests.
There are alot of rangefinder folks who swear by this lens, but there are some opinionated detractors as well--I had had this one in the mail, and was reading about how soft it was etc, then I got it. Of course at 1.4 it is not incredibly sharp, but certainly just fine, and it does sharpen alot as you close it down.
I think i paid 400, and it's just money in the bank.
millsart wrote:
I wonder how much overall demand there is for some fast primes for the NEX ??
Granted I'd of course be very interested in them, and I'm sure many alt users would be interested as well, but I wonder how much of the overall market do we makeup ?
Zooms overall seem more popular than primes, and perhaps a wide zoom, like a 10-18mm and longer zoom, like a 55-200mm, both slower consumer grade, f4.5-5.6 would be better overall sellers for Sony ?
I'd love a 35 f1.4 personally, and probably would end up buying anything Zeiss branded for the NEX, but I'm sure I am, just like many here, maybe more of the exception than the rule.
NEX is a popular camera, no doubt about it, I see lots of people shooting with them, but they mostly seem to be snapshot shooters with just the 18-55.
Ive never encountered anyone using alt glass even, except on internet forums and even here we are a fairly small group
Again, Im not saying it wont happen, or that I don't want it to happen, but just have to really wonder if Sony perhaps knows their E mount market overall than we do here.
I think it seems totally obvious how great the camera would be with a couple of compact yet fast, AF'ing E mount primes but perhaps many actual NEX users globally don't really share that opinion ?...Show more →
i agree that we alt users are certainly in the minority, but the majority of users (and sony's target market judging by the lack of body caps and back caps) won't buy any additional lenses and won't ever take the kit zoom off the camera. they aren't really a market to target with any sort of new lenses. i think sony is going for low end in general with only one or two high end lenses, some of which will be targeted more at videographers than photographers. from the business perspective i think this is probably the right idea, but it doesn't make me happy.
ulrik - if you want something cheap just to have a fast normal while you wait for the release of the new 35/1.2, you might consider one of the 35/1.7 tv lenses with a nex mount. they seem like they would be pretty useful at shorter focus distances and they are under $100.
I have a CV 35/1.4 which for some reason is controversial, but it's very small, very fast for a 35, and is plenty sharp in my tests.
There are alot of rangefinder folks who swear by this lens, but there are some opinionated detractors as well--I had had this one in the mail, and was reading about how soft it was etc, then I got it. Of course at 1.4 it is not incredibly sharp, but certainly just fine, and it does sharpen alot as you close it down.
I think i paid 400, and it's just money in the bank....Show more →
The new 35 1.2 is a bit smaller (not much, but by a few cm's here and there), but it is not "small" compared to the 35 1.4 CV, but small compared to my 50 1.4 sigma :P
As an example, I took this today with my d700 and my sigma 50 1.4:
These kinds of environmental portraits is what I'm going for with the 35mm lens I end up with. I doubt that f/2.8 on a 1.5 crop will give me that kind of isolation/oof highlights.
It should try to find a local 35 1.4 and 35 1.2 and test them out I guess.
ulrikft2 wrote:
Hey guys! I get that a lot of you like the 35/2.8 Contax G, but for me that is a bit slow, that is in effect something like a 50/3.5 in isolation (fullframe), and I don't think that I use my sigmalux 50 1.4 (my most used lens) below 2.8 more than 2 times per year.. :P So What i want is a sharp fast lens, I guess I have to wait for the CV 35 1.2 (the new one) and see if that one is up to spec and small enough to use on such a small camera.
FWIW, I've seen that a couple of people who own both the ZM 35/2 and ZM/2.8 say that the f2.8 version actually seems to isolate objects better wide open than the f2 version does wide open. The 35/2.8 has really got a great focus fall off and bokeh.
As Uhoh7 said, the Nokton 35/1.4 is another option. It is very compact and reasonably sharp wide open. I use it for lowlight and occasionally people. It does have various technical issues, but it's not a bad lens. It just doesn't stand up technically* to some of the other 35s out there, but that doesn't always matter. I particularly like it for B&W.
With rangefinder 35s (outside of maybe a Summilux) on NEX, it seems to come down to size, faster than f2, and technical prowess. Pick any two. Due to this decision, I've currently got four 35mm lenses, but I'm eventually gonna get rid of one or two of them.
*note: Although not Summilux sharp, the Nokton 35/1.4 is reasonably sharp wide open in the center. It does have barrel distortion, field curvature (the corners aren't razor sharp even stopped down) and purple fringing issues, but those may not be an issue to you. My main issue with the lens is the edges when shooting at f5.6-ish, which keeps it from being my everyday lens.
EDIT: Ulrikft2, I just saw your above post, and maybe you should try the Nokton 35/1.4. Also, if you can deal with a longer focal length, the Nokton 50/1.5 is fantastic, IMO.
I preferred the Canon LTM 35/2 to the CV 35/1.4. Sure, it's a Canon lens doing an impression of a like-era 35 'cron, but it's a damn good impression.
Canon also made a 35/1.5 that I was never fortunate enough to shoot with before I gave up my NEX and Bessa, but the samples I've seen point to a signature draw that's sharp but with light contrast and color tonal range. Unique and tough to find at a good price.
You can spend a lot of money and some not insignificant time in post chasing good performance on the RF wides, or you can spend a not insignificant amount of money and a lot of time in post. But either way, you're stuck, because I don't think Sony or the lens manufacturers will do anything to correct it (good news for Corner Fix). If I were going to do it again, I'd stick to small SLR lens. There are some real gems out there that are worth the compromise in size.
I really just can't see recommending the CV35 1.4. Its size is nice, as is its speed but its performance just doesn't come close to justifying the $550 price tag IMHO. If it was a $150 lens then sure, its softness wide open, strong distortion, severe purple fringing, jittery bokeh and soft corners even stopped down could be overlooked, but at $550, thats a good bit of money. There are a lot of other really good lens one can get for that type of money and many even cheaper.
Let me revisit a post I made earlier, but here on this page you can see just how its corner performance is, sharpness wide open is and its overall bokeh/rendering.
I don't know but I just don't see it worth anywhere near $550
I've got a 35mm f1.7 CCTV lens I bought from Rainbow Imaging with adapter for $39 shipped and its about as sharp in the center as the CV is and you save over $500 in the process.
Granted they really aren't that comparable of lenses but for the money that little CCTV lens is pretty fun. I just took it on a walk this evening and will have to post a few shots.
It weights about as much as a lenscap and hardly cost anymore lol
Well this whole discussion about fast 35's resulted in the purchase of a CV 35 1.7 Ultron just now. Anxious to see how it performs on the NEX. Not as huge as the 1.2, a little larger than the 1.4 with supposedly great bokeh/ character and little distortion. Has anyone here used this lens on the NEX before?
I had one, its a pretty good lens. Way sharper than the 1.4 version. Lacks a bit of contrast but a pretty solid performer.
Basically any of the older Voigtlanders are going to be pretty good like the 28mm f3.5, 35mm f1.2 and 1.7, 50mm f1.5, 90mm f3.5.
If they discontinued it, then its pretty good . Weird but true. Some lenses like the 50mm f1.5 Nokton were just fantastic for even twice what they charged. No clue why they don't offer them anymore
Current offerings like the 28mm f2.0 are just total garage. 35mm f1.4 as well just pales to anything else they had and its more expensive even.
Not sure exactly what happened to VC
Hopefully the new 35mm f1.2 will still be good, old one was amazing (though a bit heavy and expensive)
Tariq Gibran wrote:
Well this whole discussion about fast 35's resulted in the purchase of a CV 35 1.7 Ultron just now. Anxious to see how it performs on the NEX. Not as huge as the 1.2, a little larger than the 1.4 with supposedly great bokeh/ character and little distortion. Has anyone here used this lens on the NEX before?
That's one 35 I've managed not to try thus far, but I'm very curious about it. Curious to hear what you think of it.
sebboh wrote:
i agree that we alt users are certainly in the minority, but the majority of users (and sony's target market judging by the lack of body caps and back caps) won't buy any additional lenses and won't ever take the kit zoom off the camera. they aren't really a market to target with any sort of new lenses. i think sony is going for low end in general with only one or two high end lenses, some of which will be targeted more at videographers than photographers. from the business perspective i think this is probably the right idea, but it doesn't make me happy. ...Show more →
I think that the fact they make semiprofessional video cameras for the same mount (VG10) gives a little hope. Videographers value fast lenses don't they.
I am more optimistic about the "upmarket" view that Sony have of the NEX than you guys. Look at how they are upgrading their base model from the present sensor, hardly a weakness, to the one in the Alpha 55 (or Nikon D7000), if the rumour is to be believed (and I do). Look at how even the NEX 3 had MF assistance from day one, and a good one. Look at how they are going to release a macro lens, a portrait lens, a G (upmarket) zoom, a Zeiss wide. Are these the hallmarks of a garden-variety, entry-level system? Actually, unless Sony expected to do serious add-on business through multiple lenses, why did they even bother to do an interchangeable lens mount and to sign up third party lens makers? They could have done instead a fixed-lens design, either with a zoom (a la Canon G) or with a prime, like Fuji.
Just my $0.02.
Nice mess, Gary!
I went through just the same phase! Glad you are there! Now I should be thrilled if my next NEX lets me swing the screen on both axes, so that I can do mortrait mode more easily, 'cause that is my biggest limitaiton right now...
millsart wrote:
I had one, its a pretty good lens. Way sharper than the 1.4 version. Lacks a bit of contrast but a pretty solid performer.
Basically any of the older Voigtlanders are going to be pretty good like the 28mm f3.5, 35mm f1.2 and 1.7, 50mm f1.5, 90mm f3.5.
If they discontinued it, then its pretty good . Weird but true. Some lenses like the 50mm f1.5 Nokton were just fantastic for even twice what they charged. No clue why they don't offer them anymore
Current offerings like the 28mm f2.0 are just total garage. 35mm f1.4 as well just pales to anything else they had and its more expensive even.
Not sure exactly what happened to VC
Hopefully the new 35mm f1.2 will still be good, old one was amazing (though a bit heavy and expensive)...Show more →
Thanks for the feedback. Pure speculation, but I think what happened is that Cosina gained some street cred, became popular and started producing Zeiss lenses. Before this, they were probably more likely to really focus on building their reputation at the expense of profit. Once they proved themselves, perhaps they then focused on cost reduction/ profit more. With their latest lenses - which are priced much higher - they appear to be moving back up market a little and maybe the newer lenses will be better. Curious that the changes seemed to have occurred around the time of the Zeiss partnership. Maybe they then moved their best folks over to making Zeiss lenses!
philber wrote:
I went through just the same phase! Glad you are there! Now I should be thrilled if my next NEX lets me swing the screen on both axes, so that I can do mortrait mode more easily, 'cause that is my biggest limitaiton right now...
I can't remember, have you tried the nexviewer contraption?
. Weird but true. Some lenses like the 50mm f1.5 Nokton were just fantastic for even twice what they charged. No clue why they don't offer them anymore
