Fast and wide adapted RF lens reviews

[serhan]

When I was searching the adapted rangefinder lens reviews, I found Sean Reid's lens reviews with Epson R-D1 on LL. Epson R-D1 has 1.5 crop factor (and maybe used a Sony sensor) so it gives a very good starting point for rangefinder lenses, which can be used on Nex cameras. I have/had dslr manual lenses, but I found the RF lens size as optimum with mirrorless cameras. Also it can answer some of the questions about the vignetting, corner performance, contrast, and sharpness of these lenses.

Field Report: 35mm and Wider Lenses for the Epson R-D1
Epson RD-1 Lens Report

Fast Lenses for the Epson R-D1
Luminous landscape

Serhan

 

[Amin Sabet]

Those are great resources. I've read them a few times and subscribe to Reid Reviews but never dawned on me to think of them in relation to NEX.

 

[adanac]

Having just sold off some of my medium format lenses, I'm now looking at options for the NEX(t) camera system. I am struggling with a decision in this front. I'd like to go the compact RF route for size and elegance, but am concerned about colour shift and vignetting in the corners, at least at some wider focal lengths.

I could go with SLR lenses - I have a Zeiss 1.7 50mm, and some Yashica glass, and others can be had not too expensively - and, I think, avoid vignetting when wide open and colour shifts.

In the longer lenses I have a feeling I could go with almost anything based on the reading I've done. In the shorter focal lengths, I'm not so sure. Is there a good compactish solution somewhere in the 21 - 28mm range, with a preference towards the 21mm end of the scale? A Zeiss ZM 25mm Biogon f/2.8 seems almost perfect although who knows what it will do when mated with the NEX-7, the other prong of my dilemma.

Travis has me looking at the Voigtlander lenses of course but that colour shift issue on the wider end has me stalled and I'm tending to want something a little wider than the 28mm.

Any thoughts folks?

While I hate analysis paralysis it is part of the program I've bought into going with the next so I might as well enjoy it. On the plus side, I get to shop for a new lens and that is always interesting and sometimes even rewarding.

 

[serhan]

I don't have the new c3/5n but I have seen reports that the corner performance of the c3/5n sensor is improved compared to nex 3/5 with wider lenses:
Sony NEX-C3 first impressions - FM Forums

Usually it's less of a problem for longer lenses eg 50mm.

Here is one report that I saw on dpreview about zeiss m lenses on nex 7:
I tried the Sony NEX7 with a selection of Zeiss M-mount lenses [Page 1]: Sony NEX Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

You can wait and see the Sony Zeiss 24mm e-mount lens.

Other compact option is Olympus OM 21mm f/3.5 lens but the adapter makes it bigger.