I really like the 40mm focal length (35mm equivalent) - I can happily walk around all day with just my E-PL3 with the Panasonic 20mm lens attached. To get this focal length on the Nex I would need a 28mm lens. Not wanting to spend too much, so am looking at legacy lenses - any recommendations? My main criteria is a short minimum focal distance and reasonably fast (2.8 would be realistic I guess to keep it low budget) - but it needs to be reasonably sharp at f2.8 as I like to shoot wide open sometimes. Or would I be better off just getting the e-mount Sigma 30mm?
That's easy (of course I'm partial). I also really like that 40mm FL. I got hooked on it using my old compact RF's twenty years ago. I love my Vivitar 28/2 Close Focus (mine is MD mount). I think I paid around $125 with the MD to NEX adapter. The Hexanon 24/2.8 is a touch better IQ wise, also focuses close but is almost twice as much and a bit wider (36mm equivalent FL) so despite having both I grab for the Vivitar a lot more. The Olympus OM 24/2.8 is more compact and priced similarly to the Konica and also a bit wider.
I use the Canon FD 28mm F/2.8 - picked up in a second hand store for £20. It's not stellar, but then again none of my lenses are lol. I'm all about affordability......
Here are a couple from the Vivitar That Damp Snake by dixeyk, on Flickr Mister Pissy by dixeyk, on Flickr
Here's the versatility of the 28 f/2.8 DSC03049 by markoneswift, on Flickr View attachment 26610 DSC03045 by markoneswift, on Flickr
Wow, Vivitar certainly made a lot of different 28mm lenses!! See: Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary: Details (Or rather it seems made for them as I gather they outsourced the actual manufacturing bit to various Japanese companies, hence the multiple variations??). Looks like the 28mm F2.0 is a more rare animal than the 28mm F2.8 close focus - plenty of 2.8's about and cheap too (£15-£20). Any idea if the 2.0 is optically superior? The Canon FD looks good too - I have an FD to Nex adapter not getting any use as the 200mm FD lens I bought it for is too heavy (and too long focal length) to handhold. I guess these lenses are so cheap that it's worth just picking them up a few for £20 each or so ($30), keeping the one you like best and selling the others for the same price you paid for them - kind of like a 'free' rental service with the option to keep it if you like it - or a low cost rental service with the ebay and paypal fees being the rental charge.
I think ( and please correct me if I'm wrong ) that the F/2.0 is optically very very close to the L series glass in terms of quality. It is quite rare and as such does command a premium price.
I've been using a minolta Celtic 135 for about a week now and it seems very sharp so I picked up the Celtic 28 on the bay for nex to nothing. Lol. I'll let u know how it is.
My most recent fav is Contax Carl Zeiss Distagon 28mm/2.8. Some inexpensive choices: Tamron Adaptall-2 28mm/2.5; Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm/2.8; Vivitar Close Focusing 28mm/2.8.
Just get the Sigma 30mm F2.8. It is so amazingly sharp...and you can correct for lens distortion in post. Doesn't AF particularly quickly, but totally worth it for the image quality. Also nice that it is considerably smaller than just about any adapted 28mm lens.
I had that lens and you're right it IS sharp, has nice bokeh and is compact. The AF is not great but it's better than nothing although I found it frustrating so I sold mine and kept the MF lenses. At $200 it is a great bargain. IQ wise it's not any better than my Vivitar 28/2 is and that cost half as much although you DO get AF so I think that's certainly a good suggestion. If what you want is that MF lens feel it won't give you that but it's a very VERY good lens.
I posted my FD 28/2.0 shots here - my copy does have two visible nicks on the front glass but it only affects the picture in very specific circumstances (and I know what these are so can avoid it). Otherwise I love the character of it - I feel it gives "warm" colour, but I'm not sure how much of it is down to some of the wear and tear on the coatings of my copy... I have not seen it up frequently on ebay, but I got mine for $70 so I am not complaining I also really like the 40mm FoV, and I'm seriously thinking about getting the Voigtlander Ultron 28/2.0 though it's obviously a lot more. But it will be new. Hey, if I ever get it I will send you my FD
Picked up a 28mm Tokina and have been pleased. Tokina 28mm f/2.8 SL MF Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
Thanks for all the suggestions - after a little hunting around I managed to pick up a Vivitar 28mm 2.8 Close Focus (serial number starting with 28) for £17.50 delivered (around US $28). It's Olympus OM mount so I already have an adapter, which is handy. The f2.0 Vivitar seemed to be a rather more rare animal, so as the 2.8 was plentiful and cheap I went for that. Will probably pick up the 30mm Sigma eventually and possibly the 19mm as well although the slow AF might annoy me a bit (apparently they hunt for focus a bit more than the Sony lenses?) but will see how I get on with the Vivitar for now.
