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50mm lenses, fast ones
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  • LPowellLPowell
    @DrDave
    I recently picked up a Nikon 35mm f1.8G for my D5100. It's light and compact with a fixed-length barrel. Very sharp and smooth auto-focus but even more plasticky feel than a Lumix lens in manual mode. No aperture ring, so for me it's Nikon only, but well worth the $200 for hands-off photos. Here's how it tested, excellent MTF's all the way down to f1.8:

    http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/422-nikkor_35_18g?start=1

    Not as impressive as the Samyang 35mm f1.4, however:

    http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/655-samyang35f14eosapsc?start=1
  • DrDaveDrDave
    @Alexauwa There are some lenses now that are sharp wide open. Of course the Panasonic 20mm, Panasonic 25mm, the Olympus 45mm, etc, and these are pricey. In the middle (under $200) you have the Nikon 35/1.8 but it is MF on 4/3. Then you have all the legacy glass, and of the fifty or so lenses in my cabinet from various makers they simply cannot touch the sharpness level in the range of F/1.4 to F/2.8 of the newer designs. But some of the old designs give decent sharpness in the 2-2.8 range, and of course they are great bargains.
  • DrDaveDrDave
    http://erphotoreview.com/wordpress/?p=1287
    MTF figures for the Vivitar. You can compare to many other lenses on the same site.
  • nomadnomad
    @TraumManufaktur:
    This guy is doing a great job on lenses: http://www.classic-fototechnik.de

  • DrDaveDrDave
    I invite everyone to pick their favorite lens in the video of the three, and then I will post the lens IDs.
  • DrDaveDrDave
    Lens test of Olympus 45mm, Vivitar 55mm and Rokkor 50mm F/1.4

    No processing of any kind. Only the Olly is sharp wide open (well, the Vivitar starts at 2.8) at F4 sharpness is very good for all three. But at 2.8 you can see tiny differences.
  • TraumManufakturTraumManufaktur
    @Krolik Who do you use for servicing your lenses in Germany? Once your repair guy comes up for air I may have some FD's to look at and de-click.
  • RRRRRRRR
    @johnnym
    I might if I had a good reason to do it.. Right now, no can do. :)

    @DrDave @Alexauwa

    The extra stops of light usually have the drawback of less resolution, it's a very normal tradeoff. Stopped down, they are usually as sharp as other lenses so what you pay for are the stops of light - but if you don't find the extra stop of light / a softer image useful then there is no point in looking for such lenses.

    The choices of lenses are plenty. The choice of taste is what really matters.

    @Lpowell your'e right, there is no real use for it - but there is no real harm either. How many FD lenses have you used that don't come with aperture control?



  • AlexauwaAlexauwa
    @DrDave Thanks for info. It always seem to be a comprise between getting a fast lens which is also sharp wide opened. There must be good lenses which can handle both?! These are the new once, like the nikon you mentioned? What about voigtlander? 25mm 0.95 for example? Or Samyang 35 mm 1.4?
  • DrDaveDrDave
    After using a bunch of these, and comparing them to my Olympus 45mm, I basically feel you can't really go wrong with a lot of these lenses. The question to ask (aside from price and availability) is whether they have good IQ wide open. And here, the Olly wipes the field, but I have to say the 55mm Vivitar macro is pretty good, but it only goes down to F2.8.
    @Alexauwa There really is not much difference between the Rokkor or Minolta 1.4 and 1.7. I paid maybe $10 more for the 1.4 ($35 instead of $25) and I never use the 1.4 as it is soft. They are both good, depending on the sample (old lenses, there will be variation).
    I have heard the new budget Nikon lens 35mm 1.8 is sharp wide open, and at $200 or less that might be a nice option that financially sits between the Olly and the MF primes, if you want "sharp wide open".
  • kazuokazuo
    @krolik
    I am not sure about yr experience with the Revuenon / Tomioka/ and all the variants you've tried. My copy is mint, of PK mount, and I can share with you some images that i took with the lens. Tack sharp when you stop it down, and beautiful.
    (On a side note, I started with Canon FDs, even had the LTMs, but sold them all cos I dislike Canon colours)

    Regardless of the hype, if it was true the Germans had wanted to pull a fast one on the internet, you would still have to judge the lens on its own merits. There are many makes that seem to have fallen into the cracks of recent memory, but when you unearth them, you would be asking why over time people have chosen to ignore them. Mamiya/Sekor lenses seemed to have disappeared a fair bit, but if you've used one, you'd agree they are simply amazing! I just picked up a 135mm, and that bebe has got me looking for all the rest.

    Anyone here has 35mm, 85mm, and wants to sell them? Let me know!
  • johnnymjohnnym
    @RRRR you should have a good old MIG50 for a few hundred euro. They sound fantastic.

    Now where are those Olympus 45mm pics?
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    I still love me old Jenson blue speaker ac30 but it's a 'mare to denoise with it's old cranky valves, but bang a 69 tele thru it - magic! I still have my old Jupiter 4 6 and 8 Korg Monopoly and compared to the (great!) digital versions I do use now - there's a little something more - sold my 808 and 909 doh! All good fun - if you haven't, like a load of us, heard or seen, in lens terms, the originals, we can't be disapointed. With old instruments Im lucky enough to have the old Chandler germanium pre compressor and EQ and a pair of 1176's from Electric Ladyland, and a horde of never used old Fenders n Gibsons , among other bits I've been so lucky to grab - I'm a cynic, but when u plug in that 50s tele thru that lot and plink a G - chunky! Does it matter nowadays dunno, but it's lovely on the ears!
    In the end still what u do with it tho - new or old talent > all for me
  • RRRRRRRR
    @soundgh2

    Absolutely. A lot of those things cannot be reproduced in any good way, although there are ways to simulate.. And there is plenty of glass out there that is simply better than their modern equivalents, with flaws and all. Although these are ultimately questions of preference. Some can't stand flares. Some can't stand softness. Some can't stand CA. Some can't stand a clinical lens.

    I've been looking for an old sovtek amp since I first heard one.. They are hard to come by, and I can't justify spending a fortune on music equipment these days.. :)
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    They did build some sturdy good shit years ago lol Geiger exciting or not characterful chunks of glass reminds me a bit of the old amps n guitars analogy - old valve stuff and instruments have their place - synths too - in the end if you like it result!
  • RRRRRRRR
    It definately looks handy.. sounds like a lens I might like. I'm going to give it a go unless the price soars.
    I have a few quite valuable lenses I want to sell but I'm replacing some of them beforehand, so I just got myself a 35mm f2.4 flektogon, and I'm going for some others aswell - but I'll keep a look out for the ones you recommend whilst I'm at it.


  • driftwooddriftwood
    I would say the 55 has a slight edge on the 50mm 1.2 (I have both) and is very close to the FD55... its small light and nice barrel action. You can pull snap focuses easier. Also the Zuiko OM 50mm 1:2 Auto Macro another oldie is terrificly sharp.
    If you can pick any of those 3 up at a good price theyre worth it. Theyre quite hard to find though but on ebay now and again will crop up.
  • RRRRRRRR
    It's exactly the same as the one I'm looking at..

    How does it compare to your other lenses in the similar focal length? Unique, good or nothing special?
  • driftwooddriftwood
    old om Zuiko 55mm 1.2 radioactive! :-)
  • RRRRRRRR
    @driftwood how is the zuiko 55mm f1.2 working for you? Do you have an old version or a newer one?

    I'm asking since I'm hawking around one of those that is up for sale.. I'm thinking about giving it a go at the right price.
  • soundgh2soundgh2
    Like I said we all love a myth lol - I'd rather it wasn't emitting that close to me already ugly face :)
  • nomadnomad
    Well, at least nothing to be concerned about (and, yes, I opened the alpha filter of my counter).

  • soundgh2soundgh2
    @nomad

    Its a 60 s Thorium laced one according to the serial number and v yellow ( which I dont mind ) As in

    http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Lens%20History.html

    Although my degree years ago was astrophuysics, sure Thorium is quite pokey in the alpha activity department. Maybe its all a myth :p



  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    Best 50m lens for me is now Olympus 45mm :-)
  • nomadnomad
    While the Rokkor 58mm 1.2 is a great lens, it's not radioactive. I was curious and used a Geiger counter on it. Nothing above normal. Or, maybe, my lens is a few billion years old ;-)

    Not even the old aluminum Jupiter 9 (which shows some yellowing) is radioactive. And, yes, the counter works – you can see basic radioactivity everywhere.
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