Which CV 35 for R-D1S

[ambientmick]

I'm looking to get a small 35mm lens and was wondering if there is any optical or practical difference between the M mount 35mm Color Skopar PII and the screw 35mm Color Skopar Classic with M adaptor. The price is similar and they are both f2.5. I heard that Epson uses a CV 35mm as a reference lens for the R-D1. Which one? Any opinions welcome.

 

[sevres_babylone]

My opinion is that they would use the M-mount version for reference, because the adapter for the screw-mount version would introduce another variable.

I like the PII very much, and it feels great on the camera. Sometimes, though, I feel the need for a faster lens in that range, and I am considering getting the 40mm Nokton some time in the future.

 

[manojd]

There may be another option if you want larger aperture. The Nokton 40 matches the 35 framelines of the R-D1 and you get two extra stops. I have the 40 and it's a great lens.

 

[Didier]

The 35/2.5 classic and the 35/2.5 Pancake-1 are optically identic. The (discontinued) Pancake-1 is faster to focus (shorter throw), but focuses down to 0.9m only, while the classic, with a longer focus throw, goes down to 0.7m. The Pancake-2 has a slightly different optical formula, and a M- instead of a LTM-mount. Some say the P-2 is a tad sharper than the classic and the P-1, but I have never seen pictures who could prove that statement.

Another criterium is the hood - the classic takes a compact round hood with push-on cap over the hood, while the p-2 has a vented hood and a separate cap that fits into the hood on the lens.

Personally I'd definitely recommend the classic because of two reasons:
- the small hood with push on cap makes it a really compact lens, which allows you to carry camera and lens in a jacket's pocket easily.
- the p-2 has mostly a very stiff focus barrel - that's the reason why I sold mine. The hood mount is not very tough and the lens cap drops off easily.

Didier

 

[waldemarski]

Wintoid was told by RW (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33113) that the 35/2.5 Skopar is the basis Epson uses for setting the RF on the R-D1. Unfortunately he wasn't told whether it was the Classic or the PII. Personally, I've settled on the Classic as my default lens, partly because I like it, but also because of its compactness. Mounted on the R-D1 with the shade and cover, it fits in a Zing Medium drawstring pouch ($12 at the local camera shop) and is just the ticket for keeping the camera at hand on all occasions.
waldemar

 

[ambientmick]

I had a 40m

I had a 40m

There may be another option if you want larger aperture. The Nokton 40 matches the 35 framelines of the R-D1 and you get two extra stops. I have the 40 and it's a great lens.

I actually had a 40mm 1.4 SC until recently but I had problems with close focussing being off. I then bought the CV 28mm Color Skopar 3.5 which is smaller and better close up. Even at the same aperture the 28mm focuses more acurately ymmv.

The 40mm is a great lens and no doubt a little better quality than the 35mm Skopar but I couldn't really get used to the 60mm equivalent and the 35mm is nearer to my prefered 50mm focal length.

 

[kbg32]

I have the Color Skopar Pancake, first version. It is a great little lens. As Didier says, the Classic and the Pancake have the same optical formula.

 

[jvr]

Hi!

I have the PII. Very light and compact, image quality very good, even wide-open. I would not qualify the focus ring as "stiff", maybe a bit "over-damped". It's very smooth but it turns slower than, say, my Ultron 28/1.9 (that is almost too "fast"). But I would say it's on par with both my Noktons, maybe didier was unlucky with his sample.

Beware that the hood makes the PII almost double the length (although it does not black a lot of the VF), My sample is fairly resistant to flare and I sometimes forget about the hood for compactness.

The lens cap is the clip-on "internal" type, similar to the Zeiss ZM line and don't really like it, just as I don't ilke the Zeiss caps. I don't use it most of the times.


All in all, a very very good value and a very good partener to my 35/1.2 Nokton.

 

[anaanda]

Think about the CV 35 1.7. I use this exclusively on my R-D1. Its relatively small and fast as well

 

[goodmorning]

I highly recommend the Canon 35mm f2 (black). It is the smallest f2 35mm lens I know of and the quality is impeccable- smooth focus action, detentes @ each full stop- still tiny w/ a hood mounted. They are available used at ±400 dollars. Fast, small, great optics all around great lens which gives great results.

I can't speak to a comparison with the CV pancake-II. It looks like a nice lens and I do like my CV 28mm 1.9. If only someone would make a small 21mm f2 or so. I have just purchased a 21mm Komura. So far it seems to be a good lens with no real vingetting on the R-D1 and the smallest of the faster 21mm lenses that are under $1000. My only complaints about the Komura are its size (but only compared to the Canon 35mm), the difficulty of finding them and the silver color of mine. I looked for a while and hoped for black... I think black to be a little more unobtrusive than silver.

For me the crop factor of the R-D1 obligated the wider lenses- I often shoot in very close quarters. Keep that in mind when making your choice. If you are accustomed to the 35mm lens shooting film you will find that the 35mm lens on the Epson doesn't quite cut it.

Hope that this isn't too much unsolicited info.

 

[goodmorning]

PS: the Canon is hard to make flare- I rarely use the hood. Even smaller!