40mm prime lens, anybody?

[Pfreddee]

I'm picking up a 40mm lens for my EOS 1 tomorrow. I've been wanting to try out this lens for some time. I went online with a Google search and turned up everything but 40mm used in SLR photography, so I'm asking the members what their collective experience with this focal length has been. It definitely isn't a common focal length for an SLR lens. 35mm and 50mm are easy to find. Not 40mm. Not at all. Still, I want to give it a try.

Thanks to all who reply.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[burancap]

The 40/2.8 pancake? If so, great lens and incredible value. I always liked the length, though no, it is not the first one you think of in the SLR world.

 

[lic4]

Great lens, great size, but I found the autofocus was too slow for me. 40mm in RF photography was my favorite, but with my 5D3, I like the 50/1.4.

 

[jbielikowski]

Funny you ask, as I'm searching for THE focal length I wanna use daily (right now most of my gear is gone so I can buy anything I can afford, and gonna buy wisely). And after trying loads of stuff, digging in the archive, ~40mm is what I'm leaning to. In the past I had 2 Canonets, Rollei 35, Pentax 40/2.8, Zuiko 40/2 and probably more (oh! month ago I've done a series with Yashica 35 MC). As this FL simulate what(and how) human eye see its very simple to estimate framing and pictures really look natural, you feel like participating in the pictured scene.

 

[Pfreddee]

Burancap, yes, it's the 40mm 2.8 Pancake. Used, for $125.00

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[richard_l]

I love 40mm, which I regard as the ultimate compromise between 35mm and 50mm. I have had extensive experience with the Rollei 35 and Minilux 40mm, and this focal length is a joy to use!

 

[vytasn]

I have the Voigtlander Ultron pancake 40mm f2, which is a remarkably great performer and available in various mounts. The Zeiss Contax 45mm f2.8 in cy mount is another manual pancake lens that is super sharp and compact.

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Some early 35mm format SLR wides that were non retrofocus designs were 40mm, Eg. Zeiss 40mm Tessar and Schneider Jsogon 40mm f/4.5, probably to preserve reasonably satisfactory performance that would not have been possible with for instance a 35mm or wider focal length and also to stop them hitting the reflex mirror. Even at 40mm the Jsogon will catch the mirrors of some Japanese SLRs at infinity, although it fits Eg. Contax SLR without clashing.

The modern SLR wide is typically a retrofocus design which permits much shorter focal lengths. Perhaps 40mm fell out of favour because most users felt it was not much wider than 50mm? You're right because it's not a common focal length for modern SLR glass.
Cheers,
Brett

 

[jarski]

Burancap, yes, it's the 40mm 2.8 Pancake. Used, for $125.00

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

had this when still had Canon. great lens, and reduces SLR size and weight significantly, it feels almost like camera body cap compared to big zooms.

 

[giellaleafapmu]

The 40mm is not the most common focal length but it is not rare either. I never really hunted them, yet I have several. The two most notable in my arsenal are the Pentax DA which comes with k-01 (on that camera has an angle of view equivalent to a 60mm on a 35mm camera but the lens itself cover a full 24x36 on film Pentax) and, of course, the Leica lens which come with the CL. Many of the compact rangefinders or scalefocus from the '70s had the same focal length, I think that Rollei set the standard on this. The view is just between the 35mm and the 50mm length, so it is pretty useful, but I never found anything special or magical in the 40mm as I find that the effect on perspective and dof is really not that different from what you get with any of the other two lengths. Just since we are speaking, I never really understood why the Zuiko one is so damn expensive! As for the Canon I never tried it (I think Canon is one of the few brands I never ever used more than 5 minutes) but...have fun with it!

GLF

 

[Dan Daniel]

An old article from Mike Johnson about 40mm-
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/why-40mm.html

I used a CL with 40mm Summicron for years. Loved it. But more than the specific focal length and such, find a comfortable combo and WORK IT. Shoot the lens and body only for a period of time. 40 is as good a focal length as any to dig into like this.

 

[leica M2 fan]

Several years ago I happened upon a Canon Canonet QL17 GIII which had a 40mm lens. My first roll back from the processor was to me so very good and I just loved the perspective of the 40.
Later I tried the Rollei 35s with 40mm Sonnar and again liked the photos. I feel like that perspective "sees" what my eyes "see" and my pictures are keepers! But I also love the 28 experience
it resonates with me like the 40 did years ago. So just go figure.

 

[Godfrey]

It's uncommon in SLRs but common in RF cameras, most likely because, much like a 35mm, it was more expensive to make a 40mm that would clear the swinging mirror.

50mm was easy and cheaper to make since the average mount registration of 35mm SLRs is around 44-45 mm, enabling a symmetrical design. 35-40 mm requires a retro focus design.

G

 

[jky]

I loved the Canon 6d + 40mm prime combo I had.
Near perfect for how I shoot - compact too.

I've shot with a 35 for years and so a 40mm *for me* is quite similar.

 

[btgc]

I find most SLR 40-45mm pancakes too dim (f/2.8), too fiddly controls against compact regular 50/1.8 yet size/weight savings are still diminished by SLR body. 28mm pancake would be more practical because of DOF being more liberal to focusing - but at cost of availability and price.

That said, pancakes sure are nice things but I don't see they are game changers. Unless one is after focal length not available in regular lenses. 40mm for me works best coupled to small compact camera.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I've used the Voigtlander SL 40/2 and the Hexanon AR 40/1.8. Both are lovely little lenses… excellent image quality from both.

 

[MikeWebb]

I bought the relatively cheap 27mm (roughly 40mm FF) for the Fuji X cameras and it's delightful. The focal length is sufficiently different to 35 and 23 to be useful which surprised me a lot. So, as a focal length I find it very useful and it is often the lens mounted on the body at the start of the day.

 

[jarski]

I find most SLR 40-45mm pancakes too dim (f/2.8) ...

true that f2 would be nice. it probably wouldn't feel that much bigger, when mounted to full frame body (5D/6D).

any comments what are alternatives with Nikkor's? quick google only found DX lens reviewed by kenrockwell and some others 😱

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I had the Olympus 40mm f2 pancake lens years ago. It was a great lens, sharp and good bokeh. Handling was kind of hard because it was actually too small! Loved the angle of view though, it was my choice if I only wanted to carry one lens.

As others have mentioned, several 40mm SLR lenses have been made over the years by Pentax, Nikon, Cosina-Voigtlander, Olympus, and others.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I liked the 40mm lens I had on the Pentax ME etc many, many years ago. I had it mainly to match the CL's...

Regards, David