Affordable wide lens options for LTM Bessas

[Whateverist]

Hi all,

I have a Bessa L that I'm using with my Jupiter 8. However, I'm finding that 50mm is a bight tight when it comes to focussing and I'd like to try a wide lens, 35mm or wider.

What are some good options for lenses? I'm on a budget so I'm willing to trade some optical quality for a price that stays around $100 if at all possible.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Jupiter-12, which will block the exposure meter. I went this way with L.
Next is some old Japanese 35mm LTMs, if I'm not mistaken in pricing and best for price/condition/performance is Color Skopar 35 2.5. You could find it for slightly above $200 in LTM versions.

 

[Whateverist]

Does the J12 mount and focus properly? I've read it both ways, that some don't physically fit and others don't go to infinity.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Yep, it is a lottery with J-12. I even have to bent my FED-2 RF arm to fit in my J-12, but it was fine on Bessas.

I honestly recommend Color Skopar series, they have also not so expensive wider ones.
Orion 15 is nice lens as well and no problems on Bessas.

Also for the price of Jupiter-12 you could find Oly XA with great 35 2.8 in it.
This is one disadvantage of RF exchangeable lenses, plenty of non-expensive 50mm, you could find 90 F4 Elmar for under $100, but almost nothing in $100 for 35 and wider.
It is cheaper to buy fixed lens RF for 35mm lens, or 28mm lens, with SLR attached for under $100.

 

[madNbad]

I have to agree, the Color Skopars are your best bet and most bang for the buck. Easy to find second hand, good performers and still a fairly new lens so you shouldn't have to worry about haze and fungus.

 

[02Pilot]

The Color-Skopar line has an excellent reputation (I have only the 21/4); I think it would be hard to go wrong with one of those. As an alternative, I'm quite pleased with my Canon 35/2.8 (mine is the early chrome Serenar version, but they're all optically the same). Lower contrast, different look to more modern lenses. The similar 35/3.2 is sometimes found quite inexpensively, as is the 35/3.5, though the former of these is preferable by a considerable margin.

 

[Pete B]

Another vote for the Voigt 35 Color Skopar, and the 25.
Pete

 

[rfaspen]

The proposed budget is just a bit shy of most possibilities. If you can swing $250, a lot of candidates emerge. Quite a few, in fact.

As above, the CV 35/2.5 is a true bargain in terms of lens for $$ spent. I don't see them for less than $250 very often (but shop around and get lucky). The other CV wides are great deals, but they're all (usually) more than the 35/2.5. If you happen to find a great deal on a 21/4.0, you won't be disappointed. Old Canon (or Nikon or Komura, etc.) lenses can be wonderful. Usually the trouble-free ones with good glass are going for more than $100, but again there are deals out there. The Canon 35's seem to be most abundant. I also have a Canon 28/3.5 in great shape that performs better that I would have expected, albeit with low contrast. I've seen perfectly nice Canon 35's in the $200-300 range recently.

While the J-12 can be a nice lens, I would probably pass on getting one of those and apply the budget toward a more certain lens. Again, if you happen to see one for a super deal it might be worth the risk, but I'd consider what Ko said above about the J-12 and Bessa L, and the J-12 in general.

 

[rfaspen]

A very pretty Nikkor 35/3.5 in the RFF Classifieds for $240 right now.

They're out there...

 

[CameraQuest]

another possibility since the L only takes scale focus lenses

is to shoot wide angle SLR lenses via a SLR to LTM adapter.

there are a lot of very inexpensive SLR wides !

Stephen

 

[Rob-F]

I have the Voigtlander 25, 28, and 35mm pancake lenses. I often use them instead of my Leica Asphericals when not shooting in low light, because I love their small size. In fact, I was just out shooting with 25 and 28 today. So, I concur with the recommendation for the CV (Cosina-Voigtlander) Skopar lenses.

 

[wjlapier]

A very pretty Nikkor 35/3.5 in the RFF Classifieds for $240 right now.

They're out there...

The Nikkor is mine. I've used it a lot on the IF in my avatar. No rangefinder or viewfinder. Scale focus. The lens is very nice. But I don't use it much since shooting with a CV 28/3.5.

Edit to add photo of the IF, Nikkor 35/3.5, and Zeiss/Sony 35mm finder. Fun shooter!

 

[Pioneer]

For the L I would go with the Color Skopar Snapshot 25 and never look back. A terrific little lens.

 

[Whateverist]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I guess I was spoiled by all the dirt-cheap LTM 50mm lenses.

Once I get some breathing room in my budget I think I'll go look for a Snapshot.

 

[maitani]

the Avenon Kobalux 28 3.5 is a wonderful lens, and comes in black paint too, there's also a little more exotivc 21mm version, both are great

 

[ruby.monkey]

I have the Voigtlander 25, 28, and 35mm pancake lenses. I often use them instead of my Leica Asphericals when not shooting in low light, because I love their small size. In fact, I was just out shooting with 25 and 28 today. So, I concur with the recommendation for the CV (Cosina-Voigtlander) Skopar lenses.

But for $100? No chance. Hell, getting hold of the 28mm would probably involve murder at the very least.

 

[Filzkoeter]

For under 100$ a Jupiter-12 is possibly the only solution. They can be really nice lenses with an old-school fingerprint. Lower contrast wide open, stopped down 1 stop it builds up contrast. Sharp and nice, although some pincushion distortion (drives me quite mad, although I don't mind barrel distortion).

If you are lucky you could maybe get an Orion-15 28mm lens for around 100$. Never had one as they seem to be more rare, tend to get somehow expensive and are slow (but they are distortion free and sharp).

If you can handle a 21mm, the 21mm Color Skopar is an awesome lens and big bang for the buck. Although they tend to cost more like ~300$

The 25mm Snapshot is also nice and less extreme then the 21mm 😉 It has those great focus click stops for 1, 1.5 and 3m which make it awesome for fast zone focusing! But it only focuses down to 0.7m (I much prefer the 0.5m of the 21mm Skopar for such wide angles, especially paired with the massive depth of field from a 21mm you can go REALLY close stopped down)

 

[SamShio]

I enjoy my Canon 35 2.8 ltm but also have the Color Skopar 21/4 if you really want wide.

 

[traveler_101]

For the L I would go with the Color Skopar Snapshot 25 and never look back. A terrific little lens.

+1

The 25/4 "Snapshot Skopar" is a beautiful little lens that takes very sharp photographs with good contrast (but not too contrasty); but most importantly it has an excellent design with click stops at 1, 1.5 and 3 meters for fast and effective scale focusing.

Since you have a Bessa L you have to scale focus. This is the lens for your camera.

 

[Whateverist]

Update: I went with the 25mm Snapshot Skopar. Thanks for the recommendation.