Avise on MF lenses

[bhargav]

I got myself a NEX 5 few months ago and a Pentax K converter to use some of the old lenses that I had. I'm really impressed with how good the old lenses perform with the NEX so now I want to expand the range a bit.

I recently saw a Contax G Series 90mm f2.8 Sonnar for £119. I have seen a few examples and read a review of the lens at Ken Rockwell. But would like to know if this is a good price to pay for this lens and whether it is worth it. I will also have to buy an adapter at around £20 as well.

Also, the shop has a Rolleinar-MC 135mm f2.8 for £39. I could not find much info on this lens but they seem to be same as Mamiya 135/2.8 SX, and both seem to be quite good.

Anyway, would like some advise on whether these are worth the purchase or not. Apologies if these have been covered here before but I tried the search and could not find them.

Thanks and regards,
Bhargav

 

[kanzlr]

it IS a good price, it usually goes around € 250,--
remember that contax G lenses do not have their own focusing ring. You need an adapter that can actuate the spindle and has its own focusing ring. A bit awkward compared to manual focus lenses.

The Rolleinar is supposed to be a very nice lens. You will need a QBM adapter.
the Rolleinars where built by Mamiya, yes, but thats not a bad thing. The Sonnar would be a Zeiss license built, and even nicer.

 

[bhargav]

Many thanks Kanzir for your quick reply, much appreciated. I will try and get the Contax if it is not snatched already! Not sure whether I can afford both lenses (and adapters) so may give Rolleinar a miss! I already have my eyes on a 50/1.4 Minolta MD so may get that instead.

 

[kanzlr]

you cannot go wrong with Minolta lenses 🙂

 

[bhargav]

OK, so I may even get a discount and get it for £110! Will order it tomorrow! Can't wait to put it on my NEX! And thanks for the adapter tip, I realise that the focussing is a little awkward but I guess that's the price you pay. Thanks.

 

[sevo]

you cannot go wrong with Minolta lenses 🙂

And besides, 50mm is a nice portrait tele length on a APS-C camera like the Nex, while 90mm already is pretty long and 135mm is deep in specialists terrain - few people except sports press photographers, bird and train spotters habitually have a 180mm on their film camera...

 

[michel v]

Oh, I saw that 90mm and forgot to snatch it. 🙁
Congrats anyway!

 

[bhargav]

Oh, I saw that 90mm and forgot to snatch it. 🙁
Congrats anyway!

Hey did you?! Where did you see that? Anyway thanks for the message. Hope to get it today and if the adapter comes in by tomorrow, play with it over the weekend.

BTW I have seen a Flektogon 35/2.8 at £30 so will try to see if it is still available. Also, anyone has a personal experience of Jenazoom 35-70? I guess they're not so good as I see them going quite cheaply along with Jena 50/2.8.

Cheers.

 

[peterm1]

If you are into Pentax gear you may also wish to consider trying some old M42 takumar lenses. I have been doing just that for the past week or two and finding that they perform excellently with the NEX. I am fortunate in that I still have quite a few old Pentax screw mount lenses and have always thought them to have excellent build and optical qualities. Best of all perhaps they are cheap. You cna pick up a 55mm f2 usually for (I think) $50 or so. And they perform brilliantly. I will post some shots soon but do not have any to hand right now.

 

[bhargav]

Thanks Peter. I just read your suggestion after the site came back up. Its interesting because in the meantime I got myself a Pentax 50/1.7. I'm so pleased with that lens, it is tiny and the results are just amazing. The focus is quite smooth and easy even wide open and colours just look very nice.

The contax 90/2.8 has also arrive with the adapter. The lens itself is really great but the adapter is really cheap and nasty. It is extremely hard to focus with the stiff ring. For that reason I may pass on the lens in a few months time.

I'll try to post the results soon.

Have a great weekend!

 

[bhargav]

I'm quite excited today as I just got myself an early x'mas present. I got a vivitar 24mm f 2.0 in K/A mount (with a body and 50/2.0 pentax M lens) for £20)! I believe these are rare and go for around 80-100 on ebay.

Performance is said to be quite soft wide open but improves a lot after 2.8. Does anyone here have any experience with it?

 

[bhargav]

Here some samples from the new lenses. All taken handheld.

First the Contax 90/2.8. Taken wide open.

Pentax 50/1.7. This is now my favourite lens and is on the camera full time.

This one taken with a Macro extension tube.

And finally from Vivitar 28/2 that I got yesterday.

I'm quite new to mf lenses and photography in general so your comments and critique are most welcome. Thanks.

 

[philcycles]

One of the nice things about the NEX is being able to use your existing lenses. That's what I do.
Phil Brown

 

[Bugleone]

bhargav,......those are really nice shots that have sadly been spoilt by poor focus. The trouble with using max aperture is that with those lenses (especially the 90mm) max aperture only gives a few inches of depth of field so ANY error in focus point make the whole shot soft in appearance. In your second pentax shot you can see that the right side of the childs face is beginning to be sharp, but the left eye nearewr to camera is still very out of focus.

It would help to practice nailing the focus more accurately and also stop down a couple of stops at least to increase your chances.

 

[bhargav]

bhargav,......those are really nice shots that have sadly been spoilt by poor focus. The trouble with using max aperture is that with those lenses (especially the 90mm) max aperture only gives a few inches of depth of field so ANY error in focus point make the whole shot soft in appearance. In your second pentax shot you can see that the right side of the childs face is beginning to be sharp, but the left eye nearewr to camera is still very out of focus.

It would help to practice nailing the focus more accurately and also stop down a couple of stops at least to increase your chances.

Thanks very much for your feedback, much appreciated. I will try to stop down to focus. Actually, with the contax I find it extremely hard to focus. The adapter focus ring is just too stiff and focussing indoors is difficult. I will try to take more shots outside when weather improves.

With Pentax lenses, I should really practice more as they really work well with my adapter. I use peak focussing mf assist with yellow colour highlighting. I guess i also need to use the tripod a bit more. With kids though I guess using mf lenses is a bit tough as they move fast!

Regards.