Fav sub $500 28mm lens?

R

rogermota

the rain drops
Local time
12:00 PM
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
41
Folks, I'm in the market for a 28mm lens and cannot possibly pay more than $500. So lets just exclude all the more recent Leica glass right off the bat.

But besides the money issue, I love the way older (1950s-1960s) lenses draw. I shoot only in black and white and so more contrast is just about the last I look for in a lens. I've heard many good things about the Canon 28/2.8 (1957) but its virtually impossible to find one. :bang:

Any suggestions on your fav (old) 28mm M/LTM lenses for b&w shooting?
 
Last edited:
the canon 28/3.5 is much easier to locate, often on ebay, with case and finder included.

i think kevincameras.com had a couple last time i looked.

i have one and it definately is lower contrast. i need to use it more to fully evaluate it.

joe
 
Consider the 28mm f/3.5 Color Skopar. I don't have one but saw at the RFF meet a few weeks ago. RayPA had one, it was quite compact. Cameraquest sells it for $285 in screw mount. Maybe look for an old 28mm Rokkor in M mount, it was made for the CL in the 70s.
 
phototone said:
Well, I am very taken with the CV Ultron 28mm f/1.9. But it is a modern lens.
Click to expand...

I recently bought a 28 Ultron and have fallen for it too. It hasn't come off my M6 yet. It is bigger than any other option you will find, but it is a super lens, and fast.
 
that's pretty much the whole list. ultron, color skopar, m-rokkor, canon 28/3.5...

i have a canon 28/2.8, but it's a keeper! :D
 
Both of the CV 28mm lenses are top performers. the Ultron is huge, the Color Skopar is tiny. As far as image quality, you probably won't be able to tell them apart. They are both great lenses, but are probably more contrasty than older designs. This does not have to be a bad thing, though. I have both and use both with confidence.
 
You are going to pay bust out retail buying from Kevin, but I am sure it is as he describes.

The Canon lenses are all LTM.
 
Ok, I have no clue what to go for ;)

There's the canon 28/2.8 I have been looking for a long time but Kevin sells it for way too much. Then there's the canon 28/3.5 that even Kevin sells for substantially less (actually selling it the price the 2.8 should be going for).
Then there's the newer CV color skopar.

If you were to pick one, which one would it be??? Maybe this should be a poll!?!
 
Just by the virtue of the new CV lenses being multi-coated with modern methods, they would be more contrasty and less flare-prone than older lenses. With the goal of good b/w photography in mind, the "contrast" rendition of a lens has less importance, as one can adjust contrast when one prints, or when one scans. The native "contrast" of a lens should only really be a concern if the final end product is color slides, which are a contrasty medium to begin with, and since the film you shoot is the film your project, then there is no opportunity to adjust anything after the initial exposure in the camera. Of course, if you scan slides, there is some adjustment possible.

The other think one should consider is the rendering of the out-of-focus areas. Now what is that called, bunkum, borkum, bumfuddle, whatever, and with wide-angle lenses, it is less of an issue, as more of an image is "in" focus at a given aperture setting.
 
There's the old 28mm f/5.6 Summaron (available only in screwmount), but prices are insane. The f/1.9 Ultron is sort of the opposite of the Summaron in size, speed, and vintage, but it is a fine lens, so easy to use that it's quite seductive. Performancewise it is hard to fault. It does intrude into the viewfinder a bit. It takes standard 46mm screw-in filters.
 
try emailing kevincameras and ask if he has a 28/2.8 in user condition for less money.

i have heard that he has some inventory that does not get to the net but is mostly for walk in business. couldn't hurt...

joe
 
backalley photo said:
try emailing kevincameras and ask if he has a 28/2.8 in user condition for less money.

i have heard that he has some inventory that does not get to the net but is mostly for walk in business. couldn't hurt...
Click to expand...

that's a good idea actually. you guys have any recommendations on other trustworthy dealers i could fireup an email to re: canon 28/2.8?
 
The original poster was asking for an "M" mount 28mm lens. Just to clarify, almost all the lenses mentioned above, including in my posts, are actually LTM mount which would need an adaptor for "M" mount, however outside of Leica brand, and one Hexanon and one new Zeiss that are in "M" mount, ALL the older choices would be in LTM mount to which you would need to add an "M" adaptor to. Fully functional on "M" and added value of being useable on all LTM cameras as well.
 
Good point, but it has to be mentioned that perhaps there are no M mount lenses that would be sub $500.

Oh, the Minolta CLE, but that is a bit of a risk because of the faulty coating/element separation issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom