Recommend Me a Wide Manual-Focus Lens

[JoeV]

Hi Folks;

I shoot mostly normal-to-wide lenses in micro-4/3, and have several AF Lumix lenses in my kit that I'm happy with. But I also have a 24mm Vivitar Series 5 lens in Minolta MD mount, that lately has seen much use, mainly because I like manual focus lenses so much for video work, and also because it's so nice to have a real aperture ring. Of course, direct manual focus is so much nicer than focus-by-wire, along with an infinity stop and real DOF scales.

But I'd like a wider angle, manual focus-only lens. I'm not sure anything wider than 24mm is easily found in film camera lenses.

I think I'd like to try a modern manual focus lens built for mirrorless cameras. Recommend me a good, fast, wide, manual focus lens, somewhere in the range from 12-20mm. I suspect the selection of brands and lenses might be sparse, but give me some recommendations.

Thanks.

~Joe

 

[Darthfeeble]

Look at the offerings that are available at Cameraquest from the nice folks at Cosina/Voigtlander.

 

[bobby_novatron]

I'm not sure if adapting RF lenses to your M4/3 body is an option, but the Cosina Voigtlander 21mm F4 lens is good bang-for-the-buck. It's really compact, and for the price, the IQ is very good (I currently own this lens and use it whenever I need a wide-angle 'fix').

I used to own the Carl Zeiss 21mm F2.8 in M-mount, and that was an excellent lens -- but it's considerably more money than the CV 21/4.

 

[Bille]

KOWA Prominar
http://www.kowa-prominar.ne.jp/special/wide_lens/collection/index.htm

 

[plummerl]

With my Oly 12mm f/2, I can use the Snap Focus ring to move between autofocus and manual focus. Several benefits, the lens is made for M43 and with the ring pulled back for manual, a depth of field scale is shown. I love the lens.

I know of very few adapted lenses that can provide the quality (in the very wide range area) that a native M43 lens would provide.

 

[Taipei-metro]

KOWA Prominar
http://www.kowa-prominar.ne.jp/special/wide_lens/collection/index.htm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KOWA-PROMIN...903811?hash=item41a2e6b8c3:g:wGEAAOSwKIpWCI~8
(no relation)

Kowa 8.5mm 2.8, 17mm eqv, $829 from Japan,

Kouichi Akagi 赤城 耕一, yup, famous gear guy and photographer in Japan...
How about Voigtlander 20mm 3.5, 40 eqv on m4/3, not a wide lens though...

 

[Taipei-metro]

There was one time I'm interesting in this Arsat 20mm 2.8 for my Nikon dslr but didn't buy one, from Russia $285 w shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-ARSAT-...773077?hash=item3aba8af915:g:NHQAAOSwf-VWYr7M
(no relation)