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NEX dream team lens setup

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Pontus

Guest
I wonder what you would consider the perfect legacy lens setup for the Sony NEX series. Some of you will list a lot of Leica glass but I'm trying to be a bit more creative, especially with the recent prices of Leica glass

For me the NEX is a go-anywhere-anytime system which needs to be kept small and not overly expensive (though this is subjective, I have some fairly expensive glass on my list).

This is my dream team:

Voigtländer 12/5.6 (wide)
Contax G 28/2.8 (sharp, nice rendering)
Voigtländer 35/1.2 (low light, normal)
Konica Hexanon 57/1.2 (low light, portraits)
Contax S-Planar 60/2.8 Macro (short 1:1 macro)
Nikkor AI-S 105/2.5 (compact short tele)
Voigtländer 125/2.5 Macro (longer 1:1 macro, short tele)
Micro Nikkor 70-180 (allround macro tele, product photo)
Rokkor RF 250/5.6 (ultracompact tele, beware donuts :D )

Can you think of a lens that deserves to be on the list? Or would you remove one of the above?
 
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Hosermage

Active member
for 50mm, I own the ZM Sonnar f1.5. Helps me to stay with the Leica-M mount, along with the VC 35/1.2.
 

douglasf13

New member
I don't need that many lenses, and my lineup usually stays the same, with just a switch out of my various 35mm lenses, because this system is about size for me:

Voigtlander 15/4.5
Either Nokton 35/1.4, ZM 35/2.8 or Contax G 35
ZM 50/1.5

I occasionally bring the Contax G 90 when I have the room, or the kit zoom when I want a stabilized video option, but I'm usually just a 3 lens guy. I've bought and sold quite a few lenses over the last couple of years, and the lenses that I listed hit the mark between small size and good IQ. Of the the lenses that you listed, only the CV 12mm and Contax G 28 are acceptable for me, size-wise.
 
J

Jacob D

Guest
UW: CV 12 or 15. The 15 seems to be a good lens on the NEX for sure, it's not completely clear yet how the 12 compares.

Wide: The ZM C-Biogon looks very good from what I've seen.

Normal: The CV 35/2.5 is very nice, the ZM 35 C-Biogon is likely as good or better. The Contax G 28/2.8 is also a very nice lens, but focusing via adapter is not thrilling.

Short Tele: Probably 50 Summicron (an older version), but to be different how about Voigtlander Heliar 50/2

Tele: Voigtlander 90 APO Lanthar, or how about a really different Leica... the Elmar 9cm/4.0


I can live without the UW and the Tele, but they're nice to have around.

I'm looking around for the Lanthar 90 which is what brought me over here to GetDPI. Just scouring all corners of the web :) If small size/weight matters to you (it does to me) you might be interested in this database in progress: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkDLVsAmrk_bdHFRdTktaThNeFFaYXVFOHFES2xCdVE#gid=0
 

jthurs

New member
Here's a list of lenses I currently use on my 5N and some that I used and sold. Note I am just a hobbyist and don't have as much knowledge or experience as many people on this forum:

What I use now:

ZEISS CONTAX G - 28, 45, 90
Love them all. Very sharp wide open. Great size. And I've had no problems with focussing on the adapters once I open them up and re-lube them. Price for the quality is UNBEATABLE. I bought this set with a G1 for $675. Sold the G1 for $150. So I only paid $525 for the three lenses! Less than I paid for my Voigt 35/1.4. There is something really special about the 45/2 for me. Mind blowing sharpness and detail. If I had to carry only one lens, this would be it. At F2 with the 5N ISO capabilities, you can shoot in very dark places and render great results.

VOIGTLANDER - 15/4.5 LTM
The best wide I've used on the 5N. Super tiny lens. Zero vignetting for me. I got a lot more vignetting and distortion with the Sony 16 pancake. This Voigt has solid build quality. Very sharp and very EASY to shoot. Got a used one on ebay for $265. Only downside for me (being the LTM version) is lack of filter thread, but I'm planning to do the workaround with a 39mm filter and some electrical tape.

Lenses I sold:

VOIGTLANDER 35/1.4 MC
Personally, I was not a fan of this lens. It's a good lens, but if you're gonna pay $500-$600 for a used one, there are better lenses for the money. It's fast, but I was not happy with my results at 1.4, 1.8, or even F2. From what I've read, I don't think the Voigt 35/1.2 is much better at those speeds. It was not sharp enough for me and color rendering felt almost trippy. It did have color contrast, but it didn't feel accurate to me. Also lots of purple fringing. The build quality is sub-par for a lens at this price. Personally, I haven't found much use for 35mm lenses on the 5N. I'm very content switching between my 28 and 45.

CANON SERENAR 50/1.8 CHROME LTM
Really liked this lens. My favorite bokeh ever. Dream-like. Tiny lens and looked super cool with the chrome. I had it CLA'd, which brought it to near perfect shape. Bottom line, it was hard to justify keeping it once I saw the sharpness and color of my G lenses. Though at only $150, I kinda wish I kept it for the dreamy bokeh and cool chrome case.

ASAHI PENTAX TAKUMAR 50/1.4
Great bokeh, serviceable sharpness and great price. It was a little too large with the M42 mount for me to use with a body as small as the 5N, I don't see the point of lugging a large 50 and thick adapter. And I didn't have the multi-coated version so I wasn't crazy about its color contrast.

FUJINON EBC 50/1.4
Has all the strengths of the Takumar with sharpness, speed and bokeh. Exceeds it and the SMC version with its EBC coating. Great accurate color and contrast. But I find I'm not carrying due to its size with the M42 so it's up for sale right now.
 
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monza

Active member
I wonder what you would consider the perfect legacy lens setup for the Sony NEX series. Some of you will list a lot of Leica glass but I'm trying to be a bit more creative, especially with the recent prices of Leica glass

For me the NEX is a go-anywhere-anytime system which needs to be kept small and not overly expensive (though this is subjective, I have some fairly expensive glass on my list).

This is my dream team:

Voigtländer 12/5.6 (wide)
Contax G 28/2.8 (sharp, nice rendering)
Voigtländer 35/1.2 (low light, normal)
Konica Hexanon 57/1.2 (low light, portraits)
Contax S-Planar 60/2.8 Macro (short 1:1 macro)
Nikkor AI-S 105/2.5 (compact short tele)
Voigtländer 125/2.5 Macro (longer 1:1 macro, short tele)
Micro Nikkor 70-180 (allround macro tele, product photo)
Rokkor RF 250/5.6 (ultracompact tele, beware donuts :D )

Can you think of a lens that deserves to be on the list? Or would you remove one of the above?
Is the only difference between the S-Planar 60mm and the 60mm Makro-Planar C is that the former focuses to 1:1? The latter goes to 1:2.

I use the Planar-C for many studio shots and love it.

Other than the Makro, my other lenses are chosen not only because they work well on the NEX but because I use them with film cameras too. One is a beatup 35/2 Summicron version 1, the other a Contax G 45/2 which is being converted to Leica thread. This gives me a very small two body film/digital set. I use the hawk adapter on the NEX for the Leica mount lenses.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I don't need that many lenses...

Voigtlander 15/4.5
Either Nokton 35/1.4, ZM 35/2.8 or Contax G 35
ZM 50/1.5
...
While I shoot with the GXR-M, it's the same format as the NEX cameras and I agree with the above sentiments, although I tend to run slightly different numbers:

Skopar 21/4
Skopar 35/2.5, Nokton 40/1.4 or M-Rokkor 40/2
M-Rokkor 90/4

That's the base of my kit and what I use the vast majority of the time. They're all very good performers.
 
P

Pontus

Guest
monza: The Contax S-Planar 60/2.8 goes to 1:1 and the Planar C goes to 1:2. The Planar C is supposedly considerably smaller. The difference in size makes it hard to believe that the optical formula could be very similiar. Does anyone have more information on this subject, maybe a picture of the two so we can see the size difference?
 
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monza

Active member
Here is one size reference. The lens is relatively small; the Contax C/Y adapter adds length of course.



 

douglasf13

New member
Lenses I sold:

VOIGTLANDER 35/1.4 MC
Personally, I was not a fan of this lens. It's a good lens, but if you're gonna pay $500-$600 for a used one, there are better lenses for the money. It's fast, but I was not happy with my results at 1.4, 1.8, or even F2. From what I've read, I don't think the Voigt 35/1.2 is much better at those speeds. It was not sharp enough for me and color rendering felt almost trippy. It did have color contrast, but it didn't feel accurate to me. Also lots of purple fringing. The build quality is sub-par for a lens at this price. Personally, I haven't found much use for 35mm lenses on the 5N. I'm very content switching between my 28 and 45.
The Nokton 35/1.4 is the first lens that I bought for NEX a year and a half ago (I have the SC version,) and it drives me crazy that, when push comes to shove, I can't sell it.

I agree with all of your critiques: purple fringing, barrel distortion, flare, bad corner sharpness, etc. However, it is a wholly unique lens that I just can't find a replacement for. The 35/1.2 is way too big, my Contax G 35 is slower and has a fussy focusing ring, my ZM 35/2.8 is way slower, the ZM 35/2 is larger and slower.

I've been using a 35mm tandem of the Nokton 35/1.4 and ZM 35/2.8. Every time I convince myself that I should sell the Nokton 35/1.4, I put the lens back on the camera and marvel at its uniqueness when I'm not in gear snob mode...especially when shooting B&W and indoors. Help! :banghead:
 

monza

Active member
Douglas, have you seen the Metabones Contax G adapter? That might make the 35/2 handle better.
 

douglasf13

New member
Thanks, Monza. I actually bought and sold the Metabones adapter last year. It was way too large and heavy for what I considered adequate focus improvement, so I actually prefer the Kipon.

Hawks should make a helicoid adapter that takes the focus mechanism of the G lenses out of the equation entirely. Just lock the lens at infinity and extend the helicoid.
 

monza

Active member
I sent Hawk a 45/2 G for him to convert to Leica mount, and will use it with his M helical. Hopefully it will be here soon...if it works well I may convert a 28 or 35...

Thanks for the note on the Metabones. It does look rather large.
 
P

Pontus

Guest
Thank you monza for those pictures. I do own the Contax S-Planar 60/2.8 but unfortunately I don't have a NEX camera yet, so I can't post pictures that would compare.
 

douglasf13

New member
I sent Hawk a 45/2 G for him to convert to Leica mount, and will use it with his M helical. Hopefully it will be here soon...if it works well I may convert a 28 or 35...

Thanks for the note on the Metabones. It does look rather large.
Wow, I didn't realize that was an option from Hawk! That would be ideal for me with my 35/2 and maybe 90/2.8. I was considering just buying a 35 Summicron IV, since it is nearly identical to a Contax G 35, but I'd rather use my Contax.

Do you more info, like cost, turnaround time, etc? Thanks!
 

Jonas

Active member
Wow, I didn't realize that was an option from Hawk! That would be ideal for me with my 35/2 and maybe 90/2.8. I was considering just buying a 35 Summicron IV, since it is nearly identical to a Contax G 35, but I'd rather use my Contax.

Do you more info, like cost, turnaround time, etc? Thanks!
That was news to me as well.
I guess you have got tired of Japanexposures and/or MS Optical? If not you can have your Contax G lens converted for M-mount by them. More info here.
Turnaround time and prices may differ - and so may the look of the finished product. I would compare the look and guesstimated feel of the lenses from these two shops.
 

douglasf13

New member
Thanks, Jonas. I've been tempted by the MS Optical conversion for a while, but, as you can imagine, I'm personally a little weary of doing it, since I've had some issues with them in the past. I'm interested to see the Hawk's work, but I may end up doing the MS Optical conversion after all. I'm tired of switching between multiple 35mm lenses, and I think the Contax G would be good enough for me as a do-it-all lens, if a helicoid is added.

edit* It looks like, according to their site, JapanExposure isn't currently offering the conversion service.
 
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Jonas

Active member
Oh, I also should have said I fully understand the desire of having one 35mm lens only. After having tried the Planar G 45/2 I decided not to use any of the Zeiss Contax G lenses. Having the 35mm sounds like an interesting option if f/2 is fast enough!
 
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