The Sonnetar 25mm f/1.1 prototype lens on the [shoplink 23565]Olympus E-PM1[/shoplink].
It is a great honour for me to write this post! As you know a couple of days ago I told you that the great and very innovative lens designer Mr. Miyazaki realized a new lens prototype for the m43 system. Yesterday his staff contacted me to ask me and in particular YOU a great favour. They are a very small team and the lenses they make like the [shoplink 29386 ebay]Leica Triplet lenses (Click here to see them on eBay)[/shoplink] are actually handmade! So they want to know if you would REALLY would buy the lens if they would take the huge effort to produce them on larger scale. They sent me a couple of images I posted here and some images samples can bee seen at KTF-turbo (Click here) and KTFdesign (Click here). This is a prototype lens so there can still be some improvements until the final production version. The lens will cost around $650 like the [shoplink 29387 ebay]Pentax Q version[/shoplink]. Please try to be honest…you really have to buy the lens if you answer yes 😉
[poll id=”124″]
My personal two cent: What I like most about the lens is the incredibly tiny size for such a fast aperture. But image quality wide open is not 100% convincing. The picture below also show the lens on the [shoplink 29074]Olympus E-M5[/shoplink]. Click on them to enlarge!
97 Responses
I would buy it.
However, I question the timing of the release.
IMO, it would be perfect with a GXR or EPL3 with a built in EVF. With half blind cams (ie., the ones without a built in EVF), it looks cute but isn’t practical. With the likes of the EM-5 and GH-2, it looks out of place.
Since they do only small runs of each lens they produce, wouldn’t it be prudent to wait for the camera manufacturers to catch up before releasing such cute lenses?
o No, I don’t like manual focus
If only m43 would have lots of options for MF, zoom, pic in pic, and peaking… then MF would be fast and fun!
+1
Bring more MF options P&O!
+1
Absolutely agree.
MF on M4/3 would be very wonderful if we have better MF assisting system (i.e. Nikon’s focus indicator and navigatgor or perhaps NEX’s peaking )
Agreed
+1
Bring on the multiple MF techniques, zooming is the most accurate but it’s not fast enough for on the move, would love to see it only zoom a portion of the image, would improve the experience significantly. Firmware?
If they made it possible to make third party apps, all these software issues would be solved.
I vote for a split circle focus app!
I agree, I do have a 50/1.4 manual focus lens and it’s a fun toy to play with but it’s seriously not usable for day to day shooting (since most of my shooting is of kids). I doubt I would buy another manual focus lens.
I use several fast lenses in the 25mm FL. 25/0.95, 25/1.3, 25/1.4- all better than AF lenses in terms of image rendition. Manual focusing with fast lenses need a a bit of learning and some techniques. Those who have no such aptitude for either will not find them useful.
FWIW, sony’s “peeking” is useless for accurate focusing.
Agreed! Sony’s peeking is useless. I’ve tried it many times after it was introduced and I have been totally dissapointed.
On my GH2 I’ve noticed that there is small moire/interference pattern (whatever it is) on LCD at the plane of focus. Since then I use this “fault” for accurate and quite-fast manual focusing even during video. It never fails. In case of Sony’s peaking I’ve had got 6/10 out of focus pictures – not acceptable!
@pmox
I did try to warn people how useless / impractical focus peaking is many many times….
Oh you guy worried me! Panasonic moire better than focus peeking? So there’s no perfect tool for manual focus! I am using moire effect on oldest m43 camera – G1 with the Voigtlander 25/0.95. It is perfectly sure in focus when I see it, but you cannot use it on faces :/ faces don’t moire 🙂 I was hoping to switch to nex7 and to finaly have real manual focus helper, and now you ruined my dreams 🙂
Which flavor of coolaid are you guys drinking? Focus peaking is useless ? Could have read this only on the “Oh i regret it so much that i spent time money on M43” forums. Granted- focus peaking wont help on a 231k screen, but on nex’s its a gem of an aid to manual focusing.
+10
Regardless of how well focus peaking works, it should be an option in M4/3 cameras. If they can include stupid features like in-camera editing, “art” filters and scene modes, they can include peaking!
I’ve only played around with NEX cameras’ focus peaking and not been able to shoot actual images. It seems to me that focus peaking could be a great tool for street shooting, where it’s impractical/inaccurate to use zone focus.
@Mr. Reeee
introducing focus peaking may do more harm than good, if people on purchasing an mFT camera with focus peaking and use it before magnified manual focus or zone focus and get unsatisfactory inaccurate results they might blame Olympus(most people don’t read the manual so might not try anything else apart the focus peaking)…..
Because some might use it incorrectly, seems a ridiculous reason to omit focus peaking. If that were the case, I’d require operator licenses to use Photoshop. 😉
Don’t blame the tool, unless the tool is the operator. 😉
+1. I would prefer AF.
+1 me too, but size is right!
see http://www.kenrockwell.com/zeiss/zm/50mm-f15/diagram-0600.gif
Zeiss 50/f1.5 from the 1930s. Look at the design carefully.
now look at
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/MS_Optical_R%26D. Look at the design carefully.
Are they not the same?
(This Sonnar is a much loved design)
Is the Sonnetar not simply a scaled down version of the exact same design?
A key element in the bokeh will be the iris used. We need to know the iris design Miyazaki would put in this lens.
If he faithfully copies the Sonnar design (scaled down to fit m43 metrics), and he puts a quality iris in the lens, it should be great, and I would buy it.
If this is indeed a Sonnar design then the rendition should be lovely. I have an 85mm Sonnar for my Contax film camera and I love the rendering for portraits.
Looks very promising and would seem to have a lot going for it in terms of size for those who need minimum size, but still would like a large maximum aperture for low light work, coupled with limited depth of field etc. Deserves support.
If the design of the lens could be improved for a little bit less harsh bokeh, then it would be a really fantastic manual focus lens for available light. It will sell certainly!
Yes. Smoother bokeh and it could be a winner!
I wonder if that’s somehow more inherent with smaller lenses. The 20 mm has harsh bokeh too, and the 45 mm doesn’t.
My answer was “No, I don’t like the lens design” and the thing I don’t like about the design is the focal length. If it was under 30mm equivalent and F1.1 I’d be interested. But the size of that prototype is impressive indeed.
Since I’m shooting a GF3, manual focus lenses are tough for me to use, and I’d have to take a pass on this one. That said, the size of this lens is really appealing!
BTW, I would strongly encourage them to work on compact fast lenses for the NEX E mount. 🙂
no need 25mm
see http://www.kenrockwell.com/zeiss/zm/50mm-f15/diagram-0600.gif
Zeiss 50/f1.5 from the 1930s. Look at the design carefully.
now look at
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/MS_Optical_R%26D. Look at the design carefully.
Are they not the same?
(This Sonnar is a much loved design)
Is the Sonnetar not simply a scaled down version of the exact same design?
A key element in the bokeh will be the iris used. We need to know the iris design Miyazaki would put in this lens.
If he faithfully copies the Sonnar design (scaled down to fit m43 metrics), and he puts a quality iris in the lens, it should be great, and I would buy it.
No, I need AF.
to the people who have voted “yes”…..are you just blindly saying yes because it is compact and has a wide aperture? I personally find the bokeh VERY unpleasing. Maybe my tastes are different, but I find nothing to like about the image rendering….just being honest.
there should have been an option, ‘yes, if the bokeh can be improved’ love the concept, although the aperture & focus ring look a little fiddley with the sloped design.
I would buy it if GH3 and later cameras would have Fokus peak!
out of careful money consideration I’ve decided to answer no.
No question that this lens is unique and has the right to exsit – it is a tiny f1.1 lens which is unprecedented in any other system, that is amazing!!!
but at a second glance, the rendering is harsh and not smoth as full sized lens like PL 25/1.4, so after financial consideration i’d have to go for image quality rather then size.
But i hope the lens would get produced nevertheless, and more so – i hope for a tad bigger version with MUCH smoother rendering
I would be interested if it was about 500€ but including tax, customs etc this lens will be too expensive.
The rendering might not be the best I have seen but this lens is incredibly tiny. I wish there were more lenses like this! Mft us all about size at least for me, hence the “micro”…
Ps. Also please ask them to post some full sized samples, portraits etc.
Please add an option like: “I already own such kind or type of lense, so I just can not buy it”(e.g. 20 1,7 or 25 1,4/0,95)
I’m definitely interested on a fast and small 25mm with manual controls, no matter if it has autofocus or not. Nokton is too big, Summilux has no soul and C-mount lenses are not the answer for me in terms of even performace. So yes, I can say I would also buy it if it turns out to be just a decent performer.
The Sonnetar looks beautiful collapsed and sharpness is not a matter (and looks great already). However there are some things I don’t like. I’m aware these are prototypes and we might expect some improvements. Maybe is too soon to judge it with the few samples available, but if they ask openly for opinions, here is mine: it doesn’t cover the full 4/3 image circle, OOF areas are very harsh and colour is a bit cold and dull. I’m not looking for silky smooth bokeh. On the contrary, I really like ‘character lenses’, but the rendering of specular highlights on the samples currently available is not up to my taste. The colour issue is not that important and might be due to the postprocessing. Regarding the image circle, it seems to suffer on the corners like most C-mount lenses, even at smaller apertures. That will be difficult to solve if they want to mantain the aperture and form factor.
Apart from that, it looks VERY promising to me. It’s a pity I’m that far away from Japan. I would really like to test it by myself. I encourage them to produce it!
I’d go up to 1K if it had AF, 1.5k if it has superior image quality.
But manual focus ?
I can’t really justify that…maybe an impulse buy but thats it.
Nice design, but the quality of the pictures is too similar to that provided by some 30$ c-mount lenses, so the price tag is way too high for me. I can (happily) live with my slower and bigger 40$ Tamron 28mm f2.5.
It’s a lovely little lens, and I would very much like to see it realized. Remember the MFT always is starving for fast lenses, to both compensate for the somewhat smaller sensor necessary in low light, but also for achieving a narrower DOF than is possible with the slow kit lenses.
So Mr. Miyazaki with team, this bright lens seems very suitabable for the smallest MFT cameras, with the unique properties of being so small, I wish you good business opportunities with such a product.
P.S. I didn’t find a suitable alternative, so I haven’t voted at this time.
I said yes just because it’s a fast 25mm manual lens that is *compact*. That hasn’t happened so far. Now if they fix the fugly bokeh it’d be perfect.
Everyone should at least try a manual lens in their lifetime…more effort = more satisfaction. Entirely depends on subject matter of course; this applies only for relatively static subjects.
I like the design,and live in Japan so I can get this lens more cheaper, but aleady having a nokton F0.95 which I can live with that size of nokton. I don’t buy a Sonnetar.
Really tiny size attract me!! and I thought that Sonnetar 25mm f1.1
has less color fringing than nokton 25mm at a fast aperture.
I am in the market for an m4/3 50mm and have been looking at the Leica Summilux, so this lens is of interest to me. Hard to say offhand which one I would buy, though, given that the prices are quite close.
What I like about the Sonnetar: Ultra-compact size makes it great for travelling with my GF1, and that f1.1 might just come in handy. The example pics look rather more film-like than the Summilux, in the way that my Voightlander Color Skopar 35mm does. Also, I like to support small businesses. 🙂
What I don’t like about it: The example pics look quite washed out. Also, there’s no autofocus, and the focusing mechanism looks to be a bit fiddly. Which also means it won’t be a good candidate as a video lens, either.
I need to see shots in more vibrant modes first. But I voted no due to the image I’ve seen.
I like the concept. I have however already a Tessar triplet in the Industar 69, that I bought for 30 EU!
Problem is to reach economies of scale. Samyang has it right: it can offer quality MF lenses for 250 EU. That is what I would be willing to pay, but I understand that it would not be assembled by hand, unless perhaps in China.
Perhaps they should look into a Kickstarter campaign rather than just poll.
+1!
I like the small folded size. Hope they also create a fast 50mm and 100mm?
This design is Sonnar type:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnar
Meanwhile the Nokton is a Double Gauss:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-Gauss_lens
We know the 0.95 suffers from comma as a limit to its resolution yet the symmetry makes double gauss typically less aberration prone. Therefore I would expect this Sonnar to not be better in terms of resolution because of aberrations than the 0.95, until it is stopped down. At which point it could improve. However, I reserve judgement until I see full size RAW samples taken by a 3rd party.
For what it’s worth I use OM glass with my E-P2, 50mm-1.4 & 1.8, 135-2.8, 200-4.0 also have a 28mm and a cheapo 24, though rarely bother with the wides. The 50’s I hand hold and focus with no difficulty, the teles I tend to use a tripod, have adapted a Canon mount (Chinese eBay copy) to fit around the OM adapter to aid balance, fitted a nylon sleeve inside the mount to clamp the adaptor tight, work wonderfully well. I find the f1.4 is fast enough for my needs, the tele’s speak for themselves. Can provide photographs of adaptation to adapter.
If I didn’t already have the Nokton then I might be interested. However, I also wonder a bit why almost everyone seems to do 12-50 mm primes. I would love to have a very fast and sharp zoom for MFT, or a fast telephoto, prime or zoom. Maybe Olympus could consider making an updated OM250/2,0 for MFT? 🙂
I would advice manufacturer to not depend on some “research” but on actual orders. Simply make it on order.
It looks like decent lens, but it has bit too busy bokeh..
I’m all for manual lenses. AF requires too much compromise.
Would I buy this?
Yes, if m43 had a serious body to go with the lens (hint: compact and with viewfinder ala nex-7)
No, because I’m tired of the 25mm focal length! It is popular just because it is cheap and it is what most cameras came with for many many years. 12mm? Yes. 17mm? Yes. 45 or 50mm? Yes. 25mm? Nay! Anything BUT so boring so called NORMAL lenses.
That and the fact that I don’t want manual focus until Olympus gives us focus peaking.
A normal lens is 45-50*, and very like human eye so also have same degree view. I also feel more intuitiv in use there i need be fast in composer.
I would definitely buy one, as I am actually fond of the bokeh produced by the prototype. It seems to me to be a creative opportunity. That, along with the size, but most importantly the weight is what sells this to me. It’s practically free in terms of added gear in my bag!
I would buy it because of its size, but it would be great if this one supports AF.
Having both the PL 25 Summilux D [43 SLR] & DG [M43],.F1.4 is more than enough for me ,.I use the m43 version for a random ,street, regular purpose ,.but for special occasion and much serious -portrait I prefer the Old 43 version which give me more control with the aperture ring ,color rendering is way better ,more crisp and bright [i believe the glass on the new version is a bit fuzzy ]give me much more 3D look.
I’d consider a different focal length than this, but only if the bokeh wasn’t so unpleasant.
I think if the price is near that of the Panasonic 25mm f1.4, this lens has little chance. I tend to agree that in practice, most people would choose an AF lens over an MF one, unless the latter was much cheaper.
It looks to me like they may be trying to make the Sonnetar lens too fast, resulting in vignetting and low resolution at the corners. If the lens isn’t much good at f1.1 and needs to be stopped down to f2 to give reasonable results, then there is no practical benefit from the larger aperture.
I think the main appeal of the “normal” focal length nowadays is that the lens should be very fast and/or have very high optical quality. If they want to do a triplet design, it may be better to make it slower i.e. f2, and then it may be possible to have very high optical performance even at full aperture. If such high performance can be demonstrated by independent testing, it should help sell some lenses.
A good example is the Samyang fisheye, which offers users a lens at a cheaper price than the OEM version and the Lenstip and Photozone reviews for it look good.
Independent manufacturers would be better advised, in my view, to look for niches in the market and I think that there are several types of lens with a possible appeal e.g. a 12mm perspective control lens, a 6mm ultrawide, and a compact, collapsible macro lens at about 60-75mm.
Not yet, because of image quality. I love the lens concept and size, but the boken is far too messy for serious use. If the production lens is better, I’d seriously consider it.
Also, I’m concerned with the physical control of the focus while shooting video. How smooth will this be to operate while shooting video? What is the grip on the focus like?
I’m curious…
This poll doesn’t include a “maybe”, and while that may not be terribly useful for the marketing people, it is the honest answer. Needs and desires change to reflect changing times and cost is also a factor that cannot be ignored. I think for most people those attributes reflect a fluid equation.
For me, I would like to own such a lens, but buying it would require that various stars were in alignment. The answer, therefore, is a firm maybe.
Images samples look good, I would “maybe” consider it. I really like the Noktons, they are very heavy and very expensive though, so I would consider this…but definitely not 100% sure.
I have a GH1, and the next lens I plan to buy is the 25 1.4. The size of this is very interesting, and if I was using a GF/Pen style body it would be very tempting.
Yes – I’d buy it for my e-pm1. It seems a great match. Would be happy to order and wait if it were a made to order deal straight from Japan. Would be a safer tactic for a small manufacturer.
If I had a m43 camera I would buy this. Even though image quality could be improved, it’s a really interesting lens with quirky properties that could be used to an advantage. Mostly I like how fast yet tiny it is.
I won’t buy it because I do already have the Panasonic/Leica 25mm F1.4.
I don’t think that I would get one, even if I was looking for something in that focal range : while I love the tiny size, I didn’t really like the rendering. I found the bokey to harsh and the result rather uninspiring. And we didn’t even see how it performs in terms of resolution. Also I find that he price is way to high for what it seems to be : 650$ for what looks rather like a toy lens, that doesn’t hold against the Panasonic F 1.4 which costs 540$.
Dear Miyazaki-San,
This is a very good lens for the Micro 4/3 system. To make it more appealing 1) the bokeh needs to be improved by making it smoother wide open, and 2) the price should be closer to the Panasonic/Leica 25 f1.4.
We appreciate the diversity lenses like this provide, but it has to compete with the current selection to achieve success.
Looking forward to it!
offtopic, not sure if it has already been mentioned but there is a comparison between the OM-D,5DMKIII and the D800 at:
http://www.ayton.id.au/wp02/
@Ulli
haha Olympus E-M5 puts the 5DMKIII and the D800 to shame, the only minor feature they get beaten by the Canon is lack of custom white balances (I would like 5+) and wi-fi and gps add-ons (but theses are probably coming) and 1/800 shutter speed and some video frame rates (but this might be updated in firmware)…
in the meantime you can save yourself $US2000-2500 😀
yeah, the comparison is in favor of the E-M5,and its remarkable that the guy aknowlegdes several of the om-d features are way ahead of those canon and nikon cameras. Ofcourse the fact that the sensor is smaller and has less pixels is a minus in the comparison. Interesting is the claim from him about the 5D mkIII’s choice for lower mp then the D800 should result in better dynamic range(but imo DR is not dependent on pixelsize but rather on the processing algorythms these days)
When using my panny 20mm in manual mode on my ep2 the second I turn the focusing ring the display zooms in to the focus point, touch the shutter and it zooms back out. Very sweet. I hope this functionality/signal is included in these new mf lenses, would make all the difference for manual focusing especially for available darkness shooting.
I also found shooting my pentax k5 at high iso with an f1.4 lens at night that focusing with the optical VF was all but impossible for me. An EVF is a must for very low light shooting with MF. And AF just doesnt work at those levels anyway.
I would love to buy one of these little, TINY 25mm lenses! I use the Olympus 25mm f/2.8 pancake on both my Olympus DSLR’s and micro 4/3 cameras, and would LOVE to have a lens that small for the micro 4/3 mount, so I can do away with having to use the adapter with the Olympus. So far, I’ve stayed away from the Voightlander and Panasonic 25mm designs because they are a bit large for my needs, the Panny 20mm f.1.7 is my current go-to lens for the micro 4/3 mount.
I would just like to add that I would LOVE to be able to order this lens directly through 43rumors, either through a link or some sort of joint marketing program with Mr. Miyazaki.
Small, fast primes are where it’s at for me. I’d love to see more lenses like this.
– Olympus
The whole point of this lens is that it is an m43 and Q version of the famous Zeiss Sonnar 50mm/f1.5 M mount from the 1930s that will come in at half the size and weight of that lens, and a little faster. If he does a faithful job in the downsized optical design, his glass is of the right type, his lensmaking is accurate, his metal working and finish is beautiful, and there is a quality iris, it will be a lovely bit of nostalgia to mount on one of the smaller m43 cameras. But it is nostalgia and the chance to own one of a small production run, and it should become a collector’s item in time. If you want it, you will need to get an agent in Japan to do the deal for you (unless Miyazaki is about to change his business model).
The lens should be usable as a normal lens – not as a toy-lens. I have doubts that 5 elements – without aspherical surfaces and ED-glases – are enough for that. In newer time Sonnar-type lenses have only 2,8 as largest aperture – like the 2,8 40mm for the Rollei 35 or the 2,8 180mm from Carl Zeiss Jena or the old Leica Elmarit R (non Apo). The last lens is usable for mft – even wide open. Brighter lenses, like the Jupiter 1:2 80mm (also a Sonnar) are very soft. Conclusion: I have already the Pana 1,7 20mm. I like it. So I watch out for the Nokton or the Sonnetar. AF is not nessesary. I use already lenses as tthe Samyang 7,5mm fisheye or the Canaon FD 8,0 500mm.
A GREAT LENS that I will NOT BUY THE WAY IT IS!!!
Sweet, good little lens. Design is beautyful. Optical rendering is not.
I will try to explain.
Seen throu the images posted, considering the lens scheme, it could be a brillant f1.4 to f2 lens. Worth the money.
The lens itself exibits loads of sagittal coma flare, that would require the expensive hand-grinding of a very aspherical front element and the introduction of another doublet or single element to preserve geometry and correct the borders.
Like it is it could be a good lens for video, it has a nice retro effect, but that’s too strong to render the lens fully usable.
Correcting a bit of the border loss, and maybe using it from 1.4 or 1.8 would give it a real plus in photo taking.
Scheme looks lilke the Leica Summilux, 2nd type, without the first rear doublet.
I’d buy a Noct-Nikkor replica, for higher price, as well as a summicron-like rendition 25mm, even being it an f2 for that 650bucks But not a 1.1 lens with uncontrolled coma and blurring angles. If it is to play, I prefer my small Pentax 1.4 cctv lens.
Great honour to Mr Miyazaki for the design, the idea and the effort. Like it is the lens is not for me. But I’d buy it, even being f2.0, larger, heavier, for a lens that would keep the same center quality to the very border.
Lost IQ and no autofocus is not worth the 2/3 stop improvement over my Panny 25mm
I would prefer softer bokeh ( less coma) but would readily pre- order one anyway.
I am willing to have “Compromises” optically if the size is as small as it is. On the smaller 4/3rds it’s a carry dream come true and is FAST for natural light.
Perhaps a 17mm is better than a 25 that have two beautifull lens in m4/3.
I agree about AF as well as MF, and m43 coverage. But, the future of photographic cameras will increasingly be about the moments between the shoots, as stills cameras replace video, and as motion photography opens up new opportunities to choose shits from motion footage. But for motion, the image accross the frame needs to be consistent to the edge. There needs to be neutral image with sharp 4k resolution. For those mixing motion and stills on the go, this, and a zoom, are nice to have, rather than just being fashionable.
I would buy it, but I would like to see how sharp it is stopped down a bit. Great street lens.
AF with sensor movement is needed. That won’t do for all lenses, but will be enough for most. And it is possible to perform small, fast movements with sensor and large, slow and coarse with lens.
This is a quandary lens!
I like it, but not the bokeh.
The size is fantastic and I like the handmade aspect.
I already own the 20mm, the Voigtländer Nokton 25mm and a Nokton Classic 35mm f1.4.
Do I NEED another 25mm? Probably not, but I like lenses with character and this seems to have it in spades.
The Nokton 25mm is my main lens.
The Nokton 35mm I love, because of size, focallength, IQ and use regularly.
The 20mm is a small, soulless AF lens that I rarely use.
I’m also looking forward to the Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm!
So, if they could improve the image a bit, it could be a great, big “maybe”. 😉
@jason, yes, you are true. But if I buy a fast lens is to use it at its maximum aperture. Unless Mr.Miyazaki has very smart customers who know the lens is a “sharp tool at f2” and a “dreamy lens” if you want to.
But every lens has to be optimized someway. This optical scheme is interesting, and I think no one else is doing what this japanese Master is attempting to.
Nonetheless, I do not like “dreamy-creamy” lenses. I like shallow dof and clean pictures, let’s see how this will perform when it is refined and stopped down. If it will have all the grip I suppose it could, I will buy it.
I would buy one, simply because I can’t stand the 20mm and I would love to have a small, classy, fast, normal for a pocket camera I could take anywhere. I love lenses with character, I love my Panaleica micro 25, and it’ll probably be permanently attached to my E-M5 when it arrives, but I always like to have a camera with me everywhere, and my default lens is usually the 17. If I could replace that with something like this… I would be on that in a second!
i would love to buy one, but i think 600€ would be too much for me for such a specialty lens. The samples background blur doesn’t look nice enough for me to shell out that much for a manual focus lens. Size and aperature sound awesome though.
Obviously, one of the alternatives should be: “No, because I need AF”!!!!!
If you want to help promote the Sonnetar 25mm f/1.1 lens, then I think you need to do a shootout where you compare this lens against the Voightlander and Panasonic 25mm lenses, especially when shooting wide open.
Also, this lens might be very attractive to the video production market if the lens housing was made video friendly: step-less aperture, long focus throw with plenty of witness markings for focus pulling. Even better would be an optional follow-focus gear that could snap on to the lens itself. Videographers are paying $250 per lens just to have their DSLR lenses cine converted, so the Sonnetar could become quite popular if it embraced the needs of the cine shooter.
deleted
Great. Once again, an item that would be more attractive to videographers if it had features that are either useless (witness marks) or just annoying and wrong (stepless aperture, long focus throw) for still photographers.
Please stop…
It looks a little bit ugly. I would prefer a more lenslike outfit, like for example rangefinder lenses.
Otherwise it is a killer deal!
Oh yes, and please give us a dof scale, without it it is only half so good.
No thank you. I have a 25mm F1.4 and even if I didn’t have it… I would get the 25mm F1.4… Please try a different focal length… like 10mm or 75mm or 125mm.
Oh, yes, a videofriendly version and a Photofriendly version, it should not be difficult. I can say that I love the unusual bell shape, but I should touch it to see if it fits.
Then, I’d say that I’d kove SO much to have a 10mm 2.8
For my work, I really prefer AF lenses, otherwise I might well be interested.
No. It has smearing in the corners even stopped down, which is really really quite bad. It’s not a good kind of smearing either. Wide open it’s terribly soft, but that I could live with. Heck, I love the small bit of softness and rendering of the Sonnar lenses I own, but this lens doesn’t actually seem to have the typical Sonnar qualities.
Also for the love of god don’t decide based on an internet poll, everyone just votes yes for the heck of it, yet I doubt 1/10th of the people voting yes would actually buy it / anything they vote on.
Price-wise a second-hand 25mm f0.95 Xenon would deliver better results.