[shoplink 43686 ebay]
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SAR reader Vitaly got the new Zonlai 25mm f/1.8 E-mount lens that sells for $129 on [shoplink 43686 ebay]eBay (Click here to read all details on eBay)[/shoplink]. He shared some unboxing pics and image samples on Flickr (Click here):
Did some test pictures and process of unpacking. Impression: Well build, good quality pictures. On downside -very short, narrow turn for focusing. Also my copy has small mark/dot inside metal part that not affect optic.
Lens Features:
Focal Length: 25mm
Aperture Range: F1.8-16
Focusing Range: 18cm-Infinite
Dimensions: Ф60mm X 33mm
Weight: 142g
Materials: Multi-coated Optical Glass / Metal body
Color: BLACK/SILVER
Available on [shoplink 43686 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]
Thanks Vitaly!
25 Responses
Unfortunately, access to this particular item has been blocked due to legal restrictions in some countries.
From Ebay, France
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252172920047 this link works better
Hum. Interesting. You can login to the other eBay extensions such as .com or .co.uk or .de for example and try? I’ve bought mine from Kenro CN (not sure if affiliated with Kenro, the brand, mostly known in the photography industry for their filters): http://www.ebay.com/sch/Lenses-/3323/m.html?_ssn=kenro-cn .
When these first appeared on my radar they weren’t up for order in black, only as silver versions. I’ve waited for the black version to come in stock, which happened a few days ago and at the moment they’re shipped out. Got quite a decent discount from the seller (they’re up for ‘submit offer’ and you can ask for combined shipping discount deal).
They seem somewhere along the lines of the APS-C covering C-mount lenses as found on http://www.aliexpress.com/store/other-products/736134.html?categoryId=190305 for example and the Zhongyi stuff. So, probably nice value for the price and stuff you can get creative with, but not for pixel peepers.
Nice. Seems to be quite a sharp lens (stopped down). I would be interested in a Bokeh Test. I know its not that easy to get a real shallow DOF with a 25mm 1.8 on APSC but nonetheless..
The ebay listing itself shows quite a few samples which give a fairly good idea of the bokeh.
Sharpness looks good across most of the frame – but those extreme corners are bad – tree branches look smudged even in the small web images. So maybe not great for landscapes unless cropped, but at f1.8 it might make a nice indoor/low light lens where the corners will be oof anyway.
Is this FF or APS C cover?
Aps-c
Ah. If this did not have builtin-lens hood, it would be a pancake lens
The front element probably goes forward during focusing. Kind of like Canon 50/1.8.
Novice here. Didn’t read through, but found a few links from China.
Hope some expert can advise if it is worth.
– http://forum.xitek.com/thread-1502403-1-1-1.html
– http://blog.sina.cn/dpool/blog/s/blog_64822c3b0102vtpq.html?vt=4
– http://tieba.baidu.com/p/4064542579
– http://tuchong.com/239374/albums/421865/
There is also another lens that looks like it from Taobao.
http://bit.ly/1mv7c72
This is from an earlier reply 25 days ago, some interesting links as well:
“lol, Tyrion Lannister is selling a 34mm f/1.7. xD
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-34mm-f1-7-noE35-a5100-a6000l-micro-single-film-fixed-focus-camera-lens/32493306014.html . Wesley? http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=522162100562 . Kaxinda 35mm f/1.7 & 50mm f/2.4? http://world.tmall.com/item/45346935650.htm / http://world.tmall.com/item/43835782372.htm .
Original posted one on Tmall (a tad bit more legit than taobao: http://world.tmall.com/item/523078049164.htm ).”
Incl. the listing over at Tmall, where it’s priced at 499 CNY ~ 77 USD, quite a bit cheaper than on eBay. Of course you could get an agent to handle purchasing and intl. shipping, but it’s a hassle and no PayPal/eBay protection. I calculated something along the lines of… 90+99 = 189 USD total. So, for a reseller on eBay having to deal with eBay and PayPal fees +10% = 207,90 USD. So that’s roughly the lowest you’d be able to get it for. Theoretically. In practice, you’d be looking at 215~230.
You can get the wesley/kaxinda 34mm f1.7 (also referred to as 35mm) on aliexpress for about 90$ incl. international shipping
http://www.ebay.es/itm/151421904059?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I paid 87€.
IMPORTANT: Quality control is BAD. The lens came with dust inside.
And one big (like 2mm. long and 0.5mm. wide) dust like cardboard cutout (sorry about my english)
I don’t return because, Shaking the lens I´ve got take it aparte. But sometimes comeback again.
I recommend tell the seller to check the lens before to sent it.
Regards!
Hi! I have Kaxinda 35mm f1.7 from some days ago. I think I am very
critical about quality. Sorry about not post pictures. I have not had
time yet to test deeply.
First impressions:
– Very good sharp/image quality.
– Some barrel distorsion with no moustache.
– Prone to flare!
– Good colors.
– Good landscape sharperness.
Camera used is and old NEX F3 and I think this lens outperforms his 16mpx, I mean, 24mpx. could be still better for this lens.
With f8 sharpness is great!
HI hope to have some time to make a post with samples…
Hope this help to someone.
I you have some answer, tell me know.
This lens I used it for inside portraits, with bbad light. And I’m happy with dthe results!
Hey! I forgot, 9 blades with a very good defocus cream effect!
Be carefull. 2 versions cheaper only 6 blades!
My review (though I have the X-Mount), it performs as a $130 lens. Its not sharp @ $200, so this lens is priced nicely. No it isn’t a $130 Zeiss sharp lens. It is what it is and priced accordingly.
Poor designers of this lens. Nice build, but $99 Pana 25/1.7 ruined
their market on m43. The lesson – cover new FLs, or FLs covered only by
egregiously overpriced stuff. For manual focus, remember, UWA. 6mm/4.0,
8/2.8, 10/2.0, 12/1.4, something like that. And learn electronics and AF
mechanics for God’s sake, a little magic taken from any $50 kit lens
will go a long way to making your product sell!
For mft, thats right. Sony E System unforunately only has the sel24 f1.8 which is a hefty 800€.
As far as i see, there is no other fast 35mm equiv lens for Sony E, thats comapact and/or cheap. So there is a market for this lens!
I’d also like to see AF with these emerging chinese lens manufacturers lenses, but remember that they sell in very limited quantities (compared to Pana/Oly) and every cent in developement would cost a hefty amount more in every lens. They would need to price this lens at 200 or 250 maybe, which at this pricepoint, noone would buy
I agree, on E-mount there is a market.
“I’d also like to see AF with these emerging chinese lens manufacturers
lenses, but remember that they sell in very limited quantities (compared
to Pana/Oly) ”
Only because they have no AF. If they had AF, and priced better than the overpriced Sony/Olympus/Panasonic/Fuji, they would sell very well. APS-C DSLR market is saturated in most FLs with cheap lenses. Mirrorless are open in a lot of FLs/speeds, due to overpricing. Like that $1100 Sony 24/1.8, a wide open target. Like 12mm, or 75 mm in any system (E does not even have anything there, in m43 Oly tries to get $700 etc).
Theres the 12mm Rokinon/Samyang, which is very nice and reasonably cheap. But no AF 12mm nor 75mm for apsc mirrorless, youre right
There is 12mm/2.8 Zeiss Touit. Just $1000 is not the price which has a wide market for buyers of $398 a6000 bodies. A company selling the same thing for $200 though would succeed.
Has anyone tried the Kaxinda 25mm 0.95 in E mount? From the samples the corners look terrible. But that’s a focal length/aperture combo that would be great on a a6000.
Speaking of cheap manual 25mm, there is $45 C-mount 25/1.4 which covers APS-C, and C-mount adapters are dirt cheap (and you can change it if you change your system).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Covers-APS-C-Sensor-25mm-CCTV-C-Mount-Lens-for-NEX-EOSM-FX-M4-3-N1-PQ/281899473475?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Dd6d10fd0bb1744fd91b2a6b973b7e698%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D161631631384
It is NOT the same as Fujian etc narrow C-mount lenses which vignette badly, it even looks differently.
I just got mine, as well. Nice little packaging. I haven’t gotten to use it much yet but my first impression is that peak focusing is a bit difficult wide open because it just isn’t sharp enough. Kind of a bummer, but for the price I really can’t complain.
BTW, if that lens’s quality is not great, there are 25/1.4 C-mount lenses on ebay covering APS-C, $60 WITH ADAPTER (although adapters are cheap). Tough to compete in manual segment, and not only with legacy 50/1.8 for $10 everywhere. They have to learn to do AF.