[shoplink 8858 ebay]
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Introduction:
I am a happy NEX-5n user (and probably future NEX-7 user too). But what I am missing in the current NEX lens lineup are pancakes! I’m googling around to find some nice pancakes I can use on my NEX and I thought it would be nice to share with you my findings!
The Zeiss Planar 35mm f/2.0:
The razor sharp and tiny [shoplink 8858 ebay]Zeiss Planar 35mm f/2.0[/shoplink] can be used on your NEX via the Contax G to NEX mount adapter ([shoplink 8859 ebay]Click here to find them on eBay[/shoplink]). The lens itself costs around $500 and you can find them on [shoplink 8858 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. On your NEX this will become a 53mm f/2.0 lens. As you see from the picture on top it is a very compact, and high quality lens.
What I found:
A set of image samples from “Ta” taken with the NEX-5 on Flickr (Click here).
Another set of image samples from “Sebboh” taken with the NEX-3 on Flickr (Click here).
Amazing night shots from “Lowlightlove” taken with the NEX-3 on Flickr (Click here).
What do you think:
[poll id=”78″]
Ebay links:
[shoplink 8858 ebay]Zeiss Planar 35mm f/2.0 (Click here)[/shoplink]
[shoplink 8859 ebay]Contax G to NEX mount adapter (Click here)[/shoplink]
40 Responses
That’s not a pancake…
This is a pancake:
http://www.biofos.com/esystem/_img/420/penfpan.jpg
Zuiko 38mm f2.8… fits on NEX with minimal PEN FT adapter. Reaches over 80+ lpm by f5.6. 14mm long at 70g.
Same registration distance as Contax G lenses so adapters are identical size. But the Zuiko doesn’t need a focusing adapter. It has it’s own focus ring. And it’s about 1/4th the length of the Contax G.
It’s also designed as retrofocus for half frame SLR… not a short throw rangefinder lens. The corners should be crisper on the Zuiko.
Which adapter?
They are all over eBay. I just bought two for $18 each. Cheapest one I could find.
Look for PEN F to NEX adapter… hundreds will come up.
The Contax adapters cost over $100 and must use some funky gearing to turn the focus. Worst of all, the Contax adapters make you turn the ring in the opposite direction from standard Alpha or NEX. They turn like Nikon/Pentax… opposite from Alpha/Leica/Canon/Oly/Contax.
They got the Contax G adapter wrong. Should turn the other way.
Looks interesting but, I can’t find the lens for sale anywhere. Oh well.
There’s at least four for sale here:
http://kevincameras.com/gallery/v/olympus_pen_f/albuo54/
Very expensive.
this is a pancake :http://goo.gl/NC8l1
wow that’s nice. will have to keep an eye of those.
as for new pancakes, hasn’t sony opened up the e-mount standard? if so, why don’t sigma etc put out some pancakes. sure seems there’s a market.
“On your NEX this will become a 53mm f/2.0 lens”
no it is not.. when will you guys ever learn : P
it is a 53mm f2.8(!) on fullframe..
there is also another great pancake
http://www.photozone.de/pentax/534-samsung30f2
and it is only 200$
That is not quite correct. The fact is, it’s a ratio and it doesn’t change when multiplying effective focal length. It is still ƒ/2.
Now, the smaller sensor does impact the level of bokeh, or more specifically, it reduces the maximum angle of incidence that can be sensed coming from the lens. This averages out across most cameras (it varies by every sensor but none of them are so different…) to about a stop for APS-C, 2 stops for MFT.
That doesn’t affect how much light is received (it’s still the same aperture ratio) but it does affect the perceived “depth of field.”
hope zeiss sony make lens like Zeiss Planar 35mm f/2.0 or more wider Focal lenght 16mm or 14mm f2/f4
30mm f2
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/706654-REG/Samsung_EX_S30NB_EX_S30NB_30mm_f_2_0_Standard.html
16mm f2.4
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757451-REG/Samsung_EX_W16NB_16mm_f_2_4_Ultra_Wide.html
lens adapter ;D
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/818268-REG/Samsung_EV_NX200ZBSBUS_NX_200_DIG_CAMERA_w_18_55mm.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/734746-REG/Samsung_EV_NX100ZBABUS_NX100_Mirrorless_Digital_Camera.html
+200
IMHO, all of the nex system is completely useless withought a pancake AF lens
I expect we’ll see about one new Zeiss lens a year but the next one is probably going to be a zoom.
I got a question, if I use third party lens, will the peaking level work or not?
yes it does… that’s what all the rage is about.
Sony CLM-V55 5″inch monitor have “focus peaking assist” also. And also the Sony LPM770BP 7″ monitor.
some external on-camera mounted monitors will have:
Peaking Filter
The Peaking Filter is used to aid the camera operator in obtaining the sharpest possible picture. When activated, all color will be removed from the display and a black-and-white image will remain. The internal processor will display RED color on the screen where sharp edges of in-focus areas appear.
Dunno about the pancake, but yay for 50mm (ish) equivalent!
please do not posting about contax g lens 🙂 it will raise up the price
There are many MF pancake lenses that should be breeze to use on NEX due to there peaking focus feature !! Some of the famous ones are:
1) Contax zeiss 45/2.8 tessar
2) Cosina Voiglander color skopar 20/3.5 SLII
3) Cosina Voiglander Ultron 402.0 SL II
4) Industar 50-2 50/3.5
5) Konica Hexanon 40/1.8
6) Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45/2.0
7) Nikon GN Auto 45/2.8
8.) Nikon Nikkor Ais 45/2.8
9) Nikon Nikkor Ais 50/1.8 (series E)
10) SMC Pentax 40/2.8
As you can see they are mostly in 40-50mm range making them a perfect portrait focal length on 1.5 crop camera. And since there are all full frame lenses, you can expect to have better performance on NEX cameras.
Happy shooting
Ashutosh… do you not reject any of them as pancake style once the adapter is used to mount it to NEX?
I think the SMC Pentax 40/2.8 will be pretty small. Lens depth is 18mm and adapter would be 27mm thick so making it total of 45mm. Also an Industar 50-2 in M39 or leica M would be pretty small (19 + 10 = 29mm)
From that list, only the Voigtländer stuff qualifies when used with a Leica M-NEX adapter. Some will consider that combo being too thick as well.
The M42, Nikkor and Konica adapters are simply too thick, making the combo almost the size of the kit lens.
I picked up one of the Nikon 5/1.8 E-series on Ebay. First, the Nikon adapters are of two types. First is the $20 flange-only type. It doesn’t facilitate focusing at f/1.8, then moving to f/5.6 for exposure. Second is the $25-50 type, it has a slider that does this work. Get the second type.
A comment. The Nikon E-series loses a lot of its pancake-advantage with the adapter. It also is a very-old lens that isn’t multicoated and experiences a lot of flare in high-contrast cases. It also only costs $30-50, now.
The Voigtlander adapters are nice, but go for ~$200 each. They may be more precise than the $25 type, but that is a huge price difference.
I got this lens a year ago and since then I have never used any other lens
It’s not the sharpest (check contax g 45 f2)
but colour rendition and bokeh are both top notch
It also has got a very bespoke 3D feel like old Leica lenses(apparently it share the same design as Leica 35/2)
peaking mode revitalise all fantastic old manual lenses!!
I think it will be cool if Zeiss restart making manual compact lens for E-mount
I would recommend the VC Skopar 35F2.5 (lenght 23mm) or the faster lens Nokton 35F1.4 or 40F1.4 (28.5, 29.7mm + appr. 10mm fpr the adapter).
Cheers
Reiner
“I would recommend the VC Skopar 35F2.5 (lenght 23mm) or the faster lens Nokton 35F1.4 or 40F1.4 (28.5, 29.7mm + appr. 10mm fpr the adapter).”
I use the CV 21/4, plenty small.
http://cameraquest.com/jpg6/21c3.jpg
And the Nokton 35F1.4
http://cameraquest.com/jpg5/Voigt3514_M4P1.jpg
All small enough for me and with MF assist and focus peaking who needs AF?
I never did warm to the Contax G 35/2’s bokeh, though it’s suitably sharp.
It’s not really that much more compact with adaptor than the Minolta AF 35/2 is, though.
I would be a little wary of spending too much money on legacy lenses unless you’re sure you want that particular rendering and that you can live with MF only. Some of the adapted 50mm lenses are going to face competition from Sony’s new 50/1.8 OSS. It’s not that expensive while supporting autofocus, face detection AF/AE, EXIF, and image stabilization. Not that you need those things all the time, but having them makes the lens that much more versatile.
Also, before I even consider acquiring an expensive MF lens, I’ll shoot extensively with my cheap Konica Hexanon 40/1.8. Just to make sure that I can focus legacy glass efficiently and accurately on the NEX-7 for the type of subjects I’m interested in. If that works really well, then I might consider something that costs 500 Euros. But not before then.
200% agree with you 😉
I just bought this Konika lens for my 5n, I already know it will be as big as the 18-55 kit lens with adaptor, but for the price and the quality of the lens, can’t be wrong I guess, and I’m not an expert in MF…
My 2 cents
Sorry I digress….
But any words on the long rumored
“High performance standard zoom G” lens that due 2012?
Thanks.
I’d probably go with Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 MC M mount Lens – it’s the same size, price range and it’s f/1.4, very popular with nex. Also Leica M mount adapter seems a bit more universal to me for other possible lenses.
You guys may be interested in this thread:
http://forum.mflenses.com/small-lenses-from-35mm-cameras-to-use-on-nex-t42596.html
Even pancake won’t look like pancake on NEX… not because of adapters, but because the lens mount is sticking out external to the camera body. Other cams have their mounts recessed into the body, and so lenses “look” smaller when attached.
Another option for real pancake is a pinhole lens cap… Image quality is interesting.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skink-Pinhole-Pancake-Pro-Lens-Kit-wide-angle-Sony-Alpha-NEX-7-5N-C3-5-3-/290611740491?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item43a9cf3f4b
No pancake, no Sony Nex System. A small Camera with a big lens doesnt make any sens for me. I would go for a Samsung NX200 System only because of the f2.0 30mm pancake
The NEX 16mm is only 1mm longer than the Samsung 30mm. You gonna lock yourself into an inferior camera for 1mm?
Patience will reveal Sony pancakes soon enough… but you’ll be shooting NX200 wishing for NEX-7.
Well, but to be fair Samsung NX has got a quite small 20-50mm standard zoom plus 16mm, 20mm & 30mm pancakes getting excellent reviews like this one here:
http://www.photozone.de/pentax/534-samsung30f2
I wouldn’t mind getting something like that from Sony…
I always wondered what camera adapters were the smallest and gave the lens the most compact fit (with adapter and lens).
MS Optical Super Triplet Perar – the smallest M-mount lens you can adapt.
http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2010/10/sony-nex-ms-super-triplet-perar-lens.html
…that’s not a pancake, that’s a praline.