50mm lens for Sony NEX-VG10: buy a Nikon 1.4 or wait for the new Sony lens?

[djosbun]

The going rate for a used, excellent condition Nikon AIS 50mm 1.4 lens seems to be around $165, plus i'll have to purchase one of those cheap adapters to convert it to the Sony E mount. I know this Nikkor lens has awesome glass and is all metal, but is it really going to be worth it, since the soon-to-be-released E mount Sony all metal lens will not lose any camera features AND have stabilization, all for $299. Granted, it's 2.0 and not 1.4, but i'm really not sure which way to go. Since i'll be using for indoor low light and with a tripod the stabilization isn't a biggie, but buying a used lens on eBay is always risky. The Nikkor new is $469. Is the Nikkor glass on this lens that spectacular? Hard answer probably, since the Sony lens isn't even out yet.

Thanks for your input!
Dave

 

[David G. Smith]

I use vintage Nikon lenses on a T2i and a FS100 and I love the images. I have bought quite a few lenses off of eBay and only had one issue with one and I got a full refund back on that. The feedback system, and the Paypal protections are pretty good. Probably better than buying retail directly from a company on the web. The thing I like about having the set of Nikon lenses is that I know that I can use them, with adaptors, on almost any other lens mount system that we are likely to see come down the pike. So I have a set of lenses I know I will be able use for a while. I don't know that this is true for E mount lenses. The Sony E mount is very cool, because the short flange distance means that you can use put almost any other lens, with an adaptor, on the camera, but I am not so sure that E mount lenses would be that adaptable to other cameras.

Now this future proofing may not be that big of a deal to others, so new Sony lenses maybe the way to go.