Jackson Miller
Well-known member
Ok, so I need some help. I sold my 5d a while ago for a GH1 which should get here tomorrow. GH1 has a 2x crop factor.
I have red a TON about alt lenses over the past year but it all gets blurred together sometimes. I'm essentially thinking that I need a 24mm, a 35mm, and a 50mm to get a set that would be a 48, 70, 100mm equivalent. Obviously there is a hole on the wide end but all the alt glass that is wider than that just seems too pricey for me right now. For projects that I NEED a wide on I will rent the excellent 11-16mm until I can buy one or a prime. So if there is a cheaper (ultra) wide option you are aware of please let me know.
I would like a closely matched set for the 3 other primes because I need them to edit together well. I would also prefer if the focus wheels spun the same directions. I was thinking that I would get either a set of manual Pentax, Nikon, or Olympus lenses and was leaning towards the Pentax. Now though, I am thinking I'd really like to work towards having a set of zeiss contax lenses in the long term (for if I move back to canon or another system) because they have almost the exact same glass as the ZF/ZE's. As cheaper temporary lenses which I hope look similar to the contax zeiss, I was considering some jena zeiss lenses. So here is what I am thinking:
1) 28mm Contax Zeiss f2.8 - longer than 24mm so I'm not sure. If I can find a cheaper 20 or 21 mm later it could be ok. Can't seem to find it for less than $325ish plus shipping.
2) 35mm Jena Zeiss f2.4 - Originally wanted the contax version but it is 2.8 and more $. I saw adam recommended this lens and thought It might match well. Found prices between 150 and 250 but the cheaper ones say that the focus ring is "slightly gritty." Can't find anything in between those prices.
3) 50mm Jena Zeiss f1.8 ($100 ish) OR Pentax 1.4 (takumar or SMC) OR any other cheap 50mm that has a look close to zeiss and can hold me off until I purchase the contax 50mm 1.4.
The thing is that I could get cheaper and probably faster glass if I went Nikon, Pentax, or Oly, plus I'd be able to get a 24mm instead of 28. For example I could get a set of 24mm f2.8, 35 f1.4(!!), and 50mm f1.4 Nikon for (well) under 600. Can I justify getting the slower zeiss set for more? Sigh. Ok so I guess I will sum up the questions I have below so that anyone kind enough to help out can answer more easily:
1) Any good super cheap, ultra wide options I may not know about and what does the image look like compared to other lenses for cutting together?
2) How do the Contax Zeiss compare to the Jena Zeiss!? There is sooo little info on this. Most important, will they cut together well? In general I should go for the zebra jenas right?
3) Which dirrection do the focus wheel's turn on the following lens (answer all you can): Pentax, Zeiss, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, any others you know.
4) Can you describe the relative "looks" of the lenses I am interested in? I know this is a bit hard, but, for example, which would look most and least like the zeiss? I am assuming Petax SMC would look more zeiss like than the takumars? What do nikons look like comparatively? Do any of the lenses look a lot like each other but not like the zeiss?
5) Based on all this, what specific and or general recommendations would you give me?
6) What I have been doing is just looking on ebay and keh. I need to buy at least one or two of the lenses SOON. Is it worth looking up local camera stores? I am in so cal and hour from LA but it is impractical for me to go farther than 10 miles or so. Would the deals be cheaper?
Thank you SOOOOO much if you read and answered. Please do. I have done lots of research and even looked at flickr samples of many lenses but after a while they all look the same.
I have red a TON about alt lenses over the past year but it all gets blurred together sometimes. I'm essentially thinking that I need a 24mm, a 35mm, and a 50mm to get a set that would be a 48, 70, 100mm equivalent. Obviously there is a hole on the wide end but all the alt glass that is wider than that just seems too pricey for me right now. For projects that I NEED a wide on I will rent the excellent 11-16mm until I can buy one or a prime. So if there is a cheaper (ultra) wide option you are aware of please let me know.
I would like a closely matched set for the 3 other primes because I need them to edit together well. I would also prefer if the focus wheels spun the same directions. I was thinking that I would get either a set of manual Pentax, Nikon, or Olympus lenses and was leaning towards the Pentax. Now though, I am thinking I'd really like to work towards having a set of zeiss contax lenses in the long term (for if I move back to canon or another system) because they have almost the exact same glass as the ZF/ZE's. As cheaper temporary lenses which I hope look similar to the contax zeiss, I was considering some jena zeiss lenses. So here is what I am thinking:
1) 28mm Contax Zeiss f2.8 - longer than 24mm so I'm not sure. If I can find a cheaper 20 or 21 mm later it could be ok. Can't seem to find it for less than $325ish plus shipping.
2) 35mm Jena Zeiss f2.4 - Originally wanted the contax version but it is 2.8 and more $. I saw adam recommended this lens and thought It might match well. Found prices between 150 and 250 but the cheaper ones say that the focus ring is "slightly gritty." Can't find anything in between those prices.
3) 50mm Jena Zeiss f1.8 ($100 ish) OR Pentax 1.4 (takumar or SMC) OR any other cheap 50mm that has a look close to zeiss and can hold me off until I purchase the contax 50mm 1.4.
The thing is that I could get cheaper and probably faster glass if I went Nikon, Pentax, or Oly, plus I'd be able to get a 24mm instead of 28. For example I could get a set of 24mm f2.8, 35 f1.4(!!), and 50mm f1.4 Nikon for (well) under 600. Can I justify getting the slower zeiss set for more? Sigh. Ok so I guess I will sum up the questions I have below so that anyone kind enough to help out can answer more easily:
1) Any good super cheap, ultra wide options I may not know about and what does the image look like compared to other lenses for cutting together?
2) How do the Contax Zeiss compare to the Jena Zeiss!? There is sooo little info on this. Most important, will they cut together well? In general I should go for the zebra jenas right?
3) Which dirrection do the focus wheel's turn on the following lens (answer all you can): Pentax, Zeiss, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, any others you know.
4) Can you describe the relative "looks" of the lenses I am interested in? I know this is a bit hard, but, for example, which would look most and least like the zeiss? I am assuming Petax SMC would look more zeiss like than the takumars? What do nikons look like comparatively? Do any of the lenses look a lot like each other but not like the zeiss?
5) Based on all this, what specific and or general recommendations would you give me?
6) What I have been doing is just looking on ebay and keh. I need to buy at least one or two of the lenses SOON. Is it worth looking up local camera stores? I am in so cal and hour from LA but it is impractical for me to go farther than 10 miles or so. Would the deals be cheaper?
Thank you SOOOOO much if you read and answered. Please do. I have done lots of research and even looked at flickr samples of many lenses but after a while they all look the same.
