24/28mm sharpies

[pdh]

One of those hopeless questions that will produce so many different answers ... but I'll ask anyway ... if you were going to buy a 24mm or 28mm legacy lens, and the criteria for selection were razor-sharpness, lots of contrast-y-ness, and speed (lets not be to too demanding -- f/1.4 or f/1.8 would be great, but f/2 or f/2.8 is likely to be good enough by far) , what might be on the shortlist ?

(oh, and I realise the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 is only a little shorter than what's being asked about, plus I'm deliberately not including a budget)

 

[Brian S]

Nikkor 24mm F2.8.

 

[tam]

The 4/3 PanLeica 25mm f1.4 ?

Think it might even AF with the adapter.

Ah wait, legacy, technically it's not mu43... ;-)

 

[G1 User]

Voigtlander 28mm f/1.9 ASPH in LTM mount.

 

[pdh]

Ah wait, legacy, ... ;-)

well, I used "legacy" when I might have said "legacy or any other lens" ... I was expecting (assumptions, though, are dangerous things) that the most contrasty utlrasharpy lens wouldn't be native or even a close cousin

 

[kevinparis]

plus one for the pananleica 25/1.4... just got one today... havent shot it on micro 4/3... just my regular 4/3... but it is outstanding... noting compares... but it aint cheap

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Self#21 by kevinparis, on Flickr


more shots here

Panaleica 25/1.4 - a set on Flickr


probably means I have a OM 24/2 for sale soon.....maybe not as it is still nice on my canon 5D

K

 

[Streetshooter]

28 1.9 Ultron but now they changed it to something else.
The Ultron rivals the Leica 28mm.

 

[Brian S]

Konica Hexanon 28/1.8. Sharper than my Nikkor 28/2. But the latter was only $100.

 

[pdh]

wow ... i just googled the Hexanon and found one on eBay for nearly £500 ... and it looked like it had been hit with a hammer on the filter thread ...

@Streetshooter -- "the" Leica 28mm?

 

[Streetshooter]

pdh,
Yessir... I have both and the Leica has a slight edge on contrast but on sharpness, they're about equals.... and price wise...well, nuff said!

 

[Brian S]

I need to get a Konica adapter for that 28/1.8. Mine is mint. I do not know why it goes for so much- seems crazy. Makes the Nikkor look like a bargain, and it uses a floating element for close-range-correction (CRC). The Konica is a big lens, uses 55mm filters.

Well- Konica adapter should be here next week. I think that does it for adapters for me. Leica M, Nikon F, Pentax 42mm screwmount, Canon FL/FD, and Olympus OM Mount. And I can use the Contax RF and S-Mount adapter with the M-Mount to u4/3. No Kodak Retina adapter.

 

[pdh]

oops ... in trying to be "clever" I've just been unclear ... what I should have said is "I see a number of different Leica 28mm lenses are available, which particular one are you referring to?" ...

Apologies

 

[Streetshooter]

pdh,
I have one from the 80's, pre Asph and a newer Asph.
I prefer the Pre Asph as it has slightly less contrast but records very smooth.
The 28 1.9 is about the same as that lens.
I don't use either digitally as I prefer Dedicated lenses in this format.
AF baby, I'm spoiled and tis a pretty thing it is.

 

[Brian S]

My Leica Elmarit 28mm F2.8 V3- Add it to the list of Sharp, but expensive- at least compared to the Nikkor 28/2.

 

[pdh]

No-one seems to have mentioned any of the Contax G lenses ?
Are they in with a shout?

 

[deirdre]

The 4/3 PanLeica 25mm f1.4 ?

Think it might even AF with the adapter.

Ah wait, legacy, technically it's not mu43... ;-)

It does AFS but not AFC.

 

[Brian S]

I did a comparison between the "hard to find" Konica 28/1.8 and the Nikkor-NC 28/2, much easier to find and much less expensive. The Nikkor was sharper and had less flare used wide-open than did the Konica. At F4, both evened up.

The Nikkor 28/2 can be found at reasonable prices, close focus to under 1ft.

 

[chasm]

My Minolta MD 24mm f2.8 is about the only lens I haven't yet tried on my GF1 (too close to the 20mm f1.7) but it always gave gorgeous results on 35mm film.

 

[chalkdust]

Zeiss Biogon 25mm f2.8 spends a great deal of time on the front of my G1.