28mm Recommendations?

[Max Power]

Evening all,
A while back I counted my pennies and put together enough to pick up an R3A and 50/1.5 Nokton. I am very happy with the camera and the lens, and also enjoy using my J9. What I'm missing is a wider-angle.

I'm thinking 28mm, because the difference between 50mm and 35mm isn't great, and 24mm is too wide to my tastes. So far, though, I find that as far as CV lenses go, the 28/3.5CS is just too slow, although the price is right. The 28/1.9 is quite fast, but the price is quite high.

Can anyone recommend any alternatives to these two? Something with good quality and good results that would fall between them in $$ and speed?

TIA,
Kent

 

[Frank-G]

...an R3A and 50/1.5 Nokton.

Wow! Same set-up as mine!

Are you also planning to buy a 28mm finder for your R3A---if there is one available?

 

[Frank-G]

I went to http://www.cameraquest.com

It seems that both these lenses are good performers. If it were my choice, it would be a toss-up but I would lean towards the Ultron, and just save up for it and the finder; though I'm not crazy about using external finders because I often need to slide in a flash unit.

 

[BrianPhotog]

I went to http://www.cameraquest.com

It seems that both these lenses are good performers. If it were my choice, it would be a toss-up but I would lean towards the Ultron, and just save up for it and the finder; though I'm not crazy about using external finders because I often need to slide in a flash unit.

I just got mine last week and love it. On the other hand, my 50 Nokton keeps falling apart

 

[Frank-G]

"....50 Nokton keeps falling apart." How? Where? Mine's still intact.

 

[BrianPhotog]

"....50 Nokton keeps falling apart." How? Where? Mine's still intact.

First it was the loose barrel issue that hounds the 35 Ultron and 50 Nokton...there are a few gripes about this on the RFF and photo.net. Someone even posted a DIY fix on photo.net if you're hands aren't chunky and unsteady like mine.

Now all of the aperture blades have slipped out of place

All my other CV lenses have suffered the same normal use & abuse from me with no issues, though.

 

[Max Power]

Wow! Same set-up as mine!

Are you also planning to buy a 28mm finder for your R3A---if there is one available?

Actually, I already have a beautiful (IMHO) and functional Petri Tele-Wide aux finder which I got a couple of years ago for use with my FED 5.

Kent

 

[psvensson]

I had a 28 Ultron that was pretty poor optically and mechanically - very soft at full aperture and the aperture ring stiffened after a while. If you get one, buy it with a right to return, and test it while you can still return it. The Skopar is a later design and may be better. If you can find it, the Konica 28 is great.

 

[BrianPhotog]

I had a 28 Ultron that was pretty poor optically and mechanically - very soft at full aperture and the aperture ring stiffened after a while. If you get one, buy it with a right to return, and test it while you can still return it. The Skopar is a later design and may be better. If you can find it, the Konica 28 is great.

Huh?

The Skopar is not a "latest" design, but a different design then the Ultron. In other words, The CRV and Civic are both Hondas and neither can be called a latest design of the other. The Skopar (in any focal length) is known primarily for it's compactness. It's also very sharp. The one thing I don't like about it is its (again, this applies to all the Skopars I've used) high contrast. Good for color photography...not great in B&W for rendering good midtone coverage.

The Ultron designs aren't quite as contrasty, which is why I like them. The general opinion, even from folks that don't necessarily like Cosina (like Edwin Putts?) is that the 28 Ultron is the closest that Cosina has come to Leica in build quality and exceeds pre-asph Leica (and some say matches current gen Leitz glass) in optical quality. I'd have to agree judging from the early results I've gotten with mine. Maybe your sample was dropped on its head as a child

 

[ampguy]

also looking for a good 28mm

I just need 2.8 or faster, preferably in M mount.