Pancakes ideas for your NEX: Voigtländer Skopar 21mm f/4.0
Introduction:
I am a happy NEX-5n user (and probably a 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 Voigtländer 21mm f/4.0:
If you are looking for a compact street photography lens the Voigtländer Skopar 21mm f/4.0 might eb your choice. You can use it on your NEX via Leica M to NEX mount adapter (Click here to find them on eBay). The lens itself costs around $500 and you can find plenty of them on eBay (Click here). On your NEX this will become a 32mm f/4.0 lens. It’s an ideal walkround lens. Very compact, top build quality. The only thing you have to consider is that it is not very fast.
What I found:
A set of image samples from “Tam” taken with the NEX-3 on Flickr (Click here).
Another set of image samples from “Jeebus” taken with the NEX on Flickr (Click here).
Amazing night shots from “Jacknrain” taken with the NEX-3 on Flickr (Click here).
You can see a picture of the NEX with the Skopar attached at Tokyocamerastyle.
What do you think:
Loading ...Ebay links:
Voigtländer 21mm f/4.0 (Click here)
Leica M to NEX mount adapter (Click here)
jon
2 years ago |a CV Nokton 40mm 1.4 would be nice too
b_z
2 years ago |Exactly. f/4 is too slow for me, f/1.4 is nice and the 40/1.4 Nokton is really nice on my Nex 5. Cheaper than the 35/1.4 too.
Don’t know how it’s going to do on Nex7 though, chromatic aberration is already noticeable on Nex5.
jon
2 years ago |That’s what i was thinking of. I’m planning on buying a NEX-7 sans the black kitlens and a CV Nokton 40f1.4. i wish someone would use that combo before i decide on buying it.
Clyde
2 years ago |You’ll be happier with a Pen F 40mm f1.4 or a 42mm f1.2. Check flickr for incredible samples.
See links below for samples of 38mm f1.8.
All 50 year old retrofocus designs that are simply amazing.
Aldo
2 years ago |Steve Jobs has died
.. is a sad day!.. very sad day! 
David
2 years ago |Yup, guess he’s in the Cloud now :-/
Alfie
2 years ago |Good looking lens but not suitable for low light conditions.Duh
C
2 years ago |Nothing like OT conversation.
Say, who’s in charge of Sony?…
Leo
2 years ago |Hirai Kazuo
HoHo
2 years ago |I have the Konica Hexanon AR 40mm F1.8 and it is a great pancake lens. It is only 3 cm long but with the adapter it’s 5 cm! It is still very small. It is my perfect walkaround lens now. You can get it for about $50 on eBay. You can’t beat the price and the quality of this little guy.
Alfonso Cuitiño
2 years ago |Hey Andrea, I love this series of “pancakes for your nex”, but this one lens is too slow and expensive.
Jean-Michel
2 years ago |Of course ! This lens is excellent. If you’re ok with an aperture of F:4, its quality is very, very high. There are some reviews which prove that the quality is similar than Zeiss ZM and very close to Leica lens. I personally saw some on-field tests : very great. When I chat with Rob, from “ThePictureDesk”, since he has the opportunity to test the Nex-7, to test it with the VC 2 f:4/21mm that he owns. This lens is very appropriate to Nex Cameras, despite the f:4 aperture. I love it.
Jon
2 years ago |I’d prefer to use a Nikkor AIS 20mm f2.8 instead.
fh
2 years ago |f/4 would be acceptible if the image quality were very good, but unfortunately it is not even on film cameras, and even worse on digital sensors. There is not only noticable corner smearing, edge color shift, and vignetting (all of which can be corrected in PP if you have the patience); but also poor sharpness all around. The CV 35/1.4 or 40/1.4 are better options, if you don’t mind the longer focal length.
Jean-Michel
2 years ago |It seems that these problems have been practically resolved with the new sensors. Rob, on “ThePictureDesk” shown some pic with Nex7+ various ZM lens. Except vignetting which is natural with RF lenses, the other problems seems to be in a way to be resolved. Even the Nex-c3 users noticed a real improvement.
TR
2 years ago |I didn’t see this before I posted below. That is interesting, I would love to see NEX-7 images with this lens.
Jean-Michel
2 years ago |How great it could be to use the complete range of RF lenses without to have any corners or side fringing… Sony should work to improve the sensors in that way.
Woodent
2 years ago |oh but they have! CV 15, previously unusable on NEX-5 withouth PP in cornerfix, perfectly works on my NEX-5n!
Forbes
2 years ago |It would be better if it would work more naturally. Focus peaking seems to be much better at creating a more natural way of focussing. I wonder (maybe somebody knows) if that works as well while looking through the NEX-7 EVF. That would make it a pretty close experience to rangefinder photography, as you’re trying to get the focus patch/peak in the right position.
TR
2 years ago |I love the idea of this post, but unfortunately not the 21 f4. I dont mind a wide to be slow but I do want good colour to the corners (look at the shot of the ship). Any other ideas? I actually spent time last night asking myself the same question, if I bought into NEX, what could I use for a wide?
Jean-Michel
2 years ago |On Nex c-3 and Nex-7, I mean, with the new sensors, it seems to be not the case. Let’s see more tests of this lens with new sensors…
TR
2 years ago |Check out this link for 5n with voigt 21 f4:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekeroil/6153341634/in/photostream/
Carlos Echenique
2 years ago |I am going to be using the CV Nokton 35mm f/1.4 lens on my NEX-7. Great lens.
Arthur
2 years ago |The CV 35 1.4 has better reviews on the NEX then the 21mm so I may go with the 35mm. In the meantime I’ll use my nikon AI 24mm 2.8. Who knows maybe there’ll be a full frame NEX in the future so the CV 35 1.4 would be great then too. Maybe Voigtlander can make a dedicated set of lenses with nex mount? That would be nice!!
Kevin
2 years ago |Well got my 5N back today from repair for the video clicking.. Went out and did some shooting fall colors and I am really enjoying this camera, As far as pancake glass I think Pentax has some and from what I remember it was pretty good. I did but a m42 adapter for both my 5N and A850, look forward to using some of the older glass…
sabunyuma
2 years ago |And the fix? Clicking is gone? Life is good, dance of joy?
Clyde
2 years ago |I don’t know why anyone would think that Voigt is a Pancake.
These are Pancakes for NEX… even with adapter they are smaller than the Voigt.
Pen FT 38mm f2.8: It’s only 13mm long and reaches 80+lpmm by f5.6
http://www.biofos.com/esystem/_img/420/penfpan.jpg
On a budget? For around $20. on eBay you can get an Industar 28mm f2.8: Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but users seem to love it.
http://i50.tinypic.com/2ypkzkl.jpg
And though not a Pancake… the Pen FT 25mm f4 is very very tiny at 30mm in size. Super sharp retrofocus design. A lot cheaper than the Voigt too.
http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/nex-5n-olympus-side-view.jpg
If ya’ll really want a Pancake… consider a lenscap pinhole system. Very clever stuff on eBay or DIY.
Users also seem to love their Pentax Auto 110 18mm lens… works on NEX too with adapter but doesn’t have aperture control.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/9260/g1pxauto11018mm600.jpg
TR
2 years ago |Is the Pen FT system half frame? Do the FT leses work on the APS-C size sensor?
Clyde
2 years ago |Yes and Yes.
firmware
2 years ago |Fix the damn Firmware first!
Buy the lenses later!
Nikko
2 years ago |I’ve been using a Voigtlander 35mm F/1.4 as a prime lens on my NEX-5. It’s a great fit in terms of size, and image quality is superb.
Huggs
2 years ago |I going to buy this for my Minolta CLE.
ageha
2 years ago |Btw KONICA MINOLTA is back!
http://camera.jvc.com/
Clyde
2 years ago |Haha that’s great… “Beautiful video is actually a sequence of beautiful still images”.
Yeah and “Ugly video is actually a sequence of ugly still images too”.
Let the testers kill the camera image before it ever gets to market and it will truly be just like NEX.
Dang that thing looks like a NEX-7.
Mr M
2 years ago |I have the Minolta Rokkor 45m/F2 , its quite a pancake, except with the adapter, it becomes like a kit lens size
FranG
2 years ago |I use the M39 Version of the Skopar and it works fine on a M2 for B/W and on my NEX-3.
Arnold
2 years ago |I prefer the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Biogon for Contax G, it has only about 1cm more length.
Jon
2 years ago |I can’t wait to try my Biogon 21mm on a NEX-7, sharpness should be excellent but there are reports of color casts with other NEX cameras which might require some PP tweaks.
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/dressup/20100818_387505.html
Michel
2 years ago |I have a Snapshot Skopar, too and it works fine with my 5N. Some color shift is rarely visible in certain conditions, but I ust it mainly for b&w photography, so it’s not a problem for me. It *is* very sharp wide open even if it isn’t very fast at f/4. And bought it for less than 200 EUR (used, mint)
Harv
2 years ago |I’m finishing building a Minotar 2.8/35 right now. In the test phase it proved excellent and I dare you to find a smaller one! Find results at Flickr.
So, where’s the NEX-9, a FF Nex-7? At this moment, it would crush all competition!
But I want a FF-Nex! I’ve got heaps of superb FF-lenses which can only be used limited way: my superwide lenses (my favourite ones!) turn into normal wide ones
Clyde
2 years ago |Is it smaller than the Oly Pen 38mm Pancake? 14mm long at 70grams.
Harv
2 years ago |Yes, it is
Find the Minox 35 GL and see for yourself.
Clyde
2 years ago |I can’t tell. What is the length of the Minotar? Interesting concept though… has me wondering about hacking an old Oly XA to do the same.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/olympus/images/xa/xa-DSC_5199.jpg
Colin
2 years ago |Great lens, but not for this. You end up with weird colors in the corners, which seems to be an issue with most wide angle rangefinder lenses adapted to NEX bodies. The Leica M9 has hardware that corrects for this, NEX does not.
Harv
2 years ago |@ Clyde: you could do that, but the XA is not as half as good as the Minotar, plus the lens can’t be built out as easily (I think).
@ Colin: you’re wrong, I’m afraid. Don’t believe what people say, see the pictures at Flickr yourself (search for Minotar or Minoxar): do you see weird colors? Neither do I. I can’t upload pictures right now as being in the middle of the built, but they’re amazingly sharp from corner to corner, without any more CA than with other legacy lenses. It proves really small lenses for the Nex can be built!
startowa13
2 years ago |I use this lens on my Nex5 and I say it’s perfect!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikezilla/sets/72157626314310167/
Clyde
2 years ago |Great colors and contrast but there is considerable smearing in the corners and edges.
Like in this photo viewed at full size. Absolutely nothing on far left is in focus:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikezilla/5593787099/sizes/o/in/set-72157626314310167/
I’d qualify this as a great people lens, but for scenics… well…
Compare the short throw rangefinder lens to the Oly Pen 38mm f1.8, which is retrofocus but very small designed for half frame SLR. Sharp corners all around and just gorgeous bokeh:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41626753@N06/5171520295/sizes/o/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41626753@N06/5171773072/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Harvey
2 years ago |Yeah, you’re right about the Mikezilla picture, but I think he didn’t manage to glue/screw the lens well enough parallel (if that’s the word) to the bodycap (if that’s what he used), otherwise it would only be unsharp in the left corners. It’s very, very sensitive to that: focusing 0,9 meters to infinity is less than one mm on the front lens! You’ll have a tilt/shift effect before you know it. But I admit: you problably shouldn’t use the Minotar for reproduction purposes
Looking through the Minotar/Minoxar pictures on Flickr still amazes me: how could they build such a great little lens with so little glass!?
And I wish I could buy Zuiko Pen-F lenses at decent prices, yeah…
Harvey
2 years ago |A guy called Taiwan’s Riccardo (f.i. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21716768@N08/5623278348/in/photostream/) has lots of samples of the Nex-Minotar combi on Flickr. I think they’re great, pixelpeepwise!
Clyde
2 years ago |Oh I thought Startowa13′s link was for the Voigtlander 21… Not the Minotar. Thought that comment was directed at the OP. The Flickr account doesn’t say either way.
I understand that a mod for the Minotar must indeed be performed with great care. The link for Minotar images is spectacular for street photos. I enjoy the draw very much and wouldn’t hesitate to publish any of it. I had a Minox years ago and loved it. This mod is very interesting and the images it produces are unique.
KaKtusSs
2 years ago |Seems like a great lens but I think I would prefer a SLRMagic 28mm F2.8:
http://goo.gl/2Hex3
It is cheaper, faster and it has circular bokeh at all apertures.
Anyway, as I prefer the 40-60mm focal range (I mostly shoot portraits), I like these compact (but not so pancake) lenses :
Contax G Zeiss Planar 45mm 2
Voigtländer Nokton 40mm 1.4
Jupiter-8 50mm f2
Michel
2 years ago |Nokton 40/1.4 is my favourite – sharp, fast and good-looking
Clyde
2 years ago |Oly Pen vintage F series library for 38mm f1.8 is incredibly sharp from edge to edge infinity and beautiful closeups too with gorgeous bokeh.
Scenic:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41626753@N06/5171080521/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Close up… look at lower leaves to see how crazy sharp and what wonderful OOFA too!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41626753@N06/5171714186/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Get one now before price goes up. Around $150… but get a few and check return policy because some of them have been beaten up pretty bad over the years. Usually sold with a camera for around $250.
startowa13
2 years ago |Clyde you are right that 38mm f1.8 Oly pen is nice and sharp. You are slso right about the corner smearing on the 21mm f4 Voightlander… but overall it’s pretty sharp lens with a nice bokeh.
Clyde
2 years ago |I’m sure it’s easier to find a good working copy of the Voigt as well. I’ve been through numerous samples of the Oly 38 f1.8 and so many are sold just beat to crap. I got a couple of good ones but not before sampling nearly half a dozen. Photojournalists used the hell out of them in the 60′s, and now 50 years later the well used ones have loose barrels that move the image in the viewfinder when focusing. The rear mounts come lose and the diaphrams get slow. Get a good one and you’re fine… but so many bad ones got to be careful.
I have a full collection of the Pen F’s… all of them very tight and durable… but that 38mm f1.8 was the standard lens and got abused more than the others. Lot’s of bad copies out there of that one.
Kiril
2 years ago |Guys, NEX-7 will change how people see photography for sure.
5 years back when I bought my first DSLR friends were asking me if ti is worth the money and if the pictures are nicer.
Today at a gathering where I used my NEx many many people asked me if the NEX is worth it and if I likke the pictures. After I told them it is nice and showed some of the fish eye pictures which no other camera around could take and discussed it also does 3D and a bunch of other user niceties.
People were saying but did you see the NEX-7 it is so much better.
This camera will change the world if Sony does its thing right.