Ktsa5239 Posted November 21, 2020 Share #1 Posted November 21, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi everyone does anyone know of a cheaper pancake lens alternative to the 28mm summaron? I already have the 35mm colour skopar. Is there any smaller 35mm non Leica lens that’s good quality? thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 21, 2020 Posted November 21, 2020 Hi Ktsa5239, Take a look here Cheaper pancake lens alternative. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Erato Posted November 21, 2020 Share #2 Posted November 21, 2020 Rodenstock Heligon A 35mm F2.8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted November 21, 2020 Share #3 Posted November 21, 2020 The MS Optical 28/4 Perar or the MS Optical 24/4 Perar. It doesn't get much more 'pancake' than these since they're only slightly thicker than a body cap. Pete. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS Posted November 21, 2020 Share #4 Posted November 21, 2020 Nikkor 2.8cm F3.5 in Leica Thread Mount. https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/RF-Nikkor/RF28mm/index.htm I have one in S-Mount and LTM. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted November 21, 2020 Share #5 Posted November 21, 2020 The only pancake lenses I'm aware of for M mount are MS Optical and Lomography made. Pancake and quality is oxymoron. MS Optical has different versions of 28, 35 but all of them have variations in quality. Info, including pictures about MS Optical lenses is available on-line. Minitar from Lomography is 32mm lens and quality doesn't exist in regular term. It is lens with character. You could get compact lenses, but I wouldn't call them as pancakes. Orion 15 is very compact and direct alternative to Summaron 28. I had one and surprisingly this lens was giving sharp images with fine colours. Even on digital M. But it is also lens with quality variations from copy to copy. Due to age and origins. For 35mm Color Skopar is really hard to beat for compactness and quality. While it is very flat rendering lens on BW film, it is totally fine on colour film and good on digital M. Some old and odd Nikkor and Canon alternatives for compact lenses, non of them are pancakes, is gamble for quality due to their age. I'd rather get original 35 3.5 Summaron in LTM. Not too expensive, slightly smaller than Skopars and it has native Leitz quirks in rendering. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommonego@gmail.com Posted November 21, 2020 Share #6 Posted November 21, 2020 If you don't mind used a Canon 25mm f3.5 or 28mm f2.8 in LTM would work. I have the 25 and it is my go to lens for my M8 and nice on an M3. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/315378-cheaper-pancake-lens-alternative/?do=findComment&comment=4084515'>More sharing options...
lct Posted November 21, 2020 Share #7 Posted November 21, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Tessar 35/3.5 adapted by MS Optical. Superb lens but difficult to find. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/315378-cheaper-pancake-lens-alternative/?do=findComment&comment=4084538'>More sharing options...
Malabito Posted November 21, 2020 Share #8 Posted November 21, 2020 You want another 35mm or another focal? I have the 35mm skopar as well and find it to be a wonderful lens, you don't like it? Perhaps the leica 35mm 1.4 preapsh v2 summilux, beautiful lens and very small, but close up distance was 1m reason for which I sold it. Other pancake options might be the voigrñander 21mm skopar as well. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted November 22, 2020 Share #9 Posted November 22, 2020 Here’s two that are very small. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/315378-cheaper-pancake-lens-alternative/?do=findComment&comment=4085339'>More sharing options...
BradS Posted November 22, 2020 Share #10 Posted November 22, 2020 What's not to like about the 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar? Great lens for not a lot of money. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cboy Posted November 22, 2020 Share #11 Posted November 22, 2020 What wonderful samples! Always a delight to see compact lens on a on a leica. They go so well together imho Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenInTime Posted November 23, 2020 Share #12 Posted November 23, 2020 MS 28/2 Apoqualia is still in production. It is a lot faster than the Summaron ; not highest resolving lens, maybe best matched to Tri-X. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/315378-cheaper-pancake-lens-alternative/?do=findComment&comment=4086002'>More sharing options...
PCPix Posted November 24, 2020 Share #13 Posted November 24, 2020 On 11/21/2020 at 2:26 PM, Ko.Fe. said: For 35mm Color Skopar is really hard to beat for compactness and quality. +1 If I’m just taking a single body/lens that’s it: Color Skopar on M10. If I have a bag and more space I switch to the 35/1.4 FLE. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted November 24, 2020 Share #14 Posted November 24, 2020 On 11/22/2020 at 4:10 PM, BradS said: What's not to like about the 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar? Great lens for not a lot of money. I had all three versions of this lens. It was very good on M8, fine on M-E 220. Color film was good as well. But by the time I was going through those lenses, I was much more into BW film and darkroom printing. This lens was very boring lens for it. Just flat rendering. I switched to Summarit-M 35 2.5 and it is totally opposite. For compact 35mm lens I have Nokton 35 1.4 II now. Same nothing special on bw film, but I'm fine with it on M-E 220. Servers well as compact, yet fast lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradS Posted November 24, 2020 Share #15 Posted November 24, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ko.Fe. said: I had all three versions of this lens. It was very good on M8, fine on M-E 220. Color film was good as well. But by the time I was going through those lenses, I was much more into BW film and darkroom printing. This lens was very boring lens for it. Just flat rendering. I switched to Summarit-M 35 2.5 and it is totally opposite. For compact 35mm lens I have Nokton 35 1.4 II now. Same nothing special on bw film, but I'm fine with it on M-E 220. Servers well as compact, yet fast lens. I had the latest M-mount version. Always used a yellow filter with it for B&W. I really loved everything about this lens except the focal length...well, I wasn't in love with the aperture dial ergonomics either. The optic has no bad manners..it is sharp and crisp and just does what it is supposed to do without needing a lot of thought. However, to me, the 35mm focal length is just boring - a poor compromise between the 50m and 28mm focal lengths - and it doesn't matter what name is on the lens...still boring. Reminds me of those cheap, plastic, auto-everything 35mm point and shoot cameras from the 1980's and 1990's. It is nice when you need to make that compromise...when minimum size and weight are the most important consideration. All that said, if I ever did buy another 35mm m-mount lens, I'd surely opt for the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 Biogon - I simply prefer the Zeiss ZM ergonomics...and the optics certainly don't suck either. Edited November 24, 2020 by BradS Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted November 24, 2020 Share #16 Posted November 24, 2020 1 hour ago, BradS said: I had the latest M-mount version. Always used a yellow filter with it for B&W. I really loved everything about this lens except the focal length...well, I wasn't in love with the aperture dial ergonomics either. The optic has no bad manners..it is sharp and crisp and just does what it is supposed to do without needing a lot of thought. However, to me, the 35mm focal length is just boring - a poor compromise between the 50m and 28mm focal lengths - and it doesn't matter what name is on the lens...still boring. Reminds me of those cheap, plastic, auto-everything 35mm point and shoot cameras from the 1980's and 1990's. It is nice when you need to make that compromise...when minimum size and weight are the most important consideration. All that said, if I ever did buy another 35mm m-mount lens, I'd surely opt for the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 Biogon - I simply prefer the Zeiss ZM ergonomics...and the optics certainly don't suck either. You might be surprised how many known Leica photogs used 35mm lens. Including HCB and GW. https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154854 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradS Posted November 24, 2020 Share #17 Posted November 24, 2020 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Ko.Fe. said: You might be surprised how many known Leica photogs used 35mm lens. Including HCB and GW. https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154854 Not at all. I fully realize that many use the 35mm focal length and some even use it almost exclusively. It's just not for me. It's too close to both 28mm and 50mm to really justify the cost and weight. If I have those two focal lengths, and I always do, then I don't need nor want the in-the-middle 35mm focal length too. Like I said, it's a compromise lens. If you really can only afford to carry one...compromise and carry the 35mm (but I'd likely take either the 50mm or the 28mm and be happy) otherwise, take the 28mm and 50mm (and two bodies!) ... and the fact that some famous photographer has used this or that equipment does not matter much to me. Although such information can be kinda interesting, it certainly does not influence my decision regarding what to use. Edited November 24, 2020 by BradS Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ko.Fe. Posted November 24, 2020 Share #18 Posted November 24, 2020 19 minutes ago, BradS said: Not at all. I fully realize that many use the 35mm focal length and some even use it almost exclusively. It's just not for me. It's too close to both 28mm and 50mm to really justify the cost and weight. If I have those two focal lengths, and I always do, then I don't need nor want the in-the-middle 35mm focal length too. Like I said, it's a compromise lens. If you really can only afford to carry one...compromise and carry the 35mm (but I'd likely take either the 50mm or the 28mm and be happy) otherwise, take the 28mm and 50mm (and two bodies!) ... and the fact that some famous photographer has used this or that equipment does not matter much to me. Although such information can be kinda interesting, it certainly does not influence my decision regarding what to use. Nor it is matter to me or to this thread to call 35mm lenses as boring and compromise. Odd statements, IMO. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradS Posted November 24, 2020 Share #19 Posted November 24, 2020 58 minutes ago, Ko.Fe. said: Nor it is matter to me ... to call 35mm lenses as boring and compromise. ..but of course my opinion of the 35mm focal length doesn't matter to you or anybody else. It certainly should not matter. Why would it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cboy Posted November 26, 2020 Share #20 Posted November 26, 2020 On 11/25/2020 at 2:39 AM, Ko.Fe. said: his lens was very boring lens for it. Just flat rendering I find skopars have a flat rendering in bw imho. You can tell how good a lens by how it resolves inner tonal detail in those low contrast areas. Sometimes in color the saturation masks that out The 35mm summarit does well on those areas imho. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.