Budget Glass Hall of Fame

[f16sunshine]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

$116.00 for my Zenitar 16mm fisheye. I don't love it, but it cured me from buying a $500+ one. Here is it on my Spotmatic:

I don't love it either. Mostly because I don't much love fish lenses much. For a "C-note" The zenith 16mm is hard to argue with.
I've used mine when the moment for fishy-ness calls mostly on a 5Dii

[Classique]

RFF is not good for my bank account!

After seeing this thread, I snapped up Quantaray Tech-10 24mm f2.8 for $37 including shipping for my D700 =D If it performs as good as everyone say, I think I can let go of my Sigma 12-24 that I've seldom used.

For fast DSLR zoom with amazing quality and cheap price, look into Tokina AT-X Pro 28-70mm 2.6-2.8 (Get the best version). Comes in variety of mounts including nikon, pentax and price ranges from 150-400. One lens I will never go

[nikon_sam]

Originally Posted by Crazy Fedya

50mm f/1.4 SMC Takumar. Can be had for under $100.

I was a bit shy on mentioning this lens at first but since someone else has I'll chime in too...I paid less than $100 and it came with the Spotmatic body too...Probably one of the sharpest lens I own...

Originally Posted by Greyscale

Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 50/1.7 (M42 mount). My favorite 50mm lens. Average eBay sale price is about $40. I paid $29 for mine, and it was attached to a pretty nice camera.

I've looked at this one...I can't yet justify owning this one other than I just want it because it's a Yashinon...(I have too many 50mm's)

Originally Posted by Crazy Fedya

Also, one of the best lenses I ever used is 35mm f/3.5 SMC Takumar. $60.

I was given this lens about a year ago...It's the all metal version with 58mm front thread mount...it is one beautiful lens...just a bit dark (3.5)

[seakayaker1]

I have found that all three of the Voigtlander LTM lens, 28/1.9 Ultron; 50/1.5 Nokton; and 75/2.5 Color-Heliar delivers a big bank for the buck. I believe the 28/1.9 and 75/2.5 are not available new anymore but the 50/1.5 can still be found at Cameraquest.

I still have the 28/1.9 and 50/1.5 but sold off the 75/2.5 a while back and have missed it.



28/1.9 Ultron

****



50/1.5 Nokton

***



75/2.5 Color-Heliar

[vrgard]

I don't really have anything new to add to the list but was happy to see so many of my favorite "value" lenses already on the list (Pentax 50/1.4, VC 28/1.9 & 75/2.5, and "Sweeneyfied" Jupiter 50/1.5).

Previously I would have mentioned the Rokker 40/2.0 lens but I'm not sure it still qualifies as a value lens unless one compares it to new Leica lens pricing.

-Randy

[Keith]

I reckon calling 28mm Ultrons and 50mm f1.f Noktons 'budget glass' is stretching it a little!

[vrgard]

Without meaning to argue with you Keith, I picked up my VC 28/1.9 used from a fellow RFF member about 5-6 years ago for only $275 including the matching finder. Maybe not dirt cheap budget-level but certainly very good value by comparison to Leica's current (obscenely overpriced) options.

-Randy

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by Keith

I reckon calling 28mm Ultrons and 50mm f1.f Noktons 'budget glass' is stretching it a little!

These days Leica makes lens caps that cost more...

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by f16sunshine

I don't love it either. Mostly because I don't much love fish lenses much. For a "C-note" The zenith 16mm is hard to argue with.
I've used mine when the moment for fishy-ness calls mostly on a 5Dii

I know, I still bring it out every so often.

And above mentioned a 35mm Pentax lens for $60, I still have my $60 28mm that I bought in 1970. I still like that one.

[Harry Lime]

Nikkor-H.C 2/50 (SLR)

You can get these for a handful of dirt and a used bus ticket, but it is a very, very good lens. Very sharp with excellent contrast. Beautiful fingerprint, nice bokeh, even though it only has five blades. Nice and compact and very low weight.

One of my favorites. I have three of the original chrome ones with the black curled focus ring.


Nikkor-S.C 14/50 (SLR)

Another lens that is practically given away. They are quite soft at f1.4, but once they are stopped down it's quite sharp. But the main reason for buying this lens is the fingerprint in black and white. It's just really lush and smooth in sunlight.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

These days Leica makes lens caps that cost more...

Using Leica as a yardstick is a little dangerous IMO ... we need to stay connected to reality here!

[Brian Legge]

Harry, the 2/50 seems to be going for $200+ and the 1.4 for even more. I think there are a lot of excellent LTM lenses in that range.

Now a good J8, those are absolutely solid and can be had very cheaply. If you get lucky.

Jupiter 8:


Industar 26:


I prefer the Industar 50 over the 26 but looking over what I've shot, I don't really have any great photos with it yet.

[vrgard]

Originally Posted by Keith

Using Leica as a yardstick is a little dangerous IMO ... we need to stay connected to reality here!

You're absolutely right Keith!

-Randy

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by Keith

Using Leica as a yardstick is a little dangerous IMO ... we need to stay connected to reality here!

You're right. Got a title unhinged there...


I have a nice Jupiter (Kiev) 2.8/35 buried somewhere. It's a knock off of the pre-war Zeiss 2.8/35. The rear element protrudes so far out the back that it must almost touch the curtain.

But I have always been very impressed by how sharp that lens is. Build quality isn't all that bad for a Soviet lens.

I think I paid about $50 bucks for it.

[seakayaker1]

Originally Posted by Keith

I reckon calling 28mm Ultrons and 50mm f1.f Noktons 'budget glass' is stretching it a little!

. . . . . your right I was stretching it a little, perhaps alot when compared to the many examples of lenses less than $100.00.

I also found the 1951 Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Summitar 5 cm f/2, 1953 Summaron 3.5cm f3.5, 1957 Elmar 9cm f4, and 1960 Hector 135mm f/4.5 to be bargins when I picked them up . . . . .

. . . . . they were not close to the Voigtlander's prices and I would not say they were close to any of the real bargin lenses described above.

I guess bargins are in the eyes of the beholder!


. . . . . then there may be some GAS involved at that moment in time as well.



Summaron 3.5cm f3.5

***


Summitar 5 cm f/2

***



Elmar 9cm f4

***


Hector 135mm f/4.5

[hamradio]

I like this thread.

I'm a fan of the Jupiter-8 and the old Nikkor-O 35mm f/2 pre-AI, personally.

[Vobluda]

Minolta M-Rokkor 90mm f4 in RF world, Helios 58mm f2 M42 in SLR world.

[kokoshawnuff]

As mentioned by Dan, the Elmar 9cm f/4 v1 is a wonderful lens and can be had for $90ish


M7, E100G

[kanzlr]

Originally Posted by Keith

It was cheap but seems to be getting more expensive of late:

The Jupiter 3 ... I think I paid around $60.00 for mine a few years ago.

And it's hard to think of that lens without wondering what Brian Sweeny is up to these days?

he adjusted mine last year

[Gabriel M.A.]

Canon 50mm f/1.8 Mark-II. For around $90 new, isn't that a bargain?


Although this is taken with the Mark-I version, the optical formula is the same.

Canon 5D + Canon 50mm f/1.8 Mark-I

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Originally Posted by Crazy Fedya

Also, one of the best lenses I ever used is 35mm f/3.5 SMC Takumar. $60.

I agree, the 35/3.5 screwmount Pentax lens is incredible. I have two of them, one is an early one with a cocking lever on the lens to tension the aperture mechanism, and the later one is the Auto aperture version that was made before the SMC version. Both are super sharp. This photo was made with the ancient manual-cocking version!

[kanzlr]

All the M-Hexanons. They are 1/2 to 2/3 of what their Leica sisters are.

[rodt16s]

Agree with the Pentax SMC 50/1.4, I have one on an SPII and it is stunning.. and not just a little bit.
The Pentacon 50/1.8 that was on my MTL3 was quite good..
I also bought a ltm - M adapter for £20 which came with a free J8, the J8 is great.
But most manufacturers 50mm are no dogs.

Think I've taken some of my fav pics with my cheapest lenses.

Edit : special mention to the OM 50/3.5 macro.. bargain

[ferider]

My OM mount Vivitar Series 1 90/2.5, which I bought for US 125 if I recall correctly:



Then there is my Zuiko 50/1.8 MIJ that is probably my "sharpest" 50:



And finally there is the 50/1.4 Takumar that I got as a gift, that cost me only an adapter, and - once RF coupled - is better than my pre-asph Summilux in all respects but size (close focus, bokeh, barrel distortion, etc)





Cheers,

Roland.

[NickTrop]

Originally Posted by Classique

RFF is not good for my bank account!

After seeing this thread, I snapped up Quantaray Tech-10 24mm f2.8 for $37 including shipping for my D700 =D If it performs as good as everyone say, I think I can let go of my Sigma 12-24 that I've seldom used.

Damn! You got a better deal than me on my Nikon mount... and I've been after this lens for a while! I haven't had this particular lens that long but do check out the comparisons posted on page one from that German article. It was rated the best performer and by comparison it's hands down the best performer wide open - including Leica, Nikon, Canon, Oly - etc.

I had this lens in Pentax K mount in its Sigma variation. Excellent. But I never realized just how good it is... I think you'll find it makes an excellent "35mm prime" on APS-C.