Neewer 35mm lens for Sony NEX

[John Mitchell]

Is anyone using this reasonably priced Neewer 35mm manual focus lens on their Sony NEX cameras?

 

Looks as if it might make a good standard lens, and no adapter is needed, which is a real plus IMO.

 

Update: This might be (?) the same lens. If so, the performance seems fairly good for an inexpensive lens, even at f/1.7.

[Bryan]

Not seen that one John. I use a Samsung badged Pentax 35mm f2 auto focus lens with manual aperture control. It's very good indeed, with non of the edge sharpness issues that the second of those articles mentions for that lens.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/samsung/35mm-f2-al-schneider-d-xenogon/review/

 

I paid £175 for this lens new, many moons ago, for use on my Pentax film cameras.

 

I would like to buy a replacement for my Sigma 19mm f2.8 auto focus lens, that is the weakest in my collection. For some reason I find it hard to manually focus while the autofocus occasionally misses the target. In addition it suffers from soft edges. Across the frame it captures more detail than the standard zoom, but it is possibly not quite as good at the edges.

 

Unfortunately the alternatives are relatively expensive, e.g. an old rangefinder lens etc.

[John Mitchell]

Some additional surfing suggests that the Neewer / Meike / SLR Magic and several other unknown brands are all the same Chinese lenses sold under different brands.

 

Mixed reviews as to optical quality. Think I'm barking up the wrong tree. Legacy lenses from known manufacturers are probably far better bets. Too bad. I like the idea of not having to use a bulky adapter.

[spacecadet]

It doesn't have to be good, just good enough.

Like the kit lenses I've always used.

I don't know about Canada but here you have 14 days to return an item ordered online even if you just change your mind- you just have to buy inside the EU.

[John Mitchell]

It doesn't have to be good, just good enough.

Like the kit lenses I've always used.

I don't know about Canada but here you have 14 days to return an item ordered online even if you just change your mind- you just have to buy inside the EU.

 

I agree, but I've found too many red flags on these particular budget lenses -- good construction, sharp enough in the centre but very soft edges.

 

Sony lens prices have gone through the roof in Canada, so I have sticker shock.

[John Mitchell]

Not seen that one John. I use a Samsung badged Pentax 35mm f2 auto focus lens with manual aperture control. It's very good indeed, with non of the edge sharpness issues that the second of those articles mentions for that lens.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/samsung/35mm-f2-al-schneider-d-xenogon/review/

 

I paid £175 for this lens new, many moons ago, for use on my Pentax film cameras.

 

I would like to buy a replacement for my Sigma 19mm f2.8 auto focus lens, that is the weakest in my collection. For some reason I find it hard to manually focus while the autofocus occasionally misses the target. In addition it suffers from soft edges. Across the frame it captures more detail than the standard zoom, but it is possibly not quite as good at the edges.

 

Unfortunately the alternatives are relatively expensive, e.g. an old rangefinder lens etc.

 

The Sony SEL 35mm f/1.8 -- which gets very good reviews -- would be my first choice for a fast standard lens since it has image stabilization. However, it now costs almost $600 (CAN) here, which is a bit ridiculous IIMO. 

[Bryan]

 

Not seen that one John. I use a Samsung badged Pentax 35mm f2 auto focus lens with manual aperture control. It's very good indeed, with non of the edge sharpness issues that the second of those articles mentions for that lens.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/samsung/35mm-f2-al-schneider-d-xenogon/review/

 

I paid £175 for this lens new, many moons ago, for use on my Pentax film cameras.

 

The Sony SEL 35mm f/1.8 -- which gets very good reviews -- would be my first choice for a fast standard lens since it has image stabilization. However, it now costs almost $600 (CAN) here, which is a bit ridiculous IIMO.

 

Yes Sony know how to charge! I like the look of the A6500, with 5 axis stabilisation built in, but not the price (£1500) !

 

You can now buy an A6000 with both the 16-50 and 55-210 lenses for £649, which is quite a bit less than I paid for that combo with the NEX6, and I got a good deal at the time.

 

The A6000 body is now down to £369 or with the 16-50 £398, I'm tempted to buy the body to obtain some backup ( and the extra for that lens is possibly worth paying too!)

[John Mitchell]

 

 

Not seen that one John. I use a Samsung badged Pentax 35mm f2 auto focus lens with manual aperture control. It's very good indeed, with non of the edge sharpness issues that the second of those articles mentions for that lens.

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/samsung/35mm-f2-al-schneider-d-xenogon/review/

 

I paid £175 for this lens new, many moons ago, for use on my Pentax film cameras.

 

The Sony SEL 35mm f/1.8 -- which gets very good reviews -- would be my first choice for a fast standard lens since it has image stabilization. However, it now costs almost $600 (CAN) here, which is a bit ridiculous IIMO.

 

Yes Sony know how to charge! I like the look of the A6500, with 5 axis stabilisation built in, but not the price (£1500) !

 

You can now buy an A6000 with both the 16-50 and 55-210 lenses for £649, which is quite a bit less than I paid for that combo with the NEX6, and I got a good deal at the time.

 

The A6000 body is now down to £369 or with the 16-50 £398, I'm tempted to buy the body to obtain some backup ( and the extra for that lens is possibly worth paying too!)

 

 

There are currently some very good deals on the A6000 here as well. NEX-6 still looks brand new, though, and it does the job. If money were no object (it is), I'd probably bite and get the a6000 too.

[Bryan]

It doesn't have to be good, just good enough.

Like the kit lenses I've always used.

.

Yes Mark, quality is defined as fitness for purpose, you don't need gold plated taps in a public toilet!

 

However I find that it is sometimes impossible to achieve acceptable quality with my weaker lenses, for example if I have to do a perspective correction on a shot that is only just within tolerance, the outcome is often unsatisfactory. I guess that you can be too precious about this, I have sold shots taken with the rather mediocre standard lens as fitted to the NEX 6.

 

There is pleasure to be had from an image that is sharp from corner to corner. Sad, I know...

[Allan Bell]

I think the A6000 at £369 was black friday deal. It seems to be back up to £419 now.

 

Allan

[John Mitchell]

 

It doesn't have to be good, just good enough.

Like the kit lenses I've always used.

.

Yes Mark, quality is defined as fitness for purpose, you don't need gold plated taps in a public toilet!

 

However I find that it is sometimes impossible to achieve acceptable quality with my weaker lenses, for example if I have to do a perspective correction on a shot that is only just within tolerance, the outcome is often unsatisfactory. I guess that you can be too precious about this, I have sold shots taken with the rather mediocre standard lens as fitted to the NEX 6.

 

There is pleasure to be had from an image that is sharp from corner to corner. Sad, I know...

 

 

... which is why I prefer the manual Sony SEL 18-55 to the 16-50 on my NEX-6, little distortion and better optics (very good IMO). Better behaved lens all around, but bulkier.