28mm lenses with long focus throw? Usability of combined wideangle adapter

[PannySVHS]

Hallo,

the Canon FD 28mm is a nice nice lens. Beautiful look and a nice price. One thing it is lacking is a convinient focus throw betweem 3m (9ft) and infinity. It´s less than

half an inch or 1cm.

Are there recommendations for nice price adaptable lenses with manual focus and longer, managable focus throw between the range for 3m to infinity?

Also, my question, if 0.5 wide angle adapter are acceptable in comibination with a 28mm regarding focussing and ok optical performance, are there a few acceptable ones available?

cheers

[Michael Coffee]

My Vivatar f2.8 (rebranded Sigma super wide II) has about 270 degree focus throw..

 

[TheRenaissanceMan]

Iirc, the Contax Zeiss 28mm lenses and the 28-85 f/3.4-4 all have really nice big focus throws. I would guess the Leica R 28mm elmarit is similarly good, but I haven't used it and don't have a good enough connection here at work to Google it.

[Liam]

For wide angle adapters - I have a ten dollar Neewer one and like it. Mostly for portraits.. close up it's sharper, and there's added "character" especially wide open (some barrel distortion, edge softness, haze, goofy bokeh). Gets a lot sharper at 5.6, but still probably not perfectly acceptable for everyone. I use it on a 50 mostly, distortion is worse on a wider lens. I also use it on a full frame lens and a crop sensor, would be less confident on full frame for the edges. It also makes the minimum focus distance closer by like a couple feet, but I think keeps infinity.. near infinity on the lens. Doesn't seem to affect the color or contrast of the lens.

I forget the large, pricey one that was suggested once here. The DSO one seems like a better performer than mine too, but again, plenty of character.

Also, something that should be noted, because it's not sensible.. I have no idea what the multiplier number on the adapter refers to. Mine says .45x, but is more like .74x for focal length.

Sorry if that was wordy

[Justin Bacle]

As 28mm, here are the one I have : 

• Minolta Rokkor 28/3,5 -> Nice image quality, quite contrasty. Decent focus throw and well damped.(MD Mount)
• Makinon 28/2.8 -> Good image quality, contrast is a bit low. Focus throw is short but nicely damped. (MD Mount, other mounts are available)
• Super Varexon 28/3.5 -> Quite soft with short and too stiff focus throw (M42 mount) but my copy has a dent, so it might not be representative.

[PannySVHS]

13 hours ago, Michael Coffee said:

My Vivatar f2.8 (rebranded Sigma super wide II) has about 270 degree focus throw..

 

Hey, great! Which one of the Vivitars is the rebranded super wide II? Unfortunately on the Sigma Focus throw between 3m and infinity is also ultra short,

7 hours ago, Liam said:

Sorry if that was wordy

Hey Liam,

not wordy at all, great points!

1 hour ago, Justin Bacle said:

Minolta Rokkor 28/3,5 -> Nice image quality, quite contrasty. Decent focus throw and well damped.

Hey Justin, how much is the focus throw, half turn, 360, 270, how much in inches between 3m(9ft) and infinity? On the nFD 28mm it´s only half an inch between 3 and infinity.

12 hours ago, TheRenaissanceMan said:

Iirc, the Contax Zeiss 28mm lenses and the 28-85 f/3.4-4 all have really nice big focus throws. I would guess the Leica R 28mm elmarit is similarly good, but I haven't used it and don't have a good enough connection here at work to Google it.

Hey, pricey, pricey:) The Elmarit seems to have a short throw between 3 and infiity as well, might be stell difficuilt to do focussing changes while recording video within that distance range.

[Justin Bacle]

3 hours ago, PannySVHS said:

Hey Justin, how much is the focus throw, half turn, 360, 270, how much in inches between 3m(9ft) and infinity? On the nFD 28mm it´s only half an inch between 3 and infinity.

I'll check this evening as soon as I get back home

[Justin Bacle]

I just checked the focus throw on the minolta, and well, it is very small (between 90° and 120°).
But strangely enough, I had never any problem focusing on this lens. (Although, at 28mm and f/3,5 , everything is pretty much in focus)

[Fritz Pierre]

Andy mentions a wide angle adapter in the Lens thread that's made by Schneider....30 percent wider and zero distortion...a large optic with a bayonet mount you have to remove and modify...Andy gives detailed instructions in the thread...

[PannySVHS]

5 hours ago, Fritz Pierre said:

Andy mentions a wide angle adapter in the Lens thread that's made by Schneider....30 percent wider and zero distortion...a large optic with a bayonet mount you have to remove and modify...Andy gives detailed instructions in the thread...

Hey Fritz,

I think, Andy Lee was talking about a 0.8 by century optics.  Question is, if it fits fullframe lenses and there are so my converters by century out there. So which one exactely? Maybe 0.7 is the limit anyway for a compromise of effect and quality. By the way, bidding on one Andys many and great lens recommendation very soon. Who hasn´t though?:)

7 hours ago, Justin Bacle said:

I just checked the focus throw on the minolta, and well, it is very small (between 90° and 120°).
But strangely enough, I had never any problem focusing on this lens. (Although, at 28mm and f/3,5 , everything is pretty much in focus)

Well, with the EVF of the G6 focussing on distances from 5m (15ft) on with wideangles can be tricky, since it´s hard to see. Doesn´t help that punch in focussing magnification doesn´t seem to work when filming.

[Michael Coffee]

My Yashica 28mm also has about 270 degrees throw

 

On 5/25/2016 at 7:08 PM, PannySVHS said:

Hey, great! Which one of the Vivitars is the rebranded super wide II? Unfortunately on the Sigma Focus throw between 3m and infinity is also ultra short,

 

Hi, just looked and it is actually a Promaster 28mm f2.8 - not a Vivitar! Its supposed to be a rebrand of the Sigma mini wide II ... Good long focus throw

[PannySVHS]

Hey Michael, thanks for checking out! Bought a 20mm 2.8 from Canon two days ago. Gonna see how that one works out.

[Fritz Pierre]

The Schneider adapter is 0.7 x...no distortion and 30 percent wider...don't know the full frame answer though... use S35

.

[PannySVHS]

0.7 seems ideal, regarding quality and wide angle effect.

[PannySVHS]

On 29.5.2016 at 0:37 AM, Fritz Pierre said:

The Schneider adapter is 0.7 x...no distortion and 30 percent wider...don't know the full frame answer though... use S35

.

Hey Fritz,

would you have a link to the Schneider? There are so many Schneiders out there (un:)fortunately.

cheers and thanks

[Fritz Pierre]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Century-0VS-07CV-HDS-0-7x-Wide-Angle-Converter-Sony-HDR-FX1-HVR-Z1U-W-O-Box-/351748782726?hash=item51e5dc7a86:g:2yQAAOSwiCRUfNMx

 

You would have to write the seller...both mine are marked with a white sticky label that says for Z1U only...I believe it was a sony pro camcorder...on the wide end of the lens rim (outside) it's marked PRO SERIES HD 0.7X WIDE ANGLE CONVERTER CENTURY OPTICS U.S.A.

A heavy optic...very high quality...these are new and a ridiculous price...changes every lens you put it on to 30% wider. I bought 5 or 6 cheap Chinese 77mm sky filters, removed the rear bayonet and used J&B Weld to glue the filter rings on after removing their glass....Buy more filters than you think you'll need..you have to build your mount up sufficiently to clear the rear elemant...Iuse it like this with my large Nikons and step up to 77mm with my FD's and Sigma 18-35 F1.8...hope this helps ...

 

[PannySVHS]

Hello Fritz Pierre!

Thank you for your awesome post. Really great information! What do you mean by "you have to build your mount up sufficiently to clear the rear elemant"?

Do you mean to adjust the distance between adapter and lens lens adequately it might take more than on filterring?

cheers

20 hours ago, Fritz Pierre said:

"you have to build your mount up sufficiently to clear the rear elemant"?

 

[kidzrevil]

Contax Zeiss 28mm f2 for sure

[PannySVHS]

24 minutes ago, kidzrevil said:

Contax Zeiss 28mm f2 for sure

What a Bourgeouis remark:) Just kidding. That babe is rather on the pricey side. Bought a Canon FD 20mm, that was 220 USD and it´s enjoying its

prestine like brand new condition rather than being used in the rough run n gun shooting style field:)

How long is the focus throw on that beauty all the way round and between 9ft and infinity?

cheers

 

BTW love the footage you did with that infamous RX10ii 1 or 1.5 stops brighter, say F1.8 from 28mm to 90mm FF equivalent seems a great

idea of yours.

[Fritz Pierre]

The rear bayonet mount is the depth of several filter rings...you have to build up the rings and glue them together so they become a solid mount, so that the front element of your 20mm fd will clear the rear element of the .7 adapter...as front elements on wider lenses bulge outwards, only you can make the call for how high you have to go, relative to the lenses you would use this adapter with (buy enough filter rings to accomplish this)...you also need a rail system to take a lens support, as the adapter weighs at least a lb. if I remember correctly...you can check the specs with the seller...or if you don't like rails, you can use this from Amazon....http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-293-Telephoto-Lens-Support/dp/B001BX3ZXE?tag=battleforthew-20....either way the strain on your camera mount is too great, but if like me you are addicted to buying lenses, this is a great solution...and lastly...the fd 17mm is @ f4 and almost twice the price and I think maybe fisheye??...and the adapter gets your 20 to 14...on an fd speedbooster you're nice and wide now...and that's just one lens!