Four RAZOR SHARP Short Zooms - For PEANUTS!
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Short zooms are REALLY useful lenses, and this week I put four of them through their paces! These very affordable lenses have all really surprised me by the quality of the images they can make, and I've really enjoyed using them! Simplicity is often the key to creativity, and these lenses are not short of it - but they're very capable too.
This week's lenses are: 1) Olympus Zuiko f4 35-70mm, 2) Sigma Zoom Master f2.8-f4 35-70mm, 3) Sigma Zoom Master f3.5-4.5 35-70mm and 4) Sigma UC Zoom f4-f5.6 24-50mm. One of these lenses comes out on top - but only just! Check out the video to find out which one's right for you!
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Thanks for watching!
I think that during the 80's they had really got the hang of making good glass for these lenses. The coatings technology from OEM primes had already filtered (pun intended) down to third party manufacturers, the only difference would appear to be mechanical construction, including the lubrications used.
At some point, probably mid 90's in my opinion, the bean counters started to get involved and suddenly the mechanical quality declined. This is a real shame as some of the glass, as you say, rivals OEM but the pursuit of ever more profit from lower prices only leads in one direction.
I'm looking forward to more of these Third Party lens reviews as there are loads available for little money.
Regards
George
Thanks George, glad you enjoyed this one!
Enjoy your knowledge on the vintage lenses; which I have a passion of and use them over their digital cousins. I have the Sigma 35-70mm f/2.8-4.0; but my personal favorites; are my Ricoh Rikenon P 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 and Osawa 28-80mm f3.5-4. 😉
I have the same Rikenon. Lovely lens. Also have the Rikenon P 50mm 1.7. Incredibly sharp.
Missed you last week! Great video!
Thanks Alex, good to be back!
I’m a big OM Zuiko fan, having started my 35mm experience on an OM-PC camera in 1986. I love your appreciation of vintage lenses that may not be up to modern digital specs, but are wonderful to use and make great images all the same. I have few zoom lenses, but I do have the “big brother” of the one you reviewed; i.e, the 35-70 f/3.6, which believe it or not came “free” on a black OM-2n body I bought for 89$US five years ago. I also have a nice copy of the humble and ubiquitous OM Zuiko 75-150 f/4, which I truly did get for “peanuts” at $39.
great subject. I picked up a Sigma 21-35 f 3.5-4.2 when i first started playing with vintage glass. Its a twist zoom and it only cost me $10. its been a handy lens to keep in my kit to cover my wide angle needs.
One of my favourites is the Tamron 35 - 70 F3.5. I think it makes fantastic images.
I've yet to try that one - I've heard it's nice!
@@zenography7923 My only zoom lens I own (so far) is a Tamron Adaptall 2 SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 (01A). A wonderful, all-metal zoom with a very handy macro feature (1:2.5 on the 80mm side). Maybe not a cheap lens, but I think you can still get them for less than $100 as I did with mine. Plus, the Adaptall 2 feature means you can adapt it to most cameras with the right lens mount adapter.
I would love to see a video of you trying out one or more Tamron lenses!
Concur Tamron have manufactured some terrific lenses both zooms and primes. Going back decades, plus coming up with with the adaptall mount a most worthy innovation.
You are, in the photography world, a 'rock in the surf'!!
Thank you!
My favourite is the Olympus 35-70 f3.6
I've heard it's nice, never tried it though.
@@zenography7923 I have that lens too. An expensive lens but followed your advice and checked lens+camera sales, got one attached to an OM-2n (both camera and lens are virtually mint, a great bargain!). Have only used the zoom with film on my OM-1, but imagine it would shine adapted to digital as well. Thanks for the great zoom review!
While not as cheap as the lenses you featured today, I can fully recommend the Minolta MD zoom 35-70mm f/3.5. I have the 2nd version of this lens, without macro, and it's super sharp, nice to use, relatively compact, and has very reasonable fixed max aperture. I bought mine for about $65 USD a couple years ago. I use it on a Minolta X-570 and adapted to Fuji mirrorless digital.
If you have a Fuji X camera, the sleeper lens for it is, and has been for a long time, the 16-50mm 3.5. Crazy sharp across the middle, super light, built in stabilization. And after I graduated from my X-M1 to a T-2, super fast auto focus.
Someone had commented that Olympus sought to compete with itself by producing 2 very similar short zooms no doubt to warn off third party manufacturers...
Thanks for your time Nigel...
Bought the Sigma Zoom Master f2.8-f4 35-70mm some time ago. Its a nice video zoom, very underrated. The best cheap zoom is the Cosina 19mm-35mm f3.5-f4.5 great for video work.
That sounds like a nice lens, thanks for the suggestion!
Just won an Olympus 35=70 f4 with careful bidding for £36 nice Condition both lens caps plus OM lens hood JC11 label and leather case seen these up to £90+ on ebay.. very pleased... a lot to be said for constant aperture zooms... cheers Nigel...
Try the Minolta 35-105 3,5 - 4,5
One of the greatest zooms in the 80s
I have the Olympus Zuiko 35-70. It's not the fastest lens in my olympus kit, but it's a very nice lens for travelling light
It's a little slow for sure, but a very nice lens!
Thank you for this video!! I got a sigma 35-70 2.8 with an Nikon D3 for $400. This is my first manual lens and I'm excited to try it
Hope you enjoy it - thanks for looking in!
i recommend the minolta af 35 70 f4 , from the ,,beercan,,triologi, its the mini beercan, its knifesharp, it can be used on aony a7 and a6000 series with an adapter with aperture control
I have the Contax Zeiss 24-85 f4 and the 70-300 f4.5 N series. I use them with a Sony A7iii and metabones adapter.
They are unbelievable. Yes, they are heavier and a bit large, but the images are simply jaw dropping equal to or better than my Zeiss primes of 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and 60/2.8 macro. And auto focus and aperture as well as manual. These are so good that when I focused at night on the city towers about a mile away at 300 and then 10x focus assist, I could actually see people in their apartments walking around and the basic furniture there. I could not believe my eyes.
I have compared them to the Canon L17-40 and 20-200/4 on a Canon 5D2 but they aren't even in the same league. Not even close.
No, these are not as small as the 4 your have here, but the results are worth the tradeoffs - and not that expensive when compared to new Sony lenses which are world class. Put up against them, boy, tough call. Sony has the autofocus worlds best. But the image itself, is world class.
It sounds like you have two very nice lenses there!
Didn't know Willem Dafoe did lens reviews, I'm a sucker for the OM-system but Sigma did make fantastic lenses!
I only have one manual zoom, an RMC Tokina 35-105mm f3.5-4.3 lens with a close focusing feature that gets 1:4 at the long end. It's a great lens and I paid $30 for it in 2017. It provides prime lens quality at all focal lengths. I think it's a lens worth looking for. Another lens that I used to own in film days and wish I could replace is the Tokina ATX240 24-40mm f2.8 lens. Optically, the 35-105 was the better lens, but the 24-40 was just so much fun particularly with its constant f2.8 aperture.
Thinking about short zooms the Olympus one sounds very nice and I have realised you can get nice adaptor to connect Olympus to my Canon DSLR which I prefer to refer as my T4i so I shall try that soon many thanks for another great video!!!
I recently bought a Zuiko zoom, absolutely love it, I couldn't pass it by, it's longer, I use it for my church photography.
Don't forget the Minolta MD 35-70. It was good enough for Leica to slap their mount and name on it! Should be able to find it less than $100. Guess that's not really peanuts though...
Why did i forget that? Great lens.
Wonder if it can beat the Contax 35-70mm.
@@princeharbinger Doubt it, would be wonderful if it could. Then again depends on what aspects your looking at, sharpness, blur, colour rendition etc.
A year or so ago I found one of these for £35 - it got lost in the post though!
@@damiendehorn6350 Bokeh doesn't really matter for my application. As I would be using it for landscape. I would like to use it also for astrophotography, but likely shouldn't get my hopes up. As vintage optics are notorious for bad coma aberration. I don't fault them for that. Even some modern lenses suffer with that optical flaw. Color rendition, micro contrast CA, SA and corner performance are of importance to me. The number of aperture blades for defined sun stars. I don't mind a little flare for an artistic touch. The color can be warm, punchy or true to life. Acuity doesn't have to be the sharpest in the world. As long as it is sharp enough I'll be happy.
olympus also made a 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 zoom which would be good to make a comparison. that lens has a macro closeup function. It's a one touch slide type of lens to zoom and focus. on my omd em1.2 colours are nice typically. focus at close focus is critical and easy to miss unless you use a tripod.
Thanks for the tip, I'll look out for one!
Thank you, your fan from Ukraine!
Thanks Max, glad you enjoyed it!
I love your channel so much! ❤
Great video!!
I've been shooting a lot with my Canon nFD 35-70 f4 and it s absolutely amazing and a bargain as well! Paid less than 20€ for it on ebay and it's one of my most used lenses along with its big sister, the nFD 75-200 f4.5. Great video, thanks for bringing zoom lenses to their well deserved spotlight!
Many thanks Francisco, glad you enjoyed it!
I just picked up a Nikkor AI-s 28-50 3.5. I've only taken a few test shots on my D610. But from what a can see, I shall be delighted to use it in the future. It wasn't cheap ( $125 CAD ). But cheaper than a plastic kit lens and way more fun to use. Love using vintage glass on digital bodies. Brings me back to my film days without the added costs and I seem to take better photos.
That sounds like a nice lens - enjoy! And you're right, these older lenses do evoke something of the feel of film, both in the fact that they involve the photographer that bit more, and in the images they make. Definitely the best of both worlds!
I have a couple of short autofocus zooms a sigma28-70 3.5- 5.6 and a Takumar 28-80 3.0 -5.6 Macro Zoom I bought both for peanuts and they work fine on my cameras
Oh a bit of competition too in bidding race...... at end...
The Olympus Zuiko 35mm-70mm f3.5 -4.5 is a light weight Zoom that I carry around as a street Lens.
Never regarded as a high quality lens due to the plastic construction. Worth a try if your looking for ease of use.📸
On ebay I got a Sigma Zoom Master 35-70mm in very good condition for just 1 Euro plus shipping. I guess it was sold that cheaply as the seller neither mentioned the camera mount nor had a decent picture of the mount. So patience somestimes really pays off.
Wow, that was a pretty good deal, well done!
I've been a Sigma lens fan for a long time. Never had one of their zooms. That 24-50 seems very tempting for the price
Indeed!
I've caught your comment of your love of the Sony A7 body. Particularly to accommodate your vintage lenses. I was so convinced how smart that was, that I'm looking for one now. Regarding manual lenses, can you recommend any e-mount adaptor brands you especially like? Perhaps you'd shoot a video on this topic?
Thank you so much for your videos.
I only use cheap, so called 'dumb' adaptors - no electronics, just a metal tube with mounts at each end. As long as the dimensions are right I never worry about brand - there are so many at the cheaper end of the market - and I've never had to return one!
@@zenography7923 Excellent thanks.
Tamron BBAR m/f zooms are nice too .
Those of us who cut our teeth on film-era cameras & lenses had very limited ISO (or ASA as it used to be called). Not the case anymore, so you can set the aperture and shutter speed you want then use the ISO to get the right exposure. Virtually noise-free sensors make this possible. In short, f4 is not a problem, unless you are an "I always shoot wide-open at f1.4" type of photographer.
Absolutely, agreed!
Update: Just got my 35-70 f4 Olympus zoom from a German ebay seller. Lovely lens and pairs with my Sony A7 body very well. Looking forward to a few expeditions with it in 2022.
Think auto focus is a must on mirrorless camera,s, so the sigma 24-50MM look,s interesting. Providing you can get adapter,s with electrical contact,s, for say Olympus, sometimes you ain,t got time for manual focus, perhap,s you could do a V,log on adaptor,s?
Nice lenses. Some of those third-party lenses are surprisingly good. I recently picked up a more modern Tamron 70-300mm for my Canon 5D2 to have on hand to shoot wildlife with and the quality of the glass just blows me away, way better than any modern first party lens I could afford. I only have one vintage zoom in my collection, a 60's 50-200mm(I think, haven't had it out in ages) Vivitar that I bought back in the 80's cheap. Has terrible chromatic aberration so I don't really use it.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video
I have a Sigma Zoom Master buried away somewhere. One of these days I'll dig it out, but I just don't like zooms that much.
Not everyone's cup of tea I don't suppose!
I don't have any of those lenses, but I do own a Minolta AF 35-70 f4 and that is a brilliant little lens. Only cost £25, so a bargain in my eyes. The 35-70 zoom range is ideal as a general walkabout on FF cameras.
A very useful range, no doubt about it!
Hi mate from Australia picking up a om-10 and a 35-70 f4 today for $60aud bargain, but still don't know condition fingers crossed
Zenit KMZ Russia is coming out with some new lens. The zenitar 35mm f/2 has some nice colors to me. I guess they are due out soon. There is one review up by a French guy, early copy. I guess.
I'd love to try one myself - nobody sent me one yet though!
@@zenography7923 you might have to contact them so they know you are interested.
Nice to see and listen you , am also love to take photos from old lenses , in my circles ( frinds) never gave importance to Sigma lenses , but after digital age came , people love to take photos from it ,😊📸 , I have one analog zoom and one digital zoom , results are good but not as L series or Neno , but nowadays many people using old lenses in mirror less body , I will see whatever you have shown here if my budget permits
Regards Neeraj
I put some photos at Facebook if you are member have a look
hi I have a Olympus om-d 5 digital camera can you use vintage lenses on this camera I have tried but can seem to get any images with the camera as the shutter will not fire and the LCD screen is black
Your em-5 can certainly shoot vintage lenses. Make sure though to go into the menu and set the camera to 'Shoot Without Lens' (might be worded slightly differently), otherwise it will think there is no lens mounted and won't shoot.
Goes to show, most (if not all) lens makers can make good lenses. I suspect Olympus lenses are optimum performers. You should look at a Pentax A 35-70mm f/4 with macro you can pick up for peanuts.
I don't think that these lenses would look that great when used for anything else but extreme close up. I can't say we've seen much of what they can do here to be honest, but as always, still fun to watch.
I'll check it out, thanks for the suggestion!
Hi, great video as always. I am looking for a short zoom or prime for my Sony A7r3 for landscape photography. I am generally a wildlife photographer so have a lot of money invested in long lenses. What would you recommend for under £100. Thanks Scott.
Perhaps some of the short zooms here might be of interest? I have another short zoom video too, which you'll find on the videos page. One of the nicest vintage wide primes I've tried is the CZJ Flektogon 20mm f4 or, the more expensive f2.8. My example is rather tired, but good ones are just lovely, with almost no distortion too!
Thanks for the information! I do like the look of the Olympus 35-70 F4 so will be looking out for a good one over Christmas! All the best👍
Referring to your Olympus 35-70mm f4 zoom which I am trying to track one down.... Anyways for those Interested they have 7 elements and 6 diaphragm blades just enough. to stop the hex shaped Bokeh occurring I would say....
You look like an older version of the Home Alone kid ...