Handevision announces new line of manual focus lenses for FE mount and others

[david_smith110]

<p>If the optical and build quality is up to the looks these will be some fine little lenses. Quite handsome with a classic design. As far as I can tell they are designed (or maybe just conceived) in Germany while actual production takes place in Asia. That's starting to happen more and more it seems. A melding of 'old world classic' and value pricing or simply cheap knockoffs of questionable quality? Time and reviews will tell.</p>

<p>http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/handevision-announces-five-new-full-frame-e-mount-prime-lenses/</p>

<p>These will be released for other systems as well. Interesting (and suggesting some type of modular design?) that they all have a 2.4 aperture. The 50 mil will be to slow for me but the wide angle lenses, if decent performers, might find their way into my bag.</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Glad to see them jump into the fray with a diversified product group that are compact and reasonably priced. But they are going to have to be darn good and very priced competitively to compete with the vast amount of good vintage lenses around. Yes, electronic shutter control is nice....but my Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 lens is razor sharp, faster speed, focuses very smoothly and costs about $75. An adapter costs another $20. I have to stop the lens down manually and, boo hoo, I won't have EXIF data. Still, a mighty fine manual focus optic for under a c-note. There are plenty of others.</p>

<p>On the other side, I just got the new Metabones T IV EOS EF-to-Sony E mount adapter. Oh boy! Now I have snappy AF along with electronic aperture control for the pile of Canon EF lenses I already own for under $400.</p>

<p>These may find a market with newer photographers that don't already have a bunch of lenses laying about but unless they are stellar optically and reasonably inexpensive, I won't be in their target audience.</p>

 

[david_smith110]

<p>Louis, I don't believe these lenses will have any electronic contacts. Just a dummy mount for attaching to the camera and they will be used just like a vintage lens. As you say, there are so many old lenses available (as we both well know) that these will have to be good performers to compete.</p>

<p>The upside is that with no adapter necessary you shouldn't get any of the play that can come with using old lenses. You know, when the adapter/lens/body connections get that little bit of wiggle in them. Infuriating. Hopefully these lenses will solidly mount up nice and tight. There is also the benefit of a brand new lens with no gummed up parts or sludge for oil.</p>

<p>Last year Handevision released an Ibelux 40/0.85 manual lens for apsc mirrorless. I have looked at some images from this lens on flickr and I must say I rather like it. As with any super fast lens it has some interesting traits and I'm hoping some of the qualities transfer over to these slower lenses (well, not the CA I have sometimes seen from it).</p>

<p>That Ibelux can currently be had for a very good deal right now to. Originally selling for around 1800, it can now be had for around 800. I wish it was for full frame as I would buy one for that price.</p>

[mark_amos]

<p>I saw this a few days ago and thought about posting, and I'm glad you did David. I thought it was interesting that you can get it in Sony E or Fuji X AND Leica M, which makes it shorter. You would then have to use your M to E adapter on your A7 series, but you could use the lens on a Leica M or film body too.<br>

Louis, I believe this is more significant in some ways than you give credit. Consider that other than the Zeiss Loxia lenses, these are the only manual focus lenses that can mount directly to E mount body and presumably have accurate pre-focus scale focusing since the adapters are all short. This BTW would be a good reason alone to get it in E mount instead of M mount to use adapter. <br>

Further, this would be by far the smallest manual focus 24mm at 2 1/2" long that would work well with the A7 sensors (no smearing). That isn't very short, but there are not many options. SLR lenses on adapter are longer, there are 2 connections like David says, you can't pre-scale focus, and some of them smear too (like my 20 2.8 ais). The only native slightly similar spec lens is the new Loxia 21 2.8 at about $1,600. Consider for example that the VC 25 2.8 Biogon smears and the Leica 24 2.8 is so expensive that it's not even in the conversation. This 24 Handevision would also be the only equivalent 36mm manual lens for the APS-C A6000. It's about the same size as the Zeiss 24 1.8 ZA, but it would be manual focus, and you could also use it full frame on the A7, which you can't with the ZA because it isn't full frame. Plus that ZA is regularly $1,000. If the 24 had good reviews and were available today for $650 I would buy it for myself for Christmas. I've been waiting a long time for such a lens. <br>

Further the 90 2.4 offers something quite more rare than it would initially seem. There is the fantastic Leica 90 2.8 Elmarit M, but it has grown quite expensive used. There is the Summarit 90, but that is also expensive. There is the VC 90 3.5 Lanthar, but that is slower and discontinued. There is the Leica 90 TE and the various fast and skinny elmarits, but again, not available in native e mount. I use the 90 Elmar-C, but I long wanted at least one extra stop in a lens that was still very small and affordable, and here it is. <br>

I'm going to say that there are many other options for the 35 and 50, most notably the VC and older Leica crons, but still, native e mount is worth noting. If these lenses are as good as most the Nikon ais 2.8 lenses of 25 years ago meaning sharp in the center at 2.8 and pretty darn good all over at f4 and less than $700, then I think we have something special. At $500 they might be irresistible.</p>

 

[aplumpton]

<p>THE IB/E company seems to have provided high quality consulting services and specific optical equipment and optics to companies in medecine, cinema (lenses for Arriflex cameras) and photography. Lens designs abound but producing top optics is another matter. My guess is that the weak link may be the mechanical and optical construction in China, not because it is China because producing lenses in the 400 to 800$ range in small or moderate quantities is a challenge and one probably has to have the volumes of Nikon or Canon and many years of experience in manufacturing and quality control to provide top quality.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<blockquote>

<p>This lens it is based on the “German engineering”. To perform development and testing in Germany, it was produced by the Shanghai factory in accordance with the quality standards of Germany. So to speak, is a product that dwells is Manufacturing of Germany flow.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>gotta love those translated press releases! these lenses might make sense for FE shooters, who need more primes, but i think will hold a little less appeal for Fuji shooters compared to native glass, except for price. the 75/2.4 could be interesting on APS-C though.</p>