35mm Full-Frame equivalent on APSC

[FowlersFreeTime]

I read an article/opinion on Fstoppers about 35mm primes on full frame and it made me think that many of us APSC users kind of slide right past this focal length. I find this strange because so many full frame users default to the 35mm prime as their "every day" or "street" lens. Was this a choice or a norm imposed by previous technical limitations? I'm just thinking out loud...

Consider that 35mm full frame, divided by 1.5 crop factor means one would need a 23.333mm lens on the APSC.

I've only heard about one APSC specific prime at this focal length: the Viltrox 23mm f1.4. Reviews for this $300 lens are a bit of a mixed bag and haven't yet convinced me that its a good lens.

However, I forgot all about the 24mm options (full frame or not) that would give a 36mm equivalent:

• Sony GM 24mm f1.4 ($1300) a full frame lens
• Sony Sonnar 24mm f1.8 (over $1k) an APSC lens
• Rokinon 24mm f2.8 ($230) a full frame lens
• Tamron 24mm f2.8 ($200) a full frame lens

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses on an a6000/6100/6300/6400/6500/6600 body?

 

[WeeMalky]

I read an article/opinion on Fstoppers about 35mm primes on full frame and it made me think that many of us APSC users kind of slide right past this focal length. I find this strange because so many full frame users default to the 35mm prime as their "every day" or "street" lens. Was this a choice or a norm imposed by previous technical limitations? I'm just thinking out loud...

Consider that 35mm full frame, divided by 1.5 crop factor means one would need a 23.333mm lens on the APSC.

I've only heard about one APSC specific prime at this focal length: the Viltrox 23mm f1.4. Reviews for this $300 lens are a bit of a mixed bag and haven't yet convinced me that its a good lens.

However, I forgot all about the 24mm options (full frame or not) that would give a 36mm equivalent:

• Sony GM 24mm f1.4 ($1300) a full frame lens
• Sony Sonnar 24mm f1.8 (over $1k) an APSC lens
• Rokinon 24mm f2.8 ($230) a full frame lens
• Tamron 24mm f2.8 ($200) a full frame lens

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses on an a6000/6100/6300/6400/6500/6600 body?

Chris this photo was taken with a Minolta 35mm f2.8 adapted to an A6500 think the lens is a 1970s model shows what you can do with vintage

• ILCE-6500
• ----
• 28 sec
• ISO 100

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole...

Viltrox 23 - good, except for Chromatic Aberration
Sony lenses - too expensive to consider
Rokinon/Samyang 24 - quiet autofocus, but soft in the corners
Tamron 24 - loud auto focus and focus breathing, but nice macro capability

It looks like nobody makes a great 23mm or 24mm at a decent price, and we can't all afford the $1000 Sony Zeis Sonnar 24mm...
Sooo now I know why I don't hear about this focal length on the APSC!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Chris this photo was taken with a Minolta 35mm f2.8 adapted to an A6500 think the lens is a 1970s model shows what you can do with vintage

Hey Malcolm, I like the light trails!
However, my thought experiment was around prime lenses that give a 35mm equivalent out of an a6xxx camera. I also have a sony e 35mm lens, but that equates to a 52.5mm (50mm) full-frame equivalent.

 

[WeeMalky]

Hey Malcolm, I like the light trails!
However, my thought experiment was around prime lenses that give a 35mm equivalent out of an a6xxx camera. I also have a sony e 35mm lens, but that equates to a 52.5mm (50mm) full-frame equivalent.

That's True you could also try a MINOLTA AF 24mm F/2.8 Wide Angle A-Mount Lens which I believe you can pick up quite cheaply just a thought

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

You know its interesting, from what I saw, the problems with options listed above were half related to video, half related to still photos. Only the Sony Zeiss Sonnar excelled at both. I imagine that adapting a lens like the ones you mentioned would yield fine results for photos, but not quite work well for video. I wasn't looking for one or the other, just trying to understand why more people don't talk about that focal length for APSC. I guess I see now.

 

[dylanmitchell]

Expanding a bit to include lenses closer to 50 mm how are the Sigma 24mm/ 28mm/30mm F1.4? How do you like your Tamron 24mm?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Expanding a bit to include lenses closer to 50 mm how are the Sigma 24mm/ 28mm/30mm F1.4? How do you like your Tamron 24mm?

I have not tried those Sigma lenses, but if they're anything like the Sigma 16 I own, I'd say Sigma makes excellent lenses.
I love my Tamron 24, but it is now obsolete. I bought the Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and at 24mm it performs similarly to the Tamron 24 with the added bonuses that it has stabilization and its a zoom lens.

 

[bdery]

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses on an a6000/6100/6300/6400/6500/6600 body?

I have no experience on APS-C bodies, but I reviewed the 24mm for Alphashooters on the A7C, so at least you can get an idea of the size, plus looking at results near the center will let you infer how the lens will behave on APs-C.

https://www.alphashooters.com/reviews/tamron-24mm-f2-8-di-iii-osd-review/

It looks like nobody makes a great 23mm or 24mm at a decent price

Lenses close to that focal length has been present on some other mounts. Pentax has been making an APS-C 21mm Limited lens for many years (and it's great). However, I think it's a mistake to try to duplicate a focal length when changing formats. After all, 35mm is kind of arbitrary to begin with. (for the record, and just for fun, Pentax also makes a 31mm Limited, because why not )

If we look at Tamron's list of primes, I actually prefer the 20mm to the 24mm:

https://www.alphashooters.com/reviews/tamron-20mm-f2-8-di-iii-osd-review/

It's a better lens all around. That being said, many will find 24mm more comfortable than 20mm (on FF at least). The good news is that there are many 24mm options available. Sony's recent 24mm (with its 40mm and 50mm siblings) appears pretty good.

For my part, on full frame I never warmed up to the 35mm focal length. I prefer a bit wider or a bit narrower (I've been using a 40mm and a 43mm Limited for many years, strikes a better balance than either 35mm or 50mm IMHO. Fun to see many manufacturers now releasing lenses close to 40).

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I have no experience on APS-C bodies, but I reviewed the 24mm for Alphashooters on the A7C, so at least you can get an idea of the size, plus looking at results near the center will let you infer how the lens will behave on APs-C.

https://www.alphashooters.com/reviews/tamron-24mm-f2-8-di-iii-osd-review/

Hi Bernard, your review was excellent!
Since writing this initial post, I did end up purchasing the Tamron 24 and here are my initial impressions when using it on the a6400:

Tamron 24mm f2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 First impressions on an APSC body (A6400)

Thanks to Tim and Fstoppers for alerting me to the Tamron sale, I decided to beg the wife for some fun money and buy the 24mm prime by Tamron for a remarkably good price of $196+tax! Now, I don't have a full frame camera, I have an A6400, but hear me out on this. I have two goals: 24mm x 1.5...

www.alphashooters.com

Here are some more pictures I took with that combo:

A walk in the park with a6400 & Tamron 24mm

Had a midweek break and found myself wandering around Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami FL with my a6400 and only a single lens: the Tamron 24mm f2.8 OSD which I recently purchased. Its a good way to learn a new lens, limit yourself to using only that lens without filters or other accessories...

www.alphashooters.com

I have recently purchased the APSC Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and I have to say that I think the Tamron 24 prime is obsolete now (for me). The 17-70 brings the same short minimum focusing distance, aperture, and now includes Vibration Compensation (akin to Sony's OSS), all while covering a wide range of focal lengths.

 

[bdery]

Hi Bernard, your review was excellent!

Thank you! I've been writing reviews in Pentax land for many years, and I am an optical designer by trade. All that helps being methodical when reviewing lenses. I'm having a great time testing lenses on E-mount, there is great glass available for Sony!

I have recently purchased the APSC Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and I have to say that I think the Tamron 24 prime is obsolete now (for me). The 17-70 brings the same short minimum focusing distance, aperture, and now includes Vibration Compensation (akin to Sony's OSS), all while covering a wide range of focal lengths.

That Tamron 17-70mm looks like a killer lens, an amazing feat of design. For APS-C it's a no-brainer. I actually got it on loan but not having an APS-C body, it's hard to really put it to the test (crop mode on the A7C decreases the resolution too much). It appears like a wonderful option, and should be on the list for anyone interested in E-mount APS-C.