Best F mount manual focus 50mm lenses for imaging

So I'm wanting a F mount manual aperture and focus control 50mm widefield lens for use both with my Nikon and QHY full frame cameras. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the Rokinon 50mm 1.4 or with one of the Zeiss 50s and what their impressions were of them, as I can't seem to find anything on them.

If you step down even the 50mm AF-S 1.8G will perform admirably with a FF camera. Or if you can afford the thousands required for a top of the line Zeiss I'm sure it won't disappoint either but for the money I don't think the Nikon can be beaten.

Get the Sigma 40mm F/1.4 ART F mount. Its optically crazy sharp. It doesnt have manual aperture control (you can easily change it by just connecting a dslr to it before moving it to the QHY) but it does have manual focus.

And if you ask how sharp we talking here is an example of a Sigma 40 paired with a QHY 268M (full FOV vs crop).

andrea tasselli:
If you step down even the 50mm AF-S 1.8G will perform admirably with a FF camera. Or if you can afford the thousands required for a top of the line Zeiss I'm sure it won't disappoint either but for the money I don't think the Nikon can be beaten.

*I have the 50 1.8G and it is not remotely close to being acceptable in image quality for astro, severe coma aside my D850 easily out resolves it, and it's electric diaphragm means I can't use it with my QHY367c even if it did have acceptable image quality. I have no issue shelling out thousands for a lens like the Zeiss, but there are at least half a dozen versions of it all with much different optical formulas, and if I'm paying that much I want to make sure I get the right version that's best suited to the task.

Luka Poropat:
Get the Sigma 40mm F/1.4 ART F mount. Its optically crazy sharp. It doesnt have manual aperture control (you can easily change it by just connecting a dslr to it before moving it to the QHY) but it does have manual focus.

And if you ask how sharp we talking here is an example of a Sigma 40 paired with a QHY 268M (full FOV vs crop).

I love my Sigmas, but the ones I've used revert to max aperture when decoupled or turning off the camera, you can hear and see the blades move when you do. Is there some trick to making this one stay at a set aperture or is it just different from the rest?

It's a Canon thing, not a Nikon feature.

*I have the 50 1.8G and it is not remotely close to being acceptable in image quality for astro, severe coma aside my D850 easily out resolves it, and it's electric diaphragm means I can't use it with my QHY367c even if it did have acceptable image quality. I have no issue shelling out thousands for a lens like the Zeiss, but there are at least half a dozen versions of it all with much different optical formulas, and if I'm paying that much I want to make sure I get the right version that's best suited to the task.

My sample is pretty good so I suppose there is a spread about on how it goes. And I need to step it down big time for FF. The diaphragm is very much NOT electric and you can hack the aperture lever any way you like it or use a front aperture mask but I assumed you were fine with stock DSLR. If you have the money go for the Otus and avoid the Milvus.

I love my Sigmas, but the ones I've used revert to max aperture when decoupled or turning off the camera, you can hear and see the blades move when you do. Is there some trick to making this one stay at a set aperture or is it just different from the rest?

set the aperture on the lens u want. eg F2.8 then remove the lens without switching off the dslr

milkyway with otus 55mm - if money is no object the the Zeiss otus 55mm....manual aperture manual focus - u can attach a belt driven zwo eaf with a geared ring - super sharp - no coma, no CA no astigmatism at f2....

vikas chander:
milkyway with otus 55mm - if money is no object the the Zeiss otus 55mm....manual aperture manual focus - u can attach a belt driven zwo eaf with a geared ring - super sharp - no coma, no CA no astigmatism at f2....

Is this image actually shot with the lens iris wide-open? And how representative of the lens quality it is, as this appears to be a heavily-processed composite image?

It is obviously astigmatic in the corners as well as being stopped down but @ f/2 it can't be beaten on a FF sensor.

andrea tasselli:
It is obviously astigmatic in the corners as well as being stopped down but @ f/2 it can't be beaten on a FF sensor.

You are probably right. For the price of the lens I would like to see an unedited raw file instead of a finished image, or something similar to your own test shots

vikas chander:
milkyway with otus 55mm - if money is no object the the Zeiss otus 55mm....manual aperture manual focus - u can attach a belt driven zwo eaf with a geared ring - super sharp - no coma, no CA no astigmatism at f2....

Super sharp, no coma, no CA no astigmatism at F2 yet you stopped it down to F4 for the sky region in that image and it still showes coma on edges ?
Could you provide a single raw at F2 to see how it looks ?

vikas chander:
I love my Sigmas, but the ones I've used revert to max aperture when decoupled or turning off the camera, you can hear and see the blades move when you do. Is there some trick to making this one stay at a set aperture or is it just different from the rest?

set the aperture on the lens u want. eg F2.8 then remove the lens without switching off the dslr

Not on F mount lenses. I know this works with Canon, but not Nikon.

On Nikon lenses the easiest way around is to wedge the aperture tab at the settings you want, distance being linear with aperture, from f/22 to f/1.8 in this case.

vikas chander:
milkyway with otus 55mm - if money is no object the the Zeiss otus 55mm....manual aperture manual focus - u can attach a belt driven zwo eaf with a geared ring - super sharp - no coma, no CA no astigmatism at f2....

I have the Zeiss Otus set in F mount. They are better than every other lens I’ve ever used but I still prefer to shoot at f2.8 on full frame. F4 is near perfect. 1.4 is fine for timelapse or non composite landscape work.

I’ll post some raw frames once I get a chance but Unfortunately I am traveling for work at the moment and do not have access to the files.

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