Lens with the most beautiful character/rendering (no sharpness talk here!)

I recently made the jump from a Canon 6D with full suite of L lenses (including 135L, 85Lii and others) to a sony a6300 with Zeiss 24mm f1.8.

Since there are unlimited possibilities to adapting other lenses with my Sony, I am curious as to which lens in particular has the most beautiful CHARACTER/RENDERING (note i am not specifically talking about creamy bokeh, or even micro-contrast).

Criteria:
<40mm (FF equivalent)
<f2.8
<$3k
Originally for APS-C (preferred but not compulsory)
Genre focused on environmental portraits (kids)
manual is fine
heavy is fine
sharpness does not matter
corner edge does not matter
CA/distortion/technica​l flaws do not matter

Appreciate that this thread is kept CLEAN and focused on beautiful rendering. Plus point if you owned the lens before and could post some side-by-side comparisons with your 2nd best lens too.

People who like to pixel-peep and complain about extreme corner sharpness can exit the thread right now.

Comment away!

So you're asking for everyone's personal subjective opinion on rendering & character? Just wanted to be absolutely clear that you're asking for something to which there is no one answer, but rather, all that matter is what you think is beautiful rendering & character. It's very personal.

I'm a big fan of some of the older Pentax lenses like the Super Takumars. I'm also a big fan of the Helios series. And for modern stuff, I enjoy Samyang's manual line.

Good luck, but really, the answer to what you seek is only answerable by you.

Very best,

So you don't want to discuss sharpness, bokeh, or contrast? There isn't much else to go on other than color rendering is there? Dof is purely a result of other non lens factors other than aperture so that is out too. Do you have an example from 2 lenses where you can show differences not a result of the things we are not to discuss?

A lot of these characteristics can be produced in post processing. And who does not post processing their shots??? So, is somewhat pointless. However, I say "microcontrast" is a bit harder to reproduce. That is, it is hard to duplicate the "dirty" look in the shots.

EDIT: deleted. Didn't see the <40mm requirement

That sony should work out quite well...for internet imagery.

MalVeauX wrote in post #17965661
So you're asking for everyone's personal subjective opinion on rendering & character? Just wanted to be absolutely clear that you're asking for something to which there is no one answer, but rather, all that matter is what you think is beautiful rendering & character. It's very personal.

I'm a big fan of some of the older Pentax lenses like the Super Takumars. I'm also a big fan of the Helios series. And for modern stuff, I enjoy Samyang's manual line.

Good luck, but really, the answer to what you seek is only answerable by you.

Very best,

Yes, I am asking for personal opinion. Isn't that what forums are for anyway?

to clarify on my initial post, the character/rendering could be a combination of great color science, creamy bokeh, micro and macro contrast (or some other factor that cannot be explained), but not just 1 factor.

those who have used Leica/Contax/Zeiss (not Sony Zeiss) lenses should know what i'm talking about.

the.forumer wrote in post #17965528
(note i am not specifically talking about creamy bokeh, or even micro-contrast).)

the.forumer wrote in post #17966518
to clarify on my initial post, the character/rendering could be a combination of great color science, creamy bokeh, micro and macro contrast (or some other factor that cannot be explained), but not just 1 factor.

So which is it?

Very best,

As I mentioned, a combination of factors, not any 1 single factor.

the.forumer wrote in post #17965528
I recently made the jump from a Canon 6D with full suite of L lenses (including 135L, 85Lii and others) to a sony a6300 with Zeiss 24mm f1.8.

Since there are unlimited possibilities to adapting other lenses with my Sony, I am curious as to which lens in particular has the most beautiful CHARACTER/RENDERING (note i am not specifically talking about creamy bokeh, or even micro-contrast).

Criteria:
<40mm (FF equivalent)
<f2.8
<$3k
Originally for APS-C (preferred but not compulsory)
Genre focused on environmental portraits (kids)
manual is fine
heavy is fine
sharpness does not matter
corner edge does not matter
CA/distortion/technica​l flaws do not matter

Appreciate that this thread is kept CLEAN and focused on beautiful rendering. Plus point if you owned the lens before and could post some side-by-side comparisons with your 2nd best lens too.

People who like to pixel-peep and complain about extreme corner sharpness can exit the thread right now.

Comment away!

the.forumer wrote in post #17966518
Yes, I am asking for personal opinion. Isn't that what forums are for anyway?

to clarify on my initial post, the character/rendering could be a combination of great color science, creamy bokeh, micro and macro contrast (or some other factor that cannot be explained), but not just 1 factor.

those who have used Leica/Contax/Zeiss (not Sony Zeiss) lenses should know what i'm talking about.

the.forumer wrote in post #17966529
As I mentioned, a combination of factors, not any 1 single factor.

In your first post you stated that we shouldn't consider sharpness, microcontrast, macro contrast, Bokeh, corners Etc. Etc. Then when you get replies suggesting that given your constraints it is impossible to answer your question, your answer to that seems to contradict almost the whole of your initial question. Do you not see that this is rather confusing for those you are asking for help?

Alan

I'm pretty sure what you're asking for is comparisons with your new glass. That's an awesome lens, no doubt, but I don't own anything in the specific range you're asking for. 50L > 40MM, for example. How do you like the Sony? I noticed their new lineup.

I like and keeping 50L for character and rendering on digital FF. And most of Leitz/Leica lenses on film (RF). Currently have Summarit 35 2.5. Very classic lens in rendering with its own story to look at in bokeh.
Fuji has lovely native 35 1.4 for X series. Worth of the switching to compact, mighty mirrorless from larger DSLRs.

thanks guys. keep the comments coming!

kf095 wrote in post #17968284
I like and keeping 50L for character and rendering........

What do you mean by "character"?

.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17991326
What do you mean by "character"?

.

I can only speak for my own understanding, but character typically refers to a lens’ unique signature (whether good or bad depending on the viewer) based on the sum effect of how it renders a variety of visual elements, including bokeh, contrast, color, distortion, micro-contrast, resolution, flare, and sharpness.

It often refers to a lens that is not clinical and exacting in its image quality, while others might contend that “character” is a pretentious way to glorify a crappy lens. However, the 50 1.2L, for example, is not, from what I know, a crappy lens, and the value of ‘character’ remains subjective.