The 45mm focal length, which occupies a unique and often overlooked place in photographic history, is a deliberate attempt at an alternative to the ubiquitous 50mm standard normal, came with its own practical and optical advantages.
The focal length, closely associated with compact optical designs that prioritize portability, was seen first as the pancake GN Auto Nikkor 45mm f/2.8, produced by Nikon from 1969 to 1977
This was followed later by the 17mm deep Nikkor AI 45mm f/2.8P (2001-2006), with the near-pancake Minolta Rokkor-X 45mm f/2, at 30.8mm deep, which was in production from 1978 to the mid-1980s, as an intermediate between the two.
While 45mm lenses are not mainstream choices, the focal length has, however, emerged as the preferred option for photographers seeking a specific balance between field of view and optical performance.
The focal length is between the traditional 35mm wide-angle and the standard normal 50mm, and at 5mm shorter, provides a wider field of view advantageous to street photography and environmental portraiture, where the slightly extra context relative to the 50mm is appreciated.
For the vintage enthusiast in the digital era, obtaining an exact or near equivalent to the 45mm focal length for mirrorless and APS-C digital SLR cameras fitted with 1.5x or 2x crop sensors (and 1.6x for Canon EOS DSLRs) is fairly straightforward. This is achieved by adapting legacy manual focus lenses with 28mm or 30mm focal lengths to current APS-C digital SLR cameras using readily available lens adapters, a mix-and-match potpourri for lenses and camera bodies.
For enthusiasts with Canon EOS APS-C DSLRs, for example, the legacy focal length to look for is the 28mm, which will equate to a 44.8mm equivalent on a full-frame camera. Enthusiasts with 1.5x APS-C crop sensors may want to look further back to 30mm legacies, which may be quite hard to come by, to achieve the same 45mm focal length standard. The following might help:
Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8
The Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, a follow-up of the original Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm f/2.8 launched in 1978, is known for its excellent macro capabilities and pleasing color rendition. The lens features 6 elements in a 6-group multi-coated optics design, with a 6-blade diaphragm, a close-focus distance of 0.22 meters, measures 43–50 mm in length depending on the version, utilizes a 52 mm filter thread, and weighs approximately 210 grams.
On 1.6x crop sensor Canon EOS APS-C DSLRs, the lens provides a field of view equivalent to a 44.8mm lens on a full-frame camera. This shifts the lens from a wide-angle to a close-enough position, just beyond the 45mm mark, making it suitable for everyday use, portraits, and street photography. The copy, seen here, is an OM-mount version adapted to the EOS base with an OM-EOS lens adapter.
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The Canon EOS Kiss X3 (EOS Rebel T1i in North America, EOS 500D in Europe), a mid-range entry-level digital SLR camera launched by Canon in 2009, features a 15.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor, and came with a notable feature for its time, the ability to record full HD (1080p) video. The camera offers a maximum ISO sensitivity of 3200, expandable to 6400 and 12800 for low-light shooting.
Meyer Optik Gorlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5
The Meyer Optik Görlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5, a classic wide-angle prime lens from East Germany, comes with a remarkable legacy spanning nearly six decades. The lens was originally introduced in 1964 as a budget-conscious alternative to premium wide-angle lenses, but has, however, evolved into a highly sought-after vintage optic prized by photographers working with both film and digital cameras.
The all-metal and glass Lydith, featuring a distinctive optical formula, is a preset 5-element in 5 groups design with 10 aperture blades, has a minimum focusing distance of 0.15 meters, accepts 49mm or 52mm filter thread depending on mount revision, and comes with a compact weight of 177–198 grams. The preset mechanism allows the lens to be set to a predetermined f/stop by pulling the ring forward, rotating to the desired f-stop, and releasing it.
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The Pentax K-m (K2000), introduced in 2008, is a 10MP APS-C CCD sensor DSLR with the KAF2 bayonet mount for full PK lenses compatibility, full manual and automatic exposure control, sensor-shift stabilization, and an optical pentamirror viewfinder. The DSLR is noted for combining CCD image quality with the Pentax K-mount system in a compact DSLR form factor, and comes with a fixed 2.7-inch TFT color LCD monitor.
Pentacon 30mm f/3.5
The Pentacon 30mm f/3.5, a direct heritage of Meyer-Optik Görlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5, whose factory was absorbed into the Pentacon organization in 1968, is one of the most respected compact wide-angle lenses of the 1960s. The preset lens shares an identical 5 elements in 5 groups design, but comes with a 10-blade diaphragm noted for its ability to create subtle swirly bokeh effects under specific focusing conditions, especially when shooting with shallow depth of field and deep background separation.
The preset lens, with the preset activated, similar to the Meyer-Optik Görlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5, has a non-rotating front element, is exceptionally compact and lightweight, and makes for an excellent choice for travel and street photography. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.33 meters, a semi-macro capability that is unusual for such a compact wide-angle prime, measures approximately 45–62mm in length, and weighs 177–195 grams, based on the lens mount attached.
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The A-mount Sony DSLR-A350, launched by Sony in 2008, features a 14.2-megapixel APS-C CCD sensor, one of the highest pixel counts for APS-C DSLRs at the time of release, and comes with a unique Quick AF Live View system using a secondary sensor and a tilting mirror to display the live image on the LCD screen. This allows the camera to be used for fast autofocus without interrupting the main imaging sensor. The camera comes with body-integrated Super SteadyShot (sensor-shift stabilization) that can be used with all lenses mounted.
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