Ms-Optics PERAR-R 17mm

Compact ultra-wide-angle lens

A review and photo examples of the MS-Optics PERAR 17mm F4.5.

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Gallery

The photo example was taken with a Leica M-P.

The photo example was taken with a LUMIX GM5.

1．Overview

PERAR-R 17mm is the widest-angle lens released by MS-Optics (formerly Miyazaki Optical).

The name PERAR-R is the name used by MS-optics for thin lenses, and the R indicates that the lens configuration is retrofocus type. This notation is because the lens configuration of other PERAR series lenses is three-element, called a triplet, so by adding “-R” to the end of the series name, it is clearly different from other lenses.

The lens has a dark maximum aperture of F4.5, but it is compact enough to eliminate this drawback.

There is a screw on the front of the lens barrel, but the screw diameter and thread pitch are special, so there is no filter that can be screwed in directly. Regarding the attachment of a filter, the instruction manual recommends removing the glass from the 34mm filter and attaching it directly to the inside of the hood to protect the lens.

The minimum shooting distance is 0.3m, so you can get close enough to the subject to shoot with a wide angle of view surrounding the subject.

2．Usage

The PERAR-R 17mm is a size that is not noticeable even when attached to a camera, and it is okay to call it a body cap lens. This compact lens barrel has all the necessary functions of a lens, with an aperture ring at the tip of the lens and a focus ring with a focus lever at the base of the lens. The layout is a little cramped because the lens barrel is compact, but once you get used to it, you can operate it without any problems.

This lens is a good example of the designer Sadayasu Miyazaki’s policy of refusing to make lenses larger, even in ultra-wide-angle lenses.

As stated in the overview, the filter attachment method is unique, and since it is a wide-angle lens with a short focal length, this is thought to be a measure to avoid vignetting in the corners caused by general filters, but it is not a very practical method.

If you do not attach a protective filter, you need to be careful when handling the front lens, which is close to the front of the lens barrel, as you may accidentally touch it while shooting or touch the wall when you move the camera back inside your bag. A screw-in front cap is included as an accessory, but it is a hassle to screw it in every time.

This lens also comes in a wide variety of colors, but with gold body colors, the plating on the lenses has deteriorated over time, and we often see lenses with peeling paint.

3．Add info.

Compared to lenses with similar focal lengths such as the Leica-M SUPER ELMAR 18mm/F3.4, Cosina Zeiss Distagon 18mm/F4, and LOMO ATOLL 17mm/F2.8, the PERAR-R17mm is characterized by its compactness, with a lens length of 10mm, which overwhelms other lenses with the same focal length.

Depending on the sensor size, the image quality at the periphery may be disappointing, but the 35mm equivalent focal length of 26mm for APS-C size sensors and 34mm for Micro Four Thirds sensors crops the center of the lens, cutting out the negative parts of the captured image, making it an easy-to-use lens.

The fact that you can get a focal length of 17mm at this size is very helpful when you want to reduce the amount of luggage you need to carry.

Specification

製造	LEICA	Carl Zeiss	LOMO	Ms-optics
名称	SUPER ELMAR 18mm	Distagon 18mm	ATOLL 17mm	PERAR 17mm
focal length(mm)	18	18	17	17
Maximum aperture	3.4	4	2.8	4.5
Minimum aperture	16	22	22	22
Leaf blade	9	10	8	10
Lens configuration	8elements in 7groups	10elements in 8groups	13elements in 10groups	4elements in 4groups
Minimum distance(m)	0.7	0.5	0.25	0.3
Lens length(mm)	58	47	79	10.2
Lens max diameter(mm)	61	65	73	50
Filter Size(mm)	77mm (with filter holder) IR/UV filter for M8 available	58	–	–
Weight(g)	310	350	400	60
Release date	2009.03	2007.08	2021.03	–
Price(Yen/No-tax)	315,000 yen (when first released) The price has since gone up.	¥145,950	¥49,800	–