35mm-50mm Sonnar Design Lenses: Which ones to test?

raid

raid

Dad Photographer
Local time
1:54 AM
Joined
Nov 2, 2005
Messages
36,569
David Murphy just gave me an idea; plan a test for lenses with a Sonnar design. I want to restrict the focal length to 35mm-50mm.

As a first step, could you inform me which lenses are out there in this focal range that can be viewed as either having an [exact] Sonnar design and maybe include those lenses that are viewed to behave optically similar to a Sonnar. There is a modern Rollei 40mm/2.8 Sonnar out there.

I will start with what I own:

1. Zeiss Jena Sonnar 5cm/2 LTM
2. Zeiss Jena Sonnar 5cm/2 Contax mount
3. Jupiter 3 50mm/2 LTM
4. Nikon 5cm/2 (is this a Sonnar clone?) LTM

I don't know whether the two old Zeiss lenses are identical or not.

Please contribute and let us know which "normal" lenses are Sonnar lenses.
 
Last edited:
This appears to be a dead thread.
That's OK.
Too many tests get boring after a while.
 
Matt,
Why is this so?
A dead forum is never good, is it!
Maybe tomorrow there will be some more feedback.
My feelings won't be hurt if this proposed project is dead at birth.
 
It's Friday night some places, Raid :)

Anyway, given the tests you've done in the past, I say do it just because. Your past tests have been enjoyable on every level, far more fascinating than any other "lens tests" I've seen.

I vote for a 400 ISO B&W film, but that's entirely up to you. The four lenses you have would be interesting, given their significance.
 
Heh, not too many new responses in the past day. A slumbering forum, perhaps.
It's only been four hours since you posted it, give it a few days. ;)
 
Of course, each of you is right here; it is a beautiful weekend. In fact, we have a cold front going through Pensacola. For us this implies low humidity and wonderful sunny weather. It will still reach about 82F as a high. I am itching to leave the home and take some photos at the beaches and historical downtown Pensacola.


I am a patient man and I am in no hurry to undertake a large test again. In this case, however, the test may be quite manageable and enjoyable. There shouldn't be too many other Sonnar normal lenses out there.

I just remembered the J-8. Isn't it a Sonnar design lens? If so, then I add my J-8 to the existing list of Sonnar design lenses.
 
fsu lenses

fsu lenses

Morca007 said:
The trouble with testing the Soviet lenses is that every sample is different, but yes, the J8 is a Sonnar clone.
Click to expand...


Matt,
If my J-8 is focusing properly, at least we get some idea how it performs relative to other Sonnar design lenses.

In the end, this is all for enjoyment and possible benefit when wanting to buy a lens that is similar to one of the lenses being tested
 
Raid -- I just saw this thread; sorry for not weighing in sooner. I don't have a sample to send you, but I would love to see you include a Canon 50/1.5 in your test.
 
Bingley said:
Raid -- I just saw this thread; sorry for not weighing in sooner. I don't have a sample to send you, but I would love to see you include a Canon 50/1.5 in your test.
Click to expand...


He Steve,


This is a good suggestion. I forgot about this lens.
I know that Roland has at least one of those in his arsenal, but he will be "connected" to it! [Am I right, Roland?]

Maybe someone else here ... ?


Regards,
 
Wasn't the 50 mm f.1.5 Sonnar Krasnogorsk essentially a Jupiter 3 that was manufactured at the Krasnogorsk works? Or is this a predecessor to the Jupiter 3? I'm currently borrowing a J3 that has the Krasnogorsk symbol in the outer lens ring. The sample I'm borrowing dates, I think, from the later 1950s.
 
L39UK said:
Hello Raid,
The following * 50mm lenses are Sonnar clones :-

* 50mm F1.5 Simlar ( fitted to Leotax cameras as standards)
* 50mm F1.5 Nikkor
50mm F1.5 SK (1948) Sonnar Krasnogorsk (original Zeiss Jena lens cells assembled early Post-War before Soviet Sonnar lens elements were manufactured)
50mm F2 SK (1948) Sonnar Krasnogorsk (as above )
These last two lenses are very interesting and are the nearest thing to genuine Zeiss Jena productions because both have genuine Zeiss Jena lens cells and most probably assembled at Zeiss Jena under Soviet occupation before manufacture started at Krasnogorsk Optical Works in the Soviet Union with the optical manufacturing equipment taken as war reparations from the Zeiss works at Jena.
Does anybody on RFF have any of these four lenses ?
Regards , William
Click to expand...


Hello William,

Thanks for your input.

I know that Roland has at least one SK lens, but the one I know about is a 85mm lens and not a 50mm lens. Would a SK lens be any different from a "true" Zeiss made Sonnar 5cm lens? I have two of the 5cm/2 but no 5cm/1.5.

I have never seen a Nikkor 5cm/1.5 in LTM. This may be a rare lens.


Anyone out there who has one like it?
 
Thanks for the information, William.

I hope that this lens test will be a test that is interesting to Sonnar fans out there.

I doubt it that a collector's item will be loaned out to me for my little amateurish test. If it's with Kevin Camera, then it will be costly to get.

I have not heard before of the BK (Biogon Krasnorgrsk lenses.


Regards,

Raid

----------------------
 
Hi William,
If we are comparing Sonnar design lenses, would a Biogon design lens be suitable? I have a J-12.


Thanks.
 
Last edited:
For some reason this forum doesn't show up on the recently manipulated
threads page any more. All the recent threads when I log in to RFF are now always camera related. Don't know why.

Roland.
 
Hello Roland,
I was thinking of your love for Sonnars when I posted this thread. It will be a smaller test with better comparions, hopefully. We could throw in one control lens that is not a Sonnar, to show the main differences. Which lens would be the most suitable? A Summicron?
 
ferider said:
For some reason this forum doesn't show up on the recently manipulated
threads page any more. All the recent threads when I log in to RFF are now always camera related. Don't know why.

Roland.
Click to expand...


Roland,
I liked the old version of showing threads better than what we now have. Some threads vanish ... as you have noted too. :bang:
 
We now have the following line-up that I own:


1. Zeiss Jena 5cm/2 (LTM)
2. Zeiss Jena 5cm/2 (Contax mount)
3. J-3 (LTM)
4. Nikkor 5cm/2 (LTM)
5. J-8 (LTM)



Other Sonnar lenses [that I would need to get]

6. Canon 50/1.5
7. Zeiss 40mm/2.8
8. SK 5cm/2 or 5cm/1.5
9. Nikkor 5cm/1.5
10. ??????
 
Hi William,
I asked the question because you mentioned to me the Biogon. I know that this lens has a great reputation. In fact,when I bought a Contax IIIa I was told by some people that since the IIIa does not allow the use of the Biogon, I am better off with a III or II.


This thread has rather low visibility, and I wonder how we could get some volunteers to send Sonnar lenses to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom