First 40/50mm lens

[marcwilson]

Hi guys,

Looking to pick up my first 40 or 50mm lens for rangefinder shooting so not wanting to spend too much until I know which is the right focal length for me, so I'm looking at:

canon LTM 50/1.8
rokkor 40/2
summicron-c 40/2
skopar 50/2.5 (new and fairly cheap)

are there any others I should be looking for and with the canon is there any particular screw to m adaptor that works best?

Cheers.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Hi guys,

Looking to pick up my first 40 or 50mm lens for rangefinder shooting so not wanting to spend too much until I know which is the right focal length for me, so I'm looking at:

canon LTM 50/1.8
rokkor 40/2
summicron-c 40/2
skopar 50/2.5 (new and fairly cheap)

are there any others I should be looking for and with the canon is there any particular screw to m adaptor that works best?

Cheers.

Considering you are 'not wanting to spend too much' - there's some reasonably expensive choices there! To see if it's the 'right focal length' - why not get something like a Industar or Jupiter for relative 'peanuts'? a good example can give exellent results, as the many pictures posted here testify.
Dave

 

[marcwilson]

Thanks Dave,
Lots of info here about the jupiters and lots of jupiter-8's available on auction from ukraine...black seems to be best...they are almost to cheap not to try one!...I'll have a look here if someoen ha soen for sale that they have actually recenty used.


Cheers.

 

[Glenn2]

If you have any interest in available light shooting the 40mm CV Nokton may be a good choice. The lens is quite compact and f/1.4 is acceptably sharp.

Glenn

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Thanks Dave,
Lots of info here about the jupiters and lots of jupiter-8's available on auction from ukraine...black seems to be best...they are almost to cheap not to try one!...I'll have a look here if someoen ha soen for sale that they have actually recenty used.


Cheers.

Marc, if you decide to take this route - get one from a reputable dealer such as Fedka in NY, taking a chance on the 'bay could easily lead to a bad one, that will disappoint!, and need attention.
Dave.

 

[marcwilson]

Thansk Dave,
I was about to ask for any advice on trusted sources for this type of lens.
Marc

 

[Bingley]

"not wanting to spend too much": how much is "too much"?

As quality lenses go, the Canon 50/1.8 is pretty inexpensive and very, very good. Samples in good condition can easily be had these days for under $200. But a Jupiter will still be cheaper. The Rokkor 40/2 is a lovely lens, and goes for about $300 these days.

 

[tbarker13]

I bought a Jupiter 8 (a black model) from Fedka that I'm quite pleased with. It was a little over $50 if I remember.
Hard to go wrong there.

Of the lenses you listed, the 40 summicron is a great option. You could also look for an older Rigid Summicron, particularly if you like shooting B&W.

 

[wontonny]

I highly recommend the 40 'cron. Great way to get a taste of Leica glass for cheap!

 

[mojobebop]

"not wanting to spend too much": how much is "too much"?

As quality lenses go, the Canon 50/1.8 is pretty inexpensive and very, very good. Samples in good condition can easily be had these days for under $200. But a Jupiter will still be cheaper. The Rokkor 40/2 is a lovely lens, and goes for about $300 these days.

----------------------
hi.
i have looked for this lens out of curiosity.
the only one i see online is the af, or ef canon.

i'm assuming there is a canon 1.8 rf specific lens
which i should be aware of?

 

[mh2000]

The Color-Skopar is a very pleasing lens IMO. Depending on the camera you are going to mount on, you may want a silver copy which has been discontinued... I was on the fence and decided to get one before they are all gone... very happy with the purchase. My silver Jupiter-8 is only ok and not so great wide open, but it is a pretty peice of equipement. My Industar-22 is usable and nice to collapse. If I only had one it would be the Color-Skopar (or a collapsible Summicron... which is way more money).

 

[marcwilson]

Thanks guys...I've just managed to pick up a jupiter-8 (along with an industar 61) over here for really not too much so once I get hold of my camera I can try them out and see!
All the 40mm options such as the rokkor and summicron are of course more money so for now I'll shoot with the 50mm and if I feel from seeing my images that I'd prefer a touch wider I know to go for 40mm and then I can look for good summicrons, etc.
Cheers for the advice.