Recommended short telephoto for great Bokeh!

[aaronphoto]

Hi I am new to this forum and was hoping someone could help me find a new lens.

I am really after a short telephoto lens between 60mm - 90mm that has old school Bokeh eg - the painted swirly look. Yes, not for everyone i know. And I don't want to get into any debate about it. I just want to know what options there are.
The lens needs to be reasonably small and light up to about 450g at the most. F 2 or faster would be ideal. I am not concerned with micro contrast or flair that much. Just the bokeh aesthetics.

Thanks for any help!

 

[ruby.monkey]

Would you care to give us a hint about the camera on which this lens would be mounted?

(The 90mm f/2 Jupiter-9 is good, if you can find one that matches your camera)

 

[aaronphoto]

Oh sorry, The lens would be for a Leica M8.
Thanks.

 

[rxmd]

I think it's an M8, he already posted another thread about it.

He also wants it to weigh less than 450 grams, quite difficult for a high-speed lens.

- Leitz Hektor 73/f1.9
- Zeiss Biotar 75/f1.5 (too heavy, good luck finding one in LTM and paying for it)
- Canon Serenar 85/f1.5 (too heavy)
- Canon Serenar 85/f1.9 (not all that swirly)

The Hektor produces a rather swirly bokeh at times: (Not my shot, not my lens)

On the M8 one could just use a "swirly" 50mm lens, it becomes a short telephoto through the crop factor.

 

[rxmd]

There's a couple of Hektors on eBay for between 500 and 900 EUR, or some Biotar 75 in Contax mount for around 2000 EUR - an Amadeo adapter for Contax lenses on the M8 won't matter too much after that - and a Serenar 1.9 for $400.

 

[aaronphoto]

Hey thanks for that rxmd. Do all the canon and zeiss lenses you recommended require adaptors and what type? Can they be rangefinder coupled?

 

[rxmd]

Hey thanks for that rxmd. Do all the canon and zeiss lenses you recommended require adaptors and what type? Can they be rangefinder coupled?

For the Leitz & Canon lenses: you need an LTM-M adapter, preferably one that brings up 85mm framelines. They'll be rangefinder coupled.

For the Zeiss Biotar: if you do find the LTM version and actually use the lens, rather than putting it on red velvet under glass as the center exhibit of a museum, you also need a LTM-M adapter and it will be rangefinder coupled. If you find the Contax version, you need a Contax-M adapter such as those made by Amadeo, costs around $250 and will be rangefinder coupled. If you get any other version, such as those in Exakta and M42 mount, you need other adapters and it won't be rangefinder coupled.

 

[hans voralberg]

Dont know bout the weight but the Nikkor 85/2 fits your bills bokeh wise 😉

Not a great pic but show the point I guess:

 

[aaronphoto]

Cool thanks for your great help. The leica m system is new to me so excuse my ignorance. So my options for rangefinder coupled lenses are.

Leitz Hektor 73/f1.9 450-500g.

Zeiss Biotar 75/f1.5 450g. I can live with that weight. Is there a contax 75 1.5?

I have also seen a zeiss Biotar 58 f2 looks great! Can that have the same adaptor?
I will also check out the Nikkor.
Thanks.

 

[rxmd]

Zeiss Biotar 75/f1.5 450g. I can live with that weight. Is there a contax 75 1.5?

Yes. It's rare, though; I'd doubt if you can get any below $2000. The few conversions to Leica mount are still more expensive than that if you find one at all.

I have also seen a zeiss Biotar 58 f2 looks great! Can that have the same adaptor?

No. The Biotar you mean is for SLR cameras and doesn't have rangefinder coupling. Sometimes you find it on Contax D cameras, but these have a different mount from the Contax I/II/III/IIa/IIIa rangefinder cameras.

I will also check out the Nikkor.

Might be a better idea than hunting for obscure Contax lenses.

 

[aaronphoto]

Thanks, so for the Zeiss Biotar 75/f1.5 it needs a special conversion?
Then do I need to find an adaptor?
Sorry for so many questions.
Thanks.

 

[hans voralberg]

You need a Contax RF to Leica M adapter for the Biotar 75/1.5 that's all, amedeo is selling one on ebay right here.

The lens is super rare and super expensive, so I don't think it's worth it just for the bokeh.

 

[aaronphoto]

Thanks for your help, most appreciated.
Something to think about.

 

[f16sunshine]

I've looked for years for a Contax or LTM Biotar 1.5/75 they are super rare and usually sell over $3K. I use a Reflex version on my 5D's and it's fantastic for kooky Bokeh in some situations. Consisder getting one for your reflex.
For RF the best option is to go down to 50mm. The Leica Summarit is sharp and can be well controleed stopped down. Wide open the Bokeh is very swirly more so that the 75 Biotar or even Helios 40 (both reflex lenses).
Here are Biotar 75 samples shot with the 5D.

 

[semordnilap]

If you're on an M8, are you looking for 60-90 in 35mm focal length, or 6-90 in efol (cropped)? Because a 50 becomes a 67, and there you've got more choices than you can shake a stick at... Especially with swirly bokeh!!!

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

use summitar 50mm f2 on M8

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

well, to have a better calculus concerning lens vs. adapter, I would recommend:

Zunow Opt. f. M39 5cm/1,1 Zunow
EUR 5.700,00


Fuji f. M39 5cm/1,2 Fujinon
EUR 3.900,00


Voigtländer f. M39 50/1,5 Nokton
EUR 1.200,00

P.S.: I do not sell -- I even don't have them ;-)

 

[enenrf]

second this:
use summitar 50mm f2 on M8

 

[aaronphoto]

Hey thanks for all your help. Unfortunately I have looked at all the leica 50s they are all great but 67mm on my m8 is too short for the portrait work i do.
I will keep looking though.

 

[myM8yogi]

Try a 75/2.5 color heliar from Voigtlander. The bokeh is very good. You loose half a stop, but get a much lighter and less obtrusive lens (read: less nervous portrait sitters), and it will cost you much less than the other lenses even if you buy new.