Suggestions for a compact 35mm lens with character?

I like my CV 35 1.4 for color and black and white quite a bit. It glows a bit which is a welcome surprise from time to time.

Pre-asph cron and lux look nice. The coma and softness of the lux at 1.4 is the only reason I haven't sought one out yet; I'd be nervous about having it as my only/all-the-time 35mm lens. Might just be an excuse to keep me for shopping for one ;)
 
I can live with softness and coma of the 35mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH. :)

Both at f/1.4:

6260738082_9bac183285_z.jpg


6263483561_794f577611_z.jpg

Pre-asph cron and lux look nice. The coma and softness of the lux at 1.4 is the only reason I haven't sought one out yet; I'd be nervous about having it as my only/all-the-time 35mm lens.
 
Well for a compact lens I think the voigtlander 35/1.4 sc has the classical kens character and is very small too! It renders portraits quite beautifully.

If you prefer a Leica made lens, then my vote goes to the v1 summicron or the summaron. Perhaps you might not like the goggles, but there are non goggled versions.
 
The more 35 Lux shots I look at the more I realize that I have to search pretty hard to find coma usually.

Sort of like the CV35 distortion/bad bokeh. If I look hard enough I can usually find it but it never really jumps out at me.

I can live with softness and coma of the 35mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH. :)

Both at f/1.4:

6260738082_9bac183285_z.jpg


6263483561_794f577611_z.jpg
 
For character, try something out of the old Soviet factories. Every lens with character; usually every copy with a different character.

But seriously, trying Jupiter 35mm lenses might get you something you like. You can buy and sell them for very little, and if the first copy doesn't get you going, try another copy. It's unlikely to be like the first. Some are really very 'good' in the best optical sense, and the next one might have an element located in a completely different place, or even in my experience, missing.

Henning
 
No one has mentioned the 35mm Elmar yet. Lots of character from what I've read, it's the precursor to the Summaron.
 
in my world its the 35 cron asph ...
most people here @Rff have a low opinion of that lens

so my other FAVs which to me
YOU can't go wrong with any of them... ALL STELLAR

3 tops to my EYE...are the Three S's
35 2.5 Skopar
35 2.8 Summaron
35 1.4 Summilux
 
The 35mm Perar Super Triplet. There's a v2 out now; I have the v1 and love it. Very small, and beautiful rendering lens.
 
To address your 28 Summicron asph hood concerns, you can use alternate hoods that block less of the VF. This includes part #12589, which is used on the 35 Summilux; part # 12466, which costs a fortune; or perhaps one of the cheap ($10-$20) hoods from Heavystar.

Jeff
 
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