One 50mm lens for SS M3

pevelg

pevelg

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After selling nearly all my gear, I've found myself feeling deprived by no longer owning a camera. This is being resolved within the next two weeks as I will be getting a beautiful SS M3. I now need to find a single lens to use that will hold me through while I finish my engineering studies at the University. My IDEAL lens is the modern 50m ZM f1.5 Sonnar. I absolutely love the images that come from this lens and its been my all time favorite lens in the 35mm world. However, at this time I cannot invest in such an expensive lens so I am now looking at some temporary alternatives. Another lens I've really liked is the Jupiter 3. However, the lack of click/stop apertures was really aggravating. I always accidentally changed aperture on the lens. Anyways, I'd like some ideas about what lens to get. It can be either M mount or LTM + M adapter. Here are my requirements/interests:

Required:
-focal length no wider than 40mm and no longer than 50mm
-needs click/stop aperture
-f2.0 or faster

Preferred:
-Price below $300
-f1.5 or faster
-50mm
-Sonnar design

Would be cool to have:
-Relatively sharp
 
Sonnar is a toughie.

Have you looked at the Canon 50mm f1.5 LTM?
I don't know if you can get it under $300, though.

Either way the CV and ZM 50mm f1.5's will be more expensive.

If you don't need sonnar, though, try any of the canon ltm 50's. They're cheap and not too difficult to acquire.
 
It doesn't really need to be a Sonnar design. I like the Sonnar look for portraits, which I take a lot of when with family. One lens I've considered is the 50mm f1.5 Nokton. Definitely not a Sonnar redering, but it is a good lens. Not sure if I could get it around $300 though.
 
nikkor hc 50mm f2 ltm
solid brass, hard coating & glass, sonnar design, minimum focus to 1.5feet, i see sometimes last week in classified for around $300 mint. It's a must try for sonnar lover.
 
I've looked a several samples from some of the lenses mentioned and I do like the images from the Canon f1.5, preferring its higher contrast and (less?) lack of flare wide open compared the the Nikkor f1.5

How does it compare to the Nikkor f2.0?
 
Bummer! 🙁 At that price point I'd just save a little more and get the ZM. I saw one on ebay with a ton of haze and it looked like it would finish at over $300. Maybe a sharp/contrasty planar like lens would be better for now. I think a f1.5 or faster is currently more important to me than a Sonnar design. The lens should not have swirly bokeh though. That drives me mad! 😀

Brian Legge said:
Good luck finding a clean Canon 50mm 1.5 for $300. 🙂 I've seen nice ones going for around $500 recently.
Click to expand...
 
Would it be too difficult to add click stops to a J-3? Half an hour with a dremel, a spring clip, and a couple of screws, would do the trick; and if your hand slips then at least you're not destroying an expensive piece of glass.
 
ruby.monkey, I was thinking the exact same thing since a few days back since I found out that Jupiter-3's don't have click stops.

Modify it if possible to have a Leica Summarit type click-stop mechanism. Would be super easy if you can find a spot where aperture ring glide on-top of a metal ring underneath the aperture ring. You would just make a small hole on the aperture ring, then tiny indents on the metal ring underneath where you want the click stops to be. Drop in a tiny ball-bearing, a tiny spring on top and close the hole with a screw. Half an hour job.
 
Summitar is a great lens, but it does not have click stops on the aperture ring.

I think if I were you, I would just scrimp and save up for the ZM Sonnar and have all your wishes come true.

As a last note, a rigid Summicron or a DR Summicron are REALLY the match for your M3. The chrome finish on a ZM lens will seem cheap in comparison. Hold a DR Summicron in your hand and feel it's awesome density - the bokeh is amazing as well, and the lens is very sharp in the f/4 to f/8 range.
 
Another vote for the Canon 50/1.8.
Fits your budget, solid performer, smoother bokeh than the 50/1.4. And looks good with the M3...😉

M3Canon.jpg


But in the end, it is the 50/2 Heliar, which is nearly always mounted at my M3. Love that thing...
 
I would also say summitar or even the cheaper and more quirky summar. The summitar is like an old worldy summicron while the summar is well... just old worldly!
 
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