35/1.8 is here!

[back alley]

scott's lens arrived in today's mail. it looks very nice, in great shape except for that pesky tiny scratch on the rear lens. there is a tiny chip also but i'm thinking (& judging from the pics scott posted) that it's not gonna make a bit of difference in the final result.

my plan...it's supposed to be a sunny weekend...shoot all three 35s on one roll of film and do a 'real world, how joe shoots' kind of test.

i just loaded some xp2 in my favourite p body and packed all 3 lenses in one small bag.

this is gonna be fun.

joe

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Do the other Two P's know about the Favorite?

Congratulations on the 35 F1.8. Post results.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Joe's smoking fast glass! 🙂

Sounds like a name for a bar...

Glad you got a nice 35 lens, joe. And an f1.8 to boot! 😀

I'm you-know-what with envy...

 

[back alley]

surprising results from my VERY informal testing.

i'll post 3 shots...first pic is from the1.8.
the second pic is from the 2.8
and the third pic is from the 2.

sorry they are not all the same scene but they are all from the same roll of film (xp2, lab processed and scanned), all shot at 1/500th @ f8, all the same hour of the day, within a block of each other.

the second post will be the same shot with levels adjusted to the same numbers for each.

 

[back alley]

same order but with levels adjusted to the same numbers

joe

 

[back alley]

i am surprised at the results, from what i have read i thought they would all be sharp enough for me but that contrast would increase from the 2.8 to the 1.8 to the 2 lens.

but the 2.8 seems to have a bit more contrast than the 1.8 and the f2 lens has the most contrast of all.

of course this is only after 1 roll of film...

joe

 

[back alley]

a little bit about handling...

i prefer the 1.8 for comfort in use.
it is slightly bigger than the 2.8 and it has the infinity lock to grab on to.
i like that.

second would be the 2.8, also for the infinity lock.

and last is the f2 lens. no infinity lock and too small to grab the focussing ring the first try.

joe

 

[back alley]

ok, so i'm a little obsessed with my 3 35s...


😉

 

[back alley]

maybe one in colour...

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Size and speed go together, it seems... However, my 50 'cron is quite small, compared to my Hexanon.

I'm surprised at seeing the increase in contrast in one stop. Must admit I've never tested my lenses that way either. Now... you say the first shot was 1/500 at f1.8, the second must have been 1/250 at f2 and so forth, right? That should give you a nice OOF area in the first... yet the whole scene seems pretty much in focus to me. Have you tried other isolated objects to see the OOF spots? The first shot has an eerie sharpness to it... Not bad, by all means, but is this lens going to be so sharp always? If so, handle it with gloves! 😀

 

[back alley]

oh my, i just re-read my first post and it is confusing. i will edit it.

all the pics from each lens were shot at 1/500 @ f8

the first pic is from the 35/1.8.
the second pic is from the 35/2.8.
the third pic is from the 35/2

sorry for any confusion.

joe

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks for the note! When I saw that first bike I had to ask.

Still... Nice job, joe! At least you could get the stuff developed right away!

 

[djon]

"but the 2.8 seems to have a bit more contrast than the 1.8 and the f2 lens has the most contrast of all."

That contrast, and the fabled sharpness, is exactly why I bought the f2. I've already got all the possible smoothness and bokeh in a 3.5 Summaron. If I did'nt already have that Summaron the 1.8 or perhaps the CV 2.5 would have been my choice, though of course the CV isn't in the same league mechanically.

 

[Mark W]

Contrast is easy to increase what is impossible to increase is sharpness

I'm quite happy with my 35mm f1.8 in fact I sold off my Summaron finding I had no use for it once the Canon came into the Kit.

But then like all matters of taste everyones is different.

 

[back alley]

i would need to shoot some more film and maybe some slower film at that, to evaluate the sharpness better.
but so far, i think the 1.8 equals the 2 when it comes to sharpness.
given that i prefer the 'feel' of the 1.8 to the 2, i think it might be my everyday 35.

mark is right, contrast can be increased when printing or with photoshop, and a lower contrast neg might have a bit more info to work with. a more contrasty lens isn't necessarily better even if it increases the apparent sharpness of an image.

i need to play some more...

joe