35mm for the canon P (cv or canon)

[lex]

in the near future i hope to be picking up a 35mm (i like wide, the 50mm has been hard to adapt to) for street and some architecture. does anyone have experience with both the canon 35/2.8 and the cv 35/2.5 skopar p? is one shorter than the other? performnce with both colour/bw? looks like they would be about the same price used...

 

[pphuang]

does anyone have experience with both the canon 35/2.8 and the cv 35/2.5 skopar p?

I have owned both. They have different characters, and both are quite nice in their own ways. Both lenses are quite small and so are easy to carry around all day. I do not think that one is necessarily better than the other, just different. The canon has lower contrast, and is softer wide open, but is still quite sharp. Colors are a bit more muted. It gives your photos an "older" look, and also works well to tame the harshness of the light on bright sunny days. The CV has a more modern look, sharper wide open, and quite contrasty. For the types of photos that I like to take, I find myself preferring older lenses like the canon, and so I no longer own the CV, although you could probably make a case for owning both 😀

In the end, what I like may be very different than what you like, so you will probably have to live with both and make up your own mind. The lenses are not very expensive, and you can always try them and then resell them without much loss.

 

[back alley]

the cv lens is definately more modern in the images it makes.
the canon 2.8 is a very typical lens for it's time, in that, the contrast is a bit lower but the images are sharp.
2 completely differently looks.
the canon 35/2.8 is perhaps the only lens i have had and sold and regretted the sale.
in a perfect world you should have both.

 

[vrgard]

I guess all I can do is third (rather than second) the comments of others above. My preference is for the Canon 35/2.8 because I prefer the lower contrast look. Yet I know a local RFF member who strongly prefers the CV 35 because of its higher contrast. He explained that his workflow is dialed in for higher contrast lenses so the CV is perfect fit for him. Neither of us would trade for the other's lens. Bottom line is that they're both very nice lenses and not too expensive. So, you just need to figure out which look you're after.

-Randy

 

[januaryman]

I have a Canon P and use the CV Classic a lot. It's very small and I sometimes get annoyed using it, but the results are always very good: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cv&w=36584127@N00

Thqt said, I just picked up a 35 Ulton 1.7 that looks bigger and better. I may hold onto the classioc. We'll see how it goes. 2 35s are not really too many.

 

[Bingley]

I'm in exactly the same boat as Januaryman: own the skopar classic; just bought the Ultron; will probably keep both, to use on Canon rfs (a P and a 7). I think Paul, Joe, and Randy have nailed the comparison. The only thing I would add is to check out some of the Gallery entries to see if you like results from each lens. I think Raid has and uses the Canon 35/2.8. Marc-A has quite a few shots posted that were taken w/ the skopar classic. Avotius uses the CV 35/2.5 pancake, which is optically identical to the skopar. I'm sure I've overlooked others, but those are the one whose photos come to mind. Also, there's a flickr group devoted to the CV 35/2.5 skopar classic.

 

[Bingley]

I have a Canon P and use the CV Classic a lot. It's very small and I sometimes get annoyed using it, but the results are always very good: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cv&w=36584127%40N00

Thqt said, I just picked up a 35 Ulton 1.7 that looks bigger and better. I may hold onto the classioc. We'll see how it goes. 2 35s are not really too many.

Jim -- Somewhat OT but I really like your flickr set w/ the skopar. I did some shooting over the summer in some of the same places with exactly the same gear. Street shooting around the sculpture garden behind the National Gallery is a lot of fun!

 

[raid]

I have a Canon P, and I like using the Canon 35mm/1.8 more often than the Canon 35mm/2.8. More recently, I added a J-12 (35mm/2.8) in LTM. The 35mm/1.8 is being cleaned for haze right now. It has a more modern look to it than the older Canon 35mm/2.8. The J-12 may be a good alternative to getting the Biogon look.

 

[David Murphy]

If I'm not mistaken the J-12 in LTM will not thread into the P fully due to interferences with the rear element. It seems overall to be most happy on bottom loading Leica II/III and their clones, as well as the Fed and Zorki.

 

[wlewisiii]

I also have, and love using, a Canon 35/1.8 - its just wonderful to use.

Samples:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44344
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38448

The J-12 & CV Classic are good alternatives - I've had both in the past and the were fine. I find that I like the look from the 50/1.8 considerably more.

Hope this helps.

William

 

[raid]

If I'm not mistaken the J-12 in LTM will not thread into the P fully due to interferences with the rear element. It seems overall to be most happy on bottom loading Leica II/III and their clones, as well as the Fed and Zorki.

David,

You could be right here. I use the j-12 on a Zorki 5 and not the P.

 

[lex]

i like the sound of a canon 35/1.8 but it might be to expensive for me... they are a bit more rare too...

 

[JTK]

some lens tests that include 35mm

I use a Canon 35/2 and a Leica Summaron 35/3.5...both wonderful and with different character...neither seems sharper at f/4, but I often use f/2 so...

I'll be selling the Summaron soon, with Leica finder as well as IIIC and a Century Graphic with some relatively modern lenses, backs etc.

 

[januaryman]

Funny how that happens. Last year I posted some shots around Camreon Run Park in Alexandria, when I got a comment from a contact teling me he'd been there the same day, shooting the same scenes (to a certain extent).

The 35 is well suited to the DC area, I found. I have done a lot of walkabouts with a Jupiter 9, but it always seemed too long. I learning to appreciate the "almost wide" 35mm lens and I like the Ultron better for fast shots than the Classic. As I noted, I fumble with that damn tiny tab!

Cheers.

Jim -- Somewhat OT but I really like your flickr set w/ the skopar. I did some shooting over the summer in some of the same places with exactly the same gear. Street shooting around the sculpture garden behind the National Gallery is a lot of fun!

 

[Nikon Bob]

If I'm not mistaken the J-12 in LTM will not thread into the P fully due to interferences with the rear element. It seems overall to be most happy on bottom loading Leica II/III and their clones, as well as the Fed and Zorki.

David

You maybe partially mistaken in that a friend of mine does use a J-12 on a Canon P. It is an all black one if that makes any difference. There is next to no room between it and the light baffles and the distance separating the rear element from the shutter is not much better. In any event I would take extreme care when mounting a J-12 on a Canon P to check those clearances as all J-12s may not be exactly alike.

Bob

 

[JTK]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/fastlensreview.shtml

Exhaustive and personal/visual evaluations of fast 50 and 35mm lenses...

Not the usual BS.

Meant to include it in my earlier post.