50 for B&W?

[02Pilot]

I have more 50s than I need, so I had to think about this from an "if you could only keep one" perspective. In that case, it came down to the Summitar. The compactness of the Elmar is a big plus in my book, however, and it was a close second.

 

[Huss]

The skopar is a great little lens but.. don't know I don't trust on it.

Why not? It's a great little lens. There's a thread devoted to it here:


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79618

I like using it as much as my other Leica lenses.
As Pioneer mentioned, what matters here is conditiion , no matter what lens you choose.

 

[Bingley]

well, the summitar matches too.
with old lenses, the condition is very important - a good summitar may be better than a bad summicron.

we're talking about LTM, right? you mentioned a leica II ...
(asking again because the version 2 50mm/2.8 is only available in M bayonet)

Agreed. It may be easier to find a Summitar in great condition than a collapsible 'chron. A late, coated Summitar in great condition can be a really good landscape lens.

I've also used the 50/2.5 skopar for landscape work and loved the results. It also has the advantage of being very compact (more so than with an extended Summitar) if that matters to you.

 

[ellisson]

The OP is looking for ltm lenses. The rigid Summicron in ltm is a rare and expensive beast.

Rare? Not that rare. Several on ebay now.

Expensive? Relative to collapsibles, yes. One on ebay with filter, looks in good shape for about $1000. Could probably get it down with the 'make and offer' option.

 

[johannielscom]

If you are interested have a look at these lenses at Leica Shop in Austria.

This goes well with the Leica II.

http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_en...eica-elmar-red-scale-3-5-5cm-sku26026-15.html

or this is a nice lens for the Leica II.(Summitar 1948) -10 blade,coated lens in nice condition.

http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_en...-mount/summitar-2-5cm-f-leica-sku27732-9.html

They give a 14day refund if you are not happy with your purchase. I use them alot and they are very reliable.

Leicashop are expensive though. I would recommend Peter Loy in the UK, or Aperture London. Meister Camera in Hamburg. Equally trustworthy but less expensive.

 

[froyd]

One BIG plus point for the Skopar vs the Elmar that the Bruno is currently considering, is the absolutely stellar ergonomics of the Voigtlander lens. I love that the barrel looks so similar to, and works as well as, a Summaron or early Summicron.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

I've ended buying skopar and elmar 50, will see how them work and will keep just one!

Thanks for all your kind advices.

 

[besk]

How would a late Canon 50 f1.8 do in comparison? I assume it would have lower contrast.

As to the two you bought let us know which one you decide to keep.

 

[scigeek]

I actually much prefer my Elmar 50/3.5 because it is so compact and handy. It is still a great lens and can be used indoors and out. Ilford Delta 3200 takes care of that little problem very nicely.

My new "go-to" lens.
Lovely little lens, and handles colour well, even uncoated.

 

[richard_l]

If you don't want good sharpness and contrast and lack of distortion, don't get the Elmar-M 50/2.8.

 

[FrankS]

The Summitar is more difficult to find filters for as they are specific to Summitars (though there is an adaptor if I remember correctly.)

 

[Bruno Gracia]

waiting my "new" Cron 50.

 

[scigeek]

interesting to see this question posed as i'm on the hunt for a classic Leica 50. right now I've got it narrowed down to the Summitar and Summicron (collapsible).

it's worth knowing that the summitar comes in three versions: 1. (start-1946) uncoated with 10 blades (circular diaphragm), 2. (1946-50) coated with 10 blades, 3. (1950-end) coated with 6 blades (hexagonal diaphragm).

Don't count out the old uncoated 3.5/5cm Elmar!

Leica red-blind 111c, 3.5/5cm uncoated Elmar, no filter, High St processed.