50mm lens comparrison

[zleica]

If cost is a major factor, you may want to consider the CV 50/2.5 Skopar as suggested in the earlier post (about $250 - $280). For $500 - $600 range, there are the current Elmar 50/2,8, Knoica 50/2, and Zeiss 50/2 Planar ZM. If you shop around, you may find the current Summicron 50/2 for less $700.

Cheers,

 

[mojobebop]

thanks for all the informative replies.
on an additionall note, i realise from cameraquest
that the dr summicron
'may not mount on all m6 cameras'.

has anyone had this experience?

 

[nobbylon]

I've used the older elmar 50's. superb lens and very cheap, around £150-200. bit fiddly with the focus and aperture turning but if you want to get leica cheap, this is it. I use mine wide open at 2.8 and it's great. I've also got the hexanon 50 f2, which is a cracking lens but prices on the up as said earlier. Easily as good as summicrons.

 

[MCTuomey]

thanks, raid. altho i'm partial to the canon 1.5, your series suggests a winner in "bang for the buck" should be the canon 1.8 or the jupiter.

re the M6 and DR cron compatibility: i used a DR on my M6 when I had both. no probs.

 

[photo4ls]

I have the 50 Summicron DR and
the Canon 50 f1.8 (chrome)and I like
them both.The Canon for me works
best w/color and I use the DR for b&W.
I think that Canon is had to be beat for
what you pay.

 

[Silva Lining]

thanks for all the informative replies.
on an additionall note, i realise from cameraquest
that the dr summicron
'may not mount on all m6 cameras'.

has anyone had this experience?

I have an M6 'classic' s/n 1688**

The Summicron 50 DR does mount but only when the focus is set at infinity or just inside the close focus 'nub' (If you have the lens I hope you know what I mean) If the lens is set at focus point in between infinity and minimum non-close up focus it can be difficult to mount and dismount it.

Once on the camera however it works just fine.

 

[DxPhoto]

for b/w - summicron DR or rigid
for color slides - later summicrons

 

[mh2000]

The Canon 50/1.8 looks great.

I really love my C/V 50/2.5 Skopar... seems to mix the best of past classic lens beauty with modern lens contrast. Corner sharpness has not been an issue for me, but I'm not trying to do reproduction work wide open anyway... very nice little lens... highly recommend!

The Jupiter-8 is a nice pleasing fast lens... kind of low contrast though... cheap.

I like the look of the old collapsible Summicron... but that is about $500 for a really nice one.

 

[mojobebop]

would the older summicron dr be optically superior, but lower in contrast?

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

The 50s i've owned, in order:
Summilux, pre-ASPH / original Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 / Jupiter-3 / DR Summicron / Zeiss ZM Planar / Summilux-ASPH / current Summicron.
[Jeez. That's ridiculous. I don't even really like rangefinders....]

Anyway, if i had no lens, and had to buy one now, i'd think about these:
Zeiss C-Sonnar, Nokton, ZM Planar.

The Summilux-ASPH was certainly the best of them, but i wouldn't spend that kind of money on another one. I'd love to have a C-Sonnar, but i do worry about the focus shift. As well, i'd want my only 50 to be sharp, and from what i've read, the Sonnar isn't really 'about that.' The Nokton is something i've always been interested in, because the pictures are so nice, but other lenses somehow were more alluring. Probably because of pedigree. I was happy with the Planar, but wanted more speed. So far, i have not been impressed with my current Summicron, although i haven't used it often enough, and in good light. I was not impressed with the DR Summicron. The Planar was sharper. The pre-ASPH Summilux was very nice. I'm not sure why i don't think of that experience more fondly. Maybe because it was so long ago and i can't remember specific pictures i shot with it. But, it was my first rangefinder lens, and so that may have just been a matter of me getting to grips with RFs (still haven't). It's not a fault of the lens. The imagery is nice - classic, with nice bokeh, and it's sharp enough.....

My only advice is that if you're talking about a first/only 50mm lens, get one that's at least an F2. There's never enough light.

 

[cmogi10]

Something to consider about the ZM sonnar is if you look at it as a 50/2.8 it is a very sharp lens.
Then you look it as a 50/2.8 which can do a whole lot more it becomes a very versatile lens especially when you're looking for that shallow depth of field. Once you get the hang of the lens the focus shift is a non issue.

 

[Merelyok]

I would say the Rigid Cron!

At first i thought it wasn't a very good lens, but realized that my B&Ws looked like crap because the labs that did the processing WERE crap.

I just shot a roll of delta 3200 through it (developed myself in T-max dev) and i love it.

Here are some samples for your viewing pleasure.