50mm that focuses down to 0.7m

[simon.chung]

I currently own two 50mm lenses -- a DR Summicron and a VC 50/1.1. Both focuses down to 1m (DR without goggles...).

I'm quite tempted to acquire one more 50mm lens that focuses down to 0.7m. This lens will be used primarily for plants/flowers, and my girlfriend, on film bodies.

After some (lengthy) research, I have narrowed down my options to:
- 50 pre-asph summilux (E46) -- a bit soft wide open, which I think will be good for portraits. Stopped down I think it is sharp and contrasty. But also "a bit" expensive
- 50 ZM planar -- razor sharp modern lens (performance is quite similar to the summicron I think, but at a fraction of the cost, so I'm not considering the current summicron). A more economical choice...
- I did consider the 50mm summilux ASPH briefly, but this one is prohibitively expensive to me!

Any experience on these two lenses to share to help me make up my mind will be greatly appreciated... Or are there other options that I should consider as well?

Thank you!

Simon

 

[biakalt]

im currently shooting with Zeiss Planar 50/2.0. i think it's great for its sharpness and the smooth tonal transition. the bokeh is also really nice. absolutely love it. here my flickr stream with the planar tag:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blind_idiot/tags/zeiss|planar5020zm/

cheers

 

[Tim Gray]

The current Summicron and Elmar-M also focus down to .7m. I think the Summarit only goes to .8m

I'd get the ZM unless you need f/1.4. Looks like a fantastic lens for a decent price.

 

[hans voralberg]

The Nikkor 50/1.4 S.C LTM will also goes to 0.7 with a little modification and is very attractive for portrait.

 

[ferider]

Summicron v3 and up focus down to 0.7m. There is also the Hexanon 50/2, sharp and contrasty like Planar and Summicron. And Nikkor 50/2 and 50/1.4 LTM can be modified to 0.7m min focus.

Roland.

 

[Bingley]

One other option (and it would be the least cost option compared to the other two lenses you're considering): the CV Color Skopar 50/2.5 focuses down to .7 m, I believe (I don't have my copy w/ me at the moment). There are a couple of threads on this sharp lens over in the Voigtlander forum. It was recently discontinued by Cosina, but some retailers may still have new copies (PhotoVillage?) for sale. I"m still getting the hang of mine, but I've been impressed so far, particularly the results w/ color film. Also, it's incredibly flare resistant.

 

[ferider]

BTW, two additional notes:

- at close focus/with eyes, the DR has a beautiful signature.
- in terms of framing, a 90/2 at 1m, will roughly behave like the DR at closest focus. A 75 at .7m gets you even closer than a 50 ever can. A 75/2 or 90/2 wide open has less DOF than a Noctilux.

Maybe you want to try a 75 or 90 instead of getting a 3rd 50 ?

Roland.

 

[ferider]

I rather think of it like this:

DOF wide open, on film, at min. focus:

75/1.4 (@0.7m) < 90/2 (@1m) < 75/2 (@0.7m) < 50/1 (@1m).

Magnification doesn't mean a lot if you cann't get closer.

Roland.

 

[tbarker13]

I've become a huge fan of the planar - sold my 50 summicron after getting one.
I use it primarily for portraits (along with an older vintage lens when I want something less sharp).
You can find lots of examples in my flickr stream - both in color and b&w.

 

[Tim Gray]

The 75 Summicron has perhaps the greatest unaided magnification of the normal user Leica lenses.

That and the 90 Macro-Elmar without the goggles. With goggles it goes closer, but without it still is pretty good. I think it's a better companion to a fast 50 than the 75/2 is.

 

[le vrai rdu]

CV 50 2,5 focus to 0,7 meters too

a nice lens I appreciate daily 🙂

 

[heliographer]

As Roland/ferider mentioned above, the type 3 summicron (11817) focuses to .7 meters. It's sort of the red-headed stepchild of the summicrons for some reason, but I've had one for a while and love it. I think it's the first one in black, with the ribbed focusing ring. Takes the 12585 shade. Can be had much cheaper than other options (I think I paid $250 back in '95).

 

[simon.chung]

Thanks for all your suggestions! Interestingly, no one seems to prefer the 50mm summilux pre-asph...

Thanks for recommending a 75mm as well -- I actually own a 75mm Summarit, but it could be a little bit restrictive as I normally walk around with just one lens.

I think a 0.7m 50mm lens would give me much flexibility in composition. I prefer F/2 or above as this allows me to take pictures with broader lighting conditions.

Now I'm more inclined to the 50 ZM Planar...

 

[simon.chung]

I love the first picture. Very bright colors. Also, didn't expect such pleasant bokeh from this modern lens!

I think my next question would be... should I buy the hood as well? ZM lenses should be quite flare resistant already?

 

[noimmunity]

I love the first picture. Very bright colors. Also, didn't expect such pleasant bokeh from this modern lens!

I think my next question would be... should I buy the hood as well? ZM lenses should be quite flare resistant already?

if you like smooth bokeh, the ZM lenses have oodles of it! a hood on the 50 is virtually superfluous for flare protection.

 

[kzphoto]

I'm shooting an E46 50mm Lux and it's really fantastic. Close up and wide open, it offers a really beautiful palette for portraits, but it's not very sharp.

 

[DennisPT]

Have you thought about the 40mm Summicron, Simon?
Cheers,
Dennis

 

[jonmanjiro]

Another vote here for the Zeiss ZM Planar 50/2. A great little lens with very smooth bokeh. I haven't noticed any flare with it, but still use a Zeiss hood on it mainly as a bump protector.

 

[simon.chung]

Thanks all for your advice. I got the ZM Planar in the end (with hood as a bumper).

Yet to find out about the image quality (I'm sure it will be good!). Focusing is a little bit stiff though...

 

[Vics]

I must have missed it. Why don't you use the DR for close-up? I use mine with the eyes quite often and find it does a beautiful job. Do you just not have the ocular for your DR? They are readily available.
Vic