85/1.5 arrived...

Sonnar2

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Hi folks,

in my own definition, I'm a RF fanatic and SLR hater now, since I bought a RF 1.5/85mm lens. Stupid too, because like everyone knows, focussing such a lens on a RF camera is nearly impossible and more guesswork than anything else... 😛

finally, my Serenar 85/1.5 has arrived. With brown leather case (Canon eagle logo) described Serenar and chrome finder. It's the very early version, I think 1951... low S/N, 10189 something. Blue coating.
It's very impressing: superb finish. Glossy like silver. Smooth rings (also some screws were a bit lose and needs to re-tightened). Never seen a lens with so many diaphragm-blades.
Far ahead the later all-black finish style but heavier too. I just did a few portrait shots on my Canon P. Strangely, the hole-type finder show the 85mm field more like the 50mm frame of my Canon-P than the 100mm! I have a brightline Japanese finder (not Canon) with 85mm and 135mm but it minimizes me too much (it has 35mm too). Anyway, I'm used to framelines in my Canon 7 and the 85/100 difference isn't very much. So I think it is a lot of guesswork in composition: "a bit more than 100mm frame" is OK for me... Actually it is a lens for a LeicaIII type Canon, but I have none. The Canon P is a bit to late to be historically correct, the Canon 7 ten years... I will prefer it on my Canon P rather than the 7...

But a lens slow to focus. Three quarters turn to 3.5 ft, and you move much glass and metal (single helicoil) ! (even the RF 1.8/85 is slow when compared to a SLR Zeiss 1.4/85) And you need to set aperture first.

I hope it is well aligned to the rangefinder. Will see it on pictures.

I have the 1.8/85 too and I wondered because the 1.5/85 is longer but not by much. It seems so that the 1.8/85 is a telephoto design whereas the 1.5/85 isn't. It's cemented triplet is an argument to call it a Sonnar-derivate, although the last group is splitted. I think sharpness wide open will not be the argument - at f/8-11 neither - too much glass to carry it around for standard, especially when the 3.5/100 is such a great and lightweight lens...

cheers, Frank

http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras/Canon_Main.html
 
It's a nice lens for portraits and other subjects that aren't in a hurry. 😉 Don't bother searching for the massive hood if you don't have it yet--it makes the lens even bulkier. I used to get good results with a VT and that lens up close and wide open using the high mag setting on the VT's viewfinder. There is no adjustment for the focusing cam on that lens, but you can add little shims to the end or take off a bit if you need. Cheers
 
Thanks. I will try whether the T60-2 hood vignettes (the same I use on the 1.8/85)
It's black but who cares... The 1.5/85 looks like it will definitely benefit from a hood.
 
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OKI, start 85mm lens porn...

Ser1.5-85_03.jpg


both have 58mm filters, seriously. Next:

Ser1.5-85_02.jpg


uuuoh...

Ser1.5-85_01.jpg
 
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Stephanie Brim said:
That thing is huge. I don't think I'd be able to *carry* the thing. 😛

The later version with black-and-chrome finish is a little lighter -- but not much. And the black portion of the barrel is very subject to paint wear, so it's hard to find one as pretty as the chrome one in these pictures. I'd post a picture of mine, but I'm kind of ashamed of the way it looks.
 
The Jupiter-9 is about the right size for me, I think. I can handhold the thing at relatively slow shutter speeds...1/15th, if I recall correctly. How much bigger is the Canon than the Jupiter?
 
Hi Steph,
from left to right:
Canon RF1.8/85, Jupiter-9, C/V 2.5/75mm all in LTM.
jupiter9_1.jpg


The Jupiter-9 is the most lightweight one if you need the speed (f/2). The Nikkor-PC 2/85 is about the same size, but heavier (pure brass made). That's because of a similar (Sonnar type) design. The Canon 2/85 is much bigger.

cheers Frank

http://www.taunusreiter.de/Cameras
 
Stephanie Brim said:
The Jupiter-9 is about the right size for me, I think. I can handhold the thing at relatively slow shutter speeds...1/15th, if I recall correctly. How much bigger is the Canon than the Jupiter?

Stephanie, you need a 100 -- none of your cameras has an 85mm frameline (at least not until you win the Ikon...)
 
jlw said:
Stephanie, you need a 100 -- none of your cameras has an 85mm frameline (at least not until you win the Ikon...)

I do surprisingly well without the framelines...but I would like a finder of *some* kind so that I *never* cut someone's head off.

Thinking about grabbing up a 7 if I can when the money gets less tight for the 85. I would like a 100, but I want the 100/2 and we all know how easy *that* is to find. 😛
 
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