A sharp picture from 50mm Sonnar ZM?

[drjoke]

I can hardly find one.

Most posts here are complaints about the front-focus issue or the misunderstanding of it. Most pictures on Flickr show the awesome bokeh feature. However, I have yet to see a picture taken at a smaller aperture demonstrating edge-to-edge sharpness. Even if it's not the purpose of the lens, I would still like to see whether it is at least possible and whether the lens is also usable at a smaller aperture.

All reviews out there are written before people understood the front-focusing problem, and therefore are mostly bad. I haven't seen a good review on this lens. Unless someone can point me to one.

Nevertheless, I already placed an order for the lens. I really love the OOF feature of this lens as demonstrated by some shots on Flickr. But I still want to see whether this lens is also capable of taking a regular sharp image.

 

[mazhewitt]

I've found that the lens gives really good edge to edge sharpness from f5.6 to f11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aduki/474642677/

That was taken at f11

 

[drjoke]

Wow. Is your lens optimized for 2.8 or 1.5?

 

[varjag]

Wow. Is your lens optimized for 2.8 or 1.5?

This makes no difference for a lens stopped down to f/11 and focused at infinity.

 

[willie_901]

Dr,

With the exception of a brickwall, what subjects will have everything in focus edge to edge at smaller(wider) apertures? Subjects at a distance really don't count as the DOF is wide (BTW, lovely Sonnar photos on your FLICKR stream mazhewitt). Also how do you make certain that the film plane is exactly parallel to the subject?

The Sonnar is not drop-dead sharp below f 4.0. If sharpness below f 4 is the most important lens property for you, don't get the Sonnar.

As others have stated: the Sonnar has a unique signature below 4.0. Above 4.0, it becomes a different lens. Most fast 50mm lens change between 1.5 and 4.0, but I think the Sonnar's signature changes more than most.

willie

(with an unmodified Sonnar)

 

[collum]

after 5.6, this is an incredibly sharp lens. It's a lot harder to tell from 1280 pixel images, but the actual prints are outstanding.

(these images are either at f8 or f11)

(images are 1280 pixels wide)

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011089.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011123.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011154.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011162.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011168.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011224.jpg

http://www.jcollum.com/fm/L1011230.jpg




jim

 

[Doug]

Well, I think it's a very nice lens, and like the "look"....

 

[drjoke]

Collum, I really like your images. Is that from M8 or Film? Which film is that btw?

 

[Marc-A.]

The Sonnar seems to be a truly wonderful lens.
I've got a Summicron rigid, I thought it was a lens I needed but I'm not very happy with it. The optical quality of the Sonnar is amazing and I wonder whether it's not the lens I'm looking for: sharp stopped down, creamy wide open. I've got a Summitar that IMO behaves like the Sonnar, but it's an old lens, and I would like a modern lens that does the same with a modern look.
Is the Sonnar well built?

 

[Huck Finn]

Great pictures, Collum & Doug! 😎

Some of them seem more like paintings than photos. Very nice picture taking by you guys!! 🙂

 

[collum]

Collum, I really like your images. Is that from M8 or Film? Which film is that btw?

M8... coverted to bw with Alien Skin Exposure. this adds a bit of film grain to the image... i pretty much add that to all images.. never liked the 'perfect' look. Reality always seems to have a surface layer of 'noise' going on (either that, or i've needed glasses for a long time.. ). Although film doesn't really capture that 'noise' as well.. theh grain implies it

 

[Nachkebia]

And I was thinking, what a bad combination of film and developer 😀

 

[visiondr]

It's all a bit flat looking on my monitor at work... sharp, though.

 

[collum]

And I was thinking, what a bad combination of film and developer 😀

I guess that really was my fault, i just noticed now that this was in the Ikon forum. (although i'm pretty sure there is a setting for oxidized PMK in there somewhere). This is one of the best 50mm lens i've tried...

jim

 

[John Friar]

....Is the Sonnar well built?

Hi Marc,

Yes, the lens is extremely well built. At least as good as the other ZM lens I have (28) which is also well built.

John