Any comment on Canon 50mm f1.4 ltm

[photocrazy]

I am waiting for a Canon 50mm f1.4 ltm lens. Already have Summicron but found sometimes I do need a faster lens. Compared with Leica glass, the Canon version is really cheap. However, I can't find much information about this lens on the web. And it seems there are not many for sale. So any comments, particularly comparison with Nikkor or Summilux, are welcomed.

 

[xayraa33]

Great lens!
Peter Dechert mentions in his Canon rf book that the LTM Canon 50/1.4 was comparable to the 50mm Summilux of the same time period, and at a lower price.

 

[Bill58]

Information is all over the web--http://www.dantestella.com/technical/352sumi.html, http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/, http://www.cameraquest.com/mlenses.htm. to name a few.

Most compare favorably to Summicron.

 

[jlw]

This really is a terrific lens. Of all the classic-era 50mm RF lenses, it's one of the most "modern" in terms of contrast and edge-to-edge sharpness, and it produces a crisp image even at full aperture. It's also surprisingly compact compared to, say, a modern 50/1.5 Nokton.

Minor quirks and drawbacks: It's not unusual to find one that seems to have a small amount of "click" or slackness when you twist the focusing ring back and forth; this is caused by clearance in the parallel-focusing guide and there's not much that can be done about it, although it doesn't affect performance (the optical elements themselves are not loose.) And the 48mm filter thread size is not easy to find.

Other than that, it's super. I think you'll like it a lot. I've taken some of my best pictures with one.

 

[photocrazy]

Bill, thanks for your remainder. I have checked all these sites. They have just very sketchy mentions of this lens but nothing in details.

jlw, thank you very much and your information is very helpful for me to understand the lens' characteristics. I do need a fast lens being sharp wide-open. Hope mine doesn't suffer from the slackness in focusing. The one I purchased seems in mint- condition with original caps, UV filter and lens hood. I paid £138 or $260 for it. Is the price right for such a lens? I've checked Canon website and found it weighs only 246g, way lighter than Leica. Hope the light construction will not affect its durability.

 

[Bill58]

You got a good buy--esp. w/ caps, hood. It's built like a brick s____house. You'll love it--a best buy in my opinion. Leica quality for less than $300! Go out and use it--you'll become a believer like me.

I have no focusing problems.

 

[photocrazy]

jlw, forgot to say how amazing your pics are. The one taken with Canon 50mm f1.4 is really a wow factor and surely boosts my confidence in its performance. Hope the lens will arrive today.

 

[jlw]

Don't worry about the "slackness" -- even if your lens does have it, it's usually very slight and isn't actually in the focusing mount itself, only in the action of the ring.

The light weight certainly isn't a result of flimsy construction. The focusing threads are all brass and the interior metalwork is beautifully done and of very high quality. The main reason it is light is the design -- this is one of the very few 50/1.4 lenses ever that needed only six elements, so there is less glass in it than most.

(Canon was able to make a fine-performing f/1.4 lens with only six elements by using high-index glasses that were very new when the lens was introduced in 1959. I also suspect that the interior surface curves of the lens, which are very dramatic, must have been challenging to make. Going with a seven-element design, which most manufacturers did, would have avoided some of this complexity, but Canon apparently decided it was worth the extra effort to make a more compact, lighter lens.)

If you're interested in seeing the interior construction of this lens, I've still got a web page (click here) that I put up some time ago to help anothe RFFer who wanted to clean some internal haze out of his. As you'll see, the lens uses very neat modular construction, and the internal parts are beautifully finished.

 

[photocrazy]

jlw, you are so nice and helpful. I should have viewed your posts and gallery earlier. You provide very valuable knowledge about Canon rangefinder lenses. Just the past weekend, I spotted a Canon 7 with 50mm f0.95 for £500 or $950. Due to my experience of this seller over-rating his items' condition and some not vary favourable reviews on this lens, I missed the buy. But your pics show the 0.95 Canon is really amazing lens.

 

[rover]

I am a big fan of the Canon 1.4 too. Generally speaking, if I need the speed and intend to shoot wide open this is the lens I grab.

 

[yarinkel]

It's an excellent lens, very close in quality and rendition to my modern summicron. Very solid built, very sharp and contrasty. Definetely a modern look.
It has an infinity lock, which is somewhat of a nuisance when you try to focus on something amost infinite (you get my point), but otherwise, I have nothing but favorable comments.

 

[yarinkel]

Here is the most uninteresting shot of the world taken at f/2.0with a Canon LTM 50 1.4:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=46893&cat=500&ppuser=2890
And the same with an 50/2.0 LTM modern Summicron (also at f/2.0)
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=46894&cat=500&ppuser=2890

Taken on a tripod with self-timer, no processing (not even sharpening) except conversion to sRGB color space, conversion to 8 bit and resizing (Photoshop bicubic sharper).

 

[sleepyhead]

I agree with the comments above on the lenses OPTICAL MERIT.

HOWEVER, I ended up selling mine because I just couldn't live with it ergonomically. The infinity lock drove me crazy (yes I know that you can probably remove the pin), and I found the focusing ring needed too much turning. I know that this probably aids in accurate focusing, but i found the lens too slow to use. I bought a pre-ASPH 50mm summilux and have never looked back...

 

[Bill58]

Here is the most uninteresting shot of the world taken at f/2.0with a Canon LTM 50 1.4:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=46893&cat=500&ppuser=2890
And the same with an 50/2.0 LTM modern Summicron (also at f/2.0)
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=46894&cat=500&ppuser=2890

Taken on a tripod with self-timer, no processing (not even sharpening) except conversion to sRGB color space, conversion to 8 bit and resizing (Photoshop bicubic sharper).

"The most uninteresting photo in the world" is next to the MOST interesting, http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=32690&cat=500&ppuser=2890. Oh, to be young again...........

 

[photocrazy]

yarinkel, thanks for your advise. You pics show me the Canon's power in colour shots. Really like the Homeless and Cat. Can't believe the lens is fifty years of age.

sleepyhead, I also find infinity lock not convenient in shooting. But I have couple of old Leica lens, rigid summicron, goggled summicron 35mm, goggled summaron, and screw mount 50mm elmar f2.8. They all have infinity locks. I just have to learn to live with it. Summilux is definitely a lens that every Leica fan dreams of. Actually, I have decided if I have a big purchase on Leica glass next time, it must be the Summilux asph. But I really can't resist the price of the Canon 50mm f1.4. I just tried my luck, put a small bid on ebay and won!!!Recently I spotted in a shop a pre-asph Summilux with a price tag of £799 or $1476.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

I agree with Yaron/sleepyhead that the focus throw is relatively long, and the infinity lock is a pain (unless you use ltm cameras exlusively).

That said, the infinity lock is easily removed with a small screwdriver. And the focus throw does aid greatly in critical low-light focusing, not unlike the long throw of the Noctilux or 35/1.2 nokton. It gives you greater accuracy than a short throw.

Moreover, for fast moving situations with a RF, trying to focus with the actual throw on any RF lens is difficult. In those situations, pre-focus to a predetermined distance, such as 6, 8, 10 feet etc. Using 400 speed film, and 1/125 or 1/250, you get perfectly focused shots without even having to touch the focus. Use your feet moving back and forth as the focus mechanism 😉

Sharpness is equal to the pre-asph 50 lux. Bokeh and tonality is also, in my subjective eye, as smooth as the pre-asph 50 lux ( and I love the pre-asph lux).


cheers

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

btw, I am referring to the last 46mm filter pre-asph lux in my comparison (although the 43mm filter pre-asph shares the same optical formula)

 

[furcafe]

Sounds like you got a very good price.

I agree w/the prior comments re: the Canon's quality.

FWIW, you can see some shots I've taken w/the lens @

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/canon5014lensc196168

I only recently picked up a pre-ASPH 50mm Summilux, so I can't give much of a comparison, but I can't imagine it being significantly better than the Canon (except perhaps in flare-resistance on account of improved coatings).

You might find this thread to be of interest because it includes comparisons of the Canon w/the other 50/1.4 LTM lenses:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29006

Bill, thanks for your remainder. I have checked all these sites. They have just very sketchy mentions of this lens but nothing in details.

jlw, thank you very much and your information is very helpful for me to understand the lens' characteristics. I do need a fast lens being sharp wide-open. Hope mine doesn't suffer from the slackness in focusing. The one I purchased seems in mint- condition with original caps, UV filter and lens hood. I paid £138 or $260 for it. Is the price right for such a lens? I've checked Canon website and found it weighs only 246g, way lighter than Leica. Hope the light construction will not affect its durability.

 

[photocrazy]

guys, the lens finally arrived. It's not in mint condition, has some wears on the barrel but the optics are in excellent condition without bubbles which are quite common in 50's lenses. It's very interesting that the aperture and focus align mark is positioned in one o'clock instead of the normal 12 o'clock direction. So through the M6 0.72's viewfinder, I can see the aperture reading. I set the screw knob on the hood at one o'clock position either to indicate the aperture in use. It's really convenient!!! But on M3, it's very difficult to view the aperture ring through the viewfinder. Another interesting feature of this lens is that its coating is in golden colour. At least, for me, this is quite rare to see.

 

[furcafe]

Sounds like you got a good 1. FYI, many LTM lenses have the distance marker in the 1 o'clock position for the reason you describe. The yellow/gold coating color is also typical of the later Canon RF lenses (actually more 1960s than 1950s).

guys, the lens finally arrived. It's not in mint condition, has some wears on the barrel but the optics are in excellent condition without bubbles which are quite common in 50's lenses. It's very interesting that the aperture and focus align mark is positioned in one o'clock instead of the normal 12 o'clock direction. So through the M6 0.72's viewfinder, I can see the aperture reading. I set the screw knob on the hood at one o'clock position either to indicate the aperture in use. It's really convenient!!! But on M3, it's very difficult to view the aperture ring through the viewfinder. Another interesting feature of this lens is that its coating is in golden colour. At least, for me, this is quite rare to see.