Bargain Lenses for the Vintage Look, Part 2
6 more optical classics that deliver beautiful rendition at modest prices
135mm f/3.5 Canon: This is the original chrome finished version go the 1950s.
135mm f/3.5 Canon in Leica screw mount: This vintage classic lens was introduced in 1952 as a Serenar, and its name was changed to Canon starting in 1953. Produced for an amazing 23 years in 8 silver and black cosmetic variations until 1975, all feature the same 4-element, 3-group Tessar-type optical formula that’s credited to Canon lens designer Jirou Mukai. All iterations focus down to 1 meter, have 10-bladed diaphragms with full stop detents to f/22, extend about 4 inches from the camera body, and weigh in at 15.9 ounces. Attractive and solidly made with metal barrels and smooth focusing single helicoids, the front rotates as you focus so it’s best to set the aperture before focusing.
135mm f/3.5 Canon: This is the later black finished version with knurled focusing ring. The 4-element 3-group optics remained the same.
The 135mm f/3.5 Canon delivers solid optical performance from a simple 4-element design with superlative sharpness and contrast across the field by f/5.6 and good central sharpness and detail with moderate falloff at the corners and edges at wider apertures. This lens is also acclaimed for its smooth natural bokeh, said to be more attractive than its leading competitors from Leitz and Nikon, and it certainly delivers a lot of bang for the buck. $75-150.
50mm f/2 Zeiss Jena Sonnar: This is the hard to find uncoated prewar version in Leica screw mount.
50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar: The first 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar was the brainchild of Ludwig Bertele, one of the great lens designers of the 20th century. A 6-element, 3-group formula, it was configured to minimize air-glass surfaces to reduce internal reflections in the days before lens coating. It first appeared on the Contax I of 1932 along with the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, a similar but faster 7-element, 3-group design, and it was produced all through the ‘30s in both rigid and collapsible configurations labeled Carl Zeiss Jena, and after 1936 was one of the standard lenses used on the Contax II and III. After WW II the 50mm f/2 Sonnar was produced in coated Contax mount versions were labeled Zeiss-Opton in the early 50s and later simply Carl Zeiss. There were also some coated postwar versions labeled Carl Zeiss Jena and produced by what was then the East German branch of Zeiss. Finally, the 50mm f/2 Sonnar was also made in coupled Leica screw mount both before and after WWII though coated postwar versions are more common.
All have similar imaging characteristics, but the uncoated versions provide softer less contrasty rendition and are more prone to flare.
Optical diagram and light path of the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar: Ludwig Bertele's ingenious and influential design endured for over 40 years.
The 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar focuses down to 1 meter and typically stops down to f/22. Prewar versions have 9-bladed diaphragms and weigh in at 5.4 ounces, and coated postwar versions have 12-bladed diaphragms and weigh 4.9 ounces. They’re all magnificent lenses that are sharp in the center even wide open, deliver exceptional imaging performance across the field stopped down, have a gorgeous vintage way of rendering 3-dimensional space, and have a very pleasing bokeh, especially uncoated models at their widest apertures. These lenses are highly regarded and not exactly bargain priced, but they offer very good value for those seeking the vintage look without sacrificing image quality. $150-225 in Contax mount, $250-350 in Leica screw mount.
50mm f/2 Carl Zeiss Sonnar: This is a late coated version in Contax bayonet mount.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This fascinating optical oddball with the scalloped focusing ring was designed for the Minolta-35, a focal plane shutter interchangeable lens rangefinder 35 with (what else?) a Leica-type screw mount that was produced in 8 different relatively minor variations from 1947-1955. Why 45mm? It’s closer to the actual diagonal of the 24 x 36mm 35mm format (43.3mm) that determines what a normal lens should be, and it was produced in 6 different variations, all coated. Early examples have a distinctive circular aperture readout window in the front identification ring. It’s a 5-element, 3-group lens, but the front group is a cemented triplet so the design resembles a 5-element version of the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar rather than the usual Heliar construction which uses a cemented doublet at both the front and rear.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This early version has circular f/stop window in the lens I.D. ring and can fetch fancy prices,
The 45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor (Chiyoko is short for Chiyoda Kogaku, Minolta’s original name) is quite compact, extending only 1.5 inches from the camera and though it features hefty chrome on brass construction it weighs in at only 5.6 ounces. This little beauty is rangefinder coupled, focuses down to 1 meter, and has an 8-bladed diaphragm that stops down to f/16. It’s a superb lens capable of extremely sharp imaging and detail wide open and delivers corner to corner sharpness by stopping down to f/4-5.6. It also provides beautifully rounded 3-dimensional rendition, and very attractive and natural looking bokeh, especially at its widest apertures. Neither commonplace nor especially rare, it’s a lens with modest specs and outsize performance—a great choice for optical connoisseurs who want something different. $200-400.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This later version of Minolta's classic normal lens has a Leica-style infinity catch and no f/stop window.
50mm f/2 Topcor-S in Leica screw mount: This vintage classic is often found on Leotax cameras, good quality Japanese Barnack Leica clones of the mid 50s to the mid ‘60s. Made by Tokyo Optical Company, renowned for first class optics, this lens is a 6-element 4-group design based on the Zeiss Planar and it’s outstanding—at least as good as the 50mm f/2 Leitz Summitar, and edged out at the widest apertures only by the legendary Summicron. It delivers excellent central sharpness and resolution throughout, achieves optimum performance to the corners by f/4, and provides beautifully rounded rendition at all apertures and distances. It transitions smoothly from in-focus to out-of-focus image areas, and it has very attractive bokeh, especially at wide to moderate apertures. $175-$350.
50mm f/2 Topcor-S in chrome with Leica-style infinity catch was often used on Japanese screw mount Leica copies like the high quality Leotax.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color Skopar: This is not your grandfather’s Color-Skopar, which was a nice Tessar-formula lens fitted to a number of German made-in-Braunschweig roll film folding cameras and 35mm cameras in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s an advanced 7-element, 6-group lens designed and manufactured to a high standard by Cosina in Japan. Available in M39 Leica screw and M mount, it focuses down to 29.5 inches, stops down to f/22, has a 10-bladed diaphragm that enhances its smooth natural bokeh, and weighs in at a hefty 7.3 ounces despite extending only 1.3 inches from the camera body.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar in Leica screw mount delivers vintage look imaging in a compact ergonomic package.
The 50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color Skopar is soft off axis at maximum aperture, but it improves noticeably on stopping down and is quite sharp across the field at moderate and small apertures. It scores on its excellent handling for an ultra-compact lens and on its overall image quality which has a vintage character and a provides good balance between sharpness and detail and smooth, natural rendition. Most reviewers praise its beautiful bokeh and recommend it as a good, close-focusing portrait lens. This gem is discontinued but it’s widely available new and preowned. $325-$450.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar employs this advanced modern 7-element, 6-group design but still captures images with a vintage look.
Angled side view of Leica screw mount version of the 50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar gives you a better idea of just how compact it is.
35mm f/3.5 W. Nikkor: Nikon first released this diminutive jewel of a lens in 1948, and it was the only wide-angle in the initial group of lenses for the Nikon I. Like the much more expensive 35mm f/3.5 Leitz Elmar it’s a simple 4-element, 3-group Tessar, and many early examples have a “C” engraved on the nameplate to indicate the lens is coated. Early versions stop down to f/16; later ones omit the C and stop down to f/22. Most examples are chrome, but the lens was also produced in (rare and expensive!) black finish, and all were made in Nikon S bayonet and Leica M39 screw mount. The Nikon mount version weighs in at 3-1/2 ounces, and the screw mount version is heavier at 4-1/4 ounces. Minimum focusing distance is 1 meter, the lens extends only 1.27 inches from the camera, and it has an 8-bladed diaphragm.
35mm f/3.5 W-Nikkor C (for "coated"). This early Leica screw mount example says Nippon Kogaku on front ring; others have this logo on the I.D. ring.
The 35mm f/3.5 W. Nikkor is a lovely lens that performs extraordinarily well for such a simple design. It’s sharp in the center at all apertures with noticeable edge and corner softness at f/3.5-f/4, and comes in nicely by f/5.6, maintaining excellent sharpness and contrast across the field at smaller apertures, Based on my personal hands-on experience with an early Nippon Kogaku example in LTM mount, this lovable little lens delivers pleasing rendition with a touch of vintage character and beautiful bokeh, especially at f/3.5-f/5.6. $200-400 in Nikon S or LTM screw mount.
6 more optical classics that deliver beautiful rendition at modest prices
135mm f/3.5 Canon: This is the original chrome finished version go the 1950s.
135mm f/3.5 Canon in Leica screw mount: This vintage classic lens was introduced in 1952 as a Serenar, and its name was changed to Canon starting in 1953. Produced for an amazing 23 years in 8 silver and black cosmetic variations until 1975, all feature the same 4-element, 3-group Tessar-type optical formula that’s credited to Canon lens designer Jirou Mukai. All iterations focus down to 1 meter, have 10-bladed diaphragms with full stop detents to f/22, extend about 4 inches from the camera body, and weigh in at 15.9 ounces. Attractive and solidly made with metal barrels and smooth focusing single helicoids, the front rotates as you focus so it’s best to set the aperture before focusing.
135mm f/3.5 Canon: This is the later black finished version with knurled focusing ring. The 4-element 3-group optics remained the same.
The 135mm f/3.5 Canon delivers solid optical performance from a simple 4-element design with superlative sharpness and contrast across the field by f/5.6 and good central sharpness and detail with moderate falloff at the corners and edges at wider apertures. This lens is also acclaimed for its smooth natural bokeh, said to be more attractive than its leading competitors from Leitz and Nikon, and it certainly delivers a lot of bang for the buck. $75-150.
50mm f/2 Zeiss Jena Sonnar: This is the hard to find uncoated prewar version in Leica screw mount.
50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar: The first 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar was the brainchild of Ludwig Bertele, one of the great lens designers of the 20th century. A 6-element, 3-group formula, it was configured to minimize air-glass surfaces to reduce internal reflections in the days before lens coating. It first appeared on the Contax I of 1932 along with the 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar, a similar but faster 7-element, 3-group design, and it was produced all through the ‘30s in both rigid and collapsible configurations labeled Carl Zeiss Jena, and after 1936 was one of the standard lenses used on the Contax II and III. After WW II the 50mm f/2 Sonnar was produced in coated Contax mount versions were labeled Zeiss-Opton in the early 50s and later simply Carl Zeiss. There were also some coated postwar versions labeled Carl Zeiss Jena and produced by what was then the East German branch of Zeiss. Finally, the 50mm f/2 Sonnar was also made in coupled Leica screw mount both before and after WWII though coated postwar versions are more common.
All have similar imaging characteristics, but the uncoated versions provide softer less contrasty rendition and are more prone to flare.
Optical diagram and light path of the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar: Ludwig Bertele's ingenious and influential design endured for over 40 years.
The 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar focuses down to 1 meter and typically stops down to f/22. Prewar versions have 9-bladed diaphragms and weigh in at 5.4 ounces, and coated postwar versions have 12-bladed diaphragms and weigh 4.9 ounces. They’re all magnificent lenses that are sharp in the center even wide open, deliver exceptional imaging performance across the field stopped down, have a gorgeous vintage way of rendering 3-dimensional space, and have a very pleasing bokeh, especially uncoated models at their widest apertures. These lenses are highly regarded and not exactly bargain priced, but they offer very good value for those seeking the vintage look without sacrificing image quality. $150-225 in Contax mount, $250-350 in Leica screw mount.
50mm f/2 Carl Zeiss Sonnar: This is a late coated version in Contax bayonet mount.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This fascinating optical oddball with the scalloped focusing ring was designed for the Minolta-35, a focal plane shutter interchangeable lens rangefinder 35 with (what else?) a Leica-type screw mount that was produced in 8 different relatively minor variations from 1947-1955. Why 45mm? It’s closer to the actual diagonal of the 24 x 36mm 35mm format (43.3mm) that determines what a normal lens should be, and it was produced in 6 different variations, all coated. Early examples have a distinctive circular aperture readout window in the front identification ring. It’s a 5-element, 3-group lens, but the front group is a cemented triplet so the design resembles a 5-element version of the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Sonnar rather than the usual Heliar construction which uses a cemented doublet at both the front and rear.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This early version has circular f/stop window in the lens I.D. ring and can fetch fancy prices,
The 45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor (Chiyoko is short for Chiyoda Kogaku, Minolta’s original name) is quite compact, extending only 1.5 inches from the camera and though it features hefty chrome on brass construction it weighs in at only 5.6 ounces. This little beauty is rangefinder coupled, focuses down to 1 meter, and has an 8-bladed diaphragm that stops down to f/16. It’s a superb lens capable of extremely sharp imaging and detail wide open and delivers corner to corner sharpness by stopping down to f/4-5.6. It also provides beautifully rounded 3-dimensional rendition, and very attractive and natural looking bokeh, especially at its widest apertures. Neither commonplace nor especially rare, it’s a lens with modest specs and outsize performance—a great choice for optical connoisseurs who want something different. $200-400.
45mm f/2.8 Chiyoko Super-Rokkor: This later version of Minolta's classic normal lens has a Leica-style infinity catch and no f/stop window.
50mm f/2 Topcor-S in Leica screw mount: This vintage classic is often found on Leotax cameras, good quality Japanese Barnack Leica clones of the mid 50s to the mid ‘60s. Made by Tokyo Optical Company, renowned for first class optics, this lens is a 6-element 4-group design based on the Zeiss Planar and it’s outstanding—at least as good as the 50mm f/2 Leitz Summitar, and edged out at the widest apertures only by the legendary Summicron. It delivers excellent central sharpness and resolution throughout, achieves optimum performance to the corners by f/4, and provides beautifully rounded rendition at all apertures and distances. It transitions smoothly from in-focus to out-of-focus image areas, and it has very attractive bokeh, especially at wide to moderate apertures. $175-$350.
50mm f/2 Topcor-S in chrome with Leica-style infinity catch was often used on Japanese screw mount Leica copies like the high quality Leotax.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color Skopar: This is not your grandfather’s Color-Skopar, which was a nice Tessar-formula lens fitted to a number of German made-in-Braunschweig roll film folding cameras and 35mm cameras in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s an advanced 7-element, 6-group lens designed and manufactured to a high standard by Cosina in Japan. Available in M39 Leica screw and M mount, it focuses down to 29.5 inches, stops down to f/22, has a 10-bladed diaphragm that enhances its smooth natural bokeh, and weighs in at a hefty 7.3 ounces despite extending only 1.3 inches from the camera body.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar in Leica screw mount delivers vintage look imaging in a compact ergonomic package.
The 50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color Skopar is soft off axis at maximum aperture, but it improves noticeably on stopping down and is quite sharp across the field at moderate and small apertures. It scores on its excellent handling for an ultra-compact lens and on its overall image quality which has a vintage character and a provides good balance between sharpness and detail and smooth, natural rendition. Most reviewers praise its beautiful bokeh and recommend it as a good, close-focusing portrait lens. This gem is discontinued but it’s widely available new and preowned. $325-$450.
50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar employs this advanced modern 7-element, 6-group design but still captures images with a vintage look.
Angled side view of Leica screw mount version of the 50mm f/2.5 Voigtlander Color-Skopar gives you a better idea of just how compact it is.
35mm f/3.5 W. Nikkor: Nikon first released this diminutive jewel of a lens in 1948, and it was the only wide-angle in the initial group of lenses for the Nikon I. Like the much more expensive 35mm f/3.5 Leitz Elmar it’s a simple 4-element, 3-group Tessar, and many early examples have a “C” engraved on the nameplate to indicate the lens is coated. Early versions stop down to f/16; later ones omit the C and stop down to f/22. Most examples are chrome, but the lens was also produced in (rare and expensive!) black finish, and all were made in Nikon S bayonet and Leica M39 screw mount. The Nikon mount version weighs in at 3-1/2 ounces, and the screw mount version is heavier at 4-1/4 ounces. Minimum focusing distance is 1 meter, the lens extends only 1.27 inches from the camera, and it has an 8-bladed diaphragm.
35mm f/3.5 W-Nikkor C (for "coated"). This early Leica screw mount example says Nippon Kogaku on front ring; others have this logo on the I.D. ring.
The 35mm f/3.5 W. Nikkor is a lovely lens that performs extraordinarily well for such a simple design. It’s sharp in the center at all apertures with noticeable edge and corner softness at f/3.5-f/4, and comes in nicely by f/5.6, maintaining excellent sharpness and contrast across the field at smaller apertures, Based on my personal hands-on experience with an early Nippon Kogaku example in LTM mount, this lovable little lens delivers pleasing rendition with a touch of vintage character and beautiful bokeh, especially at f/3.5-f/5.6. $200-400 in Nikon S or LTM screw mount.
