Best of the cheapest 50s

R

RichSnaps

Newbie
Local time
9:47 PM
Joined
Nov 2, 2012
Messages
8
Hi All,

So, I have my new Bessa R3A which I love (My first non-£50 eBay Rangefinder!).

As much as I love the feel of this camera, the 40mm framelines are a little difficult to see at times so I'm thinking about a 50mm. The 50mm framelines are great in my opinion.

Having just forked out over £1000 i'm looking for the best 50mm at the best price.

Any suggestions??

Thanks for reading!
 
50mm lenses tend to be more expensive.

You can get a Jupiter 8 50mm lens for quite cheap, the quality was average but I only paid $50 for mine. My Voigtlander LTM adapter cost the same as the lens!

Otherwise I really like the Voigtlander 50mm/1.5. There are not many other fast 50mm lenses that are affordable. I paid about $450 USD for mine.

You can also look at the 50mm/2.5 but they are not as common. Other options include vintage Leica glass such as a collapsible 50mm/3.5, 50/2 etc but the condition varies a lot.
 
Another vote for the Voigtlander 50mm/1.5 plus LTM adapter. I have that lens and the Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH. My particular lens gives the Summilux a good run for the money. I'm be happy using either lens. In fact I like the handling of the Nokton more than the Summilux, it's a better fit to my fingers.

Bob.
 
I can't believe only one person has mentioned Jupiters..!

The Jupiter 8 is dirt cheap and will get you f2. It may require some collimation, you can learn how to do it on this forum by searching. I've seen Jupiter-8's for around $15 on ebay before.

The Jupiter 3 is around $150-$300 depending on condition and furnished accessories. Though the cheapest Jupiter-3 I ever bought was several months ago for about $80.

The Jupiter 3 will get you F1.5 and it is a VERY nice lens when in good shape, every bit as good as the original Sonnar it copied.

With either lens, get one that is from before 1960 and you'll be in heaven.
 
used: leica... reaches from cron to elmar
new: Summarit (dont know price in pounds, comes in at 1200€ tough)
 
The Jupiter-3 is a fine lens - with the proviso that you should look for one that is guaranteed to focus correctly close-up on a Leica.

The aforementioned Industar gives good images but the focus ring is very narrow and close to the body, making it less than ideal for use on larger bodies like the R3A,
 
First, I got the Jupiter-8, together with my M5.

Then, I thought I want to get sth. better, and bought the Nokton 50/1.5. Found it too large (on a M5, go figure... Maybe I have strange standards;-), and never used it really. Although it is a very well-built lens. Should sell it again...

Now, I got a somewhat battered Summicron IV for a very good price. I guess the Jupiter-8 will see less use in the future. Still, I was very positively impressed with this little lens.

Markus
 
FrankS said:
This is by far the best bang for the buck.

For times when this lens is too sharp, then a J8 with its Sonnar rendering is called for.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the industar 61 l/d. The industarss in general are cheaper than the jupiters nowadays. I think the elmar-like collapsible i-22 is a great lens, too. Just get both - won't be more than 30-40$ combined and you'll have a low and a high contrast option. Also, from my experience, the probability of getting a bad sample is higher with the jupiters than with the industars.
 
J-8 or J-3 or Canon 50/1.8 or CZJ 5cm/1.5 or 5cm/2 are great 50mm lenses that do not cost much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom