Tom,
We just have to meet. I don't mind being your apprentice during one of your sessions. We will together use ten 5cm lenses to see which lens really results in the most interesting looking images. It's a one hour drive.
Yes, between us there's some serious 50mm lenses!
Well some of my favorite lenses still have issues.....
My Summarit still has the haze that needs to be cleaned.
The "Tokyo" SC 5005 Nikkor needs that rim damage fixed and engraving paint freshened - (I like the Bokeh even better than a "Japan" one, smoother and creamier) I've shot with it before, just one corner of the rim damage flares the glass out, so it needs to be repaired, but the difference in the Bokeh between the "Tokyo" and "Japan" ones are very noticeable. (Brian Sweeny agrees with me on this one) - but I'm not playing it up too much, while the lens is too rare already, so it's chance of becoming a "cult" user lens is minable.......
Only other lens that needs attention is my "wartime" Elmar 90 which needs haze cleaning.
I sold my "Tokyo" HC Nikkor here at RFF for the 57' Tower 35 with a click stop "Japan" one that`s mint (I still haven't used this camera yet, shame on me!)
I`ll be loading it this weekend for some PinUps!
Also sold my Canon f1.4 for $$$$ to finish the deal with my 43' IIIC K Grey (this was like May 2008) the lens was`nt too bad, but had a very shallow focus range at f1.4, and on the most part it was too soft for me.
And a really clean "wartime" Summitar also sold about the time I sold the Canon as well.......
So I haven't been after anything new 50, nothing else impresses me anymore, I've tried almost everything - the Canon f0.95 is a waste of time, too expensive for the shallow performance it gives and getting a quality conversion to M mount is time consuming and expensive, to me the lens is'nt worth what prices have run up too recently.
I have looked for a Canon f1.2 (to shoot at f1.4 because some folks say it's a better performer than the f1.4 at that opening) just finding a clean one with "minty" glass is'nt easy, I could care less about the original hood, the glass is the big concern by the f1.2.
And a clean "wartime" 41'/42' CZJ Sonnar f1.5 or f2.0 would look good on my IIIC K Grey someday?
Some folks have also shown me some impressive work with the Nokton f1.5 so that`s maybe the ONLY other fast lens consideration I would make, I have to find someone who has one they could loan me for a few weeks????
Anyone here have a f1.5 Nokton to loan me for some PinUp/Nudie Cutie photos????
Tom
