"Best" screw mount lens for black and white photos

[jusxusfanatic]

"Best" screw mount lens for black and white shots

I'm planning on buying a better lens for my leica iii, if there's any. I want to know is there a better screw mount lens for black and white shots other than the collapsible summicron 50/2 (which I already have one)? Thanks 😀

 

[tunalegs]

What qualities in your mind make a lens better for B&W?

 

[Mjd-djm]

I'm a big fan of the Canon 50mm 1.4 LTM. Nice rendering which in my opinion works best in b&w. It's not exactly portable though.

 

[Luddite Frank]

The Elmar 50/ f:3,5 is darned good.

A clean Summar is also good.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

Best is a relative term. A lot of people really seem to like the 35/2.8 Summaron though.

 

[B-9]

Truth be told,

Any screwmount lens with decently clean glass will give you fine BW photos.

Your question has no correct answer,

But I'll chimp in a few lenses for you to drool on,
Elmar 35/3.5
Summaron 35/3.5
Summaron 35/2.8
Elmar 50/3.5 (coated)
Summar 50/2.0 (my fav.)
Summarit 50/1.5

(Summicron omitted)


Maybe a VC lens? (Haven't owned many myself but I can recommend these)
21/4.0 Color-Skopar
25/4.0 Snapshot-Skopar (non coupled)
28/1.9 Ultron
35/1.7 Ultron (Aspherical)
35/2.5 Color-Skopar
50/2.5 Color-Skopar (had to buy another)
50/1.5 Nokton

Do not discount the Canon lenses,
28/3.5 Serenar
35/3.2 Serenar
35/1.8 Canon
50/3.5 Serenar
50/1.9 Serenar
50/1.2 Canon
85/1.9 Serenar
100/4.0 Serenar

Oh and some other misc glass you might like,
28/3.5 Kobalux/Avenon
35/2.8 Jupiter-12
35/3.5 Nikkor
45/2.8 Chiyoko Rokkor
50/2.0 Nikkor
50/1.4 Nikkor
85/2.0 Nikkor
105/2.5 Nikkor

 

[lynnb]

What qualities in your mind make a lens better for B&W?

..and also, what is it about your collapsible 'cron that you think could be better for bw?
What 'look' are you looking for?

 

[pepeguitarra]

W-Nikkor C 35m f1.8 ltm

 

[tunalegs]

I love (?) threads like this that are just random suggestions, with nobody explaining why their choice fits the needs or wants of the asker.

 

[giulio stucchi]

I still wondering why RFF users are answering on such threads...me included.

Giulio

 

[B-9]

I love (?) threads like this that are just random suggestions, with nobody explaining why their choice fits the needs or wants of the asker.

The OP established one piece of vague criteria,

So the responses, to me, are appropriately vague.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

The OP established one piece of vague criteria,

So the responses, to me, are appropriately vague.

😛 Have you ever seen a thread by this particular OP that would have been different?

 

[aizan]

there's no consensus.

there are all of the usual characteristics that can guide your shopping, though: contrast, resolution, flare resistance, bokeh, aberrations, etc.

if you don't have the experience to know what you like, i recommend getting two lenses from different eras to compare them. you already have a collapsible summicron, so i would get a 50/1.5 nokton for a modern look.

another, more nuanced possibility is to compare types of optical formulas or coatings. you could compare your summicron with a sonnar like the 50/1.4 nikkor, or with an uncoated summar, respectively.

 

[tunalegs]

The OP established one piece of vague criteria,

So the responses, to me, are appropriately vague.

Then I suggest a collapsible summicron 50/2.

 

[aizan]

^lol

talking about vague questions, the real way to deal with that is to use neutral questioning to tease out what they're really looking for, but i'm too lazy on the internet. it's too much like work.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/afe0/3051cdfc37d0b5d227c49aeae21feedf1f0a.pdf

 

[grouchos_tash]

I prefer it when threads have pictures, even if the question is too vague to answer ;D

Leica IIIf - Elmar 5cm f3.5 - VALOO Hood

I found the lens to be pretty sharp with flat contrast, works well with your back to the sun!




Leica M6 - 35mm f2.5 Skopar

Great lens with a short focus throw, very small and with high contrast




Leica M6 - 50mm f2.5 Skopar

Best handling lens I have




Leica M6 - 50mm f1.5 Nokton

With I'd kept this lens, I was just frustrated with it's size compare to my other lenses




Leica IIIf - 50mm f2 Jupiter 8

Excellent value for money, mine is sharp but other's aren't




Leica M6 - Canon 35mm f2.8

Soft in the corners above f5.6, probably the worst lens I've owned even though it's in excellent condition...but it's still fun 🙂




I bet you wouldn't have been able to guess the lens without me telling you though, that's why your question needs to be more specific 😀

 

[kb244]

For more 'modern' contrast/sharpness I really liked the CV Color-Skopar 21/4 and Super-wide Heliar 15/4.5. But at the time I was also a wide angle fan (For the 50mm I had a Canon 50mm f/1.8 Serenar Mk1)

My Russian Jupiter-12 35/2.8 had a little 'older' look (newer black version as the older chrome version doesn't fit into a Canon P)

In terms of getting good B&W Results from older lens that have yellowed... you can attach a yellow filter for the same kind of impact.

 

[ferider]

Your Summicron is pretty darn good (well, assuming you have a good copy).

I were you, the next would be a 28mm lens, Canon 28/3.5, Color Skopar 28/3.5, or Ultron 28/1.9, depending on how important size is. The Color Skopar uses the same filters as your Summicron, so that's a plus. And a viewfinder, try to get a small one, like a CV mini-finder or Ricoh, etc. A test of the Color Skopar on my balcony:

Roland.

 

[xayraa33]

You need a 2 inch Hugo Meyer Kino-Plasmat lens on your camera or else you are wasting your time with photography.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hugo-Meyer-Kino-Plasmat-2inch-f-1-5-50mm-Z16F0061/142075148597

 

[MIkhail]

"Best" screw mount lens for black and white shots

I'm planning on buying a better lens for my leica iii, if there's any. I want to know is there a better screw mount lens for black and white shots other than the collapsible summicron 50/2 (which I already have one)? Thanks 😀

Best one is the one you have on camera. There is nothing to be gained beyond what average lens can give you, and the one you have already is way above average.
My unsolicited advice: stop spending money and start shooting with what you have.