Can you identify these lenses based on their rendering?

[winzenbourg]

I was doing a very unscientific comparison among some lenses today and thought I'd post the results if anyone wants to play along. It's an imperfect test and was just for fun.

Everything was shot handheld on a Leica M8 around .8m away at ISO 320 and at f/2.8 (except the Summaron f/3.5, for obvious reasons). I post processed the shots with the VSCO Tri-X filter in Lightroom.

Can you match lenses 1-7 with their rendering? Which one sings or falls flat for you? I'll post the results in a few days.

35mm Konica L-Hexanon f/2 @ 2.8 (earlier version of the UC-Hexanon)
35mm Leica Summaron f/2.8 @ 2.8
35mm Leica Summaron f/3.5 @ 3.5
35mm Leica Summicron-M ASPH f/2 @ 2.8
35mm Leica Summilux Pre-ASPH f/1.4 @ 2.8
40mm Minolta M-Rokkor f/2 @ 2.8
35mm Zeiss C-Biogon f/2.8 @ 2.8

 

[rfaspen]

I am fully unable to match lens to image. Its well-known to be quite difficult for lenses that all perform similarly.

However, I can say that I am most attracted to images 1, 5, and 6, with images 3 and 4 almost as nice; images 2 and 7 don't really make the cut when compared with the others. At least not for me.

Now, any of these images/lenses standing alone would probably look just great to me. 😎

My chosen favorites all have sharpness where I like it, smooth transition to OOF without any edgy-ness. Enough contrast, but not too much. I also like corners that aren't dramatically "bad" with a sudden drop in performance, but also not perfect corner to corner (which would probably be the Summicron Asph in this group).

I look forward to finding out which image is the Summaron 35/2.8 and the L-Hexanon. I'm also curious to see which one was the summaron 3.5 somehow shot at f/2.8 (according to the text in the lower left corner) 😉

 

[Hari]

I like the out of focus plant in 7 on the right. Six is different
compostion, shows less. I can't tell any
differences in sharp areas in any, so I'll
save my pennies for number 7.
Hari

 

[rfaspen]

...and there you have it. One person likes image 7, another doesn't. Yet the same two people like image 6.

Silly, fickle humans.

 

[x-ray]

This should be good. I did a similar test several years ago and no one could get them. It was obviously guessing.

 

[jonmanjiro]

1 - 35mm Leica Summicron-M ASPH f/2 @ 2.8
2 - 35mm Leica Summaron f/2.8 @ 2.8
3 - 35mm Zeiss C-Biogon f/2.8 @ 2.8
4 - 35mm Leica Summilux Pre-ASPH f/1.4 @ 2.8
5 - 35mm Konica L-Hexanon f/2 @ 2.8
6 - 40mm Minolta M-Rokkor f/2 @ 2.8
7 - 35mm Leica Summaron f/3.5 @ 3.5

 

[ferider]

I'll play as well:

Where there are two entries, hard to choose between the two, boldface my slight preference.

Roland.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I see our line of thinking is very similar, Roland 🙂
I was tossing up between 1 & 3 and 4 & 5 as well, but ended up making an educated guess based on my experience with the Summicron ASPH and UC-Hexanon.

 

[rbiemer]

I have no idea which lens but out of the choices, I'm liking #4 the best.
I would like any of these had I only seen one but there is something about 4 that, for me, stands out.

Rob

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I have no idea. I'll just venture this far:

2, 3, 6 : Leica lenses;
1, 4, 5 : not-Leica lenses;
7 : no friggin' clue, but the "aspherical" kind.

 

[Spanik]

Don't have any of those lenses and wouldn't be able to keep them apart if I had. But I find it a fascinating series. The differences are sometimes subtle while the reaction like-dislike is immediate. If I had to choose between those images then I'd take 1 and 4 and maybe 6.

 

[Leica All Day]

There is no way that I could tell the differences between the lenses mentioned, or any other lenses, but I give much respect to those that can. When some of my friends post photos up on social media I can usually tell what lens they used only because I know what lenses they have and like to use, but I don't really posses an eye for different lenses. I know what lenses I like when I see them used properly and then I get inspired to get one and take photos

cheers, michael

 

[sreed2006]

Based on the plant in the background being more in focus in picture 7, I am going to say that is the Summaron 3.5, even though the label says f/2.8. And that is the extent of my ability to guess.

 

[aizan]

who knows?

3 - 35mm Konica L-Hexanon f/2 @ 2.8 (earlier version of the UC-Hexanon)
1 - 35mm Leica Summaron f/2.8 @ 2.8
4 - 35mm Leica Summaron f/3.5 @ 3.5
6 - 35mm Leica Summicron-M ASPH f/2 @ 2.8
5 - 35mm Leica Summilux Pre-ASPH f/1.4 @ 2.8
2 - 40mm Minolta M-Rokkor f/2 @ 2.8
7 - 35mm Zeiss C-Biogon f/2.8 @ 2.8

 

[bakemono]

Not enough experience to guess, but my favorites are 1 and 7
while 2 and 3 are most 'meh'

 

[Ko.Fe.]

So, apparently, I'm the only one who hasn't got huge monitor yet or I'm the only one who is not having portrait mode. I can't see any of those pictures full size. They are huge.

 

[rfaspen]

Yes, it helps to have a larger-sized monitor. Mine's a 24-inch and each image just fits in vertically.

I'm ready to make my guesses (they're guesses, but based on some level of deduction/induction).

1. summilux pre-asph
2. biogon-c
3. summaron 2.8
4. either summicron asph or hexanon (toss up)
5. either summicron asph or hexanon (toss up)
6. m-rokkor
7. summaron 3.5

 

[ForestCap]

There is no way that I could tell the differences between the lenses mentioned

Same here.

I can only tell no.6 and no.7 look different from the others, so they should be the 40mm and summaron f/3.5, respectively. But this is not based on the identification of the "renderings".

 

[raid]

I own only two lenses out of these seven lenses, so I pass.

 

[Peter Jennings]

Don't have and never used any of these, but I have heard some things and seen some photos. Based on my assumptions about these lenses (and some blind guesswork), these are my picks.

1 - Summicron
2 - Biogon
3 - Summilux
4 - Summaron 2.8
5 - Hexanon
6 - Rokkor
7 - Summaron 3.5