Canon 50mm F1.2 usable?

[rvaubel]

Has anyone had any experience with the Canon 50mm F1.2 on the Epson R-D1? For starters, I imagine the viewfinder must be at least partially blocked. Then there is the matter of the short rangefinder baseline .
I've had no problem with my 40mm f1.4 Nokton, so I hope that this lens would work as a specialty "bokeh" lens.

Rex

 

[jlw]

I've used a Canon 50/1.2 on my R-D 1 occasionally with no problems. In fact, I've also successfully used an M-converted Canon 50/0.95, which is MUCH fatter than the 50/1.2.

Viewfinder blockage within the picture area isn't really an issue -- remember, the 50mm frameline on an R-D 1 covers a "semi-tele" angle of view, so any blockage is well outside the actual picture area.

Focusing requires care, but can be managed; if you do OK with your 40/1.4, the 50/1.2 won't be that much more challenging.

I'll try to dig out some 50/1.2 pictures and attach them later, although I can't do anything about it now as I'm at work.

 

[Bob Parsons]

Although I can't answer your question directly I can tell you my experience with the Noctilux.

For close up work ie. 3ft my Noctilux wide open appears to focus about 2in behind the subject. Stopping down to 1.4 or 2.0 it's OK on a 10x8. At a similar distance the 50mm Summicron and 50mm Nokton 1.4 appear to be focusing accurately. Focusing in either direction and taking several pictures the Noctilux results are consistent. That's promising since the problem is probably fixable.

I think the only way to know if the Canon will work for you is to try it 🙁

What I have found is if your eyes have limited accomodation as your subject gets closer you need to change the correction diopter on the R-D1 to get accurate focus. That's a pain. I don't have so much of a problem with the Leica M or an SLR 😀

When using a 50mm -> 75mm equivalent it would be useful to have a magnifier for the RD-1 viewfinder.

Bob.

 

[sreidvt]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/fastlensreview.shtml

Cheers,

Sean

 

[sychan]

I found that it works reasonably well - see this thread with a comparison of various fast 50's: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22200

 

[rvaubel]

Thanks to all for the great information!!

I was out all day @ a Camera Raw seminar and when I returned I found out I had won a bid on a 50mm f1.4 Canon that was being offered on Evilbay!! Yipee, Yipee, I can hardley wait. It looks like a clean unit but "one never knows, do one".
Sean, I glanced at your article and can tell it will provide me with many hours of delicious reading and savoring while I lust for the forthcoming Canon. Your articles are truly the most informative and in-depth of anything on the net. I love reading them...and they're to looong!
Sychan, I'll be analyising your test shots. I notice that nailing the focus @ F1.2 is difficult for you too. My 40mm 1.4 Nokton focuses 1.5 " long on my R-D1. Interesting to see what happens with the Canon
JLW thanks also. I am grappling with adapter thickness solutions to back/front focus issues with LTM's
Bob, your right about how critical focus issues are with these very fast lenses. I have addressed these issues in astrophotography and visual astronomy for years. I have special high index astronemy glasses which have been optimized for night vision conditions. Multicoated to a fair-the-well to increase contrast and reduce ghosting.
Getting the Epson and fast lenses to coordinate with its rangefinder, and a myramid of other issues will be interesting to say the least.

Rex

 

[jlw]

You sound as if you're a real stickler for optical performance, so you may want to look into the possibility of adjusting your lens(es) for best focus on your R-D 1.

On both these Canon lenses, the optical section is an integral module that can be removed from the focusing mount in one piece (it's secured by a slotted ring around the rear element of the lens.) The exact depth that the optical section sits in the focusing mount is determined by a brass spacer ring around the rear of the optical section.

So, having adjusted your R-D 1 to perfect focus as indicated by the rangefinder, if you find that the lens needs to be closer to the "film" plane, you can sand a bit off the brass spacer ring; if you find it needs to be farther, you can shim the ring with something very thin (thin brass shim stock should be available at any good hardware store.)

Here's a picture of the spacer ring on a 50/1.4 lens; it's the uppermost of the two brass rings in the picture, NOT the one to which I'm pointing with the screwdriver:

 

[rvaubel]

jlw
Thanks, I was hoping that there was a shim adjustment in the Canon lens. First I have to deal with a very slight backfocus issue of the rangefinder. My 40mm f1.4 Nokton focuses about 3.8 cm behind the rangfinder @ 1 meter. My other baynet mount (M) lenses do about the same although its harder to tell for sure. If the Canon does the same, I will assume that the rangefinder needs tweaking. If not, it could be either the rangefinder or the lens and I will be back to square zero.
BTW, jlw, my Kobalux does NOT have a shim. Damn
I must sound overly anal here, but I find narrow DOF portraits to be
very appealling. But if you don't nail the focus, the results really suck (IMHO).

Rex

 

[peterbilitch]

Not exactly an in-depth test and certainly falls short of a Sean Reid review, but here's something I posted last year.

Canon 50/1.2 Leica Thread Mount

Further to that I can add that I found focusing to be consistently accurate.

Peter