Canon LTM Canon LTM 50mm 1.5 "Sonnar" Photos Please!

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Brian Sweeney said:
Tooffy- yours looks like it was optimized for use wide-open. I changed the shim on mine, added 0.1mm, to use at F1.5. Before that, it was best at F4 and compared poorly against the Nikkor-S 5cm F1.4. My personal opinion is that Canon optimized it for use stopped down, and that is why it never got the fame of the Nikon Sonnar.
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Hi Brian,
I'm not sure but I almost always use it wide open at about closest focusing distance and the photos turn out very good.
I'm sure glad that mine turns out that way! 🙂
 
Brian Sweeney said:
I agree with Dante that the lens was shimmed for F4, at least mine was. I changed it.

When testing this lens on the same roll as three J-3's, a Nikkor 5cm F1.4, and a Canon 50/1.4, the focus seemed slightly off but was perfect at F4. With a Sonnar formula lens, you have to pick the sweet spot.
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Now that you've shimmed it for f/1.5, does the focus seem slightly off at smaller apertures, or does increasing DoF cover the error?
 
jmkelly said:
Brian - I recall Dante Stella saying this lens was best at f4, and my own experience fits. My example shows less veiling flare and more contrast at f1.5 than my "Tokyo" Nikkor, but I use the Nikkor more. The Canon is a beautifully-made lens though, and great with color.
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Nice pics, John.

You sure you have compared the Canon to the Nikkor at f1.5 ? Because, the Nikkor's veiling flare disappears quickly when closed down only a teeny bit .... In my experience at least.

And a Canon pic for the OP:

419690999_Miz7p-XL.jpg
 
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Actually, these pics have convinced me not to sell my canon 50/1.5, but to use it on my soon to buy m8 - thanks for that ! Now, how can I determine backfocus and how can I optimize it for wide open ?
 
Just returned from the states where I took shipment on my Canon 50 as cleaned by Sherry. I very much look forward to the results, although I'm rather curious what she optimized it for during cleaning.
 
Ok, time for my samples. The lens is being tested, and seems like focusing W.O. and near is unreliable - it front focuses. Don't know, could be the adapter or something else. Gotta take some studio shot and figure it out.
In the meantime...
This one is @about f/2, I got lucky as there's no trace of flare


This is f/8, I definitely love the contrast of the lens. And, if stopped down, it delivers a perfectly usable image, even if my sample is a bit dirty inside...


Always in Turin, Castello square, f/2






I need to clean the lens, at f/1.5 it flares terribly, and got to figure out the front focusing problem...
This one is probably wide open:
 
I tried cleaning my lens, with mixed results...




This is f/1.5, now contrast seems to be all right, and flare is back to a normal level:




And, last, a portrait:


This lens is a real gem! It's the first I reach for when I need a 50mm!
 
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