Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.4 for SLR systems

[raid]

My point is that it is the same lens on any other camera with a decent but relatively inexpensive adapter. I understand playing with lenses, I really do, but I really do not understand anything that involves a $US1000 adapter. And if what you want is a giant pile of weird lenses adapted in all sorts of awkward ways for Leica M, I understand that too, but if so, why ask RFF?

Marty

I am not planning to spend thousands of Dollars on converting several lenses to M mount. The high cost is "needed" only if I really want very badly to continue use my Leica cameras with several lenses, including the Zeiss Planar 50/1.4. I may in the end no do it.

 

[raid]

I have both the ZF 50 1,4 and the C/Y 50 1,4.
(Unfortunately I bought most of my lenses new)
I also have the ZF 50 2 Macro, which is much heavier, but I like it much better.
That is the lens I would go for

I don't own a digital Nikon camera and my old F mount film Nikons have not been used for years.

 

[Orthogonal]

I could get an adapter for $1000 [ a special offer to me] but this is a lot of money. It is very complicated to modify QBM to Leica M.

It has RF coupled RF capabilities. I use such lenses with m 4/3 cameras, as you have said.

If you're planning on using this lens on film I'd suggest a C/Y body, if you're adapting to M because you want to shoot digital I'd suggest buying a full frame mirrorless body from Canon/Nikon/Sony or a 5D2 with the appropriate focusing screen.

The M mount converted 50 1.4 is pretty ungainly, significantly larger than equivalent native M mount options. it'd only make sense if you're both a total Leica M and C/Y fanatic.

 

[raid]

It is not in C/Y mount. It is in QMB mount for Rollei SLR 35mm cameras.
It is not worth it to me to get into yet another digital camera system because of this lens.

 

[raid]

I can use this lens on my Rollei SL35 cameras. I want to use it with a digital Leica. That’s all.

 

[awilder]

My understanding is that the optical the design of the 50/1.4 Planar for either the Rollei QBM or Zeiss C/Y mount is practically the same, the only real difference being the proprietary multi-coating; Rollei's HFT vs Zeiss' T* which I suspect would practically perform the same. One thing that always puzzled me about Rollei's QBM 35/1.4 or 85/1.4 was their triangular shaped aperture. Considering the expense of such lenses, it seems like a strange cost cutting idea leading to some unusual bokeh.

 

[raid]

QBM lenses have become costly for some reason. They may cost more than the corresponding CY lenses. Maybe they are "rare" when compared with CY lenses. The two lenses have three aperture blades, and I don't know why Zeiss chose this design for the 35mm Distagon and the 85mm Planar.

 

[gabrielelopez]

The Nikon ZF version seems to sell for less than the old type versions. I bet, the Nikon ZF lenses are better optically.

I don't know but they are really the only glass that reminds me of that contax g image kind...I have only the 50, that's more than enough to me.

 

[raid]

Are these ZF lenses made by Cosina?

 

[awilder]

All ZF lenses are made by Cosina under the close supervision of Zeiss which of course does all the optical designing. The same was true when Yashica/Kyocera collaborated with Zeiss and made most of the lenses for the Contax RTS and G system. The only exception may have been a few more complex RTS lenses like the 35/1.4 or 55/1.2 lenses that came out of Germany. The Cosina and Yashica made lenses from the 60s-70s lenses prior to Zeiss' collaboration were nothing special but once Zeiss teamed up with them using their proprietary designs, it became a game changer.

 

[raid]

My QBM lenses are all Zeiss made in Germany lenses.

 

[awilder]

I'm assuming the early or premium QBM lenses like the 35/1.4 and 85/1.4 were made in Germany. Maybe that also applies to the early 50/1.4 as well.

 

[raid]

Yes, my 50mm 1.4 Planar was made in Germany too. The Rolleinar lenses in QBM were made in Japan.
I have a Schneider 50/1.8 QBM that was made in Germany.

 

[awilder]

In the beginning of the SL 35 line, the QBM (type 1?) mount had some CZ lenses that started their career from the Contarex line such as the 18/4 Distagon as well as some Schneider lenses like the 50/1.8 SL-Xenon. Regarding the CZ 50/1.4 Planar, it was probably the same design as the C/Y Planar since Contarex only had a 55/1.4 Planar which was never multi-coated (T*). This was all very confusing period since the RTS system arrived in the mid-1970s so I expect there was much overlap in lenses made by Zeiss for both the C/Y RTS and the Rollei SL35 systems.

 

[raid]

There were one pin lenses by QBM and then two or thee pin lenses.

 

[Dogman]

I have a Nikon mount CZ 50/1.4 Planar. Of course, it's made by Cosina but it's beautifully built and I love the look. My eyesight is poor, however, so I don't use it as much as the AF standard lenses I also have--several AF Nikkors and a very nice Tamron 45/1.8 with VR. I'm always impressed with the results from the Planar and I wish I could utilize it better.

There's also a CZ 25/2 in my lens cabinet, also Cosina-made. And it also has a beautiful rendering but I have the same focus limitations with it.

 

[Doug]

I have a Nikon mount CZ 50/1.4 Planar. Of course, it's made by Cosina but it's beautifully built and I love the look. My eyesight is poor, however, so I don't use it as much as the AF standard lenses I also have--several AF Nikkors and a very nice Tamron 45/1.8 with VR. I'm always impressed with the results from the Planar and I wish I could utilize it better.

There's also a CZ 25/2 in my lens cabinet, also Cosina-made. And it also has a beautiful rendering but I have the same focus limitations with it.

Pretty similar lineup here, though mine are the ZK variant in Pentax KA mount. The 1.4/50mm Planar ZK is really excellent, as are my other two in the ZK line: 1.4/85mm Planar ZK (weighing 570g), and 2.0/28mm Distagon ZK (weighing 530g). As you can tell, these are large heavy lenses. The 50mm Planar ZK is the "baby" at only 330g!

 

[raid]

I also have a QMB 85/2.8 Sonnar and a 35/2.8 too. The lenses are well made and they are a little heavy.

 

[awilder]

From what I've read the premium 35/1.4, 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 were available for all QBM versions and only made in Germany, most likely in Braunschweig at the Voigtlander Optical Works, not the Zeiss facility in Oberkochen. They did the same thing for Icarex lenses labeled as Carl Zeiss. The 35/2.8 and 85/2.8 were made in either Germany or Singapore depending on year, both were lighter in weight than the 50/1.4.

 

[raid]

I just read online that the QBM 35/1.4 shows 3 aperture blades but in fact each two blades were connected, so in fact it has 6 blades. In the 85/1.4 each three blades were connected, so a 3-blades aperture is in fact with 9 blades.