Cheapest 50mm "Character" Lens for M8.2?

[Sonnar Brian]

Jupiter-3 for a relatively inexpensive, fast-50:

1974 J-3, modified for close-focus, wide-open on the M8:



1957 J-3, wide-open on the M8:



1956 KMZ J-3, modified for close-focus, wide-open on the M8

 

[jsrockit]

When I say cheapest ... I mean not the same amount I can spend on a great lens. I'm talking Jupiter to Summar / Canon 1.8 money... what's the cheapest lens that is worth bothering with for charecter? I've used the Summar... that's on the right track for what I'm talking about.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

All of these run in the $100 to $200 range. I have all the ones you mentioned. Jupiter-3 for fast, Canon 50/1.8 for sharpest but more neutral in character, and Summar for low-contrast, older look. Of all of them, the J-3 uses 40.5mm filters, easiest to find UV/IR filters. Canon uses 40mm filters, you need to get a step-up ring. I use a 43mm step-up. Summar- uses 34mm filters.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Canon 50/1.8 wide-open on the M8:

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Chrome Canon 50/1.8 on the Canon P:

 

[jsrockit]

Thanks BS, I forgot about the filter issue... (how could I?)

I've tried the Canon for a few minutes I believe (from a fellow RFF member during a meeting) and I have a really f-ed up summar at home. Maybe I should get a better copy...

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Summars are hard to find with good front elements. The glass was soft, and easily damaged. I paid $150 for a really nice one, and I think they are up from there.

On my bad-front-glass Summar, $15 with Leica IIIa attached, I used the "as-seen-on-TV" eyeglass repair kit. Makes a nice soft-focus lens. I'll have to try it on the M8 or EP2.

 

[davidbivins]

Jupiter 3 (another vote) - I got mine pretty cheap on 'bay; are they getting more expensive? I use mine on M cameras with a Voigtlander adapter. No adjustment needed. The lenses I have with the most "character" are the J3, collapsible 50mm Summicron, Canon 50mm f/1.0L, and the Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 (the latter two are not M-mountable, of course).

Jupiter 3

Collapsible Summicron (1957?)

 

[GuessWaT]

what kind of adapter do you guys recommend for the Jupitar 3 on a M8?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The best I've had are the Voigtlander adapters, followed by vintage Leitz. I also use the Chinese adapters off of Ebay for a 50, the thickness if the adapter is less critical.

 

[aldobonnard]

+1 for Summarit 50/1.5

+1 for Summarit 50/1.5

Summarit 50mm/1.5 has a nice plain and round bokeh at all apertures, thanks to a perfectly round aperture (15 blades), and is very gentle to digital sensors owing to its lower contrast. It's a very nice lens which I keep on my RD-1 and M7 also (with pushed film, and/or low light/contrasty/harsh conditions, or contrasty films like Neopan 1600)

 

[richfx]

Why would you buy or own an M8.2 and then use cheap lenses with it?

 

[LeicaTom]

I second or third the motion of the Canon f1.8/50mm (chrome pre 1959 version) and also surprised no one's mentioned the Nikkor HC f2/50 "Japan" yet.......their prices have really DROPPED below $300, for an amazing lens

Tom

PS: I would'nt consider a Leitz Summarit a cheap lens......really pristine examples are very hard to come by and I just sold one with caps and hood for over $500

 

[ruslan]

Why would you buy or own an M8.2 and then use cheap lenses with it?

Why? Because too many good cheap lens around. And all new ASPH lenses has too much contrast for digital.