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.