cv 50/2.5 is teaching me ...

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paulfish4570

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... a thing or two about its charactertistics. i'm liking this lens more with every roll. here are some shots from around our cabin. R2m, Arista Premium 400, Tmax 1+9, Epson 4490 scans, sunny16 metering.

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and a friend with her 4.5-week-old baby, who was born prematurely; he is thriving:
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i really like how this lens renders OOF areas. it is contrasty, so it makes me think a little harder about exposures; if highlights are on the left, and shadows on the right of a linear scale, i am leaning towards towards the left, exposing for highlights first. i got better scans from this roll, so the epson must like the negatives, too.
 
paulfish4570 said:
i really like how this lens renders OOF areas. it is contrasty, so it makes me think a little harder about exposures; if highlights are on the left, and shadows on the right of a linear scale, i am leaning towards towards the left, exposing for highlights first. i got better scans from this roll, so the epson must like the negatives, too.
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In other words you tend to under expose (?). (I am just learning). By the way, I think this photos you posted here and many others I have seen are interesting compositions. Often they are very much earth-centered. I like the horseshoes on the tree, for instance. That one seemed over-exposed (?) but to good effect. I really feel the texture of the bark. :)
 
It was my first non Leica LTM lens. I still have it and use it for all the reasons noted. Also small and made like a tank!
 
For scanning you surely need to keep the highlights under control.

Pleanty of exposure and short development gives lots of shadow detail, from exposure, and cutting back development keeps highlights under control without losing shadows. Plain old N- 0r pull processing. Negs print like gang busters too.
 
Paul, this lens is excellent, perhaps with CV signature. I very like 4th picture. You've also got the Canon 50/1.8. What differences have you noticed between the two lenses (from memory and not in a direct comparison)?
 
luiman said:
Paul, this lens is excellent, perhaps with CV signature. I very like 4th picture. You've also got the Canon 50/1.8. What differences have you noticed between the two lenses (from memory and not in a direct comparison)?
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Yea Paul, tell us what you think.

I have managed to acquire both of them and haven't used either for a single shot.
 
I hear ya ALL..I just got this lens primarily for my IIIa
Pushed over & Seduced by ALL the Fab shots taken by Erik, Bingley, le vrai rdu. Sparrow, Paul and ALL the rest here @RFf

actually I am quite Content now with my new setup between my M & Barnack
Now All I need to do is spend More Time Shooting..;)
 
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Love the way that RED Pops...
and the Little Man's skinTone is Beautiful...translucent

Do You still have the Skopar Joe ?
seems to work well on the RD1
 
i don't have the canon any longer, but i rermember it well enough. it is a bit less contrasty than the cv, no less sharp, maybe sharper. i think the canon slightly better for people in black and white film than the cv. i like the cv better for abstract compositions, textures and such. the little cv 35/2.5 is a slightly wider version of the cv 50 in the way it renders, i think ...
 
I agree w/ Paul on the comparative sharpness of the Canon and Skopar 50s, although I go the other way on which lens I prefer for color and b&w. The Canon has lovely, painterly bokeh wide open, and does some gorgeous things w/ a film like Portra. I like the combination of tones, sharpness, and contrast in b&w from Skopar. But these differences are small, I think; both are terrific lenses.
 
Thank you Paul and Steve for reports.
"it is a bit less contrasty than the cv, no less sharp, maybe sharper."
"The Canon has lovely, painterly bokeh wide open."
Sharpness and bokeh, just my main parameters for this (still bargain) lens...
 
I should add that Paul's and Erik's photos in this thread reinforce my thinking about the Skopar as a very good lens for b&w. And joe's photo of the boy reinforce's Paul's point about what a very good lens the Skopar is for color. So we're all right! :D

And thank you, Helen, for your nice comment above. What got me thinking seriously about the Skopar 50 were the threads that ChrisN and Erik started, respectively, about 18 mos. or so ago on this lens. The sample photos posted there showed that this lens was a gem optically, and I can say from use that it's ergonimically a pleasure to shoot w/ too.
 
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