Demonstrating Lens "Signature".

[srtiwari]

I hear a lot about different lens "signatures", or one having a "completely different character" from another. Many also talk about "Sonnar vs Planar" and the "Modern vs traditional" look. Aside from 'bokeh' and contrast, these differences have not been as obvious to me, as they apparently are to some people.
I would, therefore, like to do some tests, to try and bring out some of these characteristics, by comparing side by side images.
I happen to have several 50mm and 35mm lenses in Leica M and LTM mounts, all in great shape and with no 'issues' of any kind.

The poll lists the lenses in my stable. I would like people to "check" only the 2 lenses they believe have the most DIFFERENT signature from each other. To people familiar with these lenses, I would expect the votes to cluster around the 2 or 3 lenses most "different" in their signatures.


By the weekend, if there are enough votes to decide which 2 lenses to use, I will take 2 identical images with each lens under various conditions (with an M9) and then post them here for comparison.

( I also have a few 35mm lenses that I plan to rest similarly,later.)

 

[Moriturii]

I would love to see this.

Also like to see difference between uncoated, single coated and multi-coated lenses (same subject, same time, same exposure, on same roll obviously) on B&W film.

 

[dave lackey]

I voted Canon 50/1.4 against Summilux ASPH. Should be interesting 🙂

Pardon me, but I have been spending too much time in the ER this week...but shouldn't the Lux lenses above be F1.4 instead of F2.0?

 

[f16sunshine]

I voted HC nikkor against Lux Asph. But, now I see the poll figures and wonder , how does one decipher the results?

 

[srtiwari]

Pardon me, but I have been spending too much time in the ER this week...but shouldn't the Lux lenses above be F1.4 instead of F2.0?

You're right, of course. It is not the Oxycodon from the ER. I'll fix it. 😱

 

[srtiwari]

I voted HC nikkor against Lux Asph. But, now I see the poll figures and wonder , how does one decipher the results?

Hi Andy,
I expected some of this. Maybe "signature" is not a very clear or consistent difference. However, my hope is that eventually there might be some clustering around 2, or maybe 3 lenses.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

collapsible Summicron, late, at F2:

Nikkor 5cm f2, late, at F2.

 

[dave lackey]

Ha! Thanks for verifying my synchronicity 🙂confused🙂... I need all the support I can get.😛

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Type 1 Rigid Summicron at F4:

Uncoated 5cm f1.5 Sonnar at F4, converted to LTM.

 

[Mackinaw]

I'd like to see the Nikkor (Sonnar design) vs. the DR Summicron.

Also, just a typo, but you listed the Summilux asph as being a F2.0 lens.

Jim B.

 

[jsrockit]

I'd love to see cheapest vs. most expensive...

 

[srtiwari]

I'd like to see the Nikkor (Sonnar design) vs. the DR Summicron.

Also, just a typo, but you listed the Summilux asph as being a F2.0 lens.

Jim B.

Thank you. yes, its a typo. Unfortunately, it seems that, unlike the rest of the thread, I cannot edit the poll items !

 

[jan normandale]

I'm up for this survey, not often there's a good one but this is. So I'm standing by.

 

[srtiwari]

So far, the Canon 50/1.4 and the Summilux Asph have garnered most votes. Surprising, since I thought the Summicron DR would surely represent the far end of one scale. Hopefully, things will separate out a bit better with more participation.

 

[srtiwari]

Type 1 Rigid Summicron at F4:

Uncoated 5cm f1.5 Sonnar at F4, converted to LTM.

Very nice, both pictures.
I'm guessing these represent the old 'look'. Is there anything about these that would be different with a modern lens ?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The "Swirlies" present in the 1950s Summicrons are gone from modern lenses. Modern lenses tend to have higher contrast, more saturation.

The same sonnar, wide-open at F1.5.



I just like the color rendering of uncoated Sonnars.

 

[srtiwari]

To me the most clinical of the bunch would be the Hexanon ... which is why I got rid of mine. The least clinical ... possibly the Canon?

"Clinical" does not sound complimentary. OTOH, I'm told this is a clone of the current Summicron, which is very well regarded.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

cheapest.

Jupiter-3, wide-open at F1.5.

 

[retnull]

There's a little mathematical error with how the poll is set up: to be accurate, you'd have to be able to vote on pairs of lenses, not individual lenses. As it is now, there's no reason why the top two lenses should be the ones that were most frequently voted on as a pair.

 

[srtiwari]

There's a little mathematical error with how the poll is set up: to be accurate, you'd have to be able to vote on pairs of lenses, not individual lenses. As it is now, there's no reason why the top two lenses should be the ones that were most frequently voted on as a pair.

I agree. There's more than a "little" problem. I would ideally have liked to have 2 polls within the thread- one to pick a "traditional" and one a "Modern" signature using the same 7 lenses. But the poll cannot really be set up as such.
OTOH, if there was general agreement as to which lenses in the group fall where on the "signature" continuum. I would expect 2 or 3 lenses to get the most votes. (Remember, the idae is to pick 2 lenses furthest away in signature from each other !) As it is, a muddled outcome might merely support my general impression that references to "Character" and "signature" are very subjective, and do not describe any generally agreed upon, easily identifiable characteristic(s). 😱
However, we still have a few day to go...🙂