From My "New" Serenar

[DeeCee3]

As posted earlier this week, my Serenar 50mm f1.8 arrived. I've never worked with one before, or even seen one, for that matter. But from my first experiences with it, I think it was a good acquisition. I shoot a Leica M2 and many years ago, when I had previously owned an M2, my favorite lens was the old collapsible f2.8 Elmar. Imagine my pleasure, then, at opening the KEH package and seeing this extremely similar lens.

We had some rain over the weekend which caused the wild mushrooms in our woods to sprout. Attached are a couple of them shot with the M2/Serenar combo.

dc3

 

[charjohncarter]

I have the 35mm Serenar (very early), it is not the best lens. I call it an f 8 35mm Serenar. Yours look like you got a good copy. I actually like bad lenses, but my Serenar has no retro/special effect qualities. I use it a lot though because; it is small, easy to use, and I like the length. Good luck with yours.

 

[airds]

Good scanning technique!

 

[Silva Lining]

uh oh looks like your lens has got fungus 😱 😀


I have one of these - they are great lenses!

 

[helen.HH]

uh oh looks like your lens has got fungus 😱 😀

Silva :
Very well Put.....🙂🙂
had me nearly peeing in my pants......

Charjohncarter:
I have a canon 35/1.8 which i adore
Not sure which year : 20320 pertains to but I Adore this lens ...Wonderful Soft 'Glow' /a retro feel and beautiful crispness
though the lens does not have 'serenar' logo
and I recently just got from Ebay a Canon 28/2.8 (for my Rd1s & M4)

Cheers- H

 

[Bingley]

Congrats and welcome to the Canon 50/1.8 club. I've got version 2 black and chrome, but it's the same optics as the older serenar version. A wonderful little lens, I find the moderate contrast just right for a lot of shooting conditions, and the oof is beautifully smooth. What's not to like? Post some more pics, and watch out for that fungus!! 🙄😀

 

[payasam]

From 1985 to 2002 I used a 50/1.8 Serenar on an M3 and a VT Deluxe. It was clean, it worked smoothly, and I never had reason to complain.

 

[charjohncarter]

Helen, mine is I think Canon's first try at this focal length, but every once in a while I get some think good out of it:

 

[cjm]

DeeCee3, congrats on the purchase!

I also have a recently acquired M2/Serenar combo. Here's some recent stuff...

Arista II @800 in HC-110

Tri-X @800 in HC-110

Up close on the Serenar...

 

[gordonb]

DeeCee3, congrats on the purchase!

I also have a recently acquired M2/Serenar combo. Here's some recent stuff...

Tri-X @800 in HC-110

Up close on the Serenar...

Nice body shame about the face 😱 Still works though I'll bet you get some interesting effects when your subject is backlit

 

[Highway 61]

Up close on the Serenar...

Acid glass-etching anaerobic fungus. Heavy (not fixable) case.

Keep that lens away from the rest of your photo gear.

 

[Erik L]

Acid glass-etching anaerobic fungus. Heavy (not fixable) case.

Keep that lens away from the rest of your photo gear.

eh looks like my 100mm did
http://upshizzle.com/temp/IMG_1396.jpg
and it all cleaned up nicely, pretty much.
i think its worth a try to clean.

 

[crawdiddy]

Acid glass-etching anaerobic fungus. Heavy (not fixable) case.

Keep that lens away from the rest of your photo gear.

Really? Is that what fungus looks like? I've heard the term so much, bu never known exactly what it looked like.

This lens simply looks scratched to me..

 

[Highway 61]

Really? Is that what fungus looks like? I've heard the term so much, bu never known exactly what it looked like.

Sometimes, yes.

Sometimes it will look different. There are many types of lenses fungi.

I once tried to clean a Canon rangefinder 50/1.8 lens that had the very exact similar fungus type than the one that has grown inside the Serenar 50/1.8 displayed above.

The fungus cleaned up well but the rear group glass was etched, as if it had been cleaned with sandpaper. So - the lens was ruined, optically speaking.

That dense net made of a series of .--.--...--... spots all over the lens surface and looking like some night skies stars constellations is fairly typical of the terrible acid fungus.

Aerobic fungus (way easier to clean and kill for good, and quite harmless for the glass surface, in general) is usually located around the edges of the glass and rather looks like a white spiderweb.

That Serenar seems to have scratches on its front element too. But if you carefully look at the photo you will see that the fungus is located deep in the lens. Probably on a glass element facing the aperture blades.