Heliar S 50mm f3.5 - Really the best lens ever made in Nikon RF mount?

C

Captain

Well-known
Local time
4:04 AM
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
264
Many praises have been heaped on the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f3.5 and I have seen it said it would be the finest lens made in Nikon Rangefinder Mount? Do owners of the lens find this a fair comment? The rigid S version Heliar is certainly a well made lens construction wise.
 
I think Tom A , jsuimonen, and a few others own the Heliar-S 50mm f3.5. Owner comments anyone?

The Millenium Nikkor-S is a hard act to beat, and f3.5 does seem a little slow to me, but by all accounts the IQ is there.
 
HMMM I own the Voigtlander 50mm F1.5, 50mm F2.5 and 50mm F3.5 lenses in Nikon Mount. I like them all. Slow speed, use a faster film if you are worried. Im not stuck with Kodachrome 25 any more like in the old days, and there are alot of film to choose from. I wasn't sure of the Voigtlander 50mm F3.5 when I ordered it and now im glad I did. Sharp, light weight, and small. I love it. A B+W filter was a problem due to thread pitch, but I solved that. Pictures of this lens do not due it justice, you have to hold it and use it.
 
It seems that European and not Japanese thread like Steven Gandy thought. The correct B+W 010 UV Haze filter is 27E and not 27mm ES. Both B+W 27mm filters, 27E AND 27ES will screw into the lens, but the hood will not screw into both due to thread pitch difference. Good luck finding the correct one as I have two additional filters, One the standard B+W from B and H Photo and the Digital Pro, and neither one fits correctly. Hopes this helps.
 
The only praise I have ever heard about this lens is that much quoted popular photography test. I'm not sure why they are such authorities. I wish I could see some samples from this lens. Anyone have any photos?
 
"E" is the german abbreviation for "Einschraubgewinde" = screw in thread. "ES" is the german abbreviation for "Einschraubgewinde Steil (e Gewindesteigung)" = screw in thread with steeper thread pitch than normal at the same thread diameter. "E" or "ES" are in-house specifications at B&W only."

Confused? -- you should be.
Click to expand...

Yes I am actually! LOL

I experienced this when I tried to swap filters off a Nikon S 50mm f1.4 to a Voigtlander 40mm f1.4. Both are 43mm but the B+W filter marked 43E will not screw into the Voigtlander very well so Im guessing I need a 43mm ES filter for that lens?

Like Palaeoboy I was also just about to order a 27mm Digi Pro UV from B+W so I order a 27E? But why make the Heliar an E lens and the 40mm an ES? Thats really really weird. I think we need to create a chart or sticky thread for all Voigtlander lenses to sort that one out!
 
I also find the non-collapsible version to be ugly. Very unattractive to my eyes. It looks like what might come out of a Sonnar after some Ex-Lax.
 
When I see photos of it enlarged I suppose I too thought it was an unusually shaped lens but when it arrived it was so compact and well made that I thought in person it was quite a nice looking lens. Its certainly unique looking but I wouldn't call it ugly anymore.
 
sirius said:
The only praise I have ever heard about this lens is that much quoted popular photography test. I'm not sure why they are such authorities. I wish I could see some samples from this lens. Anyone have any photos?
Click to expand...


I just put a handful of shots on my Flickr site taken with the Heliar 50f3.5 in S mount. Yes, it is a bit slow and it does not have the click stops of the LTM mount, but it has that Heliar signature image quaiity. There is a smoothness and "roundness" to the image that other lenses lack. I know I should put the shots on the Rff, but I am damned if I know how!
 
Personally, everyone(other than a couple) thinks of me as a collector around here but I do use every piece of equipment that I buy!!

Kiu
Click to expand...

That's true. I've seen Kiu use a beatiful Nikon S3 with mint 10.5cm F2.5 taking pictures of the kids around my pool. Doing canonballs and all. Kiu does a mean Canonball. But he did hand the S3 to his daughter while doing it.

RFF has been more oriented toward Ranfefinder enthusiasts. People that simply like using Rangefinder equipment. We're a bunch of anachronists in today's computerized world. A lot of us are "computer-experts" that need a sanity break from it all. I have not seen anyone else label equipment as "junk" because the box is tattered. I've got at least fifty 50mm lenses for my rangefinders, and more for the SLR's. I just like the differences in Bokeh that they produce. In fact, Bokeh was invented to help rationalize buying more lenses of the same focal length.
 
Last edited:
Here is one for you Brian:
8671568e987f0e10dcf7cca160d7eba07adf41a.jpg


Nikon S3+3.5cm F2.5 shot on Kodak 800 print film,Exposure unrecorded.

Kiu
 
Last edited:
Thanks Kiu!

Kiu had the record splash for the day.

You have to be really fast to get the kids in Mid-Air like that. A Rangefinder camera's low-latency makes it best suited for the job.
 

Attachments

  • 879137202_f4f6cf8f3d_o.jpg
    879137202_f4f6cf8f3d_o.jpg
    238.2 KB · Views: 1
  • 879034824_e9c3b14593.jpg
    879034824_e9c3b14593.jpg
    243.6 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Very nice shots. Can you scan some blow-ups of a few sections of the negative? Gives an idea of the sharpness.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
Very nice shots. Can you scan some blow-ups of a few sections of the negative? Gives an idea of the sharpness.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brian. Sadly I'm not doing my own scanning yet...there's brand new Epson 750 staring at me from the corner of the office, waiting for me to hook it up :eek: ....so the best I can do is a couple 100% crops.

879693137_4d63411552_o.jpg



880540998_b91d383884_o.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom