Help Me Choose a Non-Leitz 50

[DeeCee3]

After returning to the Leica fold not too long ago, I find myself facing up to the fact I simply cannot afford some of the glass I want. For years, the main glass on my M2 was either the 2.8 Elmar or the DR-Summicron. Well, I just can't justify paying for one any longer.

How good is the old Canon Serenar or the non-Serenar 50 f1.8 as compared to a CV Nokton?

Your advice will be much appreciated.

dc3

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I don't know about Noktons, but there are more choices now.

For instance,

Minolta 40mm (I know it's not a 50, but it's highly recommended; comes from the CLE cameras; there's a CV f1.4 also in 40mm)
CV 50 f1.5 (you must know about it already)
Heliar f2.5 (I believe it's a collapsible LTR lens)
Konica Hexanon f2 (for the Hexar RF Konica cameras)

Of course, there's always FSU glass, but that's another story.

To be quite honest, in this day and age you can find Leica glass adequately priced, sometimes more reasonably than Canon or even LTR Nikon. In any event, those are the lenses that come to mind right now. Let's see what others can add.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[rlouzan]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62970

 

[awilder]

Your budget would help in our advice. The 50 Hexanon is a great choice but if you want to limit your cost to $200-300 consider a 50/1.4 LTM Canon, arguably the best of their 50's.

 

[payasam]

Used a Serenar 50/1.8 for 17 years on an M3 and can vouch for it. You might like to consider one of the Jupiters also.

 

[wilt]

Jupiters are a gamble, of course. But I got lucky with a Jupiter 8. Quite a personal look to the pictures, nice out of focus areas wide open.

 

[DeeCee3]

Where Do I Find a Hood for 40mm?

Where Do I Find a Hood for 40mm?

Appreciate the several suggestions for 50mm lenses. I already have a Jupiter which is passably good but doubt if I can stretch the exchequer enough to afford a Hexanon although I'm a big fan of Konica glass. That means my choice looks pretty limited right now to a Canon.

The samples of both Serenar and "regular" Canons I've seen are impressive. A big impediment on pulling the trigger on one is that oddball 40mm front thread. I've checked around and can't seem to come up with a 40mm lens hood anywhere...not even a 40-40.5 step ring (I have a 40.5 hood already).

Looks as if I need more help, folks!!

dc3

 

[Meakin]

Here you go :

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Metal-40mm-Screw-in-Ventilated-Lens-Hood-Canon-RF_W0QQitemZ130254123937QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item130254123937&_trkparms=72%3A1163%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Cheers,

/Meakin

 

[cam]

there's a Zeiss Planar for sale in the classifieds here. if f/2 will do you, it seems to be a superb lens.

 

[mfogiel]

The DR Summicron is a great lens for B&W, if you need something really "better", the sharpest modern 50mm lens at wider apertures, great for colour and not terribly expensive is the Planar 50/2 - according to many who shot both, it actually outperforms the current Summicron at a fraction of a price. I doubt an old Canon lens could be better than the DR, BTW.

 

[Sam N]

ZM Planar ($500-550 used?)
I don't have one but it's very nice in a different way than the summicrons

Jupiter-3 50/1.5 Sonnar clone ($150ish if you can find a good one)
This can come pretty close to the new C-Sonnar (except in terms of color), but not everyone likes the Sonnar look. Beautiful bokeh.

Jupiter-8 50/2 Sonnar clone (very cheap)
I got a good one of these (silver barrel) and I love it, but again you have to like the Sonnar look.

Nokton 50/1.5
This lens is much fatter than the above three. It's a very good performer, but I'm not a big fan of the handling.

Heliar 50/2
Very nice build and handling. Some love it and some hate it, but it's certainly unique.

You can sometimes find 3rd gen Summicrons for $550ish.

 

[sanmich]

IMHO, the best bang for the bucks is the canon 50 1.8. in the 150$ range and really excellent.
I advise for the black one, because the chromes are heavy beasts, although beautiful.
Be careful with the black ones though, lots of them has very heavy haze on one of the elements. Kind of self destructed with time...

The J-8 are a kind of a game. Had two of them, one out of collimation, the other was far from being a really good performer. One surprising lens is the I-61. dirt cheap and VERY good. Frankly, for the kind of money needed to get a decent canon lens, FOR ME, there is no point buying FSU lenses...

I forgot: the canon 50mm 1.4 is also a real wonder. really excellent, running for about twice the price of the 1.8 and quite bigger (the 1.8 is ok on a Barnack but the 1.4 is oversized for them)

Good luck!

 

[rlouzan]

KEH Camera

50mm DR Summicron without eyes - UG $205-215

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Prod...=true&ID=8&BC=LM&BCC=1&CC=&CCC=&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=

 

[rlouzan]

50mm f1.5 Nokton - BGN $235

http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Prod...ize=&BC=LS&BCC=1&CC=8&CCC=2&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=&KW=

 

[jmkelly]

Cost-wise it is tough to beat the Russian lenses. I lucked out with a J-3 direct from Ukraine that, in terms of focus, is every bit as good as another one of mine that Brian Sweeney massaged, but has better glass. I figure at about $90 a pop with shipping I can roll the dice. This J-3 is as good as my 10x-the-cost ZM 50 Sonnar C except for flare control and handling (I really like the short focus throw on the Sonnar C).

I have the 50mm Hexanon that came with my Hexar RF and doubt I will ever sell it. It is just an outstanding performer - for a slow (😉) f2 lens.

I have not used the Canon 50/1.8 Serenar but have a 50/1.5 that I like a lot - except that finding one in good shape for less than the cost of a 50mm KM Hexanon is becoming very difficult indeed. I have, and have had, other Canon RF glass and in my experience they are very good lenses.

 

[DeeCee3]

Thanks For Great Help

Thanks For Great Help

All of you gave good, thoughtful counsel which I appreciate a lot. After weighing the pros and cons (and carefully tweaking the figures in the bank account!) I plumped for a Canon Serenar f1.8 and that neat vented hood from Leica2Stars.

dc3

 

[luketrash]

Hey, I'm in the same boat. I've already got way too many 50mm lenses for M mount:

FED Industar-10, Jupiter-8, Nikkor HC 50/2, CV Heliar Classic 50/2, and I am being given a Canon 50/1.4.

However, I'm lusting over a black ZM 50/2. My goal is high contrast and high sharpness wide open, but at a cost under 1000 dollars.

I have never held or shot with the Nocton 50mm f1.5, but it looks too much like a boring old SLR lens to me and I've seen examples where the paint flaked off. I have a 40mm Nokton that I do like, and the Heliar Classic is a funky lens.

The Heliar Classic vs the Zeiss ZM is a no brainer. Get the Zeiss. I found my Heliar Classic for a pitiful price. It's just dandy stopped down, and the OOF areas are nice and unique. However, it's not sharp enough for me when wide open, and I'm wanting something to carry out into the darkness.

Choices, choices! I am a helpless gear hoarder, so everything I'm talking about might be lunacy!

 

[Bingley]

All of you gave good, thoughtful counsel which I appreciate a lot. After weighing the pros and cons (and carefully tweaking the figures in the bank account!) I plumped for a Canon Serenar f1.8 and that neat vented hood from Leica2Stars.

dc3

Congrats! The Canon 50/1.8 is a real sleeper of a lens, and is undervalued I suspect b/c it is so inexpensive these days. I've got the black and chrome version (sometimes called version 2), and find that it's very sharp, has very nice smooth bokeh, and is contrasty enough w/out blowing highlights. Dante Stella wrote an interesting article on Canon Lenses for Leicas, that favorably compared this lens to a summicron from the early 60s; it's on his website, www.dantestella.com. I also like this lens for travel; it's not overly large or heavy, but is still fast enough. Balances well on Canon P, M2, and Bessa R*. The only drawback is close focusing distance (c. 1 m), but I live w/ that.

Edit: Forgot to add... for hoods and filters, you can get 40-43mm step-up rings from B&H. The original hoods and 40mm filters are hard to find and pricey.

 

[Graybeard]

Some thoughts-

For a modern lens both the 50mm/f2 Hexanon and the 50mm/f1.5 Nokton are fine lenses. I have, and use, both. My preference is the Hexanon, principally because the Nokton is so large. The Hexanon rivals a Summicron in performance and mechanical construction.

I finances permit, a modern lens is the one to have. If not then:

The 50m/f1.8 Serenar is quite a decent lens. I've had one (chrome) since 1963 on my IIIc and it has been a good performer. However, optics have advanced quite a bit since the last Serenar left the factory (modern lenses are better by most measures of performance - no surprise) and the oddball 40mm filter thread can be a real annoyance.

Ditto about the Nikkor LTM lenses. These tend to be more difficult to find than the Canon/Serenar lenses. No odd filter thread irritation with the NIkkors.