I am in love....!

pepeguitarra

pepeguitarra

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Yes, I need to confess it. I am in love with the Carl Zeiss c-Sonnar 50/1.5 ZM. I used to have this lens on a M42 when shooting with Pentax but sold it several years ago. That copy had poor or no coating, etc., but was excellent. This new version in ZM is actually the same lens, but with better coating and unbelievable bokeh. Is it just me? I doubted before buying it because of a focus shift, etc. I have not seen anything wrong with it. It is sharp at 1.5 , 2, 2.8, 4, etc. It is now on my camera at all times. I am just testing it, so, once I get a nice shot, I will post some.
 
I understand the C in front of Sonnar means COMPACT. It is possible that it is a different formula, but it is as good or better.
 
I could certainly be wrong but I believe it is the same formula. I am pretty sure that I read somewhere that the only difference is that the coatings are improved. It is very tough to see any difference between the Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50/1.5 I am using with my Contax and the Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 ZM.
 
From Ken Rockwell, the reviewer of Leica lenses among other things:

From Ken Rockwell, the reviewer of Leica lenses among other things:

Zeiss calls this the Carl Zeiss C Sonnar 1,5/50 ZM T*.

"C" stands for your choice of Compact or Classic.

Sonnar is Zeiss' trademark for fast normal lenses.

ZM means LEICA M mount.

T* is Zeiss' trademark for their multicoating.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/zeiss/zm/50mm-f15/diagram-1200.gif


6 elements in 4 groups.

T* is Zeiss' trademark for their multicoating.

This lens was designed in the days before lens coatings. Its simple design works well without coatings, so with multicoating, its contrast remains very high in difficult light.
 
diagram-1200.gif
 
Congratulations. It is one remarkable lens. I love it at all apertures. Just this morning I was reading about the Monochrom on Steve Huff's site and came across his more recent contribution on the ZM C Sonnar: he says what I notice, that things taken with that lens look better than they really are, and in one case he was just photographing a patch of dirt near his house. There is a lot of angst about the focus shift. It's there, but it can be managed, unless your copy is truly optimized for exactly 1.5. Mine is ideally set for focus at 2.2 (I don't say optimized as it is likely inadvertent). Mine is supposedly optimized for 1.5., but it gives me slight front focus of 1cm wide open and slight back focus at f2.8 and some remaining asymmetry of the depth of field at f4 which is of no consequence.
 
I use it whatever aperture I need and don't worry about focus shift. If it's there it doesn't affect my pictures. I really enjoy the look of my pictures with this lens.
 
Focus shift appears to be an issue with this lens and digital more. It's certainly there since Zeiss even says it it.
 
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