Is Hexanon 50 a Summicron 50?

[Krosya]

Hi,
I was wondering if m-Hexanon is the same optical formula as Summicron 50? I understand that Hexanon 90/2.8 is Sonnar or something similar, but Hex 50 - is it more Summicron, or Planar or Sonnar or something of it's own design?
Thanks.

 

[ferider]

AFAIK, both Summicron and 50 M-Hexanon are symmetrical, double Gauss,
Planar based designs (like many other 50s, the basic design is over 100 years
old). The 90/2.8 is an unsymmetrical Ernostar based lens, a predecessor
of the Sonnar.

Best,

Roland.

 

[Krosya]

Thanks for the info!
It's interesting that Planar and Summicron seem to deliver different look to a photo. I have both Planar ZM and Rigid Summicron and they are completely different lenses, as far as how the photos from each look. I wonder how M-Hexanon differes from them?

 

[ferider]

It's a little bit like car engines, Krosya. There are very few basic designs
of the combustion engine (Otto, Diesel, Wankel, 2-Cycle) but there
can be a lot of difference when you actually drive them 🙂

Few people use the M-Hexanon 50/2 but who does is usually very happy.
Check with RayPA, for instance.

Best,

Roland.

 

[Avotius]

As I understand it the hexanon follows the zeiss look more then the leica look. The colors are more toned with what the planar would produce although by my eye doesnt seem as vibrant, which is not a bad thing, just a different look.

 

[jja]

Having owned both lenses, I agree that there is a different look between the Summicron and Hexanon, but I'm not sure I can describe it. I am always really pleased with the atmosphere the Hexanon can create.

 

[ferider]

Here is a long thread on the subject (Hex vs Planar vs Summicron):

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30158.

Best,

Roland.

 

[pvdhaar]

This is what the manual that came with the lens says about the optical properties of the 50/2 Hexanon:

"The lens is a Gauss type having a structure of three groups, three lenses in the forward group and three lenses, two groups in the rear group. It provides excellent performance at all points in its range of distances from the closest at 0.7 meters to infinity. High-refraction, low-distribution glass is used for all convex lenses to provide low spherical aberration and high-contrast definition over the entire image range from aperture opening (F2). The lens structure in front and behind the aperture is almost completely symmetrical to reduce distortion and produce no distortion in subject image. Chromatic aberration too has been very well corrected to give a clear finish with almost no scattering of color."

By the way, I think low-distrubution glass is an erroneous translation of low-dispersion glass, as in glass that directs the light in the same way for a wide range of wavelengths..

Other grains of knowledge hidden in the manual: "Except for the surfaces that are adhered together, all surfaces are multicoated".

Never mind though, its a killer lens.