Is the Heliar 50mm 3.5 over hyped?

[former member]

I just went through the same decision making process, buy the new Nokton or buy some classics. Getting the Classics won out. Bought several lenses, including a first-year J-3. I have to be me.

 

[roundg]

I may be surprised myself, Larry. I have always been in favor of a lens with certain rendition and not just speed.

Thanks.

I believe it's the right choice.

and all CV lens drop their price rapidly in used market. YOu can always buy one later at a much cheaper price.

The nokton 1.1 is not an all around lens to carry. I won't be surprised if I saw many available in used market one year later.😎

 

[Sonnar2]

The LTM version isn't that ugly.

 

[raid]

I just went through the same decision making process, buy the new Nokton or buy some classics. Getting the Classics won out. Bought several lenses, including a first-year J-3. I have to be me.

Brain,
Just like you, I love the vintage lenses. They add "something" to the enjoyment each time I use a lens.

 

[raid]

I believe it's the right choice.

and all CV lens drop their price rapidly in used market. YOu can always buy one later at a much cheaper price.

The nokton 1.1 is not an all around lens to carry. I won't be surprised if I saw many available in used market one year later.😎

I live in sunny Florida [we had 100F today!] where a film is "fast" at ASA100, so a fast lens is not really needed unless you want to frequent bars to take photos. I prefer the outside and front porches of homes ... etc.

Maybe I have done the right thing for myself.

 

[raid]

The LTM version isn't that ugly.

I waited for quite some time until I could find a well priced LTM version since I simply could not stomach the look of the Nikon S mount Heliar on Stephen's website. I would say ... buy it ... then I would say ... this lens is so ugly that it may annoy other lenses in the same camera bag.

The LTM lens is not ugly at all as I see it. It has "character".

 

[panzerneo]

Are you a 100lp/mm shooter?

Are you a 100lp/mm shooter?

I own the Heliar 50mm f/3.5 and I'm not afraid to say this is
my favorite lens. I can't
wait to try it out on the Olympus e-p1 once I have the money.
I love its glow and color rendition, as much as I love its sharpness.

Erwin Puts says it best that this type of lens is very challenging to shoot. Hand-holding the camera while shooting slower than 1/500s is effectively putting a low-pass filter on the lens and reducing its resolution to 20-30lp/mm.

Since I hate tripods and flashes, I've instead tried to master various shooting techniques to minimize motion.
This sounds obvious, but I still see plenty of people with expensive glass shooting like they're holding a disposable camera!
Find support wherever you can (tree, benches, walls, door frames, bicycle saddles, sit on the ground, etc.)

Also, try the press-and-hold release technique.
Go ahead, do a few test-shots on a digital camera in low-light conditions, you'll be amazed at the difference!

On my digital cameras, for stuff that allows a bit more time, I use the 2-s timer, even hand-holding.
In conjunction with some rest, you'll get above the 60lp/mm limit, maybe even 100lp/mm and your shots will show.

 

[Harry Lime]

A friend of mine had one. He felt that it was very good, but not the jaw dropper as hyped on the internet.

 

[raid]

I will know soon how sharp the lens is based on non-scientific methods for comparing lenses. If using a heavy tripod and clean lenses does not show me real differences between some of the lenses, then for all practical purposes there will be no such differences as perceived by most photographers.

As for the the Nikon mount Heliar 50/3.5, it is the ugly duckling of all lenses created in this world.

 

[mike rosenlof]

OK, it's a 7 year old thread. I have no idea what aperture I made this photo at. It was probably fairly close to wide open. It's the Heliar on an Olympus Pen digital something. Hand held. "The sharpest lens ever" doesn't matter if you hand hold it. We all know that don't we? 🙂

 

[raid]

Welcome back to this thread! I still own my Heliar 50/3.5.

 

[froyd]

I was excited to read a comment by Brian Sweeney ...then I saw it was from 2009. Bummer.

Glad you are still enjoying the Heliar, Raid.

 

[Emile de Leon]

Did anyone ever do a tripod test of the Heliar F3.5...
Can it resolve up close or far away with the same 100 lines per mm..?

 

[Bruno Gracia]

I think is the best slow 50 around there...

 

[Doug]

I have the nickel-finish in ltm... I haven't used it a lot due to the ergonomics but it performs very well, and with smooth bokeh. The symmetrical Heliar design is often used for macro lenses as it does well with a wide range of subject distance. But the design is not well suited for fast lenses, the Heliar 50mm f/2 being unique in speed. Many other Voigtlander lenses carrying the Heliar name have little or no relation to the traditional Heliar construction. The 75mm f/1.8 is interesting as a modern recap of the Leica 73mm f/1.9 Hektor, both essentially a Heliar design with the center negative element replaced by a negative cemented pair.

Heliar f/3.5 here on an M(240)

 

[Huss]

I have the nickel-finish in ltm... I haven't used it a lot due to the ergonomics

That's why I got rid of mine. I hated the ergos, especially the aperture dial.

 

[nickla]

Thread resurrection!

Thread resurrection!

Ok. So old thread, but I’ve got question about this lens.

I’m looking at a few online and doubt I will be able to play with One in person as they’re so rare.

So, the question...

What’s the focus travel like on this bad boy? Looking at the stops in pictures it looks quite long.

I do mostly street Photography so a short focus throw is prettt important to me.

Thanks
Nick

 

[jarski]

What’s the focus travel like on this bad boy? Looking at the stops in pictures it looks quite long.

in my 10th anniversary Heliar 50 f3.5 its little over half circle, not overly long in my opinion.

 

[nickla]

in my 10th anniversary Heliar 50 f3.5 its little over half circle, not overly long in my opinion.

Thanks for the response. I think I can make that work!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

It is true retro, LTM lens for focus throw. Just like Elmar 50 3.5 or Industar 22/50 3.5. Very usable on the street and quick to focus between infinity and two meters. Then, starting from two meters to one this is where it gets very long.
On M mount bodies 50mm lenses like these at one meter will have focus tab up and close to VF window. Usually it is not an issue for common street photography. Only if you are after Gulden/Cohen close ups. But 50mm is not for it anyway.