it's here & it's beautiful!

[back alley]

at long last, my 100/4 serenar has arrived!!!

this was the lens purchase that started it all.
i 'won' the 135 and then the 85 afterward but they were delivered first.

i checked the u.s. post mark and the seller did send it when he said he did. gotta love that postal system along with customs canada, but hey, all is forgiven (not forgotten) - the lens is here.

and it's a beauty.
arrived fully dressed in a not too shabby leather case custom tailored for it. lovely chrome caps at each end, and a chrome finder in the top part of the case and a very nice chrome (silvered?) walz 34mm uv filter attached as well. all glass seems perfect.

i love this lens!

it is only a hair longer than the 85 but much slimmer and lighter. a tad shorter than the 135 but also much slimmer.

in short- made for the p!

i know it's not up to the sharpness standards of the 135 or even the 85, from what i have read- but who cares?

better shooters have taken better photos with lesser lenses.

i can't wait to shoot some tomorrow after coffee with the boys.

joe
sitting, smiling and smiling some more

 

[rover]

Congratulations, post some of those shots too. I would love to see some comparison images from your three new toys.

 

[back alley]

you betcha!

oh and did i mention the walz hood i picked up in 34mm fits it like a glove?
oh it's heaven, now just waiting on tim's filters from oz.

joe

 

[Rich Silfver]

Congratulations. Any chance we'll see a photo of the P with the lens mounted on it? 🙂

 

[back alley]

oh i think that could be arranged.

i'm thinking-maybe a family portrait - with a pot of coffee.

joe

 

[Huck Finn]

Congrats, Joe! 🙂

And . . . enjoy!! 😎

 

[FrankS]

All right! Pictures of, and pictures with, all 3 lenses would be great! In a bit, I'll be able to add a 135 shot too. Happy for you!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It is not the sharpest lens in the world, nor the fastest, but it renders a pleasing photo. It is a beautifully made lens! Did you get the case with the little compartment for the finder?

Did you get any shots back from the 85? I would like to see how it does compared with the Nikkor and J9.

 

[back alley]

yup!

 

[back alley]

thanks guys!
at long last the whining is over.

ok, for those in the know how would you rank these 3 lenses?

85/2
100/4
135/3.5

just from reading (and not use) i think my ranking would be...

135/3.5
85/2
100/4

am i close?

joe

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Ranked in Terms of Sharpness?

I have not used the Canon 85/2; but I suspect it is a good performer. I have the Nikkor, and they are both Sonnar copies. I am biased toward the fast 85.

85/2 (going by my nikkor and J9)
135/3.5 (A great lens, but that 85!)
100/4 (on Par with the 9cm F4 Elmar)

But remember, the sharpest and highest contrast lens does not always give the most pleasing photograph. Each lens has its personality, the designs were not cookie-cut out of a computer.

 

[back alley]

oh i agree with you brian.

from what i have seen and read, the 90 elmar is my kind of lens also. that's why i'm not too concerned about the 100/4.
i'm thinking i may keep all the lenses now that i have them in my bag.
or maybe trade the 85 & 135 for a 35/2 and hope for the 100/3.5 someday.

too many choices...

joe

 

[taffer]

Hey Joe, it's always worth to be patient, congrats !!! 😀

Now you can start building a webpage with comparisons of all three lenses 😉

 

[rover]

A gym membership may pay off too. Folks will start looking at you strange though when they realize you are only working on one body part, your camera bag shoulder.

 

[back alley]

the bag is a bit on the heavy side, lol.

but i rarely take it all with me. my norm is to carry one lens on the body and one other in the bag. with this rig, i'm not too sure, 85/100/135 are close to each other. but the p has a frameline for the 100, easier to use. if i like the other 2 lenses and can get used to guesstimating w/o aditional viewfinders, then no problem to choose.
tough choices...😉

joe

 

[Paul Connet]

Its here and its beautiful

Its here and its beautiful

the bag is a bit on the heavy side, lol.

but i rarely take it all with me. my norm is to carry one lens on the body and one other in the bag. with this rig, i'm not too sure, 85/100/135 are close to each other. but the p has a frameline for the 100, easier to use. if i like the other 2 lenses and can get used to guesstimating w/o aditional viewfinders, then no problem to choose.
tough choices...😉

joe

Hi Joe, congratulations on your new toy.

You said earlier that you were getting a 100mm viewfinder with the lens. I have a few of these old chrome finders and have a question for you. There is a spring in the base that tensions the paralax adjustment. On yours, which way does the spring oppose the adjustment. In other words, when mounted on the camera and set to infinity, does it tip forward against the spring, or back against the spring. I have both types and find the ones that tip forward are prone to do that when I press my glasses against them to view the subject. This is a major pain as it screws up the paralax setting.

Just curious, Paul C.

 

[back alley]

hey paul,

my canon p has framelines for the 100mm so i have not used the finder. but, since you asked, i took a close look at the finder and when set at it's min distance of 5 feet the front point down. at infinity it seems level but can be moved, so the front of the finder can be moved upwards.
in truth i am a sloppy shooter and probably wouldn't have noticed on my own.
my solution to this external finder thing is to get myself a canon 7 with built in framelines for my 85 and 135 lenses.

joe

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Glad to hear your wait is over. That suspense really killed me so long ago I forgot!

Must admire your patience, Joe... 🙂

 

[back alley]

you flatter me francisco, my patience was long gone, replaced by intense thoughts of revenge against those who conspired to keep my precious from me...

joe

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Congratulations, Joe. US/Canadian Customs can be more of a problem than you would think is necessary. All kidding aside, I have had items delivered to Asia, Europe, and Australia faster than to Canada. If I buy on eBay and it's from Canada I know it will take AT LEAST two weeks, minimum. Glad for you that it's finally here -- ENJOY!

D2