Lens questions

Joe AC

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So, I've been a Leica guy for many years now, and although I've been very satisfied with them, I've always had a Nikon RF itch. Well, I've finally scratched it. I'm now patiently waiting for a Nikon S2 and 50mm 1.4 to arrive in the mail. I think that I've made a good choice, but have some questions. First: Is the 50/1.4 a good lens? How does it stack up against say, a Summilux of the same era? Or even a Canon 50/1.4? My concern is that I've not heard great thing about it, and someone even recommended the Zeiss sonnar 50mm 1.5 instead. Which brings me to my next question. What needs to be done in order to use Contax lenses on a Nikon? Thanks in advance.

Joe
 
Funny...

I've only heard great things from that lens. Well, actually, there are two versions:

1. the classic sonnar
2. the millenium nikkor.

I've owned the LTM version of the classic Sonnar and I think it's a good lens:




I only got rid of it because I had too many 50's. I had the Canon 50/1.5 (sonnar) and I currently have the Contax 50/1.5. I think all of the lenses are excellent. No experience with the Summilux but the milleunium nikkor is supposed to be in the same league is the summilux ASPH
http://www.imagere.com/edsarticles/fast50shootout.htm

I wouldn't bother adapting contax lenses to be honest...the Nikon's are more ergonomic anyways and maybe even better built and with superior coatings....

you'd probably have to shim something, not sure.
 
Recently I unburied many threads like that to answer another newbie's similar questions, so for now I'm passing the hot potato onto someone else ! :angel:

Let me try this time. Note that I'm not sure which 50/1.4 Nikkor the OP has, so I also the cover the Millenium Nikkor which is a different design than the classic Sonnar.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32642

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113831

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107229

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75223

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129340

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29006

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126165

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66716

Etc.

There are more. BTW, I own two copies of the Nikkor 50/1.4, one from the early, and one from the late 50s. They are both Sonnar designs, very comparable to the classic Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar, and to the LTM Canon 50/1.5 (which is why I include it in the links above as well). The Canon 50/1.4 is a 6 element double Gauss design, and the contemporary Summilux is v1, a 7 element double Gauss. Different for sure, but better ? Depends on what you are looking for.

Great lenses,

Roland.
 
Let me try this time. Note that I'm not sure which 50/1.4 Nikkor the OP has, so I also the cover the Millenium Nikkor which is a different design than the classic Sonnar.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32642

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113831

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107229

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75223

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129340

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29006

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126165

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66716

Etc.

There are more. BTW, I own two copies of the Nikkor 50/1.4, one from the early, and one from the late 50s. They are both Sonnar designs, very comparable to the classic Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar, and to the LTM Canon 50/1.5 (which is why I include it in the links above as well). The Canon 50/1.4 is a 6 element double Gauss design, and the contemporary Summilux is v1, a 7 element double Gauss. Different for sure, but better ? Depends on what you are looking for.

Great lenses,

Roland.

Thanks for the links Roland.

Joe
 
The S2 camera almost certainly would have the original Nikkor S.C. 5cm F1.4 lens.
It is, quite simply, one of the outstanding optics of the 1950s and of all time. It shows its age in certain conditions but outshines in others. At 3 feet, wide open, it is a gorgeous portrait lens. At middle focus distance and middle apertures, the out-focus bokeh can be harsh. Near infinity at wide apertures, the lens vingnettes quite a bit. In all cases, when stopped down, past f/5.6 it is among the sharpest lenses ever created.

By way of history, this lens in its LTM mount was the optic that made Nikon's reputation and brought the company to international attention. When Life magazine's David Douglas Duncan shot the opening months of the Korean War in 1950 with a 50mm Nikkor on Leica bodies, the darkroom technicians noted they were some of the technically finest 35mm negatives the magazine had ever processed. The component companies that became Nikon developed extremely high-tech coatings for Japanese submarine periscopes during the war, which seem to be one of the outstanding aspects of Nikkor lenses from the '50s, whose coatings nearly always remain intact and unblemished by 60 years compared to German lens coatings of similar vintage.

In practical use, the 50/1.4 can flare badly when wide open. Stopping it down just a tiny bit makes a huge difference.
 
The Nikkor lenses were as good as any of the era. I have an LtM 85/2 and I can highly recommend it. I gather the slightly longer lenses were very well regarded at the time, and the wides as well.

The Sonnar lenses (most particularly the 50mm F1.4 and F2 and the 85mm F2) have spherical aberration which is evident at wide open apertures - this gives the good portrait qualities at wide apertures.

Dante Stella has some good info at http://www.dantestella.com/technical/nikoleic.html. The lens formulae are the same whatever the lens mount.
 
"How does it stack up against say, a Summilux of the same era?"

The Nikkor was originally contemporary with the 1.5 Summarit, which didn't stack up to Nikkor – nor did first version of 50 pre-aspherical Summilux. The Type 2 & 3 pre-A Luxes are lovely lenses – maybe you already have one for your Leica? I have a Type 3 BP Lux but like S3 + Nikkor just as much, especially close up and wide open (because Nikkors were optimized for close focus at f1.4).

Re: the 1.5 Sonnar recommendation: Your Nikkor is already a Sonnar – that is, an excellent version of the Sonnar design. If the recommender meant a 2007 1.5 Sonnar in Nikon RF mount, that was a pretty expensive idea. Not many were made with S mount, offered (I suppose) for 2005 SPs that came with 35mm Nikkor; maybe also as an option to Millennium Nikkors, which weren't Sonnars. 2007 Sonnar Cs are fine lenses (anybody want one?), but not for your S2 that already has a classic Nikkor/Sonnar. If you want a more modern look, you could use an inexpensive 50 1.5 Nokton in S mount, or a more expensive Millennium Nikkor; but why turn a classic into a modern? IMO the S2 and trhe original 1.4 Nikkor belong together and you can already enjoy your best option.
 
This is all great information. As I said most of my experience comes from the leica camp. As far as 50s are concerned I had a type 3 lux that I sold, I curently have been shooting a Version 4 Summicron, the Canon 50/1.4 and a newly acquired Elmar II -M . I'm really looking forward to this "new" Nikon set up. It should be a nice change of pace from what I already have. Vince, thanks for the history lesson. I really enjoy learning the background of things like this. I'm should be putting my first roll through it tomorrow. I can't wait to see the results.

Thanks again
Joe
 
If the recommender meant a 2007 1.5 Sonnar in Nikon RF mount, that was a pretty expensive idea.

How expensive is expensive ? :angel:

I can see the odd archived page from the original offer but have struggled to find any "sold" prices for later never mind anyone actually selling one. Given the somewhat lower 😀 price the limited edition cameras now command what would the market bear?

Apologies for diverting the thread, it's having a rough ride !!
 
How expensive is expensive ? :angel:

I can see the odd archived page from the original offer but have struggled to find any "sold" prices for later never mind anyone actually selling one. Given the somewhat lower 😀 price the limited edition cameras now command what would the market bear?

Apologies for diverting the thread, it's having a rough ride !!


I see these in Japan occasionally, the last one I saw came with the original box, etc. and was priced at $800.
 
I just finished one of my "annual" Nikon Rf months. I set aside the Leicas for a couple of month and shoot with my Nikon's instead. The shots are uploaded to Flickr and you can simply tag "Nikon Rf month" and they should show up. Add the tag "Nikkor 50mm f1.4" and some sample shots should show up. My lens tags use the Nikkor designation rather than Nikon.
There are samples from most of Nikon's lenses, from 21f4 (in F mount with adapter) through most available focal lengths. No 50mm f1.1's and no 85mm f1.5's - but just about everything else. All black and white - various films, developers etc.
Tag Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 for the rather elusive S-mount version of this lens - one of my favourite 50's by the way - either in S or M mount. Also some other Zeiss lenses, "Zeiss Planar 35mm f3.5" and "Zeiss Sonnar 85mm f2.0" as well as some Jupiter USSR lenses.
Should give an idea what the various lenses can do and how they render the world.
 
4872629531_6588e7e6f1_z.jpg


This is an older shot of my "pile" of Nikon Rf glass. I think I have added some more since and disposed of some too (nobody REALLY needs 6 Nikkor 35f2.5 or 8 50mm f1.4's).
 
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