New Classic Collection Nickel 50/3.5 and 50/2 Heliars

What's expensive! Have you priced a Summicron 50 lately? The 50f3.5 is regarded as one of the sharpest 50's ever made - and the 50f2 is priced at around what a late Summicron 50f2 used - or a 50f2 Planar ZM costs - and these two allows you to use them on LTM cameras too.
 
hmm.. am revealing my cluelessness, but are these "anniversary" lenses old designs, and production just started again, or something new ?
 
These are a limited series of the same lenses that went on the Bessa T 101 and the Bessa "250 Year". Mr Kobayashi decided that he would not make the lenses only for these cameras - as they were sold as kits.
Once the kits were sold out he decided that now he could make them again, but as lenses only. The nickel plate finish and the LTM (on the 50f2 which was only made as a M-mount for the "250" camera) would set them apart.
They look better in "real life" than on pictures too.
Both of these lenses are great performers. The 50f3.5 will collapse quite nicely, but I have to admit that the collapsing feature on the f2.0 is more of a "novelty" than a practical function.
2009 is the 50th Anniversary of the Cosina Company and Mr Kobayashi decided that to celebrate this, he would concentrate on 50 mm lenses this year (he's got a great sense of humor too). I tried to push for a 10 mm as it is also the 10th Anniversary of the VC lens/camera line. Haven't heard anything about that yet!
 
thanks for the info Tom. I find 50/f3.5 more interesting, wonder how will it perform compared to collapsible 50 Elmar.

but, before getting another 50, would have to part from one or two old ones first :eek:
 
>2009 is the 50th Anniversary of the Cosina Company and Mr Kobayashi decided that to
>celebrate this, he would concentrate on 50 mm lenses this year (he's got a great sense of
> humor too).

Cool! I am loading up my Black Cosina STL 1000 and putting the Cosinon 50/1.8 on it! It replaces the one that I wore out over 30 years ago, that I bought when I was 12. I also use a Pentax 85/4.5 Ultra-Achromat on it. (amazing colors)
 
I've always wondered about the 50mm f:2 Heliar since it is only a 5-element lens, without aspheric elements. By contrast, the 50mm f:2.5 Skopar has 7 elements. Is the Heliar really sharp, and if so how do they do it?
 
Tom A said:
What's expensive! Have you priced a Summicron 50 lately? The 50f3.5 is regarded as one of the sharpest 50's ever made - and the 50f2 is priced at around what a late Summicron 50f2 used - or a 50f2 Planar ZM costs - and these two allows you to use them on LTM cameras too.
Click to expand...
Three or so - years back I bought (used) a model 'T' with that collapsible 50 f3.5 fitted, that lens was the best 50 I ever had!....I'm still kicking myself for parting with it! :bang:
Dave.

unfortunately - it's crap for all you bokeh fanatics!
 
Last edited:
Tom A said:
What's expensive! Have you priced a Summicron 50 lately? The 50f3.5 is regarded as one of the sharpest 50's ever made - and the 50f2 is priced at around what a late Summicron 50f2 used - or a 50f2 Planar ZM costs - and these two allows you to use them on LTM cameras too.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the equally beautiful made 50mm f/2.5 and 28mm f/3.5 Color Skopars were a lot cheaper!

Erik.
 
Eric, unfortunately the yen/$ has changed considerably since the days of the 50f2.5 and the 28f3.5 and that accounts to some extent for the hike in price.
They are also limited editions (600 of each) and some extra is tacked on for that. I also suspect that these are the last of the LTM lenses from Mr Kobayashi as he seems more interested in supplying them with M-mount these days.
 
Can any one verify whether the LTM Heliar 50/2 is collapsible or not... it almost appears that is not according to the specs on the Cosina site. Any input on this... Tom?
 
The f2 is collapsible - just as the m-mount one. We talked about this in Japan last March and Mr Kobayashi likes collapsibles. I had suggested that he make it as a rigid - but it would involve a redesign of the whole mount and subsequent higher price.
With my black one, I just leave it out and if I get one of Nickel ones - it would be left out too. I have the negfiles to prove that you can forget to pull it out and you get lot's of "bokeh" and not much else.
 
Tom...

Thanks for that advice... I cannot even begin to afford another lens at the moment, but I may propose some serious 'horse-trading' with Scott at Mainline Photo to get the Heliar 50/2.

I am thinking... a silver Bessa R and the Collapsible Heliar 50/2 might just the one camera/one lens combination I am looking for... have to do some scratching about on the forum here and on Flickr to see if the image rendition is to my liking... but I am finding more and more that the camera/lens/film/developer amounts to 'stuff-all' in the process of making great photographs.
 
If I had the money, I'll admit that I'd love one of the 50/3.5's as a counterpoint for my Summitar. It certainly would look pretty on a IIIf :) Not anytime soon, though...

William
 
I think people just hesitate to spend money on "limited eidition" from CV. Quite understandable though.
 
Robin, CV Limited Editions are quite nice. They are modestly priced compared to Leica, they do fill a niche - and they are truly limited - 600 of each is rather modest. I never buy lenses or cameras as an "investment" just for using. However, I am quite happy that I bought my 28f3.5's when i did. The prices are going up now as is lenses like the 35f2.5 in Nikkor mount as demand outstrips supply.
I dont "need" another 50f2 Heliar or a 50f3.5 Heliar - but they are different looking and as I like them for their image quality - I will probably buy them - particularly as the 2 of them cost less than another Summicron 50!! Not a rational reason, but why not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom