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

[kshapero]

Oh boy Gandy has the Heliar 50/3.5, tempted.

 

[Archiver]

I just picked up a secondhand nickel f3.5 from Camera Exchange in Melbourne. It was one of a pair, with the f2. Paul was telling me that he was wondering how come no one had bought them as the price was good. I hemmed and hawed but it came down to the f3.5, as I already have a Summicron and I liked the idea of a collapsing lens. When I saw the test images I was shooting in the LCD I was immediately in love.

The aperture ring is not as firm as on other lenses, but the focusing is beautifully damped and the workmanship is super. It collapses safely into my M9 (thank god) but I'll probably leave it extended most of the time.

Funnily, the person who had owned them had been on the phone to Paul as I walked in the door, talking about something unrelated. It turned out that he had bought them from Paul before, then sold them back to him after he got something else. Soon after that, a new f3.5 and f2 came in to the shop!

I have toys galore at the moment and I'm feeling rather spoiled. Must stop buying gear for a while and get out and use it!

 

[Doug]

Archiver, I hope you'll enjoy your "new" lenses and get good use of them!
Here's the nickel Heliar 50mm f/3.5 on an adapter coded as an Elmar-M, shot on an M9. At least the photo shows a bit of bokeh, both near-side and far. Exposure was 1/25 at f/8

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I did a quickie comparison between the 3.5 Heliar and a bunch of other 50s. The Heliar and the Leica 50 Asph were the sharpest and had the best control of flare. But to be fair, most clean lenses will do pretty well by f:3.5. The trick is that the Heliar seems pretty close to maximum resolution wide open, which is impressive.

This is a 100% center crop of the 50 Asph of a coffee cup sitting on a window ledge. Note the effect of the sun hitting the edge of the cup.

Same cup, but with the Heliar, wide open:

Here's the full image, from the Summilux.

All pix on the Olympus E-P2 and a tripod. I think the Summilux has a liiiiitle more resolution/contrast (and of course it is open 2.5 stops wider). Still pretty impressive for a small batch specialty lens from C/V. Bravo Mr. K!

 

[Doug]

Interesting comparison, Benjamin! They look similar, except that I might be seeing some red-green CA with the 'lux, around the far lip of the cup where there's a very high contrast edge... Is that line a bit greenish looking? No sign of that with the Heliar... And a bit more purple fringing with the Summilux, both on the cup handle and the windowsill highlight.

 

[f16sunshine]

Nice timing to see this thread resurrected. I have a nickel f2/50mm heliar on the way 🙂

 

[Johann Espiritu]

Recently got my 50/2, and really enjoying it! WOrkmanship is top-notch. This is one of the most beautiful looking lenses I've ever seen as well.

Some samples:


Marga by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr


- by The Johann Espiritu™, on Flickr

 

[Doug]

Black collapsible M-mount 50mm f/2 Heliar

Dental assistant wearing lead apron...
Z-I, 2/50mm Heliar, Kodak 100UC

 

[Archiver]

Wow. I took the collapsible nickel f3.5 out for a spin today, and I am really impressed. No focusing errors, which means that anything out of focus is all my fault! It's very sharp at f3.5 and has a wonderful character that I find really pleasing. It is moderate in contrast and has a very 'organic' feeling. I don't know how how else to describe it.

Not sure how it compares with the ZM Sonnar or Summicron at f3.5, but as it stands I am very pleased with my purchase! I also love the vintage look, the novelty of a collapsible lens, and the smaller footprint when it is collapsed. I will do some tests with other lenses as time goes by.

There's nothing I can show from today as it is all family and friends who would kill me if I posted their photos on the internet!

 

[jsrockit]

Great lens, enjoy. I currently use the 50mm f/2 but think about owning the 3.5 again some day.

 

[jarski]

am having 3.5 as well, really like it as well, though its in storage box right now. my only complaint is hard to find lens caps, when one does not want to use the hood.


Barnack Lenses by Jarno Nevala, on Flickr

 

[jsrockit]

my only complaint is hard to find lens caps, when one does not want to use the hood.

Since the hood was small... I would just unscrew the hood and cap and put the whole thing in my pocket.

 

[jarski]

Since the hood was small... I would just unscrew the hood and cap and put the whole thing in my pocket.

there are moments when its nice to have the hood. but sometimes small cap would be better. but dont see myself parting from this lens ever 🙂

 

[jsrockit]

I meant to say I just use the hood and the cap as my cap... I treat the whole combo as a lens cap when I don't need the cap (just unscrew the whole piece and put it in my pocket). However, I always thought the hood made it better ergonomically speaking (adjusting aperture).

 

[kshapero]

I am happy with filter and hood, but does the hood really reduce flare?

 

[seakayaker1]

there are moments when its nice to have the hood. but sometimes small cap would be better. but dont see myself parting from this lens ever 🙂 btw. here's a set from Madrid shot with M8 and this lens.

. . . . . enjoyed the photographs from Madrid. Certainly a nice lens and would not mind having the opportunity to take one out for a stroll at some point in time. One never knows when GAS will strike . . . . .

 

[Tom A]

My two Nickel Heliars. Great lenses and they look good too. Performance is top notch
Old shot with Tuulikkis digital Lumix.

 

[Calzone]

My two Nickel Heliars. Great lenses and they look good too. Performance is top notch
Old shot with Tuulikkis digital Lumix.

I own a matching pair also. Mighty good looking I say. Also love the 3.5 for street. With its skinny lens barrel the focus is very fast. For me it adds a different kinda speed, even though its a slow lens.

Cal

 

[Bingley]

How does the rendering of the Heliar 50/3.5 compare to that of the CV Skopar 50/2.5? What would the Heliar provide in terms of optical performance that I'm not already getting from the Skopar?

 

[philosomatographer]

How does the rendering of the Heliar 50/3.5 compare to that of the CV Skopar 50/2.5? What would the Heliar provide in terms of optical performance that I'm not already getting from the Skopar?

Not a lot, simply because all modern 50mm lenses are fantastic.

The 50/3.5 is "the best" on paper though, with extraordinary resolution if your technique is good, and it combines that resolution with a gentle, rounded rendering that is very unlike the often brutal or harsh "edginess" of other modern lenses.

If you shoot ISO100 or 400 film, you'll practically never see this extra resolution, only the "character" of the Heliar, which is significantly different from other 50's indeed. If you shot on a tripod with Pan F or Adox CMS20, then the Heliar will reward you with medium-format-class image quality and beyond.

I would not pay $600 or $700 for a new Heliar 3.5, but I am very happy with mine that I got second-hand for half that (with one of those nasty little anniversary-edition Bessa camera bodies attached 😎 ).

Under the circumstances where I typically use this lens (hand-held, slow shutter speed) like the image below, the extra qualities of this lens is almost totally bogus.

Heliar 50/3.5, Kodak TMY400-2, Leica M3​

This lens has the smoothest bokeh of any 50mm for small-format on the planet:

Heliar 50/3.5, Kodak TMY400-2, Leica M3​