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

Mike thanks, these and your samples really show the excellence of this strange little lens! Mine is among the final 100 of the 600 samples made in nickel finish after an earlier run of chrome ones... Then there was another small production of odd-looking non-collapsible versions IIRC for Nikon RF mount. So, several opportunities to get popular, but overall in modest quantities.
 
I picked up a nickel LTM 50/3.5 Heliar because I prefer it to the M-mount version currently in production. The LTM is collapsible, which I like for size convenience, it has aperture click stops, and its aperture and focus rings rotate separately.

Now I'm looking at the 50/2 Heliar Classic and I was favoring the M-mount collapsible version, even if it's not a huge size difference. However, the M-mount version has 11 aperture blades, while the CameraQuest shop listing for the nickel LTM 50/2 says it has 10. Can anyone verify that? I think I'd prefer the defined sunstars of 10 aperture blades rather than 22-pointed stars from the M-mount Heliar.
 
Crazy Leica Fox said:
...Now I'm looking at the 50/2 Heliar Classic and I was favoring the M-mount collapsible version, even if it's not a huge size difference. However, the M-mount version has 11 aperture blades, while the CameraQuest shop listing for the nickel LTM 50/2 says it has 10. Can anyone verify that? I think I'd prefer the defined sunstars of 10 aperture blades rather than 22-pointed stars from the M-mount Heliar.
Click to expand...
Well, I have both the 50/2 Heliars and I've counted the aperture blades several times and keep coming up with the number 11 for both. 😎
 
Crazy Leica Fox said:
I picked up a nickel LTM 50/3.5 Heliar because I prefer it to the M-mount version currently in production. The LTM is collapsible, which I like for size convenience, it has aperture click stops, and its aperture and focus rings rotate separately.

Now I'm looking at the 50/2 Heliar Classic and I was favoring the M-mount collapsible version, even if it's not a huge size difference. However, the M-mount version has 11 aperture blades, while the CameraQuest shop listing for the nickel LTM 50/2 says it has 10. Can anyone verify that? I think I'd prefer the defined sunstars of 10 aperture blades rather than 22-pointed stars from the M-mount Heliar.
Click to expand...

I returned mine because I hated the way the aperture ring rattled.
Just bought the Nikon RF version.
 
Doug said:
Well, I have both the 50/2 Heliars and I've counted the aperture blades several times and keep coming up with the number 11 for both. 😎
Click to expand...

Thank you, I was suspicious that may be the case. CameraQuest simply has the wrong info on their website. I actually emailed Stephen last week and he sent me a six-word reply reaffirming the nickel CV 10th Anniversary Heliar 50/2 has only ten aperture leaves, but I figured he was too busy running a business to actually check the lens, so I decided to repeat my question here. Not only is the info wrong on the shop listing I linked above, but also on the Voigtlander lens info page if you scroll down 3/4 of the way.

I guess this means I'll be going for a 250th Anniversary collapsible then for its smaller form factor, hopefully in silver chrome if I can find one 😉
 
Huss said:
I returned mine because I hated the way the aperture ring rattled.
Just bought the Nikon RF version.
Click to expand...

Was that a current M-mount or older LTM 50/3.5 with a rattling aperture ring?

I've been very happy with my nickel 10th Anniversary LTM version which has aperture click stops, albeit not super-firm ones. I used it this evening to photograph a tutoring center where I volunteer (I can't share photos because the students are minors), and even though it is only f/3.5, I had no trouble using it indoors after dark with bad fluorescent lighting on a Sony a7R3. The only little annoyance I've come across is that while the lens does lock when extended, it doesn't lock when retracted and can fully rotate, but there's sufficient resistance that it doesn't move unless pushed.
 
Three images

Three images

I thought I would add a few samples to the collection, in case they are of interest. They were taken with the latest version of the 50mm 3.5 Heliar:

Binoculars_large.jpg


Black_and_white_tree_large.jpg


Sunset_over_lake_large.jpg
 
Erik van Straten said:
No, when a line is straight, a lens should draw it straight, regardless the angle to it.

The line between the tiles at the bottom of the picture is curved on the picture. I presume that the line in reality is straight, so the lens must draw it straight, but it draws it curved. That is wrong in my eyes.

Erik.
Click to expand...


If you put a straight edge to the top line of tiles you'll see the barrel distortion clearly.
 
Crazy Leica Fox said:
Was that a current M-mount or older LTM 50/3.5 with a rattling aperture ring?

I've been very happy with my nickel 10th Anniversary LTM version which has aperture click stops, albeit not super-firm ones. I used it this evening to photograph a tutoring center where I volunteer (I can't share photos because the students are minors), and even though it is only f/3.5, I had no trouble using it indoors after dark with bad fluorescent lighting on a Sony a7R3. The only little annoyance I've come across is that while the lens does lock when extended, it doesn't lock when retracted and can fully rotate, but there's sufficient resistance that it doesn't move unless pushed.
Click to expand...

It was the LTM version. Stephen/Cameraquest told me they all do that and is an acquired taste. The current version does not.
 
I have the first version 50/2 and 50/3.5. I use these lenses. I am not too picky about smaller issues. Rattling aperture ring? Small amount of edge distortion? Stuff like that. I know that some are perfectionists here, but I am just a mortal photographer.🙂
Take it easy.
 
raid said:
I have the first version 50/2 and 50/3.5. I use these lenses. I am not too picky about smaller issues. Rattling aperture ring? Small amount of edge distortion? Stuff like that. I know that some are perfectionists here, but I am just a mortal photographer.🙂
Take it easy.
Click to expand...

If one is not picky then just pick the cheapest lump of glass. The haptic interaction between man and machine is part of what makes film photography enjoyable.
If gear is not pleasant to use, I will not use it.
🙂
 
I returned mine because I hated the way the aperture ring rattled
Click to expand...
I guess you didnt know..
That lens doubles..
As a maraca...
Not very musical...are we?...lol...
If one is not picky then just pick the cheapest lump of glass.
Click to expand...
I think you use your fair share of crapper cameras too Huss...hahaha...
 
raid said:
I have the first version 50/2 and 50/3.5. I use these lenses. I am not too picky about smaller issues. Rattling aperture ring? Small amount of edge distortion? Stuff like that. I know that some are perfectionists here, but I am just a mortal photographer.🙂
Take it easy.
Click to expand...
I can't get the aperture ring on my 50/3.5 to rattle no matter how hard I shake it. Maybe if I used it more it would start but I've been on an Elmar 50 kick lately so it has had to spend some time on the shelf.

Poor thing. Maybe I need another Barnack body to keep it company.
 
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