Leica LTM Nikkor 50/1.4 vs. Canon 50/1.5 (simple) tests

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
I for one prefer the Canon/Serenar 50/1.8 to the 50/2 Nikkor,
although the 50/2 is not rare ,as it came on most Nicca/Tower cameras,
it always sold for more money than the 50/1.8 Canon lens & it still does.
 
There simply are too many excellent and beautiful 50mm rangefinder lenses available. I wish I had them all, but this would be simply a collection and not really needed for photography. My fast lens is still only the Canon 50mm/1.2, and I am waiting to get a modern lens one day. The Nikkor lenses usually are more expensive than their Canon counterparts. The same used to apply to SLR lenses until Canon went digital and got top praises. In fact, the gap got smaller when Canon went AF.
 
xayraa33 said:
I for one prefer the Canon/Serenar 50/1.8 to the 50/2 Nikkor,
although the 50/2 is not rare ,as it came on most Nicca/Tower cameras,
it always sold for more money than the 50/1.8 Canon lens & it still does.
Click to expand...


The Canon 50/1.8 is undervalued, but the Nikon is a Sonnar design and may be preferred for this fact.

Raid
 
raid said:
The Canon 50/1.8 is undervalued, but the Nikon is a Sonnar design and may be preferred for this fact.

Raid
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was tempted by the one Canon 50/1.8 offered in the classifieds today. Didn't need it but was hard to ignore at the amazingly low price they apparently sell for. However, as you said, it's not a Sonnar which Roland has completely biased me towards. Yeah, that's it, it's all Roland's fault! ;)

-Randy
 
I think Nippon Kogaku always charged more money for its camera and lenses from day one.
it fostered a pro cache, even that DDD and Jun Miki & Life magezine thing in 1950 ,was very well managed by them(N.K.) as part of the Mitsubishi Complex & banking combine.
When Joe Ehrenreich took over Nikon distribution in the US in 1953, he continued that high priced, top shelf, pro only thing.
Nippon Kogaku fostered this, unlike Canon, by never making amature camera gear until the early 1960's.
 
Thanks for that additional information/background, xayraa33. Didn't realize that Nikkor/Nikon was so proactive in that way. Makes sense, then, why the Nikkors would be held in such high regard and be so sought after.

Thanks,
Randy
 
vrgard said:
Yeah, I was tempted by the one Canon 50/1.8 offered in the classifieds today. Didn't need it but was hard to ignore at the amazingly low price they apparently sell for. However, as you said, it's not a Sonnar which Roland has completely biased me towards. Yeah, that's it, it's all Roland's fault! ;)

-Randy
Click to expand...

Sonnar or not, I still prefer the Canon 50/1.8 to the Nikkor 50/2
if I remember correctly, David Murphy also shares the same view.
 
Last edited:
Just to be clear, and despite my comments regarding Sonnar lenses, I don't have an opinion regarding the Canon 50/1.8 versus the Nikkor 50/2 since I haven't owned either of them nor compared images from them.

-Randy
 
vrgard said:
Just to be clear, and despite my comments regarding Sonnar lenses, I don't have an opinion regarding the Canon 50/1.8 versus the Nikkor 50/2 since I haven't owned either of them nor compared images from them.

-Randy
Click to expand...

it is just a personal opinion Randy,
other people can have a different take on this.
it is just as valid.
 
xayraa33 said:
it is just a personal opinion Randy,
other people can have a different take on this.
it is just as valid.
Click to expand...

How right you are, xayraa33. And that was sorta my point; to make sure my earlier comment didn't read as my opinion since i had no basis to form one regarding those two lenses (the Canon 50/1.8 and the Nikkor 50/2.0, that is). And I've tried to be clear in my other posts on this thread that my Canon 50/1.5 preference over the Nikkor 50/1.4 is simply that, a preference of mine and nothing more. I've also stated that others have indicated a preference for the Nikkor 50/1.4 and have even indicated why that may be so (namely, the greater sharpness of that lens). To each his own opinion & preference and I truly respect that. Sorry if anything I said implied otherwise.

-Randy
 
These are excellent tests, both seem like very sharp lenses.

In the interior photos, is the exposure or developing OK? Seems very grainy to me. What's "veiling flare"? Looks like purple fringing to me, same thing?

The outdoor shots of the tree @ 1000/f2 show possibly better sharpness than a hexanon 50/f2, but also a tad less "Japanese", very hard to explain, but maybe I can dig up some examples.
 
As a regular user of the Canon 1.5/50 I believe this lens is best corrected for 2-5m distance (6-16ft), whereas it's not very sharp used close focus (1m/ 3.5ft). Perhaps the Nikkor has it's strongest point at near distances, and flares a bit more because it was (for it's time) a bit "pushed" for speed.
Since both lenses uses very similar Sonnar formulas I wasn't surprised about the similar results.

cheers Frank
 
Thank you.

Thank you.

I really appreciate everyone's efforts. Thanks!

I am very fortunate to own the Nikkor 50/1.4. I really didn't know what I had until this year and I found all the information about the lens at this and other places on the internet. I thank my lucky stars for the day back in the 70s when, for the princely sum of $125, I purchased a pristine Canon VI-T body, Canon 35/2.8 and the Nikkor 50/1.4. I also regret selling my Canon 50/1.8 ages ago. I still have an 11x14 from an Agfachrome original that I think holds up well against any lens.

I am going to put the Nikkor on a body and use the heck out of it.
 
Last edited:
Ferider, how'd you get so close to those birds? I had similar experience with the Nikkor 50 1.4 in Nikon mount. Leaves at certains distances behind the subject can get really ugly. Man, is that thing sharp though......
 
Yep the Sonnar "Bokeh" makes me happy ala Canon f1.5 :)

But......that whole *close focus* of the Nikkor f1.4 makes me think that I might HAVE a use for BOTH lenses in my Retro PinUp Photography

The Canon for my Room Shots
The Nikkor for my Close Ups

Hummm finally does that make sense?

I`ll add some more pix to my f1.5 thread soon too......

Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom