Nikkor 5cm 1.4 S.C on RD1

[santi-u]

Hi all,
i was looking for an alternative fast 50 for wide open shots. I have already a 50 summicron for mostly situations but found a great deal on a very mint condition Nikkor 5cm LTM and just bought it.
It's the Japan version and comes with a pristine black Tokyo slip-on front cap. It also comes with a Walz chrome filter, but the problem is that i can't use it with the filter attached on the lens because of the different widthness.

I've read that these lenses loose the rangefinder couplement on a Leica M at 2.9 feet (0,9mts) and that's exactly what happens testing it with my M6.
The curious thing that i did'nt know is that with my RD1 i can reach 2.3 feet (0,7 mts) before loosing the rf couple.
I'm using a Leitz 9 cm adapter and i'm waiting for a 50-75 japanese one to have the correct framelines on the M6.

The lens weights a ton and it's smaller than the summicron. It also feels very well made, with a big front piece of glass with wonderful blueish coating. It's not as sharp and equilibrated as the summicron but with the RD1's crop factor i think it wood perform well due to it's better resolution at center and avoiding the corners poor performance.

I did a few shots with the Espon, and i'm finishing some b/w rolls. The first thing i've noticed is the softness wide open and a bit of flare or nikon glow 😉 If i close a bit (between f1.4 and f2) the flare goes out and it turns into more contrasty. I'm very happy with the deal, and waiting to see how it performs with b/w film.

I'm not using any filter neither than a lens hood. Do you think it will perform better with those accesories, and maybe it would have less flare? Wich would be the best hood option, the original one (i think is chrome) or maybe the summilux pre asph vented or some 43mm copy? i would'nt like to spent more in the hood than in the cost of the lens 😉

Some pics comparing the size with the summicron and it's performance wide open with the Epson.

Cheers!

Santi

 

[furcafe]

Several sellers on eBay, including "heavystar," sell inexpensive vented screw-on hoods that will fit your Nikkor-S, e.g.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Metal-43mm-Screw-in-Vented-Tilted-Hood-Cap-E43_W0QQitemZ200306063831

IIRC, depending on the age of the lens, the original hood was either a chrome screw-on or a black clip-on, but both can be very difficult to find & will be very expensive if you can find one. Moreover, the original hoods were not vented & will block more of the VF.

A hood is always a good idea, as it not only reduces flare, but also protects the front element of the lens.

I'm not using any filter neither than a lens hood. Do you think it will perform better with those accesories, and maybe it would have less flare? Wich would be the best hood option, the original one (i think is chrome) or maybe the summilux pre asph vented or some 43mm copy? i would'nt like to spent more in the hood than in the cost of the lens 😉

 

[Al Kaplan]

The closest distance that the lens will couple to your rangefinder is a function of the camera, not the lens, in this case. I think the M2 goes to about 28 inches and the M3 to about 1 meter, but it can be modified (removing or moving? a stop) to let the rangefinder arm to move more. Since you already have that lightweight Summicron I'll offer you $50 for your 50/1.4 Nikkor. I'm used to shlepping around an 85/2 Nikkor.

 

[santi-u]

Thanks, i will contemplate the vented hood on the link.

Al, i saw a thread with some pics of how removing and modifying it for more close up couple, but i'm not sure to making myself.

And about your offer...?? I don't want to sell it, and if i should, i will ask a few more. It was a good price i payed but for sure it was more than 50$

Thanks again!

 

[kermaier]

I also use the Nikkor 50/1.4 (and 50/2) on the RD-1. Both lose rangefinder coupling at about 70cm, but if you can accurately measure/guess distance to subject, you can continue to focus your image much closer.

I also find that my images are quite soft and low-contrast wide open at f/1.4, but things perk up nicely stopped down to f/2. Of course, this begs the question: why not just keep the 50/2 and dispense with the 50/1.4? If the 50/1.4 turns out to be no better than the 50/2 at f/2 and smaller, then I may do just that. 🙂

I got a heavystar non-vented hood for the 50/2, which works nicely. (I have yet to get one for the 50/1.4, since it's currently out getting a dent in the front rim fixed, which prevented mounting hoods.) I went with the non-vented hood because it allows me to put a cap on the front so I never have to remove the hood. Hopefully putting a non-vented hood on the wider 50/1.4 will not cause too much occlusion of the RF window.

Enjoy your new lens!

::Ari

 

[ferider]

Hi Santi,

congrats on your new lens. It's my favorite 50. By default it decouples from the RF at around 1m, but can easily be modified to couple down to .7m (you probably already found my respective RFF thread). It's the only Sonnar variant that can focus that close, which is great for portraits.

The lens has "glow" (veiling flare), vignettes and is quite soft wide open, but improves dramatically if only stopped down a little, less than half stop. Feels like it has a double personality.

It is very sharp at f2.8 and up, and can probably hold its own when compared to the Summicron. It has less contrast than the more modern Leica lens of course. Which I like.

Regarding the hood, I prefer to use the small 43mm hood that our head bartender sells, over the larger Walz or Heavystar vented hood. Note that the hood will not eliminate the veiling flare.

It has historic value, too. It was the first 50/1.4 lens, and used by many famous photographers in the past.

Best,

Roland.

 

[santi-u]

I also find that my images are quite soft and low-contrast wide open at f/1.4, but things perk up nicely stopped down to f/2. Of course, this begs the question: why not just keep the 50/2 and dispense with the 50/1.4? If the 50/1.4 turns out to be no better than the 50/2 at f/2 and smaller, then I may do just that. 🙂


Enjoy your new lens!

::Ari

Hi Ari, maybe your point of view has many common sense and i ask myself why buing it if i had a much more resolutive, contrasty and modern lens. Well, the possibility to play with these old lenses and see how they perform is a thing i like very much. I did it before with a 5D and some alternative manual focus lenses. i sold all my Canon zooms and monsters and get with some manual non-Canon primes. The next step was selling all that stuff and purchasing an M6 and two summicrons. Now that i'm happy with the system, i'm again concerned on trying a few of these pretty and little lenses, and having quick results with the digital rf.

Maybe i will look for a non vented hood because i like the solution of putting the cap directly on it.

Roland, i've tried to stop down a bit and the lens changes a lot, it's a lot more sharp. i will read again your thread but i'm afraid i can make things wrong. I don't have tools and courage to do it myself. Never opened a lens before!

Thanks for your help!

Santi

 

[furcafe]

Per the heavystar link I posted, you'll see that you can easily put a cap on the vented hood.

Maybe i will look for a non vented hood because i like the solution of putting the cap directly on it.

 

[santi-u]

Per the heavystar link I posted, you'll see that you can easily put a cap on the vented hood.

You're right furcafe, i can see there's also a cap offered with the hood, i forgot. I don't know if it's posible to use a filter between the lens and the hood. I will ask the seller.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[kermaier]

Hi Ari, maybe your point of view has many common sense and i ask myself why buing it if i had a much more resolutive, contrasty and modern lens. Well, the possibility to play with these old lenses and see how they perform is a thing i like very much.

Santi, that is my thinking too -- I love the vintage lenses, both for their feel as objects, and for the look of the pictures they make.
But I think you misunderstand me: I have the Nikkor 50/1.4 LTM and the Nikkor 50/2 LTM, both the all-chrome verions from the same 1950s vintage. The f/1.4 lens is much heavier than the f/2 lens, but produces similar results at f/2 and smaller apertures. Thus my questioning the relative utility of the 50/1.4.

 

[furcafe]

I have both the same lens & hood & there is absolutely no problem w/using a regular screw-in 43mm filter between the 2. The hood isn't nearly long enough to cause vignetting with or without a filter (this is particularly true w/the RD-1's crop factor).

You're right furcafe, i can see there's also a cap offered with the hood, i forgot. I don't know if it's posible to use a filter between the lens and the hood. I will ask the seller.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[furcafe]

I have the opposite take: I don't think the f/1.4 is significantly heavier than the f/2 (both are pretty dense by modern standards) & given that opinion, I'll take the extra stop every time (which is why I hardly use the 50/2 Nikkor-H).

Santi, that is my thinking too -- I love the vintage lenses, both for their feel as objects, and for the look of the pictures they make.
But I think you misunderstand me: I have the Nikkor 50/1.4 LTM and the Nikkor 50/2 LTM, both the all-chrome verions from the same 1950s vintage. The f/1.4 lens is much heavier than the f/2 lens, but produces similar results at f/2 and smaller apertures. Thus my questioning the relative utility of the 50/1.4.