Recommendations: fast glass under $1000?

[cole]

Hello everyone,

I've been a reader of this forum for a short while now, but this is my first time posting.

I recently sold off my entire Canon DSLR system and decided to 'revert' completely back to film. I have dreamt of a Leica for quite some time, and it just so happened that I was recently able to purchase a pristine M7 from Leica's U-List, in addition to a 50/2 Summicron. It feels fantastic to finally have a Leica in my hands. It has found a very welcome home alongside my Linhof Technika.

But enough with the introductions - I have a brief question, and I'm hoping you might be able to help. I'm basically looking for suggestions in area of fast lenses that won't break the bank. Having just invested in the M7 and the 50 'cron, let's just say I won't be purchasing a 50/1 Noctilux anytime soon. 😉

My favourite lens with my Canon was the EF 50/1.4, and it seems to me that the Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton produces a fairly comparable image. I usually like to shoot my lenses wide open - the more bokeh, the better.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for lenses @ f/1.8 or faster, in standard to short tele focal lengths, that I could find for under or around $1000?

Thanks kindly in advance!

 

[alternatve]

The VC 35mm f/1.4 looks good for you. 🙂

Samuel

 

[Jungle Jim]

Cole, if you are interested in the older fast 50mm lenses, check out a previous post I made showing how they performed under controlled shots.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21745

 

[Riccis]

You may be able to find an already converted Canon 50 f/0.95 for about $1k... That's what I paid for mine about a month ago and have already used it on a couple of wedding commissions.

Best,

Riccis

 

[Krosya]

Canon 50/1.2 LTM, Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.2 - work very well for me for low light and bokeh.

 

[jbf]

What is this U-list you speak of?

Is it for educational students? If so I'd be interested to hear about it.

😀

 

[Joe]

Canon 50/1.4 LTM

 

[cole]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Greatly appreciated. I'll be looking into these.

jbf - The Leica U-List (also Code-U List) is explained in detail here:
http://leica-users.org/v23/msg15351.html

 

[drewbarb]

Greetings Cole, and welcome. One of the great things about Leicas is the huge range of lenses available from so many makers over such a long period of time. Pick up an LTM-M adapter or two and get ready to have fun with almost 80 years worth of lens offerings to choose from. For a fast 50, I highly recommend you poke around for a Canon f1.2- I found mine for around $300. It's the same speed as the original Noctilux, and is so good I have NO other high speed lust.

Of course there are a boat-load of other options- enjoy!

(edit- forgot an important word in the penultimate sentence!)

 

[rpsawin]

Cole,

Check out the various lenses on this page:

http://www.cameraquest.com/inventor.htm

Bob

 

[peterm1]

I was going to suggest the 90mm Summicron until I realised that you specified "faster than f1.8" (Of course its f2) You may wish to check out a second hand Summilux 75mm f1.4. I am not sure what they are going for but boy are they one sweet lens. As for the standard lens, if you do not wish to go down the Summilux path you could consider a Canon 50mm f1.4 in Leica Thread Mount. They are way under your price point (probably less than $300 from memory) and all you need to do is to add a thread mount to M mount adapter (less than $100) and you are in business. It has a very good rep around here for a piece of 1950s glass.

 

[cole]

Thanks to all of you once again. It's great to discover resources like these.

 

[ampguy]

I'd consider the Nokton 35/1.2 if the size and wide open look is agreeable to you. Also the Zeiss Biogon Sonnar C with interesting focus shift seems to have an interseting look. Depends if you're using the speed for low light or shallow DOF, and what kinds of background OOF's are acceptable to you.

I don't know much about the Canon 1.2's, but anything that old possibly needs cleaning or more.

 

[WoolenMammoth]

you can definitley find a summarit 1.5 and if you are patient a 50 summilux 1.4. Either will knock your socks off.

 

[mfogiel]

I second Krosya and ampguy for the Nokton 35 - all the more so, as you already have a 50mm lens, here's an example of what it does:

then, once you make yourself a better idea about shooting with a rangefinder, the C Sonnar 50/1.5, optimized for wide open, should be mandatory:

 

[Krosya]

I second Krosya and ampguy for the Nokton 35 - all the more so, as you already have a 50mm lens, here's an example of what it does:

Mmmm, thats one yummy photo! I can almost taste it!
Thats Nokton 35/1.2 for ya! Lovely!

 

[former member]

There is a 50mm f1.4 Summilux in the classifieds now at a very good price.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=9553

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's awfully personal.

Currently I have in my possession (some on loan) 50/1 Noctilux -- 50/1.2 Canon -- 50/1.5 C-Sonnar -- 50/1.5 Nokton -- 50/2 Summicron DR -- 50/2.5 Color-Skopar -- 50/2.5 Summarit -- 50/3.5 Elmar. I recently got rid of a 50/2 Jupiter, and sent back a current loaner Summicron.

The 50mm I use most, by a very long way, is the Sonnar.

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps firstlook sonnar 50.html

But that's not to say you'll like it as much. The Noctilux comes next. Then the Summarit.

And the lens I use most of all, bar none, is a 35/1.4 pre-aspheric Summilux.

Cheers,

R.

 

[cole]

mfogiel - Thanks so much for the sample photos. Amazing DOF!

 

[ferider]

If you want high resolution, fast, 50 and affordable, there are really only two
options: Canon 50/1.4 and Nokton 50/1.5. All the other 50s mentioned
above a special purpose, good for portraiture mostly wide open. And then there
is the 50 Summilux but it's much more expensive.

Roland.