reducing contrast Skopar pancake

[lawnpotter]

I am looking to buy a lens. I love the size of the 35mm skopar pancake 2 but it seems a bit too contrasty for me. If I got my photo lab to pull the negatives a stop would this yield pleasent less contrasty results with out hurting overall IQ ? I also like the nocton 40mm sc but I still love the size of the Skopar. Thanks

 

[ferider]

That is a tough call. Contrast might be reduced but grain increased.

Maybe look at one of the 40/2 versions ? Summicron or Rokkor ?
Less contrast than the CV, plenty sharp and practically as small.
In particular if you use an MC version without hood.

Roland.

 

[infrequent]

which M-mount or LTM lenses produce a similar look to the lens in the Hexar AF? i guess the UC hexanon is one. are there any other?

 

[ferider]

Not trying to promote the 40/2, but it's true: the 35/40 Summicron/Rokkors ....

 

[AutismKid]

I am looking to buy a lens. I love the size of the 35mm skopar pancake 2 but it seems a bit too contrasty for me.

hmm, I never felt that a particular lens is more contrasty than others. Isn't the lighting condition the dominant factor?

BTW, i like the pancake.

 

[maggieo]

I wonder if the new 35/1.4 Nokton SC would get you the look you like, with the size and FOV you prefer?

 

[vrgard]

A nice, lower contrast lens to consider is the Canon 35/2.8.

-Randy

 

[Graham Line]

What film stock are you using? I don't consider that lens unduly contrasty, but if you're a Neopan or Kodak UC user, for example, you can dial back the contrast levels with a less aggressive film. Maybe you can post an example of what you're getting that you don't like?

 

[lawnpotter]

Thanks for all the replies, Actually, Ive never seen an actual picture taken with the Skopar or the Nokton. My impression of these 2 lenses comes from 2 sources, google and Flickr. When you research the skopar on the net, the word contrasty seems to come up and Ive looked at many many pictures of both lenses on flickr, and the skopar pancake does seem more contrasty. I may have to end up buying both. I held the pancake and I love how it feels. I guess if I didnt want so much contrast, I could buy lower contrast film like xp2 I dont know, would this make a big difference? Thanks

 

[lawnpotter]

Just to add, I would be taking pictures of people quite a bit so I was thinking that too much contast is hard on peoples faces.

 

[Graham Line]

You're right to be concerned about the faces. Flickr seems to add a little contrast to everything I put up there. The two L39-mount 35/2.5s are the same lens formula in cosmetically different mounts.
I'm using NPS and NPH (now Fuji's Pro160 and Pro400) color neg films, and Delta 100 and 400 in B&W and don't feel like I'm getting more contrast than I want from the standard 35/2.5 and 50/2.5 Color Skopars.
Prints from an inkjet look about like the photos in my galleries and I find it all pretty controllable.
XP2 Super gives me a little flatter rendition than I'm getting with the Deltas. But everyone wants something a little different.

 

[lawnpotter]

Joe, Have you tried the Nocton sc to compare with your Skopars?

 

[Bryce]

If you're shooting B+W, I'd deal with the issue at the developing stage. You'd have to develop your own of course.
Color? Use c-41 film and avoid the high saturation types.
I guess the bottom line is that 'too much contrast' just means that the lens engineers did a good job; there is almost always a better way than undoing that!

 

[Graham Line]

Joe, Have you tried the Nocton sc to compare with your Skopars?

Nope. I keep the RF kit compact and rarely shoot indoors. Have a couple fast lenses in Nikon SLRs if I need them.

 

[Bingley]

Thanks for all the replies, Actually, Ive never seen an actual picture taken with the Skopar or the Nokton. My impression of these 2 lenses comes from 2 sources, google and Flickr. When you research the skopar on the net, the word contrasty seems to come up and Ive looked at many many pictures of both lenses on flickr, and the skopar pancake does seem more contrasty. I may have to end up buying both. I held the pancake and I love how it feels. I guess if I didnt want so much contrast, I could buy lower contrast film like xp2 I dont know, would this make a big difference? Thanks

lawnpotter --

I agree w/ Joe Brugger's post re: the film you'd be using w/ this lens. There's a lot of buzz on the internet (including RFF) about this lens being "too contrasty" but it's hard to evaluate the merits of such comments w/out knowing about the film being used.

If you want to see good photos w/ this lens, look at the B&Ws taken by RFF members Avotius and Marc-A (either in the Gallery here or on flickr). The skopar classic and the pancake are identically optically. Both of these guys have used the lens to good advantage. Personally, I don't think their results are too contrasty, but the images do have a very modern, crisp look. There are other RFF members who use the skopar/pancake too, and there is a flickr group devoted to the skopar classic which you may have discovered already. I think the skopar is a terrific little lens.