Leica LTM Revisiting Canon 35mm 1.5 and 50mm 1.5 Sonnar

[raid]

I took these photos yesterday during a Cappuccino break in downtown Pensacola. First, here are images from the Canon 50/1.5. No PS was used yet.

link: https://raid.smugmug.com/Canon-50mm-15-Leica-M10/i-RJs5cMn/A

 

[raid]

The Old Christ Church is the oldest church in Pensacola.

 

[raid]

Here are new photos taken today with the Canon 85mm 1.5:

link: https://raid.smugmug.com/Canon-85mm-15-Leica-M10/

 

[shawn]

Took me a second - nice SR-71. Which museum?

Udvar-Hazy! It broke a bunch of records before being retired there, including crossing the country in under 1 hour 8 minutes on its final flight.

Shawn

 

[raid]

An amazing plane.

 

[raid]

There was a guy selling a Canon 35/1.5 lens on Photrio lately, asking $900.00. I thought about buying it, but passed. I'm sure I'll regret my decision.

Jim B.

What are reasonable asking prices for each of the three Canon 1.5 lenses?

 

[cjm]

Regret selling that SAME EXACT lens in 2008!

 

[raid]

I did well not to sell my lenses.

 

[dourbalistar]

What are reasonable asking prices for each of the three Canon 1.5 lenses?

I'm not sure what the actual current market prices are, but last summer, I was able to buy a very clean Canon 50/1.5 LTM on eBay for $250 USD (plus shipping from Japan). Personally, I think that's quite a bargain price, and knowing what I know now about the lens, I would gladly have paid more.

FWIW, Jason Schneider's recent article says about $200-400 for the Canon 50/1.5 LTM.

 

[raid]

Thanks. I agree with Jason Schneider on this price range. It is a bargain.

 

[Bingley]

The Canon 50/1.5 was maybe the second, or third, lens I bought for a Canon P back around 2006 or so, when I was becoming more seriously interested in rangefinder photography. I bought the lens from Roland (Ferider), and it was a very clean copy. The Canon P is long gone, but the lens remains in my collection and I doubt I will ever sell it. I’ve acquired many 50mm lenses in the years since, including a number of very nice Sonnar lenses, but the Canon 50/1.5 is special. Because it was optimized for f4, it’s a great all-round lens as well as a lens for portraits at wider apertures. From time to time, as I chase bright shiny lenses, it sits in my lens drawer, but then I take it out and shoot with it, and reconnect with how good it is. Here are a few samples of color and bw photos I’ve taken w/ this lens:

C&E by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Q by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Scooters, Alfas, and antipasti by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Scooters, Alfas, and antipasti by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[Mackinaw]

What are reasonable asking prices for each of the three Canon 1.5 lenses?

I'd have to do some research before I could answer your question. I actually thought the $900 asking price for the 35/1.5 was fair, I just wasn't sure how much I would use the lens (already owning a 35/2.0 ASPH Summicron and a 35/2.8 Canon LTM). I did pick up a Canon 50/1.5 for $150.00 a few years back. The lens had internal cleaning marks which knocked the price down. I like the Sonnar look. I need to use that lens more.

Jim B.

 

[Bingley]

Fire Jugglers, rescan by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

92 by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Reading by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Air conditioning and conversation by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Temple Coffee by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[Bingley]

Thanks for starting this thread, Raid!

 

[raid]

Thank you for your posts here, Steve.

 

[Archiver]

I bought a 50mm f1.5 in about 2012, and sold it last year. It was a great lens, especially on the Ricoh GXR M module, but I wasn't that fond of the wide open glow, and frankly the money was better in my pocket than in a lens I didn't use. So off it went. Not sure if I have any images online taken with that lens.

 

[bluesun267]

Being a long time Nikkor 50/1.4 ltm shooter, I've often wondered how Canon's version of the Sonnar would compare...but I've held back thinking it would be too similar to the Nikkor to justify having both.
From the postings here, it seems fairly different

 

[raid]

I used the Canon 35/1.5 a few days ago with the M9 (and not the M10, regardless of the title of the link below)

link: https://raid.smugmug.com/Canon-35mm-15-Leica-M10/

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Being a long time Nikkor 50/1.4 ltm shooter, I've often wondered how Canon's version of the Sonnar would compare...but I've held back thinking it would be too similar to the Nikkor to justify having both.
From the postings here, it seems fairly different

I have both lenses: The Canon 50/1.5 is optimized for F2~F2.8, the Nikkor is optimized for wide-open use. I changed the shim on my Canon (thicker) and optimized for wide-open use. The Canon is "less" over-corrected for spherical aberration, smoother Bokeh. The same is true when comparing the (rare) Nikkor 5cm F1.5 with the 5cm F1.4.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3052576&postcount=11

I added a picture of the SR71 taken with the Nikkor. I took the Canon, Nikkor, and J-3+ out that day for a comparison shoot.

 

[raid]

My lenses have not been shimmed, Brian. So my 50/1.5 is then optimized for F 2~2.8. I did not know this fact. What is the 85/1.5 optimized for? I know that you don't have a 35/1.5 (yet).