Rigid 50mm II or ZM 50mm Planar?

[taemo]

Help!
I was thinking of trading my Nokton 50 1.5 for a ZM 50mm Planar but I was given the opportunity on getting a Rigid 50mm instead.

I don't know a lot about the Rigid, actually null but from the brief reading that I've done this morning, it has a nice smooth bokeh, sharp at f/4 and smaller, perfect match for the M3 and great for B&W.
Only con is 1m min focus distance and not flare resistant as the newer lens.
I was looking on getting a Planar for the Zeiss and 3D look.

How does the Rigid fair against the Planar?

The lens will be used mainly on the A7 for color and B&W portraits but on also on the M3 for B&W

 

[mfogiel]

You need both. They are as different as an Iphone and a Winchester rifle.

 

[raid]

What was said above by Fogiel.
The Rigid Summicron is lower on contrast while having high resolution, while the ZM 50/2 Planar is high contrast with modern coating. If you shoot mostly in B&W and you favor an overall "Leica Look" [if I may call it this way], then the Rigid Summicron is difficult to beat. If you want an overall excellent lens, then the ZM is a great 50/2 lens [I have been told].

Get both lenses, or just keep the Nokton. The Nokton is a great lens too.

 

[taemo]

thanks all for the suggestion, it's looking like that I'm at the point of my photography life that I need to own different type of 50mm.

I like the Nokton, it gets the shots that I need but I feel no attachment to the images that it take.
Might have to get a Planar now.

 

[Dez]

I would just keep the Nokton myself. It is a superb modern lens, and guaranteed to be infinitely better than either of your choices at f1.5.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Laviolette]

I have the Nokton 50mm 1.5 and bought a Rigid after reading on how good it is for B&W film. I found out that I prefer the more modern look of the Nokton...when the conditions are right, images made with the Rigid have a beautiful and delicate quality. But it flares too much for me.

I will try the Planar. I love the rendering of my Biogon 35mm 2.8 and all my Hasselblad lens.

 

[judsonzhao]

If you want sharpness go ZM 50/2

 

[aizan]

what are you looking for? more or less contrast?

 

[Calzone]

If you want pretty bokeh and ultra smooth OOF get the Rigid.

Cal

 

[froyd]

Not sure that going from the Nokton to the Planar will do much for you. I've not had the Nokton, so I can only speak from the images I've seen posted here, but I find it has more personality than the Planar, which I had and used for several months before finding it too plain and not up to the G45 Planar.

The Rigid is a whole different beast, as other have noted above and would be a great partner to either of the modern 50s you are considering.

 

[Calzone]

The Rigid is a whole different beast, as other have noted above and would be a great partner to either of the modern 50s you are considering.

I own a version 1 Rigid that has the narrow scalloped focusing ring and only one distance scale marked in feet. My other 50 is a chrome version of the 50 Lux ASPH which is mucho heavy.

The idea is to have both modern and retro to enjoy the differences.

Cal

 

[TRIago]

I've got myself a Rigid this morning. I love it.

 

[f16sunshine]

Owned and liked both. I would stay with the Nokton. It has traits of both lenses.
At wide open it's lower contrast is similar to the Rigid. Stopped down even to jus 2.8 it looks more modern like the Planar.

Presently I'm slimming down a collection of 50mm lenses I have collected over the years.
I can not imagine wanting to go through the evaluation process again although maybe you need to do that for yourself.

A word on the wonderful Planar. I really loved this lens for Digital M and film. If you get one. Get the silver for sure.
I tried both silver and Black. The Silver leaves no doubt about build quality. The Black feels similar to any other Cosina built lens.
It's just a color.... or is it? 😛

 

[ferider]

- are you talking about the 8 element rigid or the 6 element rigid II (also called "v3" by some) ? Very different beasts.
- I hate to contradict Cal, but the 8 element rigid bokeh/OOF is not smooth at all. In the eyes of the beholder, I guess. But a very unique lens wrt resolution, contrast and build.
- The M-Nokton 50/1.5 is a great all around lens. Really smooth, sharp and quite rectilinear.

Have a look here, if you are interested:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130859

Roland.

 

[taemo]

thanks everyone for your input.

Roland, it's the Rigid Summicron-M: 1957-68
I'm thinking of stopping by The Camera Store one of these day with the A7 and Nokton 50 1.5 and run some comparison tests between the 2 lenses.
If I don't see much difference between the 2, I will keep the Nokton and possibly get a Rigid 50 just for the M3.

I'm overall happy with the Nokton, just that I'm not overly attached to the shots taken with it but then I tend to use it only for work now a days and not for personal shots.

 

[taemo]

So I stopped by The Camera Store this morning and ran some test shots between my Nokton and the Zeiss.
I didn't see much difference between the 2 to bother selling my Nokton and buying a Planar but might look into a Rigid Cron for the M3 still though.

Can you tell which is the Nokton and Planar?

Planar vs Nokton (1.1) by earl.dieta, on Flickr

Planar vs Nokton (1.2) by earl.dieta, on Flickr



Planar vs Nokton (2.1) by earl.dieta, on Flickr

Planar vs Nokton (2.2 by earl.dieta, on Flickr

 

[Dez]

No, I can't tell. I didn't expect to be able to, as they are both modern, high-contrast lenses. I suspect V3 and later Summicrons would also look just the same as well. The special "character" of beloved older lenses is just a result of aberrations that the top lens makers have gradually been beating down. They have been doing a good job of it too, so don't expect to see any but microscopic differences between good quality modern lenses of the same aperture.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[f16sunshine]

The 1st and the 4th are the zeiss 😀

IIRC .... The Planar has a slightly wider angle of view which these images might indicate. You did not say if you used a tripod or not so.... I'll make the assumption.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

The 1st and the 4th are the zeiss 😀

I have same choice. "More nervous" bokeh at both.

 

[Laviolette]

I will try a guess :
1.1 Nokton
1.2 Planar (warmer color for the Zeiss? not sure about this)
2.1 Nokton (OOF lights show that the aperture is a bit stopped down)
2.2 Planar