Shortest 50mm f2 (or faster) rigid lens?

[aizan]

I recommend the Voigtlander 50mm f/2 Heliar collapsible. It might not be rigid, but the focus throw is shorter than the collapsible Summicron. Only 90° to go from infinity to 1.2m.

 

[analogpics]

Thanks for the replies everybody! I'm going to have to take a deeper look at some of these options 🙂 Topcor looks pretty intriguing! I did consider the color skopar 50 for a while tbh, but I ended up with the 50 2.5 summarit.

Huss, i actually do have that 7artisans 35mm f2 which i've used a lot recently. Crackin little lens! Obviously not the quality of my 35 cron asph, but i kinda prefer it for every day snaps (especially walking around late at night 😛). I have a lot more 35s than 50s tbh 🙂

Aizan i am kinda tempted to get the 50 heliar again, though i won't be able to snap one up for the $450 i sold mine for a few years back hehe.

 

[leicapixie]

I have only the 50mm Collapsible-Summicron,non-radioactive version.
I unlike many love the "collapsible" feature.
I like the images it makes,not so happy with flare or 1 m close..
A delicate lens but mine pristine!
Have owned the DF Summicron, the Summilux early.
One can only expose one lens at a given moment!
Oh! On my then new M3 1967, so for me a "keeper"..

 

[telenous]

I went through a similar decision last year. I just needed a short/light/fast-ish 50, so I went through the list of options.

I have already a Jupiter 8 -- like all Sonnars and their clones it is very compact for a 50 and I quite like the typical for a Sonnar imaging. However the focus throw is rather long and it does not lend itself well for fast shooting unless you use it in a closed-down, scale-focusing manner. I believe the same is true for all vintage Sonnar clones.

Then I borrowed the Color Skopar 50/2.5. It's very, very compact, and although people say it's got a boring fingerprint, I found it contrasty and easy to deal with. However, f/2.5 was a bit limiting. Come dusk the lens is somewhat slow for useable speeds.

That brought me to the Summicrons. I considered version III, IV, and V and even the updated rigid Summicron 50. Of these, the most appealing solution seemed to be the tabbed version IV (the one with the separate hood). It's quite short and light (for a Summicron) and with the hood reversed quite easily stowed in a small bag, although not in a coat pocket. (For that, I got a Summicron 40 but that's another story.) The imaging is pretty similar to the most recent pre-asph Summicron 50. Since the primary use I intended the lens was for colour I checked a bazillion online photos and it seemed to be a good lens for that. There are known problems with flaring but using the hood takes care of that, mostly. Version III seemed very appealing too in terms of handling but I somehow liked the increased contrast of the later IV version, esp. for colour, like I said.

At the time I didn't consider the Heliar 50/2, mostly because I was under the impression that it was somewhat softish wide open. But I could be wrong.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Heliar is absolutely not softish, but it's character is what I would call "over corrected". Like many other modern Voigtländer lenses it is so much corrected that not much character of it's own is left. I find the Color-Skopar 50mm nicer.

Erik.

 

[telenous]

I don't mind over-corrected. Perhaps I should have considered it. Not that you can find it any time you want in the wild. But if you wait they do come up.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I have a black one, but I hate the bayonet on the front (for mounting the shade), so I do not use it much.

Leica M2, Voigtländer Heliar 50mm f/2, 400-2TMY/Adox MCC 110.

Erik.

 

[Huss]

As Huss suggested Leitz rigid 50s aren't particularly short. Yes to 35s.... Summicrons or Summarons.... or a 40mm f2 (really small). Although 2.5, not f2 The Voigtlander 50mm 2.5 is small. Like the saying goes You can have small or fast or 50...but not all

Good point about the 40mm f2 Summicron! It is tiny and excellent!

 

[jsrockit]

I'm confused with those versions.
1 is Collapsible.
2. is Rigid.
3. is one I have now, very long focus throw and not small lens.
4. is Canadian/German, smallest with plastic parts.
5. is the current.

But somehow 2 and 3 are getting mixed.
Anyway, none of them are small lenses. And they do focus shift.

I had the V3 and it might not be Summarit 2.5 small, but it is smaller than the Planar. And I never saw any focus shift and I used it on digital.

 

[Archlich]

Canon 50/1.8, if you can get one haze-free. High performing and smaller than any of the Summicrons.

 

[raid]

What is the best identifier of a Version 4 in chrome Summicron? Is it the years during which such lenses were made?

 

[jsrockit]

Canon 50/1.8, if you can get one haze-free. High performing and smaller than any of the Summicrons.

But with a huge and slow focus throw...

On a side note...

Just some comparison photos:

The Planar and Sonnar are actually smaller than the Summicron so I was wrong...

 

[Archlich]

But with a huge and slow focus throw...

On a side note...

Just some comparison photos:

The Planar and Sonnar are actually smaller than the Summicron so I was wrong...

The focus throw if the 2nd version is very reasonable, at least for me.

 

[Swift1]

While not fully f/2, the Canon 50/2.2 is maybe the smallest rigid 50 out there. At f/2.2, I pretty much think of it as an f/2 lens. It's hard to find, but is a great little lens.
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165466

 

[Livesteamer]

Long ago I saw a photo of a 50mm f2.0 Elcan lens that was quite compact. Does this lens really exist or is it an old, inaccurate memory. Joe

 

[jsrockit]

The focus throw if the 2nd version is very reasonable, at least for me.

Ah ok, I didn't know... I remember the 1.8 having like a 180 degree focus throw. I prefer something like 90 degrees.

 

[Erik van Straten]

What is the best identifier of a Version 4 in chrome Summicron? Is it the years during which such lenses were made?

Raid, the numbers are around 3593xxx.

Erik.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Long ago I saw a photo of a 50mm f2.0 Elcan lens that was quite compact. Does this lens really exist or is it an old, inaccurate memory. Joe

You're right, but it's a rare & pricey lens: (There's another set for $10k...but the Setadel photos are better)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-LEIT...807244?hash=item3d8efad10c:g:qvMAAOSwfMRcvfFQ

 

[raid]

Raid, the numbers are around 3593xxxx.

Erik.

Thank you, Erik. I just love the Summicron 50 lenses.

 

[analogpics]

I think there's a seller out here that has the canon 50 1.8...i may have to go visit him and see what i think. If there's no tab, and the focus ring moves smoothly, i don't mind a longer throw as much.

Yeah, i really wanted to try that 50 elcan, but they're definitely $$$