Singapore Sonnar lens test

[ZoomP]

Gathered with a few buddies and did a bokeh test on the various sonnar lenses that are available in Singapore.

Here's the link to the test.
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=800613

 

[ferider]

Very cool and GAS inducing. Amazing that you got hold of a Nikkor 50/1.5.

 

[ferider]

Have a look here, Dan:

https://www.leicashop.com/vintage/msmodes-5013-dualsystem-p-639.html

Compare with the ZM 50/1.5. They seem quite similar to me, with the ZM having more contrast.

 

[gb hill]

Nice! Those two Zeiss C Sonnars are sharpest no doubt of the bunch. I'd love to get my hands on one. I was expecting more from the Nikkor's from all the hype I have read on them. The J-3's are on par with all the rest which didn't suprise me from Raid's 50mm lens test a few years back. All IMO are keepers. I love the look of the Rollei 40/2.8. Awesome lens!

 

[back alley]

great comparison...i see that i have the 'right' sonnar for myself, i love the look of the rollei 40...it seems so alive to me.

 

[gb hill]

great comparison...i see that i have the 'right' sonnar for myself, i love the look of the rollei 40...it seems so alive to me.

That 40 really stood out from the rest I think! Crazy sharp & an interesting background. You got a keeper there Joe.

 

[ZeissFan]

Interesting. There isn't as much variation as you might expect. But I suppose that because they're all based on the same lens (more or less identical copies, it seems), the results aren't dramatically different.

Except for the 40mm Sonnar.

Great work.

 

[back alley]

That 40 really stood out from the rest I think! Crazy sharp & an interesting background. You got a keeper there Joe.

i have always liked a 40, starting with the minolta on my cle to the cv 40 but the rollei is special.

 

[ferider]

Except for the 40mm Sonnar.

The 40 was shot at f2.8 .... the other lenses would look dramatically different stopped down more than 1 stop.

 

[back alley]

Interesting. There isn't as much variation as you might expect. But I suppose that because they're all based on the same lens (more or less identical copies, it seems), the results aren't dramatically different.

Except for the 40mm Sonnar.

Great work.

mike, i'm curious as to how you would describe the 40 sonnar...

 

[The Meaness]

The Rollei and the ZM stood out to me.

Is the Rollei tested here the same that's on the fixed lens RFs?

 

[gb hill]

The 40 was shot at f2.8 .... the other lenses would look dramatically different stopped down more than 1 stop.

It isn't really fair to judge a lens wide open & not at at other apertures is it? It's rarely I ever shoot wide open. All these lenses, I'm sure has a distinct "sweet spot" Especially the Canon's & Nikkor's. But it is interesting to compare, especially on a M9.🙂

 

[ZeissFan]

I've never seen an optical formula of the new Rollei Sonnar, so I don't know if it's identical. However, it is a Sonnar, so it's likely close.

I like the 40mm length a lot. I think the Sonnar in general can be very crisp in a a gentle manner. That seems contradictory of baffling, even as I read what I just wrote. It doesn't seem to display ever little detail, which makes it nice for portraits, especially women. Ask a woman how she likes every facial flaw revealed in high def.

I also think that what makes the 40mm Sonnar stand out from the rest is the wider field of view.

At the moment, I'm shooting a Rollei 35 SE (sort of to confirm my dislike for the LED models). The week before, I shot with a Rollei 35 (Tessar version), and I want to compare the results of a couple of scenes that I shot with both.

 

[ZeissFan]

I occasionally shoot wide open, although I don't strictly attempt to do that every time. Lately, I've been shooting with a lot of ISO50 speed films, so I have been shooting wider open, mostly out of necessity.

However, it depends on the subject more than anything else.

 

[ferider]

I've never seen an optical formula of the new Rollei Sonnar, so I don't know if it's identical. However, it is a Sonnar, so it's likely close.

We discussed that in RFF back in 2007. The conclusion was that the Rollei LTM 40/2.8 and Rollei 35s and 35se all have the same lens diagram (even though they have different coatings, etc.):

"Yes, the new lens barrel, the other manufacturer for this and the interchangeable character of the lens from my point of view make it a completely different lens, although the internal structure and lens calculation are the same."

If you like ZoomP's test photo, try one of the Rollei's, available for less than US 250, usually 🙂

 

[johannielscom]

I liked the shots from the Carl Zeiss Jena 50/1.5 best. They are a bit 'wild' in the background and in B&W I feel that adds a bit of a 'bite' to the shots. So, I think I did well, because I bought a 1943 specimen of that lens over a year ago and have since then sold off most my other 50mm lenses. Even let go of an L-Hexanon 50/2.4 collapsible that I'd been wanting for years, in favour of the CZJ 😱.

Two consecutive C-Sonnar 50/1.5 lenses from different countries, what a chance! Great shot. Reminds me of the sale of two consecutivly numbered Leica M4's on eBay some time ago...

 

[Brian Legge]

Aside from some color casts, all lenses here look pretty darn good. The main difference seems the variation in aperture.

 

[ZoomP]

Folks, we did shoot all the lenses from wide open to f5.6. Let me know if you're keen to see the results too. 🙂

 

[ZoomP]

Very cool and GAS inducing. Amazing that you got hold of a Nikkor 50/1.5.

Yeah... The Nikkor 50 f1.5 was a rare find by an ebay-searching buddy. The lens needs some CLA though.

 

[back alley]

Folks, we did shoot all the lenses from wide open to f5.6. Let me know if you're keen to see the results too. 🙂

yes, please...