The King of **50mm** Bokeh

[raid]

i'm a kinder, gentler guy these days.

Are you sure about it, Joe? :angel:

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

After reading all the responses, I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the 90mm f/2.8 Elmarit as a contender for a 50mm lens.

Or the 75mm f/1.4 Summilux. Or the 24mm f/1.4 Summilux.

:: ducks ::

 

[PMCC]

Haven't you heard? 75 is the new 50.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

They could be turned into 50mm lenses if you adjust the spacing in between the elements and remount them into a 50mm focus mount.

But the Bokeh would be "different".

I turned a Canon 50/1.5 into an 80mm lens in Nikon F-Mount. It was missing the rear module. Then, I transplanted a rear module from a J-3 into it.

Bokeh was eerie.

 

[raid]

They could be turned into 50mm lenses if you adjust the spacing in between the elements and remount them into a 50mm focus mount.

But the Bokeh would be "different".

I turned a Canon 50/1.5 into an 80mm lens in Nikon F-Mount. It was missing the rear module. Then, I transplanted a rear module from a J-3 into it.

Bokeh was eerie.

Brian,
You are going where few people have gone to... may you find your way back safely to us humans.

 

[dave lackey]

How about using the Summarit 1.5 for a digital macro shot on a Nikon D2X?

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=99103&ppuser=10945

 

[Krosya]

CV Nokton 50/1.5 can indeed have a very nice Bokeh:

 

[f16sunshine]

Are reflex lenses fair game here?
The Rokkor 1.2/58 has maybe the smoothest, calmest bokeh I have seen.
I'll look for some samples on my HD unless this is an RF lens only thread.

 

[Neare]

Not the 'best' bokeh but it has its place, the cheap way into a small DOF

Nokton 1.1

 

[ali_baba]

i'll play...

i'll play...

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Coachella Music Festival
The Slackers Set...

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Melanie Griffith
Backstage @ Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Jay-Z
Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Chris Hayden (Florence & The Machine's Drummer)

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Beth Ditto (Gossip)
Backstage @ Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Ian Saint-Pê (The Black Lips)
Backstage @ Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Not sure who she is but she struck me backstage
Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
YELLE
Backstage @ Coachella Music Festival

Leica M9 + Noctilux
Perry Ferrell
Backstage @ Coachella Music Festival

yep, this is my favorite combination at the moment.
really creates amazing images.

now -- come on leica, make the M9.P with a mechanical shutter advance, and a leicavit with extra batteries built in! I'll take a la carte VF magnification as well!!

Enjoy the frames!

Jesse

 

[Calzone]

Try to find the Tokyo version, Cal.

The only two 50s I have left since yesterday are DR and NKT 50/1.4 (M-mount that is)

Thanks for the recommendation! Somehow you read my mind. Too bad I will be broke for a while and need to be good, but the Nikkor is the next lens on my list.

Cal

 

[Stuart John]

Suprisingly my Nikkor 50mm 1.8 looks good sometimes.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Hybrid 50/1.5 Sonnar. Front half Canon 50/1.5, rear half J-3.

 

[Bingley]

I don't know if it's kingly, but those shots are fantastic, Brian. They have a ghostly quality, the first one especially.

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

Brian, that first shot takes the cake when I think "painterly" bokeh

 

[cliffpatte]

How about the 5cm Nikon 1:1.4 for the S Series rangefinder?

 

[Ihmemies]

I looked through the Clubsnap's lenses, and for smoothest (most gaussian) bokeh these three lenses came on top:

Personally I don't care that much about ultimate smoothness, but I suppose some are after that look

Edit: of course there are two types of bokeh: front- and backbokeh. Clubsnap's examples had only latter. Likely in lenses which produced harsh bokeh behind focused subject, the bokeh in front of subject would have been a lot smoother.

 

[KEH]

Oly EP2 with Nikkor AIS 50/1.2 wide open. A bit extreme in my opinion, but other photo opportunities may produce more pleasing results.

Cheers,
Kirk

 

[LChanyungco]

i've posted this one before but i think it shows what the "current" Summicron's out of focus characteristics are like. taken at F2 with Fuji Velvia 50. but if i had to name a "50mm Bokeh King" it would be the Noctilux

 

[Krosya]

I looked through the Clubsnap's lenses, and for smoothest (most gaussian) bokeh these three lenses came on top:

Personally I don't care that much about ultimate smoothness, but I suppose some are after that look

Edit: of course there are two types of bokeh: front- and backbokeh. Clubsnap's examples had only latter. Likely in lenses which produced harsh bokeh behind focused subject, the bokeh in front of subject would have been a lot smoother.

Looking at these images, first one - from Noctilux 0.95 ASPH looks very much like what I see from my M-Hexanon 50/1.2. Overall sharpness, bokeh, just very similar look. It's funny - it took Leica all this time to come up with a lens that is similar to what Konica made in 2001. And my Hex didnt cost $10K either. I suppose it's the premium for the difference between 1.2 and 0.95.