The "look" of three 50mm

[regit]

Another thing is that there seems to be a strong light source on the left. It would be interesting to know if you had a hood on the summar.

Hi Ray, a hood is "sort of" not used. I'm using a SOOGZ with an additional filter ring. Closer to the front element, I had light buffer taped around the reflective area ... The end result is "sort of" a hood 🙂

 

[regit]

Thank you for this Regit!

I hope to do something similar with my range of 50mm lenses. (9 in LTM/M, and 5 in Contax/Kiev mount) My collecting of 50mm lenses is done.

I am only lacking the Summar lens (in Leica) and I think I can get similar results with the Summarit or Summitar wide open.

The Contax to Leica adaptor came up in this thread. I think the easiest/best approach is simply to get a Contax or Kiev body in order to use the 50 f1.5 Sonnar lens. But that's just me.

I love the shot in your post #20! (woman in front of lake) Very nice effect with that Sonnar lens. Can I borrow your model? 🙂

Hi Frank, please do that if you have the time. Would love to see the results ... all 14 of them!!! 🙂 As for the model ... she's expensive 🙂

 

[regit]

I quite like the Helios 103 shot too, I must say though that the first post is one of the best advertisings for a Summilux that I've seen 🙂

Tom, the 50/1.5 is now living in a 50's Kiev II and is well cared for 😉

I've seen several sellers auctioning Contax/M adapters now, I guess it's easier to adapt the Contax helical for M mount only, the screw mount seemed to add more trouble.

Unfortunately many of my favorite RFs are screw mount :bang:

Hmm...

Regarding Contax-LTM, I've contacted one of the seller and the sentiment is the same for some reasons. Fortunately, M-mount camera is all I have now 🙂 Here's a modernised IIIa 🙂

 

[taffer]

Here's a modernised IIIa 🙂

😱

... that don't impress me much...

Yeah... sure... I wish it didn't ! 😀

I need a better paid job.

 

[zpuskas]

regit, a welcome post. I like all three for various moods I may be in at the time of making a photo. The Summilux lives up to it's name.
And yes, all opinions are subjective and isn't that just the way it should be? What a boring world if we all agreed....to say nothing of GAS.

 

[ray_g]

😱

... that don't impress me much...

I like your imitation of Shania Twain, Oscar 😉

Regit, very nice work with the Tech Pan. Thanks for sharing these.

 

[celluloidprop]

I might be blind and not seeing it - was that the Summilux or the Sonnar on that last (lovely) shot against the brick wall? (I'm just guessing it's not the Summar)

 

[yossarian]

An eye-opener

An eye-opener

After all the horrid things I've read about the Summar, thanks to regit I now know it produces the pictorial effect I like in some shots, much like what I get with my Helios-40 85/1.5. This is characteristic of lenses with substantial spherical aberration.

The kicker is how close the Sonnar comes to the 'lux. My first choice is always high resolution & contrast and low flare, but I've come to appreciate the look demonstrated here by the Summar.

It also appears from perusing the threads here that I'm the only person who loves
"bad" bokeh. I find the highly-rated 35/2 'cron too dull for my taste. The more squiggles, ovals and various other strange shapes I get in my OOF images, the
happier I am.

Always a little out of step and I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

[raid]

The postings above just show that each type of lens has its followers. This is a useful posting indeed. I don't have the Summilux or Summar but have a Zeiss Sonnar 5cm/2 and a Summicron. The 50's are fun to use and they don't have to cost a lot. Looking at the three posted images, I prefer the middle one somehow.

 

[mtnmasher]

Great post. I like the facial tones of the lux, but the milder contrast of the sonnar for the rest of the frame. The summar seems a little washed out on my monitor.

 

[richard_l]

I like the Sonnar image the best. It's a happy medium between the Summar and the Lux.

 

[regit]

I might be blind and not seeing it - was that the Summilux or the Sonnar on that last (lovely) shot against the brick wall? (I'm just guessing it's not the Summar)

The shot was done with the 'Lux. One way to spot a asph lens is to note the sharp gradient from in-focus to out-focus planes.

 

[wlewisiii]

This has been a nice thread. I've always been fond of the Tessar & Sonnar family of lenses and the LTM Sonnar is no exception. The Summilux is just a bit to sharp and bitting for my tastes while the Summar looks as though it is a glorious special effect lens. Portraits, and especially nudes, of women would be a strong suit of it. I've been considering getting it if the price was right and now I think that I may have to try it even if that price is a bit higher than I'd been willing to go before.

Thanks again,

William

 

[furcafe]

I share your fondness for the Tessars & Sonnars & agree w/Yossarian that it's cool that the Sonnar comes even remotely close to the ASPH 'lux considering the latter's probably the best 50mm lens ever made w/the benefit of an extra 50 years of optical development.

Also nice to find out that Tech Pan can be developed w/good results in Diafine.

Per the shot of his camera/lens setup (& as discussed in an earlier photo.net Leica forum thread), Regit is using a post-WWII Carl Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar in Contax RF mount (via a modern Contax-Leica M adapter).

I've always been fond of the Tessar & Sonnar family of lenses and .the LTM Sonnar is no exception.

 

[wlewisiii]

Per the shot of his camera/lens setup (& as discussed in an earlier photo.net Leica forum thread), Regit is using a post-WWII Carl Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar in Contax RF mount (via a modern Contax-Leica M adapter).

So I now note. I probably thought in terms of LTM since my Canon's are LTM rather than M mount 😀 Probably won't find one I can afford anytime soon, alas. Probably just get a Canon 50/1.5 and be happy... someday 😉

William

 

[raid]

I will try to do a similar comparison with the 50's that I have right now. I will also choose a person to photograph, even though a place is easier since it does not move. I will most likely compare the following 50mm lenses with max aperture around 2.0:

1. First version rigid Summicron 5cm/2
2. Collapsible Summicron 5cm/2
3. Zeiss 5cm/2
4. Canon 50/1.8
5. Nikkor 5cm/2

If some are copies of each other, it should show.

 

[ray_g]

If we all did this with our 50's, I bet we'd be able to put together a reference that may be useful for some, or just plain interesting. Of course, with the usual limitations in standardization, but still...

 

[regit]

I will try to do a similar comparison with the 50's that I have right now. I will also choose a person to photograph, even though a place is easier since it does not move. I will most likely compare the following 50mm lenses with max aperture around 2.0:

1. First version rigid Summicron 5cm/2
2. Collapsible Summicron 5cm/2
3. Zeiss 5cm/2
4. Canon 50/1.8
5. Nikkor 5cm/2

If some are copies of each other, it should show.

Please do so, Raid!!! 1 and 2 should be interesting 🙂

 

[raid]

Ray: Such personal experiences show me more than a lab test based on MTF curves and similar stuff. I believe that the camera body used is a secondary factor that most likely will be negligible if often used and trusted by the photographer, so using one camera body or several bodies should be fine. The advantage of using oone camera body is using the same roll of film, receiving the same developing. This may be an important factor here.

 

[raid]

Please do so, Raid!!! 1 and 2 should be interesting 🙂

Regit: I will as soon as I can. Most likely, this coming weekend will be good for me. My wife is taking the two daughters to a birthday party, and Dad (c'est moi) is not invited 😛