The year is 1954....

sparrow6224

sparrow6224

Well-known
Local time
1:39 PM
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
951
Just curious what very well informed people think, I've never seen the question put broadly to cover all contenders: the year is, let's say, 1954. Which of the available fast 50mm do you want to be shooting (leaving aside whether you like the camera that might necessarily be attached), ie, which is the best optically? Here's a list of the lenses I know but no doubt there are others:

Carl Zeiss Jena 50/1.5 sonnar (pre-war)
Carl Zeiss-Opton/Carl Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar (post-war, west)
Carl Zeiss Jena 50/1.5 Sonnar (post-war, east)
Nikkor S/ Nikkor SC 5cm f/1.4
Canon 50/1.4
Canon 50/1.5 sonnar
Leica Summarit 50/1.5

And what about the 50 mm F2's?
Zeiss Jena pre-war
Zeiss Jena postwar
Zeiss Opton postwar
Summicron rigid M mount
Summicron collapsible LTM
Summar
Summitar
Nikon
Canon 50mm f/1.8 (no other Canon 50 competes)
Rokkor 50mm f/2

Again, feel free to nominate other lenses you know about. I'm curious to see what people say....
 
Last edited:
Sparrow said:
IIRC the first fast 50 was from Voigtlander, the original Nokton 50mm f1.5
Click to expand...

Wasn't the Nokton developed, in part, to replace the 1.5 Sonnar for the never made Contax IVa. Zeiss was making the Sonnar in the 30s.
 
I was compelled to go to the bookcase. On the Trail of the Contax Volume II. When Zeiss acquired Voigtlander in 1956 they did adapt the Nokton with a Contax mount at least as a prototype and it survives in photographs mounted on the prototype of the Contax IV. The Nokton was developed by Voigtlander prior to 1956 though.
 
Easy. The Summarit 1.5 not only because it is the only M lens I have but I have used it exclusively and am very comfortable with it now after several years.

Do I need any others?

No.

Would I like a 75 Lux? Yep!:) And a 90 Cron... but not another 50.
 
Sparrow said:
That would be around the same time as the Prominent then ... when was the first Sonnar 1.5 released?
Click to expand...

According to Hans-Jurgen Kuc's Contax Chronology on page 10 in Vol 1,

1932.... The Sonnar lenses were especially designed for use with the Contax; their fast speeds of f/1.5 and f/2 make the camera even more attractive.
 
OK, since I am hooked now....

The 50mm f2.0 Nikkor-H was introduced in 1953, there were previous versions. Various versions of the 50mm f1.4 Nikkor-S were also in the market in 1954. (thank you Robert Rotoloni)

Quick checking in Peter Dechert, the Canon 50/1.8 was introduced in 1951 to replace the 1.9. In 1952 the 50/1.5 was introduced.
 
I don't have time to go through Marc James Small and Non-Leitz Leica Thread-Mount Lenses. Lots and lots if you want to go there by 1954.
 
I forgot the Canon 50/1.4 wasn't until 1957. So say it's 1957. It's not a matter of what you might have had if you lived in Chicago and drove a bread truck etc etc. I mean, of that era's lenses, prior to the Summilux, what was optically the best of the fast 50s, and what was (in your opinion obviously) the best of the 50/2's. That's really all I meant. Now. Wasn't there also a Tower from Sears with an LTM lens of some kind?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom