Three 50s - advice/thoughts?

[Rob-F]

Gorgeous black IIIf. I can't stop admiring it! 🙂

 

[MCTuomey]

The Canon 50/1.5 isn’t all that big for a fast lens, it’s actually surprisingly small considering the speed.

C Sonnar is M bayonet.

Good point about the Canon 50/1.5 - it is the smallest of the OP's list. But it is heavy and will balance nose-down.

Yes, I realize that the C-Sonnar is M-mount, and thought that Novoflex M-to-LTM adapter would work. But I just checked and found that you lose infinity focus with it, my oversight. I withdraw the ZM suggestion, sorry. My enthusiasm for the C-Sonnar got the better of me.

 

[splitimageview]

No doubt the C-Sonnar is stellar!

I don't find the Canon to be particularly nose-heavy, except when compared to my 50/3.5 collapsible. 🙂

 

[Paulie707]

Guys - these responses are super helpful! Thank you all. Especially the pics - they really help to get a sense of what it's going to look like and how it will perform (user errors aside...).

I think I'm going to go for the one that wasn't on the original list!! Will be keeping my eye out for the Canon 50 1.4. The colour works (bonus point) but the comments really big it up and the reviews I've looked at seem to back that up. Plus it looks rather nice on the barnack (to me, at least!).

Thanks for the help/advice!

 

[dourbalistar]

Unless you need f/1.4, I would give strong consideration to the Nikkor-H.C 5cm f/2 mentioned a few times above. It's smaller than the Canon 50/1.4 (40.5mm filter vs. the Canon's odd 48mm), a tad lighter, and has a Sonnar-type design. Many of the Japanese-made Barnack copies (e.g. Nicca, Tower) had it as the kit lens.

I have and can recommend both lenses, but just some food for thought. In either case, there are two wonderful image threads here on RFF for both lenses:
Nikkor HC 50mm F2... Wow, I am impressed
Pics with Canon 50mm f/1.4 LTM, please !

 

[dourbalistar]

How the Nikkor-H.C 5cm f/2 looks on a IIIf. 😎


Leica IIIf with Nikkor-H.C 5cm f/2 LTM by dourbalistar, on Flickr

 

[splitimageview]

The Nikkor is great! Sonnar too...