jeff laitila
Established
I’m thinking about simplifying my rangefinder gear, and selling some of my lenses. I’ve got my own thoughts on which lenses are “keepers” and which ones I could part with. I’d appreciate other people insight on this subject as well. (I’m shooting with an M9)
Let’s start with the 35mm focal length. Here is what I currently have and the reasons why I like them:
CV 35mm f1.2 -This lens owns the night. It’s a beast to carry around, but when the lights go out it is the only game in town.
CV 35mm f2.5 Pancake -Small, sharp, and a good companion to the CV 50/2.5.
CV 35mm f1.4 SC -A good compromise between the speed of the f1.2, and the small size of the f2.5. Low contrast, great for B&W shooting.
MS Optical Perar Super triplet 35mm f3.5 – Smallest M-mount 35mm in existence, sharp as a tack, and low contrast which provides a lot of flexibility in post-processing. Light as a feather.
Canon ltm 35mm f2 – Sharp, and small. Was my go-to 35mm until I got the UC-Hexanon.
Canon ltm 35mm f1.5 – Definitely a character lens. Wide open it is sharp in the center, with soft corners. Stopped down is sharp throughout.
UC-Hexanon 35mm f2 – A rare gem. Small, light, razor sharp, and very well built, very good ergonomics.
M-Hexanon 35mm f2 – Best performing 35mm I have ever used. Tack sharp, even wide open, and excellent contrast, bokeh, and build quality. BUT, it back focuses on my M9.
L-Hexanon 35mm f2 – Very similar to the M-hexanon, but much less of a backfocus problem with my M9. Not quite as ergonomically pleasing to use as the M-Hexanon, but also quite a bit smaller.
On a side note, how hard is it to collimate the Hexanon lenses for accurate focusing on the M9? I’m assuming I would need to send them in to a professional to get this done.
Cheers,
Jeff
Let’s start with the 35mm focal length. Here is what I currently have and the reasons why I like them:
CV 35mm f1.2 -This lens owns the night. It’s a beast to carry around, but when the lights go out it is the only game in town.
CV 35mm f2.5 Pancake -Small, sharp, and a good companion to the CV 50/2.5.
CV 35mm f1.4 SC -A good compromise between the speed of the f1.2, and the small size of the f2.5. Low contrast, great for B&W shooting.
MS Optical Perar Super triplet 35mm f3.5 – Smallest M-mount 35mm in existence, sharp as a tack, and low contrast which provides a lot of flexibility in post-processing. Light as a feather.
Canon ltm 35mm f2 – Sharp, and small. Was my go-to 35mm until I got the UC-Hexanon.
Canon ltm 35mm f1.5 – Definitely a character lens. Wide open it is sharp in the center, with soft corners. Stopped down is sharp throughout.
UC-Hexanon 35mm f2 – A rare gem. Small, light, razor sharp, and very well built, very good ergonomics.
M-Hexanon 35mm f2 – Best performing 35mm I have ever used. Tack sharp, even wide open, and excellent contrast, bokeh, and build quality. BUT, it back focuses on my M9.
L-Hexanon 35mm f2 – Very similar to the M-hexanon, but much less of a backfocus problem with my M9. Not quite as ergonomically pleasing to use as the M-Hexanon, but also quite a bit smaller.
On a side note, how hard is it to collimate the Hexanon lenses for accurate focusing on the M9? I’m assuming I would need to send them in to a professional to get this done.
Cheers,
Jeff
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