Xenon f= 5 cm 1:1.5 any experience?

[taffy]

I'm deciding to keep either of these lenses for use on my M8:

1. Xenon f= 5 cm 1:1.5
2. VC 40 1.4

Can you guys recommend or share your opinion on overall IQ? This will be my main fast lens on the M8.

 

[taffy]

I'm deciding to keep either of these lenses for use on my M8:

1. Xenon f= 5 cm 1:1.5
2. VC 40 1.4

Can you guys recommend or share your opinion on overall IQ? This will be my main fast lens on the M8.

reference: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Xenon_f=_5_cm_1:1.5

 

[roundg]

keep the CV40/1.4

 

[LeicaTom]

Xenon is very soft, gives that "Leica Glow" but is mainly good if you want to take pictures that look old..........soft pastelly looking colors, nice for photographing women etc. More of a COLLECTORS ITEM, then a normal daily useful lens.

I have no experience with the CV 40/1.4 but with the crop/sensor ratio factor, blah blah the 40mm works like a regular lens almost, maybe that's good? 😉

I use nothing but 50mm's with/on my M8, my favorite's are the f1.2/50 Canon LTM and the WW2 era CZJ Sonnar f1.5/50 LTM both of which are harder now to find, at least the Sonnar is, the Canon is not rare, just very hard to find in minty glass condition.

The Nikkor "Tokyo" SC f1.4/50 LTM is also a good shooting lens, along with it's slower Brother the Nikkor HC f2/50 LTM both are great shooting lenses on the M8, sharp and great colors!

Tom

 

[taffy]

Xenon is very soft, gives that "Leica Glow" but is mainly good if you want to take pictures that look old..........soft pastelly looking colors, nice for photographing women etc. More of a COLLECTORS ITEM, then a normal daily useful lens.

I have no experience with the CV 40/1.4 but with the crop/sensor ratio factor, blah blah the 40mm works like a regular lens almost, maybe that's good? 😉

I use nothing but 50mm's with/on my M8, my favorite's are the f1.2/50 Canon LTM and the WW2 era CZJ Sonnar f1.5/50 LTM both of which are harder now to find, at least the Sonnar is, the Canon is not rare, just very hard to find in minty glass condition.

The Nikkor "Tokyo" SC f1.4/50 LTM is also a good shooting lens, along with it's slower Brother the Nikkor HC f2/50 LTM both are great shooting lenses on the M8, sharp and great colors!

Tom

Thanks for this Tom. You think I should keep this as a special purpose lens? Will the Leica glow come out in B&W too?

 

[rxmd]

Thanks for this Tom. You think I should keep this as a special purpose lens? Will the Leica glow come out in B&W too?

"Leica glow" should really be called flare here (or at least Taylor Hobson glow, since this is not a Leica lens design) and it will be visible in B&W just as well as in colour.

I have the 40/f1.4 and as an everyday lens it is just great. I'd keep that one. I'd keep the 50 only as a collector's item, or maybe as a specialty lens for portraits if you do portraiture - the 65mm field of view works very nicely for portraits, and the 50/f1.5's optical deficiencies play in your favour here as Tom has pointed out.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's been well over 30 years since I owned one, but I recall it as a low-contrast lens (which of course gives the impression that it is faster than it is) and I think I remember that it suffered from impressive internal reflections, but I may be conflating it with the (later, much improved, coated) Summarit. The patents on the Summarit lens mount were Taylor, Taylor Hobson, not Schneider; I don't think (though I may be wrong) that Schneider had much to do with either the Leica version of the Xenon or the Summarit.

Like many lenses from the past, the Xenon and Summarit enjoy a vogue today that they did not have 30-40 years ago, when they were regarded mainly as curiosities. Compare this with the Thambar, which has always been sought after.

Cheers,

R.

 

[taffy]

I'm going to shoot more with the 5cm Xenon and post some photos here. Your advice is really helpful! I tried looking for photos on Flickr but there arent too many shot with the M8

Thanks Roger and Rxmd!

 

[rxmd]

The patents on the Summarit lens mount were Taylor, Taylor Hobson, not Schneider; I don't think (though I may be wrong) that Schneider had much to do with either the Leica version of the Xenon or the Summarit.

That seems more probable, I changed that bit. Schneider did have some patents on "Xenon" lenses designed by Albrecht Tronnier since the 1920s, and the Wikipedia page on him claims that in 1935 he developed the "extension" of the existing 50/f1.5 Kino-Xenon cine lens into the Leitz Xenon, but that may well be wrong.

 

[LeicaTom]

Rxmd, your funny 🙂

"Taylor Hobson Glow" then I guess that's a little like doing "Bertele's Bokeh" when I use my Zeiss Sonnar's? 😉

"Leica Glow" is for me just a loose term for a photographic look taken with a Leica lens at a certain aperture and it's all good fun! (mostly for me at full bore all the way open!)
You can get it with B&W or Color media, has alot to do with the subject, angle/lighting and you need a pretty woman to add to the successful chances of real artistic "Glow" and also forget to bring your lens hood this helps too (most people cannot afford the Xenon hood anyway, so who needs it?) LOL!!!!

The Leitz Xenon is a really good lens for Black and White if you want your photos to look old fashioned, it is a kool *art lens* Taffy I would keep it! 😀
(I had a 1942 one, it was an amazing lens, which I used on both my M8 and my M6, I regret selling it, but it was a Kriegsmarine (WW2 German Navy) Stamped lens on an equally validated Leica IIIC camera -
I miss my Xenon!)

Tom

 

[Roger Hicks]

. . . it was a Kriegsmarine (WW2 German Navy) Stamped lens . . .

Stamped? Or engraved? A minor distinction, but I wondered if there was some sort of stamp I'd not seen.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Vince Lupo]

I had a 3 ring Xenon some time ago, and it was one of my favourite lenses (though admittedly the Xenon lens hood is huge!). Plenty sharp and contrasty enough for me, particularly after my repair wizard, Frank Marshman, gave it the full spit'n'polish. Maybe you guys needed to have your Xenons cleaned???

The shot below is from a few years ago in Verdun (and this is a scan from a print). I think my aperture setting was f/4, taken on XP2.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Alright, who of you here outbid me on that Xenon a few hours ago?! 🙁

 

[Rayt]

That seems more probable, I changed that bit. Schneider did have some patents on "Xenon" lenses designed by Albrecht Tronnier since the 1920s, and the Wikipedia page on him claims that in 1935 he developed the "extension" of the existing 50/f1.5 Kino-Xenon cine lens into the Leitz Xenon, but that may well be wrong.

I currently own two 50/1.5 Xenon lenses both LTM uncoated. One is a Schneider and the other is a Taylor Hobson.

 

[sanmich]

I just remarked that my Xenon has an aperture ring working in the opposite way than all Leica lenses.
Any idea why?

 

[rxmd]

I currently own two 50/1.5 Xenon lenses both LTM uncoated. One is a Schneider and the other is a Taylor Hobson.

But what kind of glow do they have? 😀

 

[taffy]

I currently own two 50/1.5 Xenon lenses both LTM uncoated. One is a Schneider and the other is a Taylor Hobson.

How can I tell which I which?

 

[Rayt]

But what kind of glow do they have? 😀

As expected!

 

[Rayt]

How can I tell which I which?

The TTH version looks like the Leitz Summarit and it is chrome. The Schneider has the word Schneider on the front rim and the black paint barrel is much larger, rounder and heavier than the TTH. I have found zero info on it online so far.

 

[raid]

I would like to use such a lens one day.