tunalegs
Pretended Artist
I admit, I have never really given the Schneider Xenon 1.9/50mm much attention. I have two, both late-model examples in the compact barrel, one in M42, and one in Exakta bayonet. I've only used them a handful of times. The compact barrels, while attractive, are not particularly ergonomic in use. As well, on the Exakta I prefer the 2/50 Pancolar, and in M42 I have an endless variety of fast fifties to choose from.
The Xenon occupies a rather strange place in our "collective photographer's consciousness", it is held in high regard as a user lens, and yet it gives a very old-fashioned sort of rendering but avoids being labelled as a gimmick or effect lens (unlike say, contemporaries like the Biotar and Primoplan).
tree by Berang Berang, on Flickr
Untitled by Berang Berang, on Flickr
I think you can see what I mean. It gives an old-fashioned feeling, but it doesn't beat you over the head with it. This may be why the Xenon gets little notice among those looking for "bubbles" and "swirls" despite giving both those effects - and though its sharpness, contrast, and speed were remarkable in the 40s and 50s, by the 60s the Japanese were doing as well, or better, for less money and pairing those lenses with cameras far more popular than what was coming of Germany by then. The legacy of which is that while the Xenon is generally held in high regard for those qualities now, it gets relatively little notice when all those fine Japanese lenses are so accessible and cheap, and when its German contemporaries offer much more pronounced nostalgic rendering.
In any event, I'd love to see photos taken with Xenons - post them here.
The Xenon occupies a rather strange place in our "collective photographer's consciousness", it is held in high regard as a user lens, and yet it gives a very old-fashioned sort of rendering but avoids being labelled as a gimmick or effect lens (unlike say, contemporaries like the Biotar and Primoplan).
tree by Berang Berang, on Flickr
Untitled by Berang Berang, on Flickr
I think you can see what I mean. It gives an old-fashioned feeling, but it doesn't beat you over the head with it. This may be why the Xenon gets little notice among those looking for "bubbles" and "swirls" despite giving both those effects - and though its sharpness, contrast, and speed were remarkable in the 40s and 50s, by the 60s the Japanese were doing as well, or better, for less money and pairing those lenses with cameras far more popular than what was coming of Germany by then. The legacy of which is that while the Xenon is generally held in high regard for those qualities now, it gets relatively little notice when all those fine Japanese lenses are so accessible and cheap, and when its German contemporaries offer much more pronounced nostalgic rendering.
In any event, I'd love to see photos taken with Xenons - post them here.
