Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

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Bifurcator
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p.3 #1 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

mpmendenhall wrote:
rirakuma wrote:
I don't know any 50mm that has good control over CA/fringing.

The Olympus OM 50/2 Macro has reasonably good (better than normal for 50mm-ish lenses) control over color fringing, and is quite sharp. Its rendering can be a bit "nervous," and global contrast is somewhat low. For a slow 50mm lens, the Contax Vario-Sonnar 35-70/3.5 is very nicely corrected (at f5.6+, better performance than most 50mm primes) --- highly recommended.

I guess it won't fit on any Canon camera being an Leica M mount but the Voigtlander Nokton Aspherical 50mm f/1.5 has maybe zero CA. Like really, none. Beautifully constructed and very aesthetically pleasing to look at as well ( http://tesselator.gpmod.com/Images/_Auctions/Voigtlander_Nokton_50mm_f1.5_Aspherical/ ).

Just for posterity here's some samples on the GH1:

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Wide open @ f/1.5

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100% crop of above

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Wide Open

100% Crop of above.

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Wide Open

100% Crop of above

These are one or maybe two clicks stopped down and pretty close to 100% crops - massively cropped anyway!:

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Jan 12, 2013 at 12:03 PM

sculptormic
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p.3 #2 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

Bifurcator, I like the Nokton as well and it is beautifully made. Not in production anymore but still available new.

For portraits I find the Canon FD 50/1.4 and the Jupiter-8 50/2 nice as well. I mean horses for courses.

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Jan 12, 2013 at 01:19 PM

adrianb
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p.3 #3 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

I got the Jupiter-9 as well.

I have a question for you Jupiter-9 owners.

i have probably the later edition (black, not chrome/silver)

my aperture ring is quite stiff and if I try to CLOSE the aperture (let's say I wanna go from f2.8 to f8 or f11 or f16) after I hit the limit , if I insist just a bit, the lens will unscrew itself.

(hope it makes sens what I'm trying to explain)..

This lens can be unscrewed in two parts (the glass &aperture part) and the focusing ring part (the back).

So if I set the aperture limiter to max (F16) and I am currently at f 2.0 and If I turn the aperture dial all the way from f2.0 to max closed F16, at the end of the rotation,if I insist just a little bit, the lens will unscrew itself...

Is there anything that can be done so the damn thing won't unscrew itself so easily? I don't wanna put any glue or whatever because that would be stupid..

perhaps the aperture ring needs to be more smoth/oiled...so it won't put the barrel /screwing of the lens to much pressure...

Jan 12, 2013 at 01:34 PM

Bifurcator
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p.3 #4 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

sculptormic wrote:
Bifurcator, I like the Nokton as well and it is beautifully made. Not in production anymore but still available new.

For portraits I find the Canon FD 50/1.4 and the Jupiter-8 50/2 nice as well. I mean horses for courses.

http://www.michielschierbeek.com/Fotos/Temp/Baby11.jpg

http://www.michielschierbeek.com/Fotos/Temp/Portretwa1.jpg

Yeah, two years ago or so someone did a comparison between like, 25 different popular normals and declared that at f/1.4 the nFD 50/1.4 was the sharpest 1.4 model available. And of course it only gets better as you stop down. I've repeated the comparison with my resolution chart between 10 or 12 fast normals and came to the same conclusion. All that goodness and at reasonable prices - ya gotta dig it!

I haven't tried the Jupiter-8 50/2 yet. I'll have to hunt one down and give it a go.

adrianb wrote:
I got the Jupiter-9 as well.
after I hit the limit , if I insist just a bit, the lens will unscrew itself.
at the end of the rotation,if I insist just a little bit, the lens will unscrew itself...

Is there anything that can be done so the damn thing won't unscrew itself so easily?

Don't be insistent?

--
That sounds snide, but it's not. Learn to use the tool within its limits.

Jan 12, 2013 at 08:28 PM

sculptormic
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p.3 #5 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

adrianb wrote:
I got the Jupiter-9 as well.

I have a question for you Jupiter-9 owners.

i have probably the later edition (black, not chrome/silver)

my aperture ring is quite stiff and if I try to CLOSE the aperture (let's say I wanna go from f2.8 to f8 or f11 or f16) after I hit the limit , if I insist just a bit, the lens will unscrew itself.

(hope it makes sens what I'm trying to explain)..

This lens can be unscrewed in two parts (the glass &aperture part) and the focusing ring part (the back).

So if I set the aperture limiter to max (F16) and I am currently at f 2.0 and If I turn the aperture dial all the way from f2.0 to max closed F16, at the end of the rotation,if I insist just a little bit, the lens will unscrew itself...

Is there anything that can be done so the damn thing won't unscrew itself so easily? I don't wanna put any glue or whatever because that would be stupid..

perhaps the aperture ring needs to be more smoth/oiled...so it won't put the barrel /screwing of the lens to much pressure...

Jupiter-9 is the 85/2 mm, also nice but a lot bigger.
I have the black ones as well and those were cleaned, as a lot of my lenses, by Will van Maanen http://www.kamera-service.info/
In time, especially with East German and Russian lenses, the oil gets hard and you have to use to much force to turn things, with even the risk of destroying your mount.
Will van Maanen does a great job, your lenses are cleaned and oiled and everything works fine again for € 85,-- per lens. He knows really all about lenses, especially Leica.

Jan 12, 2013 at 11:09 PM

Grenache
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p.3 #6 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

Hauxon, seeing images like those from the 50 cron make me sad that I sold mine. I loved it but needed something else at the time. Sniff.

Jim

Jan 13, 2013 at 03:37 AM

anscochrome
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p.3 #7 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

I have so many 50mm lenses, it is disgusting. 50mm f 1.4 Canon EF, 50mm F 1.4 Yahsica ML, 50mm F 1.7 Zeiss Planar, 50mm F 2.0 Nikkor -H, 50mm F 3.5 Industar, 58mm F 2.0 Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar, 58mm F 2.0 Helios 44-m, 5cm F 2.8 Yashinon, 50mm F 1.8 Meyer Oreston. If you told me I could only keep one, I'd go for the canon EF, despite all of its foibles real or imagined, becuase sometimes auto focus (even its less than great autofocus) is nice to have.

Jan 13, 2013 at 05:15 AM

Two23
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p.3 #8 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

wouldn't the "ultimate" be the Leica f 0.95?

I happen to own the first 50mm ever made for an interchangeable 35mm camera: the Elmar 50mm f3.5, vintage early 1930s (has no serial number.) It has a nice look.

Kent in SD

Jan 13, 2013 at 05:52 AM

Mikeality
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p.3 #9 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

valentine wrote:
Voighlander Nokton F 1.1... Sharp. great bokeh. Range Finder & Manual focus. It has been said that with this lens you can photograph black cats at midnight.... Hmmmm I wonder...
Valentine

+1

Jan 13, 2013 at 06:24 AM

mh2000
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p.3 #10 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

As another person who has shot many 50's, I'd say a Summicron-R, but plenty of other great lenses. If you can shoot LTM, I think the Color-Skopar 50/2.5 is an amazingly beautiful lens... they are out of production and apparently getting collectable in Japan, but still, they are way cheaper than what lots of people pay for lenses around here.

Jan 13, 2013 at 06:34 AM

AhamB
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p.3 #11 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

Two23 wrote:
wouldn't the "ultimate" be the Leica f 0.95?

Ultimate speed, yes. For ultimate performance, I guess the Apo-Summicron-M 50/2 Asph.

Jan 13, 2013 at 09:50 AM

artur5
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p.3 #12 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

After having owned many 50's in the last 35 years. - Nokton 50/1,5 Cron 50-R, and an assortment of Takumars, Fujinons, Rokkors, Canons and Nikkors- I've kept only a battered Kern macro Svitar 50/1.9.
I don't know if it's the close focusing ability, the lack of CA or the very special bokeh. but I'm not interested on any other 50mm. be it a Noctilux, a Cron Apo or whatever.

Jan 13, 2013 at 10:53 AM

Jonas B
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p.3 #13 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

artur5 wrote:
After having owned many 50's in the last 35 years. - Nokton 50/1,5 Cron 50-R, and an assortment of Takumars, Fujinons, Rokkors, Canons and Nikkors- I've kept only a battered Kern macro Svitar 50/1.9.
I don't know if it's the close focusing ability, the lack of CA or the very special bokeh. but I'm not interested on any other 50mm. be it a Noctilux, a Cron Apo or whatever.

That goes to show how personal the choice is, and probably also the reason for many of us to own more than one single 50mm.
I had the Macro Switar 50/1.9 (which is not the same at all as the cheaper 50/1.8, just in case somebody wonder) and enjoyed it. In the end I sold it as I didn't like the flare and low contrast in some situations. In a comparison shot matching it to my Zuiko OM 50/2 Macro it did very well, less CA (all sorts) for example, but I prefer the bokeh from the Zuiko.

In fact, the OM 50/2 Macro is still my choice for a very, very good alt 50mm. The Switar, the Summicron, the Summilux E60 as well as the E55, the Zeiss C/Y and some others all had to go. Now that I use an E-M5 I'm reasonably happy with the micro Zuiko 45/1.8. I have the Zuiko and a 60m Elmarit-R Macro in a drawer and I hope I'll be able to use them when returning back to FF some day.

So, OK, my vote goes to the Zuiko 50/2 Macro.

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:17 AM

woodrim
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p.3 #14 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

I find that there are more similarities than differences among 50-58mm lenses. After all, it is the most produced range and relatively easy to get right. When viewing lens tests one can go crazy trying to find the subtle differences, but out in the field using the lenses says more about them. There are certain lenses I keep coming back to over and over again because of the pleasing results (subjective). Your Tak is a good lens. I swim at the shallow end of the pool, so I find gems that aren't expensive, but sometimes something like a Planar will come floating to the shallow end, so I grab it.

I don't use this range as much as others; this is what I have and can speak to:
Helios 44-2 Good lens, great value.
Mamiya-Sekor 55/1.4 No complaints, but it isn't one I pick up often.
Konica Hexanon 50/1.4 Good, sharp, but doesn't feel as good in my hands.
Minolta Rokkor PG 50/1.4 My favorite - it just pleases.
Minolta Rokkor-X PF 50/1.7 Very good, but doesn't please as much.
Carl Zeiss Planar *T 50/1.7 Very good, I should use it more.
Topcor RE 58/1.8 WOnderful lens, rivals my Rokkor 50/1.4 for joy factor.

See, I talk about them more from the heart than technical capabilities. By the way, you should have kept the Tair-11. The Jupiter 9 is okay to me and has a unique rendering, but can't compete with others I have in sharpness. Mine is a '62 RF model.

Rokkor 50/1.4
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Planar 50/1.7
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Topcor 58/1.8
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Jan 14, 2013 at 01:05 AM

LightShow
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p.3 #15 · Ultimate 50mm lens for alt gear?

For normals that give the most joy to use and high IQ, Topcor RE 58/1.8, Rokkor 58/1.2, OM 50/1.4 MC
Then there are a bunch of macro's: FD SSC, Rokkor MC, Yashica ML.

But for low light with bright lights in frame, or bright daylight high contrast I think the best all round lens is my OM 50/1.4 MC, it's quite good at handling CA and flare. The 21/3.5 & 24/2.8 is great at that too.

Jan 14, 2013 at 05:45 AM

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