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Archive 2017 · What am I missing?

expwmbat
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What am I missing?

Hi All,

I have developed an A7II kit--my goals were low cost/high value MF film lenses that would be great on the Sony and also allow me to shoot film every now and then. My question has to do with what direction to go next. I'm just an enthusiast who shoots mostly nature (mostly not landscape, but some) and my kids. Here's what I have:

Canon FD kit (with Canon F1):
FDn 24/2.8
FD SSC 35/2 (thorium glass)
FDn 50/1.4
FDn 100/2 (most recent purchase--love the sharpness, rendering and compactness)
FDn 135/3.5 (never used--came in a bundle with the 24mm and 50mm)
FDn 80-200L/4 (plus 2x converter)

M-mount kit:
Zeiss ZM C-Sonnar 50/1.5
(No M film body yet)

My inclination is to look for another M-mount lens to pair with the Sonnar, but besides compactness, many of the M-lenses don't do a lot better than the FD lenses I already have. If I'm wrong about that, please set me straight.

I've also got a random Leica R-mount adapter laying around, and have toyed with the idea of trying a Leica R lens for comparison. But which one?

Help a guy out--should I jump for an M-mount lens that overlaps with the focal lengths I already have covered, an R-mount that does the same, or something else? What would you do? I've toyed with the following ideas: CV 21/1.8, CV 21/4, CV 25/4, ZM 25/2.8, CV 35/1.4, CV 35/1.7, M-Rokkor 28/2.8, Leica R 28/2.8 (cheaper version), Leica R 90/2.8 or Leica R 90/2.

Cheers,
Daniel

Feb 04, 2017 at 01:06 PM

jcolwell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What am I missing?

expwmbat wrote:
...toyed with the idea of trying a Leica R lens for comparison. But which one?

The Summicron-R 50/2 E55 would be a great start.

Feb 04, 2017 at 02:10 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What am I missing?

Hey, Daniel. If you want something that will play well with the a7II and compliment your Sonnar 50, you could look at C/Y Zeiss lenses. There's a Distagon 25/2.8 that works out much better in edge performance than the ZM Biogon 25 does, and there's also the long-time forum favorites Distagon 28/2.8 and Sonnar 85/2.8.

Feb 04, 2017 at 02:14 PM

sirimiri
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What am I missing?

jcolwell wrote:
The Summicron-R 50/2 E55 would be a great start.

Seconded! Everyone who likes 50mm lenses should use the Summicron-R at some point. It's such a fantastic lens.

Feb 04, 2017 at 02:50 PM

sirimiri
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What am I missing?

^I'm thirding it, too.

Feb 04, 2017 at 02:52 PM

expwmbat
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What am I missing?

Is the Summicron-R 50/2 really that good? I already have two 50s, and the FDn is very sharp.

Daniel

Feb 04, 2017 at 03:22 PM

expwmbat
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What am I missing?

freaklikeme wrote:
Hey, Daniel. If you want something that will play well with the a7II and compliment your Sonnar 50, you could look at C/Y Zeiss lenses. There's a Distagon 25/2.8 that works out much better in edge performance than the ZM Biogon 25 does, and there's also the long-time forum favorites Distagon 28/2.8 and Sonnar 85/2.8.

Thanks--looks like the Zeiss Distagon 28/2.8 is considerably less expensive than the 24/2.8, and I already have a good 24mm. Is it safe to assume it's better than the v1 Leica R 28/2.8? Does anyone know how it compares with the M-Rokkor 28/2.8?

This is an interesting option and it would be a good pair with the 50/1.5. I need to look into its form factor.

Thank you!
Daniel

Feb 04, 2017 at 03:28 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What am I missing?

expwmbat wrote:
Thanks--looks like the Zeiss Distagon 28/2.8 is considerably less expensive than the 24/2.8, and I already have a good 24mm. Is it safe to assume it's better than the v1 Leica R 28/2.8? Does anyone know how it compares with the M-Rokkor 28/2.8?

This is an interesting option and it would be a good pair with the 50/1.5. I need to look into its form factor.

Thank you!
Daniel

I don't think there's much difference between the Leica and Zeiss at landscape distances. The vI Elmarit is a decent lens, but I think the Distagon has an advantage when used for closer focusing. It's focus fall-off is steeper, so it's easier to get good separation on subjects and background. I've never used the Minolta, but I own the Elmarit-M vIII upon which I believe it's based, and I love the lens, but it can be a little tricky to work with. It'll be easier to get clean landscape edges with either the Elmarit-R or Distagon stopped down.

As for the Summicron-R 50, it's the classic example of Mandler-era Leica design, and it's gone mostly unchanged since it's last overhaul in the 70's, but if you're happy with your Sonnar and Canon, I would look to the Summicron 90 for an introduction into that era of Leica.

Feb 04, 2017 at 05:04 PM

JohnJ
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What am I missing?

Re the 50 Cron, and potentially off topic.

I find myself rarely using the 50 Cron, despite having it for about 20 years. I know the Cron is sharp, nice colours, but I'm not a fan of the slightly harsh bokeh and there is nothing that draws me to using it whilst the Contax 1.4/50 is one stop faster (and sharp wide open) so far more practical in my view (I like using lenses wide open).

In a fairly limited comparison at close range I found that the background bokeh of the Cron was harsher at equivalent apertures to the 1.4/50 Contax. Whilst harsh bokeh and the 'painterly' effects it creates is sometimes a good reason to use a lens I find the Cron is kind of in-between and neither particularly harsh, which would draw me to using it, nor particularly smooth, which would also draw me to using it.

I would never choose the Cron over the Contax 1.4/50 and I think the prices are roughly in the same ball park.

So what's special about the 50 Cron and why do people like it?

To the OP, If I were you I would go down the Contax path simply because I think you get better bang-for-your-buck compared to Leica R where you have to spend MUCH more money to get a better optic. I've had Contax and Leica R for over 20 years and like both but my Leica R gear is far far more expensive than the Contax lenses. Leica R gear can be inexpensive if you buy the earlier versions of lenses which have been updated but if you look at the prices of the updated lenses, which are inevitably better, then the prices are much higher. This doesn't happen with Contax so a nice 2.8/28 or 1.4/50 is not very expensive (compared to Leica R) yet the image quality is about the same (in ballpark terms).

Feb 04, 2017 at 05:31 PM

LightShow
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What am I missing?

You may get colour shift with the Minolta M 28 on your A7II.
Lenses I'd get based on your collection...
Canon FD 35/2.8 Tilt/Shift
CV 90/3.5 APO, CV15III, CV 21/1.8
Leica M 90/2 (The APO Asph is awesome but expensive, the pre Asph is still a wonderful lens)
Leica R: the 35/2, 50/2, & 90/2 are all nice lenses that work well together, (The 90/2 APO Asph is awesome but expensive, the pre Asph is still a wonderful lens), the 60 macro is a great walk around lens, sharp at all focus distances, I also love my 100 Macro APO, stunning, the 180/3.4 APO is truly awesome.
There are others, but I'm drawing a blank right now...

Feb 04, 2017 at 05:40 PM

LightShow
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What am I missing?

Feb 04, 2017 at 05:44 PM

naturephoto1
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What am I missing?

JohnJ wrote:
Re the 50 Cron, and potentially off topic.

I find myself rarely using the 50 Cron, despite having it for about 20 years. I know the Cron is sharp, nice colours, but I'm not a fan of the slightly harsh bokeh and there is nothing that draws me to using it whilst the Contax 1.4/50 is one stop faster (and sharp wide open) so far more practical in my view (I like using lenses wide open).

In a fairly limited comparison at close range I found that the background bokeh of the Cron was harsher at equivalent apertures to the 1.4/50 Contax....Show more →

I am always amazed how sharp my R 50mm f2 Summicron is even at or near its minimum focus. It was my original R lens purchased with my Leica R4S (later modified by Leica USA to basically a Leica R4SP) in 1984. Below are some images with R 50mm f2 Summicron and my tripod mounted A7r; aperture probably at f8. First image full image size and the other 2 images are 100% crops.

Rich

Feb 04, 2017 at 06:23 PM


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