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Archive 2017 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?

  
 
paulojuarez
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


I like 35mm and 50mm for portraits. Right now I have a Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1.4 AI, and a Minolta Rokkor 1.4. Looking to add a 35 or 50 that is very sharp at its widest aperture, but doesn't compromise on the bokeh. Suggestions?


Jun 19, 2017 at 12:36 PM
Yarosuav
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Noctilux never dissapoints...


Jun 19, 2017 at 12:41 PM
Steve Spencer
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Well that is a pretty tall order. Most legacy 35s and 50s either compromise on sharpness or bokeh at the widest aperture. Some lenses try to strike a balance as well. How much are you willing to spend? Here are some interesting options in my view:

35mm lenses

Zeiss C/Y mount 35 f/1.4 - has quite good sharpness and decent bokeh. It in my view strikes a balance and has excellent 3D imaging properties
Zeiss ZE/ZF 35 f/1.4 - It has decent sharpness and quite nice bokeh wide open. It is big and perhaps doesn't have quite the 3/D of the C/Y mount lens.
Zeiss ZM 35 f/1.4 - excellent wide open sharpness, but the bokeh can be a bit funky at some distances.
Voigtlander 35 f/1.7 - Nice sharpness and decent bokeh, but doesn't play well with a Sony unless you modify the sensor or add a close up filter to the lens.
Leica R 35 f/2 vII - decent sharpness and bokeh but both could be a bit better. Does it stand up to modern sensors.
Leica R 35 f/1.4 - very expensive, sharp in centre but only a small zone and quite nice bokeh.
Minolta Rokkor MC./MC 35 f/1.8 - not all that sharp but some pretty nice bokeh
Olympus OM 35 f/2 - not that sharp and I am not a fan of the bokeh
Nikon AI 35 f/1.4 - small for a 35 f/1.4, not that sharp wide open and I think the bokeh is terrible at several distances
Canon FD 35 f/2 - Not that sharp and not that good of bokeh, IMO

50mm lenses (most are not sharp wide open with significant spherical aberrations wide open and pretty poor bokeh IMO; there are many of these I will just list the ones I think are most interesting)
Zeiss MIlvus 50 f/1.4 - this is a new lens and pretty sharp wide open, and bokeh isn't too bad but it does have a lot of CA
Zeiss Otus 55 f/1.4 - very sharp wide open with decent bokeh, but you will pay for this one
Zeiss ZM 50 f/1.5 - not that sharp but some nice bokeh in some situations
Voigtlander 50 f/1.5 Asph - similar to Zeiss ZM, but perhaps not quite as nice of bokeh with perhaps a bit better sharpness
Leica M 50 f/2 AA - uber expensive lens, but blisteringly sharp wide open with what I find to be quite nice bokeh
Leica M 50 f/1.4 Asph - very nice balance with good wide open sharpness and very nice bokeh, IMO; but it doesn't play nice on an unmodified Sony
Leica R 50 f/1.4 (with 60mm filter threads) - a very expensive lens, but a nice balance of sharpness and bokeh, IMO. Quite hard to find as well.
Minolta MC 58 f/1.2 - not that sharp wide open, but can have lovely bokeh
Nikon AI 58 f/1.2 - quite expensive but decently sharp wide open with quite nice bokeh; doesn't do that well stopped down and is not that sharp outside of the centre
Canon nFD 50 f/1.2L - Decently sharp wide open with ok bokeh.
Canon FD 55 f/1.2 Asph - earlier version of nFD 50, but maybe just a bit better as they were carefully handcrafted with hand polishing of the Asph element.

Those are a good start. I am sure others will chime in with others.,



Jun 19, 2017 at 12:58 PM
Luvwine
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Another to add is the CV 35/1.2. It is heavy for its size, not great at infinity until stopped down to F5.6 or smaller, but at portrait distances it has lovely bokeh and a nice dreamy look wide open. It is kind of two lenses in one--excellent for portraits at near distances and really good for landscape once stopped down. This is on Sony. I have heard it is even better on a Leica body or a Kolari modded Sony. I sold mine to replace it with the Zeiss ZM 35 but the ZM is no slouch and is not very pricey.

By the way, few lenses are bitingly sharp at largest aperture and have good bokeh. Most lenses and especially most legacy glass will need stopping down for maximum sharpness. There are exceptions but mostly those are telephoto lenses. All lenses are compromises.



Jun 19, 2017 at 04:25 PM
genji
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


The Canon FD 55 f/1.2 Aspherical that Steve suggested has both the wide open sharpness and the nice bokeh you're after. (As do the Otus 55/1.4 and the Summilux-R 50/1.4, but they're considerably more expensive.)


Jun 19, 2017 at 04:52 PM
notherenow
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


I loved my FD 50 1.2 L (I think both the older Aspherical and new FD versions both had hand ground apsherical elements).

I also liked the Pentax K 50 1.2.

I have had lots of old 50s and near 50s and none were bad though I did have an ancient 58mm f2 Biotar that had low contrast (1950s version with lots of blades and a single coating).

In cheaper ones, the Nikon 50 1.8 AF (mine is an old Japan made non D) is ok.

That said, none of them are up to a lens like the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 as far as I am concerned. The Nikon is a back up now as well as used on an M43 camera and the rest are pretty much unused since getting the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8.

I also think with old lenses it is a lottery as you don't know how well a lens has been looked after (a highly regarded lens maybe but not if it was a poor copy to start with and then had a hard life too).



Jun 19, 2017 at 08:47 PM
JohnJ
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


notherenow wrote:
...That said, none of them are up to a lens like the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 as far as I am concerned. The Nikon is a back up now as well as used on an M43 camera and the rest are pretty much unused since getting the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8...


+1 but I still like to use lenses like zuiko 1.4/50, contax 1.4/50 Canon FL1.2/58, Computar dL 1.9/55 and others for effect.



Jun 19, 2017 at 11:31 PM
azenis
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Any budget?

If price is no concern, my vote goes to the Konica Hexanon 60mm F1.2 (the updated limited edition, not the Konishiroku old version... the old one is orders of magnitude more expensive but less attractive IMO)

WO it creates a distinctive look (some might say field curvature, but more on that later) where the center is very sharp while quickly melt away toward all 4 corners. (where resolution is poor) And depends on what's going on in the background, you get very different renditions. The center reaches max resolution power @F1.4 (yes, even more so than @F2.8) and it behaves like a 50mm Summilux ASPH on steroid.

Corner to corner max resolution comes at F5.6 and it's sharp even pixelpeeping.

Yanidel wrote a great note a few years back:
http://www.yanidel.net/gear/60mm-hexanon-review/

Only problem is the price and availability. Only 800pcs made and mostly bought by collectors. But user copies do come onto the market from time to time at a more reasonable price as it's actually a lens with very limited market outside of collectors which won't touch beater copies.



Jun 20, 2017 at 12:17 AM
cgrille
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Legacy lenses aren't quite as sharp as modern lenses used wide open.
So for an APS-C sensor and manual focus I would suggest the Samyang 50mm/1.2, generally a CV 35mm/1.7 VM.



Jun 20, 2017 at 12:44 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Minolta Rokkor 58/1.2?

a7rII_Rokkor58_DoFAbuse by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr



a7II_Rokkor58_LapofLuxury by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr



a7rII_Rokkor58_Magnolia by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr


a7rII_Rokkor58_DGJ_1 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr



Jun 20, 2017 at 12:56 AM
retrofocus
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Luvwine wrote:
Another to add is the CV 35/1.2. It is heavy for its size, not great at infinity until stopped down to F5.6 or smaller, but at portrait distances it has lovely bokeh and a nice dreamy look wide open. It is kind of two lenses in one--excellent for portraits at near distances and really good for landscape once stopped down. This is on Sony. I have heard it is even better on a Leica body or a Kolari modded Sony. I sold mine to replace it with the Zeiss ZM 35 but the ZM is no slouch and is not
...Show more

I also own the CV 35/1.2 II lens and in addition the Leica 35/2 (version IV). I predominantly use the Leica lens since it is a notch sharper and overall smaller in size. The CV lens has a wonderful bokeh and this dreamy look wide open as you mentioned. For architecture, the CV 35/1.2 II shows more vertical line distortion than the Leica lens does (the Leica has barely any). I have seen these differences both on my A7R and with my Leica film cameras.



Jun 20, 2017 at 02:21 AM
ISO1600
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Honestly my favorite legacy lenses for (full frame) use in this range are all going to be rangefinder glass, for mostly two reasons.

1) size.
2) "look".

Probably my favorite pair of legacy 35/50 for shooting on an A7 would be Canon LTM 35/2 and 50/1.4. Both lenses are respectably sharp in the center wide open, have beautiful decline in sharpness to the edges (nice for portraiture IMO), beautiful bokeh, and some interesting flare characteristics.
The LTM 35/2 is one of the smallest and lightest 35/2's ever made for full frame 35mm, it's lighter than the 35 Cron IV. The Konica UC Hex MIGHT be smaller or lighter, but it's 3-4x the price. Canon LTM 35/2 is the "Japanese Summicron". It can be had regularly for 275-400 bucks.
The 50 is much cheaper, and a true steal. I don't think there is a better RF 50/1.4 for twice the price.

That is what I would use if going for a small and awesome 35/50 legacy kit. If I could afford it, I would prob spring for either Konica UC Hex 35/2 or Leica 35 Cron IV, and then for the 50 I would prob get the last pre-ASPH 50 Lux, or a 50 Cron V (tabbed, .7m)...



Jun 22, 2017 at 09:11 AM
Charlie N
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


if you can live with native, the FE 50 strikes a darn nice balance. Goodish sharpness, nice contrast, and nice bokeh.

I have a decent sized history with 50mm's, and the FE 50 has got to be my favorite all arounder. I mention it because it's priced like a legacy 50



Jun 22, 2017 at 10:58 AM
coase
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


For legacy bokeh, I prefer the Takumar 50/1.4. It is also small and light.

Sticking to manual focus, I'd say the current Rokinon 50/1.4 isn't much more costly than many legacy lenses when bought used and has very good sharpness and bokeh wide open. Sharpness is definitely better than legacy lenses and has smooth blur.



Jun 24, 2017 at 04:30 AM
Kit Laughlin
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Wide open sharp? Oly 50/3.5 macro. Razor sharp wide open, and lovely bokeh.


Jun 24, 2017 at 06:34 AM
uhoh7
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


There are lenses and there are bodies. Performance is going to vary.

So for example the 50 LUX asph is a great portrait 50. Beyond great actually. Not on any stock Sony body.

Those thick filters over the sensor, which vary even between A7 flavors, love some non-native glass and hate other lenses, even at longer FLs.

With that in consideration:
50 Cron v4 Tiny great lens has made my best portraits. Sharper at 1m than 50 Lux.
CV 35/1.2 either version. Bokeh is so far superior to ZM35/1.4 or FLE, but considering how well the ZM works overall on the stock cameras, I might get it instead.



Jun 24, 2017 at 10:31 AM
expwmbat
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


I've been impressed with the Canon FD lenses, honestly. The 35/2 (concave, thorium SSC version) is very sharp wide open and produces excellent portraits (although any 35 is going to have a tough time with a busy background in terms of bokeh). The 50/1.4 FDn is crazy sharp--a tough glowy wide open, but really really sharp stopped down at all. But I use the Zeiss ZM C-Sonnar 50/1.5 for my primary portrait. There's some sample variation--the second one I got is much sharper wide open--but it's the OOF character that makes this lens a great choice.

Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. Especially for portraits.



Jun 26, 2017 at 08:18 PM
Alexluu627
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Just buy a 55mm Otus so you don't have to worry about quality lol. You can't complain after you burn a hole into your pocket and see what the best 50mm has to offer.

It's big, heavy, ugly, expensive, manual focus and has a terrible warranty lol. You break it, expect to pay for a brand new one in repairs lol.

But it's the best 50mm in sharpness, color and bokeh. People claim the new 50mm g master is as good, but in my snobbish opinion the otus still beats it clean.



Jun 26, 2017 at 09:38 PM
frezeiss
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?


Voigtlander 35 1.2 Nokton is superb for portraits
ZM 50 Planar or Voigtlander 50 1.5 Nokton




Jun 26, 2017 at 11:18 PM
frezeiss
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Best 35/50mm Legacy Portrait Lens?




azenis wrote:
Any budget?

If price is no concern, my vote goes to the Konica Hexanon 60mm F1.2 (the updated limited edition, not the Konishiroku old version... the old one is orders of magnitude more expensive but less attractive IMO)

WO it creates a distinctive look (some might say field curvature, but more on that later) where the center is very sharp while quickly melt away toward all 4 corners. (where resolution is poor) And depends on what's going on in the background, you get very different renditions. The center reaches max resolution power @F1.4@ (yes, even more so than @F2.8@) and it behaves
...Show more

So tempting! The cheapest I could find is nearly 10K
I hate you 😭




Jun 27, 2017 at 12:32 AM
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