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Archive 2017 · What do think is the best lens ever made?

  
 
U.C.
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p.4 #1 · p.4 #1 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art. It even made me want to sell my precious Zeiss MP 100/2..
It's sharper than anything I have ever tried, it has a lovely smooth bokeh, it doesn't need any post processing for contrast or clarity and the autofocus is damn fast and accurate.



Oct 05, 2017 at 04:35 PM
Jeff Kott
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p.4 #2 · p.4 #2 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


I really don't think I'm qualified to give an opinion on the best lens ever made. But, I do have an opinion on my favorite lens.

I recently spent some time going over my images for the last 10 years and decided that the lens that consistently produces the images that I'm most happy with is my Pentax 77/1.8. Based on this realization, I just purchased a new Pentax SLR so I could shoot the lens with AF and electronic aperture control. After a few weeks, I really think this was a good decision for me as opposed to getting a new portrait lens for my Sony stuff.




Oct 05, 2017 at 04:42 PM
Steve Spencer
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p.4 #3 · p.4 #3 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


sebboh wrote:
not necessarily, i wouldn't say that images from the 50 cron APO lack depth, they're just not as pretty imo.



I generally like but do not always agree with Thorsten Overgaard's review of lenses, but his description of the 50 cron AA and how appreciation of the lens grows as you use it and that part of the experience is how effortless it is matches mine almost exactly. His article I think is definitely worth a read and he has some absolutely pretty images, IMO.

Here is the link:

http://www.overgaard.dk/leica-50mm-APO-Summicron-M-ASPH-f-20.html



Oct 05, 2017 at 06:20 PM
oldrattler
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p.4 #4 · p.4 #4 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


Canon 200 f1.8....


Oct 05, 2017 at 07:20 PM
robgo2
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p.4 #5 · p.4 #5 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


sebboh wrote:
not necessarily, i wouldn't say that images from the 50 cron APO lack depth, they're just not as pretty imo.



Is it possible for you to be specific? What do you think makes the images less pretty? Knowing the sort of photos that you tend to share on this site, I would think that you might find the 50 APO to be lacking in "character."

Rob




Oct 05, 2017 at 08:04 PM
sebboh
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p.4 #6 · p.4 #6 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


robgo2 wrote:
Is it possible for you to be specific? What do you think makes the images less pretty? Knowing the sort of photos that you tend to share on this site, I would think that you might find the 50 APO to be lacking in "character."

Rob



no, the lens has plenty of character – it's distinctive and stands out in how it draws. having looked at all the images in the review Steve posted (haven't finished reading it yet), i think i just don't like the bokeh. the oof elements attract my attention (for many lenses they don't), but not in a way that i find attractive. this is just a matter of taste though.



Oct 05, 2017 at 11:13 PM
robgo2
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p.4 #7 · p.4 #7 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


sebboh wrote:
no, the lens has plenty of character – it's distinctive and stands out in how it draws. having looked at all the images in the review Steve posted (haven't finished reading it yet), i think i just don't like the bokeh. the oof elements attract my attention (for many lenses they don't), but not in a way that i find attractive. this is just a matter of taste though.


OK, thanks for the explanation.

Rob



Oct 06, 2017 at 09:44 AM
pasblues
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p.4 #8 · p.4 #8 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


I forgot about that Oly 180mm. That was probably one of our PJ standards - not that I could afford one back in the day I was shooting Olympus.



Oct 06, 2017 at 10:56 AM
robgo2
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p.4 #9 · p.4 #9 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


I have recently made the move from Sony to Leica, and my main camera is now the SL. The M-mount lenses that I previously loved on my A7ii perform even better on the Leica. I have been particularly impressed by the ZM 35 f/1.4. With a front-end PCX filter on the Sony, it was great, but on the SL, it is really spectacular (no filter required, of course.) So, I would say that it is one of the best, if not the best, lens that I have ever used. But the lens that has given me the most winners is the CV 50 f/1.5 VM. I love that lens.

Edited on Oct 06, 2017 at 04:31 PM · View previous versions



Oct 06, 2017 at 03:21 PM
Gary Clennan
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p.4 #10 · p.4 #10 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


robgo2 wrote:
The M-mount lenses that I previously loved on my A7ii perform even better on the Leica. I have been particularly impressed by the ZM 35 f/1.4. With a front-end PCX filter on the Sony, it was great, but on the SL, it is really spectacular.


So true. Unless you start messing around with camera modifications, the performance on a native Leica body is typically so much better IMO. And yes, that ZM35/1.4 is so amazing on a Leica body...



Oct 06, 2017 at 03:52 PM
JohnJ
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p.4 #11 · p.4 #11 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


Interesting that there is only one mention of a Sony GM lens (85) on about four pages. I don't have any so can't comment either way although i expected more mentions for the 50 and/or 85, or are they not really up there?


Oct 06, 2017 at 10:46 PM
pdmphoto
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p.4 #12 · p.4 #12 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


Angenieux 180/2.3 APO. I've had hundreds of lenses, but the IQ always stands out when I use it (which isn't often). The size and weight are also fantastic for this class and speed of lens.


Oct 07, 2017 at 12:24 AM
sebboh
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p.4 #13 · p.4 #13 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


JohnJ wrote:
Interesting that there is only one mention of a Sony GM lens (85) on about four pages. I don't have any so can't comment either way although i expected more mentions for the 50 and/or 85, or are they not really up there?


the GM 85 is really nice, but i like your pick (leica R 80/1.4) and nehemiah's (minolta AF 85/1.4 limited) much better. the GM has too much pro sterility for me.



Oct 07, 2017 at 12:39 AM
nehemiahphoto
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p.4 #14 · p.4 #14 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


JohnJ wrote:
Interesting that there is only one mention of a Sony GM lens (85) on about four pages. I don't have any so can't comment either way although i expected more mentions for the 50 and/or 85, or are they not really up there?


I might be in a minority, but beyond the technical IQ, I didn't think the rendering held up to other terrific 85s.

Same thought same time as Derek



Oct 07, 2017 at 12:39 AM
Lee Saxon
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p.4 #15 · p.4 #15 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


JohnJ wrote:
On the other hand I also love the Leica APO-Summicron-R 2/180 which I find to be an optical marvel, but which also gives me the look I like, albeit it different to the Lux.


That was going to be my answer too but now that Nikon and Canon have caught up in terms of resolution with their 200/2's - and without the 180 Cron's onion rings - I'm having second thoughts. It's just so hard to spend that much money on a lens without an aperture ring that's a brick if I ever decide to change camera mounts.




Oct 07, 2017 at 05:02 PM
JohnJ
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p.4 #16 · p.4 #16 · What do think is the best lens ever made?




Lee Saxon wrote:
- and without the 180 Cron's onion rings -...


Not sure what you mean as the Cron has no aspheric elements? Can you please elaborate or post some examples?



Oct 07, 2017 at 06:55 PM
Geoff CB
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p.4 #17 · p.4 #17 · What do think is the best lens ever made?



Voigtlander 125 2.5
Nikon 105mm 2.5
Leica 35-70 f/2.8



Oct 08, 2017 at 07:45 PM
pasblues
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p.4 #18 · p.4 #18 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


What is it about the Nikon 105mm f2.5 vs. the Nikon 105mm f1.8? I have the latter and find it to produce incredible images, even at f1.8.


Oct 08, 2017 at 10:38 PM
robgo2
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p.4 #19 · p.4 #19 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


k-h.a.w wrote:
Well John, why don't you tell us what you really think?

Some folks in the Leica camp consider the LEICA SUMMILUX-R 80 mm f/1.4 the finest portrait lens ever made. It's certainly one of my favorites.
The designer WalterMandler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mandler was very creative in his use of technical lens defects to create a pleasing specialty portrait lens, used WO.
I find the lens sharpens up nicely when stopping down to f/4 and I consider it useable for landscape photography at f/5.6 or f/8. What's not to like?
True, it can flare considerably when used on an A7rII.

K-H.



I have the Leica-M Summicron 90 f/2 Pre-ASPH (v.III) that I think is really sweet for portraits. I wonder how it compares to the Summilux-R 80 f/1.4.

Rob




Oct 08, 2017 at 11:36 PM
sebboh
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p.4 #20 · p.4 #20 · What do think is the best lens ever made?


robgo2 wrote:
I have the Leica-M Summicron 90 f/2 Pre-ASPH (v.III) that I think is really sweet for portraits. I wonder how it compares to the Summilux-R 80 f/1.4.

Rob



it's a similar draw, not as sharp at edges and corners as the lux. it's still pretty awesome for portraits though. the cron has a lot less SA a f/2 than the lux at f/1.4, but they might be similar at f/2. i never compared them directly. the cron has a much more severe midzone dip

80 lux wide open:
http://c1.staticflickr.com/1/540/31387741482_1d38f67cce_o.jpg
http://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5801/31279252312_4d1f15aee8_o.jpg
80 lux at f/2:
http://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5583/31406264495_b068f2368c_o.jpg
90 cron wide open:
http://c1.staticflickr.com/1/562/18378240291_fb1610bb62_o.jpg
90 cron at f/4:
http://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5780/20981949488_ed274f893f_o.jpg




Oct 09, 2017 at 12:13 AM
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