Fred Miranda wrote:
Here's an image showing how the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 Elcan performs wide open at around 3m, giving a sense of its distortion, vignetting, resolution, and contrast across the frame. Minimal post-processing applied.
There is some pincushion and noticeable vignetting. The lens is very sharp at center.
I did appreciate that the Summicron replica has some glow and a fair amount, not as much as the Panchro and more than the Elcan, in that regard, it strikes a good balance for me. I begin to quite like that lens. I was not so sure what to think of it having already the Elcan and said Panchro already.
Question:
Elcan, Panchro, or Rigid - which (one) lens do you take on a three week trip to Italy? What if only using a monochrome?
Sonnar-7 wrote:
LLL "R" 50mm f2 & Leica M9
I did appreciate that the Summicron replica has some glow and a fair amount, not as much as the Panchro and more than the Elcan, in that regard, it strikes a good balance for me. I begin to quite like that lens. I was not so sure what to think of it having already the Elcan and said Panchro already.
therremans wrote:
Question:
Elcan, Panchro, or Rigid - which (one) lens do you take on a three week trip to Italy? What if only using a monochrome?
I wouldn’t listen to my advice only but I feel the Rigid would be the safest choice, although the Panchro with its glow furthermore in B&W amidst Italian sceneries could really shine.
I think I would take both.
I took all three LLL Rigid, Elcan, Speed Panchro (Rigid) to Spain recently I like all three, if I had choose just one for a travel trip it would be the rigid. The speed panchro is interesting but do you want your entire trip rendered in Cooke look ? That is really the question. The elcan/rigid is tougher, The elcan is lovely to render old buildings and scenes, hallways etc... I put a few images here in FM, but when I was outdoors shooting a castle or something like it the rigid was my choice which is the more general lens. The elcan remains a favorite lens for me. But as mentioned before, these are small optics, why not take 2-3. Of course you get a 2.8 5 cm collapsible Elmar... it too is a nice general lens and is tiny- just to make it more complex.
EMH2025 wrote:
I took all three LLL Rigid, Elcan, Speed Panchro (Rigid) to Spain recently I like all three, if I had choose just one for a travel trip it would be the rigid. The speed panchro is interesting but do you want your entire trip rendered in Cooke look ? That is really the question. The elcan/rigid is tougher, The elcan is lovely to render old buildings and scenes, hallways etc... I put a few images here in FM, but when I was outdoors shooting a castle or something like it the rigid was my choice which is the more general lens. The elcan remains a favorite lens for me. But as mentioned before, these are small optics, why not take 2-3. Of course you get a 2.8 5 cm collapsible Elmar... it too is a nice general lens and is tiny- just to make it more complex....Show more →
Honestly, I wouldn't bother bringing both the Rigid and the Elcan because they seem too similar in performance and rendering to my eyes. The SP2 on the other hand is a completely different beast.
I was just in Seward Alaska, per the discussion that is ongoing I took only the LLL Elcan lens to do city/harbor "street" shooting. For this use the rendering of the Elcan is very nice and I was pleased with the outcome. As a one lens, it would likely do the trick, especially in locales with a vintage flavor.
As for LLL Rigid, I promised myself to shoot a lot of film this summer, a Leica MP is what I am shooting and a Contax G if I am handing the camera to someone else (for me to be in photo). I have started with the Rigid, but the Elcan, Speed Panchro, 1966, as well as Voigtlander and the Funleader 45/2 Contax are on the Leica menu as the weeks pass. The Rigid/Elcan might well be my general go to 50 this summer although the Voigtlander F2 does call out for a purchase.
This is Potter's Marsh in Anchorage- great place for wildlife these are both Rigid and Ektar 100
Another elcan image from air, this one is Mt Spurr, a volcano that currently is threatening eruption near Anchorage, peaking through the clouds as I passed over in a Saab 2000 turboprop. I tried to center the peak in the photo for max sharpness and the elcan, in the spirit of its ;possible military use to capture from airplanes is quite nice- Nikon adapted
There was some time ago some discussion about the UV filter in Speed Panchro, and I decided to give it a try and shoot for a while without it. I think it improved the quality to remove it. I mean, "Cooke look" is still there but certain mushiness is now gone. Less reflections when shooting towards light sources.
Interesting to see how UV-filterless Panchro compares to the Z21. I might get it this week or next week latest.
I finally received my Z21. Oh my, it looks far better than the product pictures. It reminds me a lot of original Star Wars aesthetics, could be some prop from A New Hope
It's already late but I just had to take a few photos wide open in the garden. Peonies are finally starting to bloom this year, although two or even three weeks later than last year.
I might have to consider selling my Voigtländer 50mm Nokton. This rendering reminds me more of that than, for example, Speed Panchro, but Nokton has far more chromatic aberrations and purple fringing. Z21 is surprisingly resistant to those.
Actually, I think SP has quite different rendering compared to Z21.
The elcan was a fun little 50mm lens for me, while it lasted.
My copy didn’t last a year until oily aperture blades became a thing.
It also suffered some focus calibration issue which can’t be easily fixed by a general Leica technician as there are no usual adjustment ports on them.
It was handled and treated well and put in good, dry cabinet, like all my other VM and Leica lenses, and other vintage lens like Hasselblad and mamiya sekor, which are much much much older.
Well, I’m not buying another one.
Is there any chance LLL will make a replica of the 66 Elcan? There are quite a few of them in Asia (about 10+ known in collections at Shanghai alone), so I'm hoping Mr. Zhou has access to one!
