p.1 #1 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
I've become an instant fan of MS Optics lenses. Each one boasts distinctive qualities and aesthetics that sets them apart, appealing to photographers and enthusiasts who appreciate the charm of handcrafted optics and prioritizing compactness over absolute technical perfection.
To kick things off, I'd like to sharing some images from the MS Optics Sonnetar 73mm f/1.5 and Petz 57 f/2 lenses.
MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar lens73mmf/3.41/180s100 ISO0.0 EV
MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar lens73mmf/2.81/60s640 ISO0.0 EV
MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar
LEICA M10-RMS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar lens73mmf/1.41/90s800 ISO0.0 EV
p.1 #3 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
I've posted these in other threads before, but here are a few from the 28/2 Apoqualia and 73/1.5 Sonnetar:
MS Optics 28/2 Apoqualia; the second, third, and fourth photos below were shot on a Sony NEX6, and I really like this lens on an APS-C sensor; the rest were shot on Sony A7iii and A7s.
What are your thoughts on pairing the Techart adapter with MS Optics lenses? I'm contemplating giving them a try on my A7C. Additionally, I've noticed that your 28/2 Apoqualia exhibits significantly less field curvature compared to my version of the new 28/1.7. It's possible that the wider aperture is amplifying this effect excessively.
p.1 #12 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Thank you very much. I pulled these from an achieved post here. I should have put the camera info. Most of these are taken with Sony apsc+techart adapter that makes it easier to use esp with the smaller pancake lenses, no need to play with focusing tab. 17mm was shot with zone focus on a dog walk and that even struggles on the Sony apsc corners with rough mf. I read somewhere that MS optic designs are usually short of covering the full frame which can be seen on lens mfd graphs.
I have not shot lately with the MS lenses, so I bought the new techart adapter to try after reading your review. I was thinking sending A7C for a mod, but now that new A7C is coming out, I am waiting to see what will come out esp if evf will change or not. SL2 might be better with thinner stack. but the camera size defeats the purpose of the smaller lenses... Sigma FP has a small size, but again the external tiltable evf makes it much bigger compared to A7C... But then the evf on the A7C sucks similar to apsc line...
What are your thoughts on pairing the Techart adapter with MS Optics lenses? I'm contemplating giving them a try on my A7C. Additionally, I've noticed that your 28/2 Apoqualia exhibits significantly less field curvature compared to my version of the new 28/1.7. It's possible that the wider aperture is amplifying this effect excessively.
What are your thoughts on pairing the Techart adapter with MS Optics lenses? I'm contemplating giving them a try on my A7C. Additionally, I've noticed that your 28/2 Apoqualia exhibits significantly less field curvature compared to my version of the new 28/1.7. It's possible that the wider aperture is amplifying this effect excessively.
Indeed! Those results are so much better than what I have seen from the 1.7, it’s as if a different mfg made the lens!
p.1 #14 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
serhan_ wrote:
Thank you very much. I pulled these from an achieved post here. I should have put the camera info. Most of these are taken with Sony apsc+techart adapter that makes it easier to use esp with the smaller pancake lenses, no need to play with focusing tab. 17mm was shot with zone focus on a dog walk and that even struggles on the Sony apsc corners with rough mf. I read somewhere that MS optic designs are usually short of covering the full frame which can be seen on lens mfd graphs.
I have not shot lately with the MS lenses, so I bought the new techart adapter to try after reading your review. I was thinking sending A7C for a mod, but now that new A7C is coming out, I am waiting to see what will come out esp if evf will change or not. SL2 might be better with thinner stack. but the camera size defeats the purpose of the smaller lenses... Sigma FP has a small size, but again the external tiltable evf makes it much bigger compared to A7C... But then the evf on the A7C sucks similar to apsc line...
Thanks for your thoughts! I went the SL2 route for a couple of years and really enjoyed the camera. However, as you pointed out, it's massive and heavy, with only contrast-detect AF. Additionally, when adapting, there is no AF functionality. Currently, the Sony A7C seems to be the best compromise between AF speed and compactness. With the imminent release of the newer version(s), it got me thinking of investing in the Techart again.
MS Optics lenses have so much uncorrected aberrations, which seem to mask their underperformance when used on a thick sensor.
p.1 #15 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Fred Miranda wrote:
Thanks for your thoughts! I went the SL2 route for a couple of years and really enjoyed the camera. However, as you pointed out, it's massive and heavy, with only contrast-detect AF. Additionally, when adapting, there is no AF functionality. Currently, the Sony A7C seems to be the best compromise between AF speed and compactness. With the imminent release of the newer version(s), it got me thinking of investing in the Techart again.
MS Optics lenses have so much uncorrected aberrations, which seem to mask their underperformance when used on a thick sensor.
Yes, those aberrations make MS optics interesting also.
Here is the A7R II+ 50mm 1.1 shot from above
vs 6300 + ZM 35mm 1.4
They were not taken at the same time, 14 days difference and 5pm vs 3pm, but I prefer the warm glow of MS optics vs the sharpness of Zeiss... I saw the same on the perar 17mm shots also, not clinical sharp but it has nice warmth matching the fall colors...
p.1 #16 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
I have lots of photo Albums in Google Photos taken with my Sony A7C (vast majority), Sony A7R, Sony A9, Sigma fp and Fujifilm X-S10, so sharing the album links here. They are ordered from the wider lenses to longer. I no longer have the SuperTriplet Perar 24/4 or the Aporis 135/2.4. With Aporis I really liked the IQ but didn't get along well with the mechanics/handling and couldn't reach infinity with my copy. In hindsight it would have been better to keep them but I lost interest in these lenses around 2017 and regained interest in a much bigger way again in 2022. I'm still keeping all the other lenses used here except those 2.
p.1 #17 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Juha Kannisto wrote:
I have lots of photo Albums in Google Photos taken with my Sony A7C (vast majority), Sony A7R, Sigma fp and Fujifilm X-S10, so sharing the album links here. They are ordered from the wider lenses to longer. I no longer have the Super-Triplet Perar 24/4. In hindsight it would have been better to keep it but I lost interest in these lenses around 2017 and regained interest in a much bigger way again in 2022. I'm still keeping all the other lenses used here.
Those are great ressources! I have been quite curious about the Sonnetar 50mm 1.3, how do you feel or like its rendering or particularities. I looked at your photos taken with it but you might have some insight using it and comparing it with similar optics.
p.1 #18 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Sonnar-7 wrote:
Those are great ressources! I have been quite curious about the Sonnetar 50mm 1.3, how do you feel or like its rendering or particularities. I looked at your photos taken with it but you might have some insight using it and comparing it with similar optics.
Thanks very much! I really like Sonnetar 50/1.3 for its bokeh / rendering qualities. At f1.3 it's quite nice and a bit dreamy and it gets quite tack sharp by f2 in the central areas. I think it's a great lens for portraits and close ups but the downside is that the edges and corners remain soft even if the lens is stopped down to f8 or so, so it's not really ideal for anything that would require corner-to-corner sharpness. Then the solution is to have Sonnetar 50/1.3 for lovely Sonnar style bokeh and Xenomax 50/3.5 for the corner-to-corner sharpness Ideally I'd like one lens to have both qualities though.
Sonnetar 50/1.3 is also very well built and has nice handling, in my opinion. It's one of the nicest MS-Optics lenses in those aspects.
p.1 #19 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Juha Kannisto wrote:
Thanks very much! I really like Sonnetar 50/1.3 for its bokeh / rendering qualities. At f1.3 it's quite nice and a bit dreamy and it gets quite tack sharp by f2 in the central areas. I think it's a great lens for portraits and close ups but the downside is that the edges and corners remain soft even if the lens is stopped down to f8 or so, so it's not really ideal for anything that would require corner-to-corner sharpness. Then the solution is to have Sonnetar 50/1.3 for lovely Sonnar style bokeh and Xenomax 50/3.5 for the corner-to-corner sharpness Ideally I'd like one lens to have both qualities though.
Sonnetar 50/1.3 is also very well built and has nice handling, in my opinion. It's one of the nicest MS-Optics lenses in those aspects....Show more →
Thank you! It looks like an interesting lens, I’m quite a fan of much of its rendering quirks, aka outlines, busy and textured bokeh, halation, swirl, glow…I was never bothered much by the lack of corner to corner sharpness in a lens, if there is enough to the center I can be content, that was a thing that I wondered about the Heliar 50 1.5, it felt like it had not some central sharpness when looking at the samples.
Lately I’m looking for some character lens because I ultimately reckon that that’s what I like and tried a Nikkor 5cm 1.4, a Topcor-s 5cm f2 and a Summarit 5cm 1.5, but I wasn’t as happy as I thought even though they are interesting lenses.
The Zeiss Sonnar even lacking some of the things I like was more pleasing at the end.
The Panchro I received a few weeks back is more to my liking but there are some aspects of it I wish were different.
The sonnetar feels like a nice lens but as you said it’s hard to find the perfect 50mm to fit all the bills.
p.1 #20 · MS-Optics lenses Image and Discussion Thread
Sonnar-7 wrote:
Thank you! It looks like an interesting lens, I’m quite a fan of much of its rendering quirks, aka outlines, busy and textured bokeh, halation, swirl, glow…I was never bothered much by the lack of corner to corner sharpness in a lens, if there is enough to the center I can be content, that was a thing that I wondered about the Heliar 50 1.5, it felt like it had not some central sharpness when looking at the samples.
Lately I’m looking for some character lens because I ultimately reckon that that’s what I like and tried a Nikkor 5cm 1.4, a Topcor-s 5cm f2 and a Summarit 5cm 1.5, but I wasn’t as happy as I thought even though they are interesting lenses.
The Zeiss Sonnar even lacking some of the things I like was more pleasing at the end.
The Panchro I received a few weeks back is more to my liking but there are some aspects of it I wish were different.
The sonnetar feels like a nice lens but as you said it’s hard to find the perfect 50mm to fit all the bills. ...Show more →
Thanks! I have also acquired and played with multiple 50mm character lenses. I also have the CV Heliar classic 50/1.5 & 50/2, Topcor-S 5cm f2 (Panda version) & 5cm f2.8 (Heliar type), Tanaka Kogaku Tanar H.C 5cm F2 (Sonnar type) and Canon 50/1.5 LTM. I like the Sonnetar 50/1.3, CV Heliar classic (both versions but f1.5 version is my favorite of the 2) and Topcor-S quite a bit. They each have their nice traits and some imperfections for my purposes. Tanar 5cm F2 is lovely at close range but I don't like it a lot at longer distances. Overall I prefer modern lenses with classic design over old legacy lenses.
Ideally I'd like one lens to have both qualities though.