I've seen some nice pictures with it and would like to try this lens, but haven't found
many comments except for 'it may be the best in 50mm" or similar. Does anyone use
it? Your experience? I've heard that it doesn't like strong light (OK, who does?) - is it true?
I received a 3rd cam German version yesterday, and from preliminary stuffing about, it seems sharper at f/2.0 than my C/Y Zeiss 1.4 Planar. It has the Leica look - classic, beautiful transition from in focus to out of focus and great colours. I haven't put it through its paces yet, but if it's anything like my cron 35, it's be sharper than the zeiss stopped down by a mile. Not that the zeiss is bad, I've just never seen anything else like the cron.
But take this with a grain of salt - it hasn't been past my backyard yet.
It's my favourite lens and will never get sold. Stopped down even slightly my landscape shots are simply bursting with detail, colour and whatever it is you call the clarity that makes it seem like you can step right into the scene. Great value on the used market as well.
I've either used or owned C/Y 45/2.8, 50/1.7, 50/1.4, and a couple of 50mm yashicas but they barely rate, Olympus 50/1.4, Nikon AiS 50/1.4, Canon FD 50/1.4 SSC (memory is fuzzy about this one), Leica R 50/1.4 E60 (current) and the R 50/2. Of all those lenses guess which one I still have?
foxbat wrote:
I'd be surprised if it wasn't the 50 lux?
It depends if you really need the fast lux. If not, the cron is a better option in terms of bang for the buck, so I wouldn't be surprised if it would be the cron.
The best one, imho, of the lenses listed is the 50LuxE60. So, I guess the 50Cron. But then I am biased as I just sold my two 50Lux lenses (one E55, one E60).
The cron, mainly for value for money reasons but also because it's hard to beat the image quality of this puppy. The E60 is probably a better lens but not worth 3-4 tmes the price IMHO.
foxbat wrote:
Is that just the 5D or does it have problems on the 1Ds2 as well?
This was, partly, discussed recently: The 50LuxE60 ca be used with an unshaved 5D if you remove the rubber protection ring at the rear lens element (an easy operation involving nothing else but a little plier and normal muscle power. With the 1Ds2 I am not sure, you'll need to do some research there. I seem to remember that the lens can be used with no problems but no promises!
Pebbles place should know the answer but my bookmark is outdated.
you will always need another 50 Even after the 'cron... being it is only f2.
The newer Summicon-R *is* one of the best 50's ever made, period. The Summilux is better at f2.4 and below, but above many give the edge to the Summicron-R (I'm not taking a stand since I only have the Summicron). Bokeh goes to crap at f2, but at f2.4 is quite nice (good balance between high contrast, sharpness and good bokeh IMO).
When recently showing off some machine proofs from the lens to some Canon and Nikon snobs, everyone was like, "crap, even in these cheap proofs you can see that extra something else from the Leica glass," over Canon and Nikon offerings.
I just got a late Summicron-R 50mm for my 1.6x Canon. Beautiful lens, but I took some test shots, afternoon sun hitting rooftops wide open and there was clearly "bleed-over" from highlights into shade areas. I don't know the technical term for this but it was very noticable on the monitor at 1:1, and mostly gone at f/2.8 and completely at f/4.0.
My Zeiss C/Y 1.4 does the same at 1.4. I think it's a form of chromatic aberration. My new summicron r 50 doesn't appear to do that at f2, but I haven't used it enough to be certain.Anyway, in the case of the c/y, it only appears in unfavourable conditions. I assume the same would be the case for the summicron if it happened at all. And I'm fine with that. I don't need a perfect lens.
Even after the 'cron... being it is only f2.