I have ZE50/1.4, Leica 60mm macro-elmarit and Voigtlander 58mm/1.4 nokton.
I like using the Zeiss and often shoot it around f5.6 or f8 for city-scapes, street shots and landscape.
I bought the Leica a while aho and use it a bit for macro, have thought recently about using it for pano's on a pano plate (which i already have).
Bought the voigtlander late last summer because i've always fancied having a go of this lens and while it's nice as a portrait lens i don't use it for much other stuff because the Zeiss is better.
Well, with all this kit my peli case is bursting at the seams.
How about getting red of the Leica and the Voigtlander and getting the 50mm Makro-Planar?
It seems to be a good replacement for the Leica and will probably be as good or better than the voigtlander for portraits.
For stopped down city-scenes will it trump the 50planar?
In my experience, the Planar is at least as good as the Makro-Planar at f/5.6-f/8, so you wouldn't really gain anything. The MP also has some corner sharpness/field curvature issues wide open, although only in the extreme corners. I also much prefer the Planar's boke in most situations. The MP is a really good portrait lens slightly stopped down, and has some other strengths, like the close-focus ability.
I don't really see a way to have all the benefits you want here from only one lens, unless the Leica 60mm is fast enough for you, and you find it as good as the Planar for your uses.
The 50MP used to be one of my favorite landscape lenses. Now I have the planar and while it's good stopped down, it's doesn't seem to have the exact same look as the makro-planar stopped down. I can't really put my finger on it, but the MP often looks more punchy.
That being said, I don't mind really. They're both excellent stopped down.
This might sound strange for many people, but the 50P is becoming one of my favorite ZE/ZF lenses (I've had many of them and tried most of them). It has a character, it's small, stopped down it's sharp corner to corner, I adore it for B&W,...
Good example that a lens doesn't have to be "perfect" for me.
more fine work, johnahill. It's hard, the 50mm choice for you, and we have this ongoing controversy with strong views on the better/more suitable/preferable ZE 50mm lens.
I will don the diplomacy cap (rare I know) and suggest you try both, from a kind
shop owner if at all possible, if you buy that way.Or a friend.
If you want high impact, more traditional landscape work with edge to edge excellence, the 50MP, hands down. If more the myserious look with elegant focus fade, softer colouration and a certain je ne c'est quoi, the 50P. You see great work from both.
Jochenb wrote:
This might sound strange for many people, but the 50P is becoming one of my favorite ZE/ZF lenses (I've had many of them and tried most of them). It has a character, it's small, stopped down it's sharp corner to corner, I adore it for B&W,...
Not strange at all, many have have waxed poetic about the lens stopped down, including me, and in particular how it does b&w. Perhaps it conserves tonality better than most, I don't know. I too consider my 50P as a fave even though I some of the top zeiss ZF lenses.
johnahill wrote:
Need some thoughts and opinions here.
I have ZE50/1.4, Leica 60mm macro-elmarit and Voigtlander 58mm/1.4 nokton.
I like using the Zeiss and often shoot it around f5.6 or f8 for city-scapes, street shots and landscape.
I bought the Leica a while aho and use it a bit for macro, have thought recently about using it for pano's on a pano plate (which i already have).
Bought the voigtlander late last summer because i've always fancied having a go of this lens and while it's nice as a portrait lens i don't use it for much other stuff because the Zeiss is better.
Well, with all this kit my peli case is bursting at the seams.
How about getting red of the Leica and the Voigtlander and getting the 50mm Makro-Planar?
It seems to be a good replacement for the Leica and will probably be as good or better than the voigtlander for portraits.
For stopped down city-scenes will it trump the 50planar?
For city/landscape scenes at around f8,50 MP behaves more or less like 50 ZE,but it has got a bit more of the Zeiss pop overall I would say.You'll also get useful 1:2 macro if you fancy some detail close up.To get a picture sharp across the frame/minimal CA with 50ZE one have to stop it down at least to f2.8 - same with 50MP but it is only only one f-stop more than wo.
I have 50ZE,50ZF2,50MPZF,58/1.4 Voigt and used to have 60/2.8 Leica macro.If I have to chose one of them it would be 50MP for both FF and APS-C - no doubts and no hesitation.
Many thanks for all the comments re the 50P and 50MP, Jochenb - great shot.
A lot of my images tend to be stopped down with full DOF im the image - so the image is completly within the DOF and no focus fall-off.
Question - does the 50P character show when the image is completely within the DOF say at f5.6 or f8? Many of the examples of this lens's character are medium distance with nice focus transition.
Anyway, less of the pondering and more images, this a known as a bleeding heart. 100MP
Peire wrote:
For city/landscape scenes at around f8,50 MP behaves more or less like 50 ZE,but it has got a bit more of the Zeiss pop overall I would say.You'll also get useful 1:2 macro if you fancy some detail close up.To get a picture sharp across the frame/minimal CA with 50ZE one have to stop it down at least to f2.8 - same with 50MP but it is only only one f-stop more than wo.
I have 50ZE,50ZF2,50MPZF,58/1.4 Voigt and used to have 60/2.8 Leica macro.If I have to chose one of them it would be 50MP for both FF and APS-C - no doubts and no hesitation....Show more →
Cheers Pierre
I'm thinking about getting the MP and having both 50's for a while.
How is the corner sharpness on the MP at f5.6 to f8? Is the reputed corner issue only wide open?
Shot with a Nikon D600 and my CZ 35mm f2 at f4 and 1/320 sec. Lobsters traps in winter all on a dock lined up towards the sea. The 35mm is my walk around lens on both my D600 & D800E. Just one great lens! Bob
Very nice!
