Original Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 (Prominent 1950s)
Even though this lens was an amazing performer in the 1950s, by today's standard, it is soft wide open. It does sharpen up when stopped down - I would say that f/2 doesn't offer too much more than f/1.5; looks very good at f/2.8; pretty amazing sharpness at f/5.6 through f/11, actually comparable to modern lenses. While it lacks in sharpness, it offers a lot of vintage characters that some of us love: nice glow especially in highlights, impressive focus falloff, and painterly bokeh. Here are some photos at close distances, all shot wide open.
