\"Image quality\" is a broad field. If you want to know about pure resolving power than these are my results (also mentioning the Contax lenses you were asking for):
Best resolving power at f1.2: Contax f1.2/55 followed by Pentax SMC f1.2/50
Best resolving power at f2.8 (among f1.2 lenses): Contax f1.2/55 followed by Canon FD SSC f1.2/55 and then Olympus Zuiko f1.2/50
Best resolving power at f4 (among all lenses): Contax f1.7/50
The Olympus f1.2/50 is not improving much after f2.8, which means it reaches its sweet spot earlier than other lenses! While the Contax f1.4/50 is very similar to a modern Canon f1.4/50 L (in results and optical formula nearly identical), the Contax f1.7/50 is a must have in my eyes: At f4 there is no other SLR lens in this range with higher resolving power.
From a lot of testing this was my final ranking of the f1.2 lenses in terms of resolving power at an average between f1.2 and f5.6(Note: I had two Rokkor f1.2/58, one of them converted by Paul, but none of the famed older radioactive ones. The other lens I never had is the Canon EF f1.2/50 L USM):
1. Contax Planar f1.2/55
2. Pentax SMC f1.2/50
3. Nikon Nikkor f1.2/50 AIS
4. Minolta Rokkor f1.2/58, Olympus Zuiko f1.2/50, Canon FD SSC 1.2/55, Canon FD SSC AL 1.2/55, Yashica ML 1.2/50 (All of these: different behaviour at certain f stops but similar in average. All are nice.)
If you want to shoot at anything else then f1.2, it is highly recommended to use the solid and economical Contax Planar f1.7/50.
\"Image quality\" is a broad field. If you want to know about pure resolving power than these are my results (also mentioning the Contax lenses you were asking for):
Best resolving power at f1.2: Contax f1.2/55 followed by Pentax SMC f1.2/50
Best resolving power at f2.8: Contax f1.2/55 followed by Canon FD SSC f1.2/55 and then Olympus Zuiko f1.2/50
Best resolving power at f4: Contax f1.7/50
The Olympus f1.2/50 is not improving much after f2.8, which means it reaches its sweet spot earlier than other lenses! While the Contax f1.4/50 is very similar to a modern Canon f1.4/50 L (in results and optical formula nearly identical), the Contax f1.7/50 is a must have in my eyes: At f4 there is no other SLR lens in this range with higher resolving power.
From a lot of testing this was my final ranking of the f1.2 lenses in terms of resolving power at an average between f1.2 and f5.6(Note: I had two Rokkor f1.2/58, one of them converted by Paul, but none of the famed older radioactive ones. The other lens I never had is the Canon EF f1.2/50 L USM):
1. Contax Planar f1.2/55
2. Pentax SMC f1.2/50
3. Nikon Nikkor f1.2/50 AIS
4. Minolta Rokkor f1.2/58, Olympus Zuiko f1.2/50, Canon FD SSC 1.2/55, Canon FD SSC AL 1.2/55, Yashica ML 1.2/50 (All of these: different behaviour at certain f stops but similar in average. All are nice.)
If you want to shoot at anything else then f1.2, it is highly recommended to use the solid and economical Contax Planar f1.7/50.
Jan 25, 2010 at 10:12 AM
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