50mm lens test

Which is your favourite 50mm lens for bokeh wide open ?


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will be interesting to see these comparison with the original contax mount sonnar
 

I'm enjoying the pics more than I should. :bsmilie:
 

will be interesting to see these comparison with the original contax mount sonnar

Bro, if you have a sample to test, i'll be glad to include! :)

I'm enjoying the pics more than I should. :bsmilie:

Thanks... apart from sample variation, i think this test *should* provide a clear idea on which lens to go for if you want a particular type of oof rendition!
 

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Very difficult to tell if the Leica or the Zeiss is better. Well, it is even difficult to measure, and in my opinion, the Zeiss and the Leica are of the same quality , they have just a different character ( due to different philosophy/ focus behind the lens design , Zeiss= Sharpness+ Resolution , Leica= Contrast + Color ) .I like the Zeiss a bit more, but I woulnd't mind having any one of them ;)
Can I ask you which version of the Summilux 50/1.4 you have tested ? There is the first version , introduced 1959, which has more or less the same design than the Summilux 35, and there is newer 1962 version, which is, performance wise, closer to the Summicron character.
 

Can I ask you which version of the Summilux 50/1.4 you have tested ? There is the first version , introduced 1959, which has more or less the same design than the Summilux 35, and there is newer 1962 version, which is, performance wise, closer to the Summicron character.

This is the earlier e43 version of the 2nd summilux design (1962 ~)

Well, I still don't know if there's ever a BEST lens isn't it? The reason why I've ended up with them all is also because each and everyone is special and unique in their own! :)
 

Can't shoot natural light today, no thanks to what's going on with Typhoon Washi... I took the lenses out for another spin!

Part III

Jurong Safra, M9 set to B&W, Aperture priority, iso 160, tripod assisted...

- Wide Open -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph


That's why I so love the Nikkor SC...
 

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- F2 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F2.8 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F4 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F8 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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Part IV

Jurong Safra, M9 set to AE, iso 160, hand held...

- Wide Open -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F2 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F2.8 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F4 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph
 

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- F8 -

Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm


Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm


Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm


Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5


Summilux 50mm f1.4 pre-asph




This brings us to the end of this short lens test... i certainly had great fun shooting / comparing the bokeh, hope you too and thanks all for the comments once again!
 

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I am starting to like the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5
 

This brings us to the end of this short lens test... i certainly had great fun shooting / comparing the bokeh, hope you too and thanks all for the comments once again!

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Nice comparision bro, thanks for your great efforts.
It definitely serves to help people like me to make better decisions on which lens to acquire without having to buy/sell just to find out which one we prefer.

Wide open, i prefer the swirly bokeh of the Summarit.
 

All the bokeh in my opinion are pretty. Thanks for the comparison bro. :)
 

Edwin, great stuff!
If this forum had a reputation system, you would get a whole bunch of points from me!

For some reason I prefer the Canon's bokeh, despite it not being as smooth or creamy.
It just has an ineffable character to it, lovely, lovely, lovely!

Thanks for all the effort put into this!
 

Thanks my friends, appreciate all your feedback and comments!

Ok, just a quick sum-up of how I *feel* about the lenses, of course, some of these lenses have travelled the world and seen much more than I have, the observations noted here could deviate subject to lens / glass condition & also, sample variation!

1. Nikkor SC 50mm f1.4 ltm
Definitely my fav!... yes, i'm biased. The "glow" wide open or what Dante Stella refered to as "veiling flare" / uncontrolled field curvature is something of a unique lens signature that is my kind of food, maybe poison to others, haha :)

Slightly OT, literature has recently appeared that claims beneficial comparisons between the Millennium Nikkor 50mm F1.4 and Leica's asph 50mm F1.4??? :sweat:

2. Canon 50mm f1.5 ltm
We know who's a big fan of this lens, don't we? Optimum aperture is f/4. Min focus is 3.5 feet. Its no longer a well-kept secret!!!

3. Summarit 50mm f1.5 ltm
This is not a sonnar unlike the above lenses. I adore swirly bokeh, this lens is fabulous for that... some say its soft wide open, and often referred this lens as highly suited for portraits! Alas, I saw terrible flare in the lens, maybe that's why the square hood is so *bloody* expensive!

4. Zeiss ZM 50mm f1.5
A modern sonnar... nice but its not perfect. Expect focus shift and ugly bokeh balls. What you get in return is a modern "look" and the sought after zeiss "pop"!

5. Summilux 50mm f1.4
A good performer overall...