Guess which 50mm Lens?

[cocoa]

Some leica gurus said HCB used a 50mm lens almost all the time. He must be using one of these leica lens rite? anyone knows which one?

 

[K3N]

I think HCB used the Zeiss 50mm F1.5 Sonnar in LTM.

 

[cocoa]

I think HCB used the Zeiss 50mm F1.5 Sonnar in LTM.

cannot be rite? cos' that time cosina not born yet, no?

but seriously, you mean HCB did NOT use leica??!!! tell me u r kidding me, PLEASE!

 

[K3N]

Not kidding, I was quite surprised too. He used a Zeiss 50mm LTM on his Leica camera. The current 50mm Sonnar ZM is a modern reissue of that old lens.

 

[cocoa]

Not kidding, I was quite surprised too. He used a Zeiss 50mm LTM on his Leica camera. The current 50mm Sonnar ZM is a modern reissue of that old lens.

Hmm... so is Zeiss Sonnar LTM 50/1.5 (and none of the above, ha!). must go and find this special lens :devil:

 

[alternatve]

cannot be rite? cos' that time cosina not born yet, no?

but seriously, you mean HCB did NOT use leica??!!! tell me u r kidding me, PLEASE!

The Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 was considered a Leica killer in it's day. It's sharp, compact, resistant to flare and a whole stop faster then the current lenses Leica had. Then the war came, and Zeiss never recovered it's lead. Leica overtook it and Zeiss and it's contax rangefinders finally died around 1970. But it doesn't change that the sonnar was and still is a legendary lens. Leica certainly doesn't have a stranglehold on the great lens designs. I also like the tessar and the planar lenses, all three are great classics that are still made even today.

Samuel

 

[Hacker]

The Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5 was considered a Leica killer in it's day.

The updated version it is still a Leica killer today: creamy bokeh and very 3D. Even the Planar is giving the Leica (and of course the Hexanon) a run for the money.

 

[cocoa]

This is The Real McCoy. Too bad the glass has marks:cry: (Beware, there are tons of fake LTM sonnars out there. They are cheapo russian copies. Some marked Jupiter, some put a silk-screen sonnar label on the front rim of the lens and priced at US$500. most do not RF-couple properly.)

BTW, the so-called modern cosina-made c-sonnar 1.5/50 ZM sucks lah. Since when a lens has to be optimised to focus properly at f2.8 or f1.5 ?! IIRC, someone reported at 1.5, the lens focus error is as much as 15cm!! How not to produce soft and creamy bokeh:bsmilie:

sorry OT. May the force be with the tock kong leica lenses!

 

[alternatve]

This is The Real McCoy. Too bad the glass has marks:cry: (Beware, there are tons of fake LTM sonnars out there. They are cheapo russian copies. Some marked Jupiter, some put a silk-screen sonnar label on the front rim of the lens and priced at US$500. most do not RF-couple properly.)

BTW, the so-called modern cosina-made c-sonnar 1.5/50 ZM sucks lah. Since when a lens has to be optimised to focus properly at f2.8 or f1.5 ?! IIRC, someone reported at 1.5, the lens focus error is as much as 15cm!! How not to produce soft and creamy bokeh:bsmilie:

sorry OT. May the force be with the tock kong leica lenses!

I have a copy of the Zeiss Sonnar, the infamous Jupiter 3. And I must say that I'm in love with the sonnar formula. I'll definately get a sonnar over a cron when I get the cash to do so.

Samuel

 

[cocoa]

u dun hv "a copy of the Zeiss Sonnar", but "a Zeiss Sonnar copy" :bsmilie:

Anyway, enjoy your J-3.

 

[Hacker]

IIRC, someone reported at 1.5, the lens focus error is as much as 15cm!! How not to produce soft and creamy bokeh:bsmilie:

That is why "sharp" is not used.

sorry OT. May the force be with the tock kong leica lenses!

M-Hexanon 50mm f1.2 will be added to new family portrait. Chasseur d'image: "Compared to the Noctilux, the 1.2 wins and here noticably at every aperture, vigneting and distortion".