New M mount 50mm F1.13 coming.

[bpalme]

MS Optical 50/1.13 lens coming soon | Leica News & Rumors

[andyedward]

To quote the article: "Ten copies will be assembled in early September and details published at that time. These are not prototypes, and to use Mr Miyazaki’s own words “I do not make enough mistakes to justify building that many prototypes"


Mr Miyazaki has an admirable attitude and work ethic.

[rulnacco]

That may be, but the single comment on that story would kinda scare me off rushing out to buy something like that (even if I could afford it):

Both the Perars required Loctite and the 35 doesn’t lock, but slides out of lock when I change the aperture. I have considered gluing it in place rendering it a ‘rigid’.

All said, the 28/4 is my favourite lens at the moment; not because it is sharp, but rather because it is not. The 28 is about as sharp as a peeled banana.

The tiny size of the lenses is nice, but sounds like the build and optical qualities are sort of the antithesis of why you use Leica stuff. Or at least why *I* use Leica stuff.

[menos | M6]

These lenses are not for the everybody photographer looking up the newest, sharpest, most expensive lens catalogue, available for their new digital M.

Mr. Miyazaki is a true old school optical designer.
He modifies, designs and builds classic lenses.

Although, as I understand from rumors, that he is quite retiring of some daily business, outsourcing certain parts of his business, so quality on "high production items", as focussing mounts and lenses suffered, compared to his very own handy work.

With a super special lens, as a f1.13 Sonnar design (please lens lovers, let that sit on your tongue a little - ƒ1.13 S o n n a r d e s i g n ), I would bet a Leica lens, that Miyazaki san takes personal responsibility as of the highest quality to deliver.

Honestly, if I could get my hands on one of these 10 samples for the announced price estimate, I would buy one unseen.

Again: ƒ1.13 S o n n a r - yummy!

For people, who don't know MS Optical - this is not one of the recently discussed backyard factories, slapping together security cam plastic lenses with superglue.

[matlep]

Info is out here: The MS Optical Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1 MC | Japan Camera Hunter

Preorder is available from my good friend Bellamy on the above link. Very tempted....

[bill]

"Sonnnnnnnnaaarrrrrr..." (said in a Homer voice)

This is the first new announcement to make me sit up and take notice in a long while...

Regards,

Bill

[brianv]

Five elements in four groups, basically the 5cm F2 Sonnar (1-3-2) formula lens with an "air-element" used for the front triplet, as the C-Sonnar uses. The "air element" acts as a lens with index 1. It will be interesting to see the images from this lens, and to note the focus shift as it is stopped down.

The Zunow 5cm F1.1 of the 1950s is based on a Sonnar formula, but took it out to 9 elements.

[wizard]

The most interesting bit to me is that the lens appears to have a so to speak manually adjustable floating rear element. Never seen that before.

Andy

[menos | M6]

Originally Posted by wizard

The most interesting bit to me is that the lens appears to have a so to speak manually adjustable floating rear element. Never seen that before.

Andy

If I remember correctly, Zeiss lenses for Hasselblad incorporated wide angle lenses with manually shiftable floating elements.

This lens gets me more and more curious.

[jaques]

I don't usually do things spontaneously- but almost in a daze I found myself putting down a deposit on this lens... it's ridiculous- I don't know why I did it. A momentary lapse of reason... I know next to nothing about optical design and cannot tell anything from what I read about the lens... but it sounded and looked good... a bum deal often does...

tell me why I am likely a fool? what kind of 'aberrations' do I have to look forward too?

[brianv]

The manually adjustable rear element is probably to allow you to compensate for focus shift, ie optimize the lens for your preferred aperture. This is a trick some use for the C-Sonnar, rotate the rear element for F1.5 for F2.8. That's my guess.

The lens is "about" the same price as the F1.1 Nokton, is limited edition, will be a cult classic.

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by brianv

The manually adjustable rear element is probably to allow you to compensate for focus shift, ie optimize the lens for your preferred aperture. This is a trick some use for the C-Sonnar, rotate the rear element for F1.5 for F2.8. That's my guess.

The lens is "about" the same price as the F1.1 Nokton, is limited edition, will be a cult classic.

I noticed that feature... but description suggests that it is targeted more to compensate SA depending on focus distance (a "manual floating element" ) : anyway will be interesting to see how really it affects the lens' behavior... it anyway acts on the positioning of the effective focus plane and this could also affect (positively ?) focus shift.

[Hannes Lummes]

Oh boy. Am I missing something, is it really possible to beat all the classic fast double Gauss designs with a Sonnar? I compared the MTF to Noctilux f1 and f1.2, and honestly this Sonnar seems more balanced, 40lp/mm curve is substantially better than in both early Noctis. Are his curves too optimistic or what?

I want one...

[tri]

Ten lenses sold out by now, I presume
buying on a rumour: good for the ones, who can afford it.

Manually ajustable floating elements wide-angles for Mamiya and Hasselblad, a decade or two ago, yes.
Wasn't it a design for sharp close-ups, I remember, not for razor-thin DOF dedicated followers of fashion?

It is not easy in 2012-13 to have photos, taken with a standard focal lenght, not looking as if they come out of a modern phone.

[brianv]

I think 10 were made already, and several hundred more are being produced.

The Sonnar is sharp at the center, out to ~2/3rds of the frame. At the corners, lots of field curvature. Smooth bokeh, probably a by-product of the field curvature.

My 1936 Uncoated Sonnar 5cm f1.5 on the M9:


Nikki, 1936 Uncoated 5cm F1.5 Sonnar converted to Leica Mount by anachronist1, on Flickr

This lens is sharper at the center than my 1950s Canon 50/1.4 (classic 1-2-2-1 Planar). This lens will be one of the first on the M Monochrom when it comes in. I don't have a camera in my cell phone.

The C-Sonnar does a good job.


Four-Eyes: C-Sonnar, Wide-Open on the Leica M8 by anachronist1, on Flickr

Hmmm. Maybe if I could mount a Sonnar on one, I'd consider it.

[Messsucherkamera]

The price is said to be 109,000 Yen which a minute ago was equal to $1393USD.

It will be interesting to see what level of build quality and image quality can be had for such a relatively low price (compared to the price of Noctilux lenses) .

[tri]

Originally Posted by Messsucherkamera

The price is said to be 109,000 Yen which a minute ago was equal to $1393USD.

It will be interesting to see what level of build quality and image quality can be had for such a relatively low price (compared to the price of Noctilux lenses) .

OK, that's a different story! I'd also like to test one.
Though, I remember returning the 1.1 Nokton
- while I gladly kept the 35mm Nokton .

[Messsucherkamera]

Originally Posted by tri

OK, that's a different story! I'd also like to test one.
Though, I remember returning the 1.1 Nokton
- while I gladly kept the 35mm Nokton .

I had the Nokton 35/1.2 version 1 and sold it because I didn't use it very much. It wasn't six months till I was kicking myself (well, duh) .
Lesson learned - if it mounts on an M body and it's not a turd lens, DON'T sell it.

Particularly if it says Leica on it.

[bpalme]

Looks like it will be $830... and some photos:
This is the MS Optical Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1 MC lens | Leica News & Rumors

[jaques]

unfortunately it is not $830- I thought that too reading on Leica rumors- but that is just the deposit payment. The actual price is around 1400...