Info about 50/1,9 kern macro switar

[Gabriel66]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hello, has anyone tried on the leica m the Kern Macro Switar 50/1, 9 via adapter ring?

How about the quality?

Thanks

Gabriele Caproni photographer

[wda]

Was this designed originally for 16mm cine? If so there might be a problem with field coverage.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[tobey bilek]

I used a borrowed one for testing and it was similar to Leica 1960 lenses. It definitely did not have the Japanese type image quality of the period.

 

I do not remember the type camera I used. Alpa lenses were always top class, but optical design has improved over the decades so do not expect it to match the best of todays lenses.

[Ivar B]

The 1.9/50 Kern Switar replaced the 1.8/50 and is generally considered to be the better lens. It was made for the Alpa 35mm SLR cameras, so there is no problem with coverage.

 

Alpa maintained that this is an Apochromatically corrected lens of unequalled quality.

 

I tried out 3 of these lenses until I found a good one, which I still own and I also have the Leica M adapter.

 

This is a highly sought after lens and commands prices in the region of $2000, much much more than for example Summicron-R 50mm lenses.

 

I think that probably the best assessment is to say that this was a very good lens in its time, as good as for example the Summicron 50 2nd version from the same time period. This was as I recall the results quoted in Viewfinder som time back after an extensive MTF test.

 

It delivers very "pleasing" images with some glow, but it is not razor sharp like current Leica M lenses.

[agfa100]

I still have mine also with the M adp and really like the lens. A friend of mine has the Apo Summicron and we have shot back to back, the Apo has much better contrast but all the newer lenses with the better coatings today do that. Wide open it is not as sharp but it's no slouch. What I found interesting was if you compare the Kern lens design with the Apo it is kind of close. Remember that Leitz bought Kern back in the 80's now it was to get the binocular contracts for the Swiss military, if I remember their was a Swiss law that stated the equipment had to be made in country. But I wonder if the old Kern design was the starting point for the design of the new Apo Summicron.

wbill

[Ivar B]

Oh, I think this similarity in design must be due to pure chance or the law of physics. Leica probably does not have a lot to learn from Kern.

 

It is interesting to note though that the lenses decades old are still good. In addition to Kern, Alpa also sourced lenses from Kinoptik. I owned a Kinoptik 100 mm and it was second to none really, despite being a many decades old design.

[agfa100]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I still have a black ver2 24mm and the 40 makro kilar 2.8 and of course the Switar 50mm 1.9

I kept trying to find a 100 or the 150 that I could afford, that never happened. I also have the R to Alpa adp and a Nikon to Alpa Adp I had a couple of R lenses and I got the Nikon adp to get some really wide stuff, never bothered. Still have the 10 D and 6C bodies.

 

wbill