So what lens on M9 is your bokeh king?

[mikenic]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Apologies, M8 here, so FWIW ..........

50 f/1 Noctilux (E60)

50 f/2 Summicron Rigid

135 f/4 Tele-Elmar

(I actually find the Tele-Elmar the surprise package all round).

[Advertisement]

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

[Elk]

To my taste it´s still ´cron 2/35 pre ASPH - wide opened.

Regards

[Jamie Roberts]

Excuse my ignorance, but reputation for too much or too little contrast? Isn't it a bit less contrasty than the 35 Summicron asph? (If less, then seemingly not a bad thing for sunny days in the digital world.)

 

Jeff

 

Hey Jeff--probably true. I've never shot the 35 Cron ASPH on digital. But yeah, the 35 Lux ASPH has a reputation for too much contrast I don't find it that way at all--I really like it.

[rljones]

Hands down, my Zeiss 85/2 Sonnar: incredibly sharp at plane of focus with wonderfully smooth bokeh. This image was at f2.0 at about 1m (Puts indicates this lens measures more like 88mm focal length).

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Knorp]

My '64 tele-elmarit 1:2.8/90mm came in terms of bokeh as a huge surprise.

Kind regards.

[Mauribix]

Excuse my ignorance, but reputation for too much or too little contrast? Isn't it a bit less contrasty than the 35 Summicron asph? (If less, then seemingly not a bad thing for sunny days in the digital world.)

 

Jeff

 

Jeff, the summilux 35 asph is sometimes known for being a low to high contrast lens.

As to say that its behaviour is not the same at all apertures, but contrast tends to increase dramatically at f/4-5.6

the 35 cron asph in this respect is a high contrast lens but it's more predictable since it tends to maibtein the same characteristics from full aperture to smaller ones.

[Mauribix]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Btw, my preferences for bokeh goes to:

 

21lux and 28 cron (in the wide-ultra wide range)

35lux ASPH ( medium wide angle)

50lux ASPH and 50 elmar (normal lens)

75lux and 90cron ASPH (medium tele lens)

 

of course, I mean at Full Aperture, otherway things may change a bit.

[Jeff S]

Thanks much Jamie and Maurizio for your clarifications. I read Sean's review, but still wasn't entirely clear.

 

Jeff

[adan]

135 Tele-Elmar - smooth and neutral

90 Tele-Elmarit-M (thin) - not exciting but not horrible

75 'cron - technically "very good" but a bit flat and boring in some cases.

35 'cron v.4 - variable: sometimes lives up to the "King of Bokeh" reputation, sometimes very "fractured"

21 Elmarit v.1 - usually doesn't show enough blur to matter

 

Bokeh depends SO much on relative subject and background distances, and also lighting, that I find it hard to give an unequivocal rating to any lens. The 135 and the 75 'cron are the most consistent.

[Fotofanatiker]

Summilux 24mm for me - as it is my only lens so far.

[ashwinrao1]

My turn

 

My fav: 35 lux asph, though the 35 summarit, with less character, renders more smoothly

2nd: 75 lux (sad I sold it...too big, but the rendering...woah!)

3rd: 50 lux pre asph, closely followed by 50 lux asph (which is a better overall lens)

4th: 50 Noct f/0.95

5th: 50 Noct f/1

6th: 75 APO-cron

7th: 135 tele-elmar

 

Overrated

1. The bokeh king: works marvelously some of the time, not so great at other times

[Fotomiguel]

It would be nice to see some test pictures, shot in the same conditions and different apertures with different lenses, to see bokeh differences. Of course no post-processing. And some crops of the same unfocused parts of the picture

When I see some of your examples I realize how difficult should be to analize the bokeh when the background is so different: its light, shape, distance.

A nice example would be the same picture with different 50mm lenses and different apertures.

If I can borrow a 50mm summilux, I'll do it with my 50mm cron and my 50 elmar.

[yanidel]

I did some tests like that in the past. What I found is that differences in bokeh can be seen wide open. Stopped down to F2.8 or below, it all look pretty much the same in normal shooting conditions.

[wattsy]

It would be nice to see some test pictures, shot in the same conditions and different apertures with different lenses, to see bokeh differences.

 

I think LCT did this (albeit with an RD-1 and not a full frame camera). I seem to remember the differences in bokeh were far less obvious than the prevailing internet 'wisdom' would have led you to believe. Personally, I agree with the view expressed that there are too many variables involved to categorise any lens as a "bokeh king".

[01af]

Many (not all) lenses have their worst bokeh at full aperture; bokeh will often (not always) improve significantly when stopping down 1/2 or one f-stop. So when comparing lenses for their bokeh, do not limit your tests to full aperture only; also try stopping down just a bit.

[Shade]

I personally like my 50/1.4 Lux ASPH for my bokeh works. I do have a 90 Cron, but since you mentioned no more than 50...

[BKK dan]

My turn

 

My fav: 35 lux asph, though the 35 summarit, with less character, renders more smoothly

2nd: 75 lux (sad I sold it...too big, but the rendering...woah!)

3rd: 50 lux pre asph, closely followed by 50 lux asph (which is a better overall lens)

4th: 50 Noct f/0.95

5th: 50 Noct f/1

6th: 75 APO-cron

7th: 135 tele-elmar

 

Overrated

1. The bokeh king: works marvelously some of the time, not so great at other times

 

Interesting that you rate the Noctilux 0.95 below the two Summilux! Care to explain? Or is it mainly the size/weight?

[raizans]

Many (not all) lenses have their worst bokeh at full aperture; bokeh will often (not always) improve significantly when stopping down 1/2 or one f-stop. So when comparing lenses for their bokeh, do not limit your tests to full aperture only; also try stopping down just a bit.

 

or even two whole stops!

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[dm1127]

i absolutely love the 35mm ASPH summilux wide open. it is my favorite for sure. it basically lives on my M9.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Hacker]

It would be nice to see some test pictures, shot in the same conditions and different apertures with different lenses, to see bokeh differences.

 

Sorry if I have to refer to this thread again, but it exists.

 

50mm RF lenses Shot Wide Open using M9 - ClubSNAP Photography Forums

 

1) Leica 50mm ASPH f0.95 - 0.95, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

2) Canon 50mm f0.95 TV lens - 0.95, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

3) Leica 50mm f1.0 E58 pre-ASPH V2 - 1.0, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

4) Leica 50mm f1.0 E60 pre-ASPH V3 - 1.0, 1.4, 2. 2.8, 4. 5.6

5) VC 50mm f1.1 Nokton - 1.1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

6) Fujinon 50mm f1.2 - 1.2, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

7) Canon 50mm f1.2 LTM - 1.2, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

8) Leica 50mm f1.4 Summilux pre-ASPH E43 V2 - 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

9) Leica 50mm f1.4 Summilux pre-ASPH E46 V1 - 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

10) Leica 50mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH E46 - 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

11) Jupiter 3 50mm f1.5 (s/n N5901762) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

12) ) Jupiter 3 50mm f1.5 (s/n N700912) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

13) Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f1.5 (s/n 2859623) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

14) Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f1.5 (s/n 2726198) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

15) Canon 50mm f1.5 (s/n 26190) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

16) Zeiss Opton 50mm f1.5 - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

17) Canon 50mm f1.5 LTM (s/n 24456) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

18) Topcor 50mm f1.5 LTM - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

19) Leica Summarit 50mm f1.5 LTM (s/n 1432227) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

20) Leica Summarit 50mm f1.5 LTM (s/n 1025100) - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

21) Tanar 50mm f1.5 LTM - 1.5, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

22) Super Rokkor 50mm f2 LTM - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

23) Leica Rigid Summicron 50mm f2 V1a - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

24) Leica Rigid Summicron 50mm f2 V1b - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

24) Topcor 50mm f2 LTM - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

25) Leica Rigid Summicron 50mm f2 V3 - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

26) Leica Summitar Collapsible 50mm f2 LTM - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

27) Leica Summar Collapsible 50mm f2 LTM - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6

28) Konica Hexanon 50mm f2.4 LTM - 2.4, 2.8, 4, 5.6

29) Leica Elmar 50mm f2.8 V1 - 2.8, 4, 5.6

30) Leica Elmar 50mm f2.8 V2 - 2.8, 4, 5.6

31) Jupiter 8 50mm f2 LTM - 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6