Zeiss Lens 1.5 50mm on M8, how does it work

[Mark_L]

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I am very fond of available light photography and saving for a 50 mm Summilux. Quite expensive and I wonder what the 50 mm 1.5 Zeiss Lens may offer. I do have some questions:

 

How does one put the 50 mm framelines on? the switch in front of the camera works but always goes back to the postion away from the lens. (note that I only posess the body and have not worked with the M8 yet . )

 

the lens seems to indicate filter size E46, I presume that this is standard and that I can use the filter E46 I recieved with my M8?

 

Does Automatic shutter speed work or do you have to put this manual?

 

Does the indication with arrow and dot in the view finder work with a Zeiss lens?

 

Untill now I did not use my M8 and these things are not obvious.

 

I need some help here, thanks.

 

Mark

[kanzlr]

you mean the current Sonnar? in M-mount?

it automatically triggers the 50mm lines, like most lenses trigger the appropriate lines. When you mount the lens, you will notice that the lever moves

 

yep, I use a Leica E46 filter on my 28/2.8 Zeiss, works

 

Automatic shutter speed will work. And yes, the indicator works (it is an indicator for exposure, not focus). There is no electronic connection between the camera and the lens, so all these things work with everything you mount in front of the camera, even with a roll of toilet paper (although it will not trigger the appropriate 90mm frame lines).

 

hope this helps

 

Btw. maybe you want to get the Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH instead of the Zeiss. It is cheaper and is an excellent lens.

[Mark_L]

Thank you, answers all, it is indeed the current Sonnar M Mount

Voigtlander does not seem to be selling in Belgium....of course I can order it, but I still like going to a real shop.

[jrosen2]

I tried that lens in our local store but did not buy it. This is a special lens in that it was designed to give that 'luminous' look wide open. I call that soft. It sharpens up at f/2 but your are not buying it for its' performance at f/2. If you like that soft look then this is the lens for you, Some have reported back focus with it. I ended up buying the summicron.

[thompsonkirk]

Suggest you subscribe to ReidReviews & read the review of this & other lenses. What you'll learn abut this one lens will be worth the subscription fee.

 

Note that 50mm = 67mm on M8; a 35mm (= 47mm) would be a more 'normal' lens.

 

Kirk

[coup de foudre]

Thank you, answers all, it is indeed the current Sonnar M Mount

Voigtlander does not seem to be selling in Belgium....of course I can order it, but I still like going to a real shop.

Mark,

 

i'm in Gent (just moved) if you want to try the Sonnar in a nearby bar or along the river next week, i'd be happy to let you have a play with it (i also have an older pre-asph 50 Lux).

 

in low light conditions, i usually go manual (as it tends to over-expose), but lately have been playing with EV comp... it's really a matter of trial and error.

 

i think the Sonnar is a gorgeous lens and it definitely has a "look." some people love it, for others it's signature is a little too strong.

 

anyways, drop me a PM if you'd like to try mine.

 

cheers,

cam

[2Bébèrt]

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Hi Mark,

 

Since you use a M8 with the 1.3 crop factor, I think it would make more sense to look for a fast 35mm lens (Summilux 1.4 , Nokton 1,2)

[Double Negative]

The 1,5/50 Sonnar ZM is a peach of a lens. Unlike the others, it's an "old school" or "character" lens - rather than a modern one. You could almost think of it as two lenses in one. Open wider than f/2.8 you get lots of character and interesting bokeh. Stop down the other direction and things sharpen up much like a modern lens. Though it does require a little care in shooting (re: focus shift). Don't let this discourage you, as with a little practice you'll be just fine.

 

But as mentioned above; a 50mm lens on the M8 can be a bit "long." I'd consider a 35mm lens first. Play with the frameline lever and compare the view between the two to get an idea.

[coup de foudre]

i'm loaning Mark my Sonnar and the 35 Lux pre-asph so he can get a chance to see the "look" and FOV of both.

 

i'm with 2Bébèrt and Double Neg in that i think a 35mm is perfect for the crop factor on the M8...

 

i'll let him try my 35 Lux ASPH (the lens most used), but can't bear to part with it because i need the close focusing... the only reason i'd ever let it go was if i could find a "user" of the v.1 Aspherical (alas, the only way i'd be able to afford it and the lens i most lust for)... sigh.

[!Nomad64]

I happen to have either the Sonnar and the Planar.

IMHO the Planar is more to be regarded as a general use lens. Its performances are excellent already at f2 and very even all across the field. It renders the fashion modern lenses do. Very sharp and contrasted, with a remarkable flatness of field. Resolution in the corners is very good - on an M8 at least. Also resistant to flare, a characteristic shared by all ZM lenses.

Rendered images are almost of a "surgical" sharpness.

The Sonnar's performances get close to the Planar's only after 5.6. At wider apertures the corners suffer a bit, the details worsening as much as you go wider. Then, depending from how your sample was optimized, there's the focus shift issue. There's also a considerable amount of chromatic aberration.

Mine is optimized at 1.5. At that aperture it has a gorgeous bokeh, which the Planar simply can't even come close to.

If you're into landscape and sharpness is your thing, then the Planar is your ticket.

If you like dreamy atmospheres a´ la Hamilton then you might want to consider the Sonnar.

Anyway if you can't do without the extra stop AND sharpness matters to you, then my suggestion is to save your bucks until you can afford an ASPH 'lux.

 

Hope this helps

Bruno