wlaidlaw Posted April 10, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted April 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was struggling at our local village festival over the week-end with the hole between my Biogon 35mm and Elmarit 90mm lenses on the M8, even with the help of God's zoom (my feet). I am thinking of getting a 50mm lens. My budget is only about GBP3-400, as this is a lens I am not going to use a great deal. My choice therefore is an OLD Summicron, a CV f1.5 Nokton and save quite a bit of money (I can get a new one with the 50/75 adapter for about GBP200) or a Zeiss Planar f2 at about GBP300 new (I don't need the ventilated hood as the one off my Biogon 35 will fit). What do folks advise? I was just going to get a 50/75 ring and use either my LTM Elmar or Summitar 50's but I can just see myself forgetting and collapsing the lens = good-bye shutter. The cheap solution might become very expensive. Â Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 10, 2007 Posted April 10, 2007 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Fill that hole between 35mm and 90mm lenses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted April 10, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted April 10, 2007 The Nokton has a good reputation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdrmd Posted April 10, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I can't speak for all old Summicrons, but I have one from about 1968 that is remarkably crisp. This might the answer, if you could test it first. DR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveEP Posted April 10, 2007 Share #4  Posted April 10, 2007 As stated, the Nokton has a good reputation (do you subscribe to Sean's site?), but I have no personal experience of it.  What I did buy was a boxed 'as new' (the seller claimed unused - and looking at it I can beleive them) 1983 50 Summicron via e-bay for about £350 and it has proved to be excellent on the M8 (I also got an IR filter for it and hand coded it).  50mm is probably my least used focal length at this point, but when you need it it's a pain to be without. So, don't dismiss the 'older' 50/2 lenses. They can provide excellent service for the money they cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinb Posted April 10, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I have 28, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses at the moment but I'm thinking of selling the 28, 50 and 90mm and get a 21 and 75mm instead. I hate having too many lens options. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I think 24 and 75 would be more fitting - for one thing you have framelines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinb Posted April 10, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted April 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) jaap, I'll prefer a 21mm. Slightly wider and I don't like the 24mm framelines and lens blockage anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveEP Posted April 10, 2007 Share #8 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I think 24 and 75 would be more fitting - for one thing you have framelines. Â My thoughts too, but I have yet to try a 24. I like/use the 28 more than any other lens I have. The 15/28/75 is my most trio. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirvine Posted April 10, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I use my current gen Summicron 50 all the time. Got it for about US$800 at Adorama. Between that and a 28/2.8 Biogon, I'm always ready for whatever the streets of New York throw at me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted April 10, 2007 Share #10 Â Posted April 10, 2007 My thoughts too, but I have yet to try a 24. I like/use the 28 more than any other lens I have. The 15/28/75 is my most trio. Â I quite like the lens. It does block the VF a bit, but as an old RF user I can live with that. Results are very good. It pushed 28 out with me. Most used is 24-35-75. And for a light walkabout just the 2.8 Elmar M. Nothing else. The lens I expected to use a lot, the long Tri-Elmar, I use surprisingly rarely, for no reason I can figure out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfphoto Posted April 10, 2007 Share #11 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I have the CV Nokton and love it. Fantastic quality for the money, although I have not had a chance to compare it against the Zeiss or Leica lenses. Â There is a great comparison of the various 50's at reid reviews... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share #12 Â Posted April 10, 2007 If anyone did a 60mm lens I would go for that but other than the old viso/macro lens, I don't think there is a 60mm available. For me a 75mm would be too close to my 90. I generally only take two or three lenses with me on any outing as that is all my Billingham will hold. I currently have a 16mm fish-eye, 21 Biogon, 35 Biogon and 90 Elmarit-M. I am very tempted by the Nokton so as to have a low light lens as well as a 50mm. It begins with No.... so it must be nearly as good as a Noctilux isn't it (quickly ducks down behind stout wall to avoid shower of missiles). I just have this horrible feeling that you get what you pay for and the CV Nokton seems too cheap to be true, especially as it is made in the same factory as the CZ Planar f2 which costs 50% more for 1 stop less. Â Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted April 10, 2007 Share #13 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I would go with the 50mm Summicron, fourth generation from the 1980's or later. It has few faults and creates a very smooth and sharp image. The 4th optical version started somwhere in the 2,900,000 serial number, so anything over 3,000,000 is a new version. Mine is a tab focus Canadian, serial 3,022,0XX. Â The Nocton is a good lens, but I have read compalints about how it deals with out of focus bright lights. I also think its images are not as smooth as the Leica lenses, but a sort of harsh sharpness like some Nikon lenses have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndReini Posted April 10, 2007 Share #14 Â Posted April 10, 2007 My old 50 summicron (detachable hood). I bought it for $350 used at a trade show before I bought a new 50 lux aspherical for 9x the price. The ols cron is a great lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoskeptic Posted April 10, 2007 Share #15 Â Posted April 10, 2007 My 50 Summicron (4th version) lives on my M8. Very versatile lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirvine Posted April 10, 2007 Share #16 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I haven't used the Nokton 50, but I experience something similar regarding out of focus lights with my Nokton 40 similar to what Robert mentions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neelin Posted April 10, 2007 Share #17 Â Posted April 10, 2007 I haven't used the Nokton 50, but I experience something similar regarding out of focus lights with my Nokton 40 similar to what Robert mentions. I've got both these lenses. I haven't done any definitive testing, BUT, mentally I keep saying to myself "I really like the physical size of the 40, why can't it take pictures like the 50, or why can't the 50 be this size" Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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