Focus Action / Feel

[NJH]

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General question where I would like the collective experience please to help me on my quest and hopefully other M system newbies.

 

Today I received a Zeiss 50 Sonnar, perhaps to replace the Zeiss 50 Planar I already have. I have been a bit pleasantly surprised that the focus action feels much better in use for me than on the Planar. It sounds more rough or noisy which gives a bad impression but has a more solid weighty feeling around the point of focus whereas the one thing I don't like about my Planar is it is a bit light around the point of focus. A bigger difference is my copy of the Elmarit 28 ASPH, its just a flick of the finger to get it to the point of focus but once there it just stays put and feels solid, opposite to the Planar which feels very smoothly damped to quick movements yet is overly light IMHO to small movements, this tends to lead me to hunt a little around the point of focus. Note that I can't see or feel any play at all and the lens seems pretty much perfect just not as nice for me personally in use as the Leica or this new to me Sonnar which I am falling for.

 

Before receiving the Sonnar I might have thought this was representative of a Leica v Zeiss thing but my questions are now thus 3 fold. 1) How much is a trait of the brand or is it lens type specific? 2) Do particular models consistently have a particular feel / action? 3) To what extent is the effect specific of ones copy of a lens?

 

I find it difficult to get at this sort of information as it only tends to surface in discussions and of course seem to be very subjective. I haven't personally experienced enough M mount lenses myself to have a handle on this hence the questions.

Cheers

Neil

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[TomB_tx]

I got my Planar used, and it has always been almost too light on focus feel, making it easy to nudge off focus without meaning to. I have 5 different eras of Summicron 50s, including one new last year, and all are smooth, but stiffer than the Planar. My 1 year old 35 Biogon f2 isn't as light as the Planar, but may loosen with more use. I also have a 35 Summarit, and it is as light as the Planar.

These can be adjusted by cleaning out the old lube and using a different weight or type of grease. I've done a number of old SLR lenses this way, and will probably try it on the Planar, as for some lighting I prefer it to my Summicrons - but ithe focus is a bit too light.

[farnz]

... 1) How much is a trait of the brand or is it lens type specific? 2) Do particular models consistently have a particular feel / action? 3) To what extent is the effect specific of ones copy of a lens? ...

1) It depends on the brand. Typically the focussing action and build on Leica lenses varies little but in my experience they and other parameters such as focus shit and back focus tend to vary more in Cosina-Voigtlander lenses and contemporary Zeiss lenses than, say Hexanon-M lenses.

 

2) With Leica lenses, by and large. Different lens designs use different combinations and numbers of optical elements, which can affect the feel or action; for example FLE (floating lens elements) often cause the action to be heavier although this is the price of a better corrected lens.

 

3) Pretty much the same answer as 1) above.

 

Pete.

[paulsydaus]

Focus shit lol!

[250swb]

Spell checkers have clearly moved into a less prudish era, lol, but its always been a good way of thinking about mistakes.

 

Yes they all vary a bit. A pure delight is the 50mm Elmar M as not much is going on inside the lens, few things to shift about. A 50mm Summilux Asph is firmer, with more happenings inside, but at the same time, as with longer lenses, when focus is very critical (wide open fast lens or a telephoto) it is usual to have a firmer feel as it reduces the possibilities of accidentally shifting focus when the image is composed or the shutter is pressed. The firmer action acts as a damper. The 50mm Summicron is also very slick, the 28mm Summicron slightly firmer, but none of my retinue are overly tight, unlike my 21mm f/2.8 ZM Biogon which is definitely a two finger job and not pleasant.

 

Steve

[farnz]

Focus shit lol!

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

I must chuck the speelung before I post.

 

 

Pete.

[NJH]

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Thanks guys food for thought. Clearly in the future I will have to get up to London to some of the shops and have a play, out here in the sticks I am really lucky if I want to buy new, visited Robert Whites many times but for second hand its been a mail order job and no way I am paying Leicatax prices for new gear.

[microview]

Thanks guys food for thought. Clearly in the future I will have to get up to London to some of the shops and have a play, out here in the sticks I am really lucky if I want to buy new, visited Robert Whites many times but for second hand its been a mail order job and no way I am paying Leicatax prices for new gear.

 

I am sure if you had a word (or several!) with Malcolm Taylor at Hereford he could provide a lubricant that worked for you on any lens. BTW he holds strong views on Leica's!