What are your most interesting lenses ?

[colonel]

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We all have our most sharp/expensive lenses, but what do you think is your most quirky that you like and why ?

 

I'll start:

 

1. Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 VM. No frame line (triggers 50), plasticy aperture ring, medium contrast and no floating or aspherical element HOWEVER very well built, small, light, lovely softness wide open, classic colours, sharp a bit closed, cheap as chips:

 

 

 

 

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[Ko.Fe.]

My (IMO) most interesting RF lenses were made by Leitz before WWII and up to fifties. Those old, fifty millimeters lenses. Two of them were with M mount. And not expensive they were (I purchased them locally). Summar, Summitar, Summarit, Cron Collapsible and Rigid. Well, everybody at Leica forum knows enough about these lenses .

 

For 35mm I prefer modern Summarit-M 35 2.5 because it is interesting lens on darkroom prints and on digital Leica M. Rendering is very special, it is rich and not flat (IMO).

It wasn't very expensive for NiB Leica made lens.

 

Based on my experience with multiple non-Leica vendors I'm finding FSU lenses to be most interesting in this department. $9 Industar-22M is abundant in copies and interesting on BW darkroom prints. Not Leica, but something at its own, plus, without fungus, fog, separation and soft glass old Leitz lenses issues. 

 

[Universalb50]

Nikkor-W 2.8cm f3.5, ltm mount...for folks who would like, but can't afford the new Summaron 28/5.6...tiny, excellent build quality, faster than the Summaron, and perhaps a more durable coating and perhaps less issues with hazing as the lens ages as compared with the Leitz/Zeiss counterparts?...

[colint544]

In my case, it would be my 35mm Summaron F2.8 (without goggles). It was made in 1960, and it works on all my M bodies, right up to my M Monochrom mk1. I'm always astonished at both how bitingly sharp it is, and how smoothly the backgrounds are rendered.

 

There's the added dimension of how silkily the controls work. And this was something of a budget lens for its day. It's a tiny little tank, a marvel of engineering, and a reminder of how high quality a manufactured object can be.

[earleygallery]

Most quirky/interesting must be the 5cm Summar f2. Soft at f2 sure, but surprisingly sharp when stopped down to f8. It's almost like a Noctilux in that regard, a different lens wide open to stopped down.

 

Another favourite is my 25mm Snapshot Skopar. It's a great little lens for street photography (you need to get in close!) it's not rangefinder coupled but has click stop focus points so you can literally focus by touch then bring the camera up for the shot. I've not had an out of focus shot with it yet.

[LucisPictor]

I guess, it the Jupiter-8M 2/50 in Contax mount adapted to M39. 

[pgk]

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We all have our most sharp/expensive lenses, but what do you think is your most quirky that you like and why ?

 

The two aren't mutually exclusive. 21 SEM. Stunningly sharp, very flare resistant. Small. Incredibly capable lens. Quirky because its stays on the camera far more than it should, works extraordinarily well and at times delivers images that vastly exceed my expectations.

[Ecar]

Skink Pinhole. Forces you to slow down, think hard about what you want to achieve ... and always surprises you with the resulting image.

[lct]

CV 21/4 for its tiny size, close focus distance, sharpness at f/5.6 and on, ergonomics, clever hood and lens cap. Can flare a lot (pic) but it is always in my bag contrary to my otherwise excellent Leica's 21/2.8 asph and 21/3.4 asph don't ask me why.

 

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[Jay B]

It would have to be my Canon LTM 50 mm f/1.2

Great fun, if you are careful.

 

Murray the Bartender by Jay Burleson Seattle, on Flickr

[NB23]

Aero-Ektar 7 inch

[NB23]

Thambar 90mm

Hektor 73mm

 

I don't own these 2 lenses.

[colonel]

My (IMO) most interesting RF lenses were made by Leitz before WWII and up to fifties. Those old, fifty millimeters lenses. Two of them were with M mount. And not expensive they were (I purchased them locally). Summar, Summitar, Summarit, Cron Collapsible and Rigid. Well, everybody at Leica forum knows enough about these lenses .

 

For 35mm I prefer modern Summarit-M 35 2.5 because it is interesting lens on darkroom prints and on digital Leica M. Rendering is very special, it is rich and not flat (IMO).

It wasn't very expensive for NiB Leica made lens.

 

Based on my experience with multiple non-Leica vendors I'm finding FSU lenses to be most interesting in this department. $9 Industar-22M is abundant in copies and interesting on BW darkroom prints. Not Leica, but something at its own, plus, without fungus, fog, separation and soft glass old Leitz lenses issues. 

 

 

 

Vintage lenses (is that the right word!) are one area I haven't explored. thanks for reminding me. Lots of exciting work scoring the classifieds here!!

 

Totally agreed on the summarits. They IMHO strongly challenge the summicrons.

The 35mm summarit has an aspherical element BTW, but Leica don't advertise it for some reason.

 

Nikkor-W 2.8cm f3.5, ltm mount...for folks who would like, but can't afford the new Summaron 28/5.6...tiny, excellent build quality, faster than the Summaron, and perhaps a more durable coating and perhaps less issues with hazing as the lens ages as compared with the Leitz/Zeiss counterparts?...

 

Never realised Nikon RF used a compatible screw mount. thanks for the info

 

Most quirky/interesting must be the 5cm Summar f2. Soft at f2 sure, but surprisingly sharp when stopped down to f8. It's almost like a Noctilux in that regard, a different lens wide open to stopped down.

 

I heared about this one before

 

 

I guess, it the Jupiter-8M 2/50 in Contax mount adapted to M39. 

 

I was thinking of the Jupiter clone made by lomography. Has modern coatings and a display box

 

The two aren't mutually exclusive. 21 SEM. Stunningly sharp, very flare resistant. Small. Incredibly capable lens. Quirky because its stays on the camera far more than it should, works extraordinarily well and at times delivers images that vastly exceed my expectations.

 

21mm is my next investment after stupidly selling my one last year, speaking of .....

 

CV 21/4 for its tiny size, close focus distance, sharpness at f/5.6 and on, ergonomics, clever hood and lens cap. Can flare a lot (pic) but it is always in my bag contrary to my otherwise excellent Leica's 21/2.8 asph and 21/3.4 asph don't ask me why.

 

DSC03499_c1si_web.jpg

 

 .... I have used this lens and agree, its exceptional. A bit of Italian flag going around but once you sort that its exceptional for the price

 

 

It would have to be my Canon LTM 50 mm f/1.2

Great fun, if you are careful.

 

Murray the Bartender by Jay Burleson Seattle, on Flickr

 

 

This was the one Huff was going on about before he sold his. They are quite expensive I think. Certainly worth a look as I particularly like bright lenses

 

Aero-Ektar 7 inch

 

Never heard of that. thanks!

[luigi bertolotti]

Telyt-S 800

[jcraf]

75 Summilux. A lens which after years, for me still has hidden depths and surprises.  Just love it.

[jcraf]

In my case, it would be my 35mm Summaron F2.8 (without goggles). It was made in 1960, and it works on all my M bodies, right up to my M Monochrom mk1. I'm always astonished at both how bitingly sharp it is, and how smoothly the backgrounds are rendered.

 

There's the added dimension of how silkily the controls work. And this was something of a budget lens for its day. It's a tiny little tank, a marvel of engineering, and a reminder of how high quality a manufactured object can be.

Totally agree Colin. A real gem.

[pico]

CV 10mm 5/5.6

50mm f1/1 Sonnetar

[jmahto]

Telyt 400mm f/6.8 with shoulder stock.

 

I like the simplicity (it is a doublet). It is amazingly sharp in the center (I have shot Saturn rings on Nex-6!) and wonderfully smooth bokeh front and back. What is not to like.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[michaelwj]

The pre-asph 35mm summilux. Such a beautiful lens.

[smkoush]

I never had many lenses, but my most interesting one is the f/1 Noctilux at f1. Soft, difficult to focus, but shines when everything comes together right.