otto.f Posted May 9, 2017 Share #21 Posted May 9, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) 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. +1 Doesn't get any quirkier with me than that I'm afraid, I don't see it as quirky actually, but rather as underrated. Further: - I have the Summitar 50mm from 1946, which is a real quirk, but we haven't been able to become well acquainted yet, colors are a bit pastel, takes some time to go through that barrier for me - Elmar 50mm collapsible most recent, no quirk either, only in the sense that I wonder if it's really that less stunning than the APO50 as the price suggests, let alone the extra stop. I made a side by side comparison lately and I wonder if we all could see the difference at 2.8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 9, 2017 Posted May 9, 2017 Hi otto.f, Take a look here What are your most interesting lenses ?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Hicks Posted May 9, 2017 Share #22 Posted May 9, 2017 CV 50mm Nokton F1.5 LTM. Sharp without edginess, very smooth OOF and nice subtle colours due to medium contrast. Unfortunately mine just recently fell apart because some internal screws worked lose. [emoji22]I will repair or replace it with the same. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert M Poole Posted May 9, 2017 Share #23 Posted May 9, 2017 Not used on my M9 but I've used a few adapted lenses on my Fuji XE1. Helios 44-2 has got to be the most interesting followed by the Jupiter 8. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedeye Posted May 10, 2017 Share #24 Posted May 10, 2017 Jupiter 3 1.5 for its unique color rendering and, at least in my copy, minimal focus shift. Summar 50 - for reasons stated above. Nokton 40 - because I love the focal length, with a filed flange perfectly fits my 35mm frame lines, its size and fun bokeh. This has become my go to lens. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted May 11, 2017 Share #25 Posted May 11, 2017 Mine is a 65yr old sonnar.... Another shout for a Jupiter 3 50mm f/1.5. Tiny, light and fast. Not super-sharp wide open but gorgeous at f/2. Makes the whole M look ancient and worthless so attracts no attention. Places portrait subjects at ease immediately. Can deliver gorgeous timeless slightly dreamy low contrast images. Issues? Focus shift at f/2.8-5.6. Can occasionally ruin a shot with flare that washes out across the whole frame. Circular rainbow flare is far more common and strangely endearing. Horrible long focus throw that spirals on forever like a Mandelbrot fractal despite a minimum focus distance of only 90cm. Continuous aperture without click stops that rotates in the opposite direction to all my other lenses and I have considered literally taping at f/2 to prevent accidental movement. QUIRKY pretty much defines it. .. but I love it dearly and although 50mm is my preferred focal length, it has taken me 7 years to purchase the heavy, perfect and definitively anti-quirky 50lux ASPH. In case my wife ever reads this, I would like to point out that perfection is in no way necessarily better than quirky. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share #26 Posted May 11, 2017 Mine is a 65yr old sonnar.... Another shout for a Jupiter 3 50mm f/1.5. Tiny, light and fast. Not super-sharp wide open but gorgeous at f/2. Makes the whole M look ancient and worthless so attracts no attention. Places portrait subjects at ease immediately. Can deliver gorgeous timeless slightly dreamy low contrast images. Issues? Focus shift at f/2.8-5.6. Can occasionally ruin a shot with flare that washes out across the whole frame. Circular rainbow flare is far more common and strangely endearing. Horrible long focus throw that spirals on forever like a Mandelbrot fractal despite a minimum focus distance of only 90cm. Continuous aperture without click stops that rotates in the opposite direction to all my other lenses and I have considered literally taping at f/2 to prevent accidental movement. Jupiter 3 1.5 for its unique color rendering and, at least in my copy, minimal focus shift. Summar 50 - for reasons stated above. Nokton 40 - because I love the focal length, with a filed flange perfectly fits my 35mm frame lines, its size and fun bokeh. This has become my go to lens. Lots of shouts for the Jupiter 50mm f1.5 here. I was thinking of trying the new Lomo version. Same thing I think but with modern coatings. I think I'll go and try it out Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted May 11, 2017 Share #27 Posted May 11, 2017 Advertisement (gone after registration) Modern coatings would certainly help control the flare. I could not say for sure that mine even has a coating on the glass! I think a 50 sonnar of some sort should be experienced by all photogs. Such a classic design. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rawcs Posted May 11, 2017 Share #28 Posted May 11, 2017 With all the interest in older lenses here, perhaps there is a market for more new 'old' lenses, than the 28mm Summaron? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share #29 Posted May 11, 2017 With all the interest in older lenses here, perhaps there is a market for more new 'old' lenses, than the 28mm Summaron? since all the Swiss & German watch companies are re-issuing their 1930-1950 catalogues, perhaps Leica should go for it as well !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted May 11, 2017 Share #30 Posted May 11, 2017 Leica should go for it as well . Modern radioactive Collapsible Summicron in LTM would be a must. I don't care if it's remaked or not, I have original one for years and appreciate it as is. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted May 11, 2017 Share #31 Posted May 11, 2017 since all the Swiss & German watch companies are re-issuing their 1930-1950 catalogues, perhaps Leica should go for it as well !!! They may eventually, but they'd inevitably lose some quirkiness... The funny thing with the J-3, for example, is that they are all different. I've had a few and kept only a couple: a really 'good' one and a 'super-quirky' one. The Zenit-made Lomo "New J-3+" as it's called definitely retains the Sonnar characteristics but is somewhat more predictable, less nervous in most lighting situations. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 12, 2017 Share #32 Posted May 12, 2017 Hmm, where to start? 1947 Carl Zeiss Jena 50/2 Sonnar 21/2.8 Kobalux 21-35/3.5-4 Dual-Hexanon-M 50/1 Noctilux v4 1949 Carl Zeiss Jena 85/2 Sonnar 80/1.4 Summilux-R I prefer my lenses to have character, which is what makes their pictures interesting to me. Pete. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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