Thambar-Crazy

[LocalHero1953]

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Yes, agreed. I suspect that using it in colour will show up all the defects in one's compositional talent. A lot of recognisable detail in a scene creates interest that diverts the eye from compositional failures, whereas the more painterly treatment from the Thambar leaves fewer places to hide.

[Paul J]

My favourites in the Leica gallery are the Geisha images.

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[Milan_S]

My photo review of the old Leica Thambar in LTM mount on the Leica Monochrom you can find on Steve Huff's website 

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2017/12/14/the-old-leica-thambar-90mm-f2-2-in-the-roaring-twenties-by-milan-swolfs/ 

[tsleica]

In some sense..this lens is an escapist lens...and with the world the way it is now...vs...in 1908 or such...it may be a very useful thing..

I would be very interested in video and tripod usage too..but wish it were a 50mm ..or even a 75mm..

I will probably get it sooner or later..can always be resold..so you lose 1K on it..just keep it for a few years..and sell when the time is right..

Or..maybe never sell...as in...another paint brush..in the drawer..

But here's a thought..just have large format negs made of your Thamby digital files..and print em in platinum SF...could be an ultra cool thing..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNuE2gVl0m0

Edited December 14, 2017 by tsleica

[derleicaman]

Here are some quick and dirty test shots I did with my ltm Thambar #226061 (1934). This is an early chrome trim version with clean elements.

 

I used an Oskar Barnack commemorative plaque that some of you may be familiar with. I used my M10 and converted the images to B&W, but no other manipulation was done.

 

I did three images from wide open with and without the spot filter. I then stopped the lens down to the next indicated stop on the lens barrel (2.5/2.4) and then the next one after that (2.8/2.6). Hopefully this will give some idea of the Thambar rendering from wide open with and without spot and slightly stopped down.

 

Wide Open with Spot Filter

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[derleicaman]

Wide Open without Filter

 

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[derleicaman]

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f/2.5 with Filter

 

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[derleicaman]

f/2.4 without Filter

 

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[derleicaman]

f/2.8 with Filter

 

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[derleicaman]

White f/2.6 without Filter

 

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[tsleica]

Thx for those tests! Give a real good idea of what to expect..

[albertknappmd]

Here are some quick and dirty test shots I did with my ltm Thambar #226061 (1934). This is an early chrome trim version with clean elements.

 

I used an Oskar Barnack commemorative plaque that some of you may be familiar with. I used my M10 and converted the images to B&W, but no other manipulation was done.

 

I did three images from wide open with and without the spot filter. I then stopped the lens down to the next indicated stop on the lens barrel (2.5/2.4) and then the next one after that (2.8/2.6). Hopefully this will give some idea of the Thambar rendering from wide open with and without spot and slightly stopped down.

 

Wide Open with Spot Filter

L1001478.jpg

Bill

 

Are you sure that 186 and 187 are not reversed? Barnack seems sharper with spot filter...

Albert

[lik]

Dear all. At least today I had some opportunities to shot portrait. 

These are wide open at 2.2 without CSF, 20.000 ISO. 

Little change of the angle makes a big difference in rendering / glow.

 

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[lik]

Same - but ISO 8.000

 

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[Wonzo]

Very nice, Lik, also the idea of choosing higher ISO settings !

[lik]

Always asking myself if it's not merely a B+W lens... 

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[tsleica]

^{Nice portrait shots!}

^Hmmm...

^{It would be interesting to see what the differences are between the older and the newer models...if any..}

Edited December 17, 2017 by tsleica

[derleicaman]

Really excellent results lik, and I am also wondering if the Thambar is really more of a B&W lens too. I find the color images interesting, but not convincing. Perhaps the color images are more distracting, while you are able to concentrate better on the subject with the B&W images. This lens really focuses the old discussion/argument of the merits of color vs. B&W images.

 

As the editor of the LHSA Viewfinder, I would really like to do a feature article on the new vs. old Thambar. I would like to show images from both lenses. I would like to invite those on this thread for their thoughts and ideas for developing this article.

[stevemark]

Really excellent results lik, and I am also wondering if the Thambar is really more of a B&W lens too. I find the color images interesting, but not convincing. Perhaps the color images are more distracting, while you are able to concentrate better on the subject with the B&W images. This lens really focuses the old discussion/argument of the merits of color vs. B&W images.

 

As the editor of the LHSA Viewfinder, I would really like to do a feature article on the new vs. old Thambar. I would like to show images from both lenses. I would like to invite those on this thread for their thoughts and ideas for developing this article.

I do own an old 1937 Thambar, and I certainly do consider it as a "b&w lens". I have been using a few other special portrait lenses such as the Mamiya Sekor C 4.5/145mm Softfocus, the Minolta 2.8/85mm Softfocus, the Tamron SP 2.8/75-150mm Softfocus, and the unique Minolta STF 2.8/135mm ("Soft Trans Focus", not a softfocus lens!). The Thambar certainly is the most tricky of the bunch, due to its unique combination of soft focus and *very* noisy bokeh.

The other softfocus lenses mentioned have a nice, "calm" bokeh. Especially the Mamiya is very good in this respect, and therefore they are much easier to work with.

If you need support you can contact me, e. g. through my artaphot.ch website.

 

Stephan

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Milan_S]

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A color photo from this weekend Thambar LTM on Leica SL 

 

The colors of the Thambar are soft and wb acts sometimes strange but shooting in RAW can create a total different output. For portraits i prefer the Thambar in b&w on my Monochrom. 

 

 

Lik can you please post your photos on the Leica Thambar group on Facebook?