Abram Posted April 26, 2018 Share #41 Posted April 26, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) My two favorite older lenses were the 21mm Super Angulon f/3,4 and 35mm Summilux. I foolishly sold both and have since re-aquired another 21 Super Angulon which essentially never comes off my M4. I do use the 35 Summilux FLE as my "modern" lens but I would happily buy another early 35 Summilux again in the future. It just sings at f/2.8 and I wish I kept it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 26, 2018 Posted April 26, 2018 Hi Abram, Take a look here M Mount Lenses with Character. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
JohnnySeven Posted April 27, 2018 Share #42 Posted April 27, 2018 (edited) Just a quick thought: If you are looking to your lenses to give your images character you may be barking up the wrong tree. Images have character because of the content. To get good content you have to go looking for it. Buying expensive sh%t isn't enough. The prison barber shop image in this thread is a beautiful image for many reasons, the least of which is the lens. Its the photographers decision to go there and make that image that we are responding too. That could of been shot on a K1000, a Canon (god forbid) or a nokia flip phone from the 90's. The things that make images "good" are based on content not medium. In my mind good photography is making the best out of available tools and situations and locations to make a beautiful, or at least a novel thing. We are a blessed bunch walking around with all this big money glass and metal on fancy straps and bags, its important to keep our priorities and make good images with our stuff without going down nerdy wormholes, but that's just me... ...having said all that, I really love the way my old Summicron makes things look. Edited April 27, 2018 by JohnnySeven 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted May 10, 2018 Share #43 Posted May 10, 2018 Just a quick thought: If you are looking to your lenses to give your images character you may be barking up the wrong tree. Images have character because of the content. To get good content you have to go looking for it. Buying expensive sh%t isn't enough. The prison barber shop image in this thread is a beautiful image for many reasons, the least of which is the lens. Its the photographers decision to go there and make that image that we are responding too. That could of been shot on a K1000, a Canon (god forbid) or a nokia flip phone from the 90's. The things that make images "good" are based on content not medium. In my mind good photography is making the best out of available tools and situations and locations to make a beautiful, or at least a novel thing. We are a blessed bunch walking around with all this big money glass and metal on fancy straps and bags, its important to keep our priorities and make good images with our stuff without going down nerdy wormholes, but that's just me... ...having said all that, I really love the way my old Summicron makes things look. Agreed to the main message in your post but since you directly related to the image which I posted earlier (the barber chair in the prison cell), I have to correct your point of view. What you don't see in this photo is the fence with small mesh which did not allow a bigger lens to get through it to take a similar shot. In the group of people I was with at the time, I was the only one carrying this small CV 12/5.6 lens which just fitted through the mesh to take this ultra-wide shot. Nobody with a DSLR came even close to take the same shot - it simply wasn't possible! A phone also wouldn't have worked since it wouldn't have been able to capture the-ultra-wide composition either. I had another similar situation on a tour of a well known castle in Germany where again the entrance to a room was fenced and only this lens fitted through to get the whole image of the room. Sometimes gear matters. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted May 10, 2018 Share #44 Posted May 10, 2018 It has to. That's what we use them for. They vary. If the spelling/writing I see these days is any indication, people don't use dictionaries at all. Or everything is actually being written by bots. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaec421 Posted May 10, 2018 Share #45 Posted May 10, 2018 Summicron 35mm V4. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
derleicaman Posted May 10, 2018 Share #46 Posted May 10, 2018 What's a good place to learn about the vintage M-mount Leica lenses? I've done some searching without much success. The new Summaron piqued my interest but it doesn't fit the budget. I'd like to acquire a vintage M-mount lens. Thanks Here is an article I did for the LHSA Viewfinder journal. It might be helpful for you https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2014/10/bokeh-kings/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted May 10, 2018 Share #47 Posted May 10, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) I would like a 35mm Summaron f2.8 one of these days. My 1967 one is almost permanently attached to my MP. A wonderfully tactile lens, beautifully constructed - and a lens that falls into the category of "will have to be prised from my dead, cold hands!" (MP, 35mm Summaron f2.8, Acros 100, Rodinal). 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted May 10, 2018 Share #48 Posted May 10, 2018 +1 for the 35mm Summaron F2.8. I have a 1960 copy, and it's great on the M Monochrom mk1 (top two shots), and great on a film M (M2, 400 Portra, last shot). Still quite a cheap lens, if you can find one. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/283963-m-mount-lenses-with-character/?do=findComment&comment=3516492'>More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 11, 2018 Share #49 Posted May 11, 2018 Leica lenses full of 'character' (whatever that might mean to the reader) are right up my street. For me it's a less-than-clinical rendering where aberrations are permitted and in many cases desirable. Some suggestions: - 73/1.9 Hektor - 90/2.2 Thambar (the screw mount or the new M mount version) - Summarex 85/1.5 - 35/1.4 Summilux pre-asph v2 - 50/1 Noctilux (the f/1.2 as well although I haven't used that one) - 50/1.4 Summilux in M mount version 1/2 (some consider the LTM version to be version 1 but they are very rare) Some non-Leica suggestions: - Rollei 40/2.8 Sonnar HFT - Carl Zeiss Jena 50/1.5 Sonnar or 50/2 - Zeiss 50/1.5 Opton Sonnar or 50/2 - Carl Zeiss Jena 85/2 Sonnar - Zunow 50/1.1 - Voigtlander 35/1.2 Nokton Aspherical version 1 - Nikkor Kogaku 50/1.4 Tokyo (or Japan) - W-Nikkor 35/1.8 - Canon 50/1.5 Sonnar LTM - Canon 85/1.5 LTM - Konica UC-Hexanon 35/2 - Konica Hexanon Dual 21-35 Pete. 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LichtUndDunkelheit Posted May 11, 2018 Share #50 Posted May 11, 2018 Really just a slightly imperfect lens with its own signature. A softer lens wide open, with a little glow and spherical aberrations. Hard to define in words. Thats not at all how I would define 'character' of a lens, ever. Character to me is a lens that trades strengths for weaknesses. Ideally as described by Zack Arias: http://dedpxl.com/fuji-x-buyers-guide-part-2-lenses/ "This is one of three lenses I’ve owned in my life that I feel have that magical quality. Those lenses are the Nikon 105mm f2 DC, the Panasonic Leica 42.5 f1.2 for M4/3 cameras, and this Fuji 35mm 1.4. [...] The photo above is pretty much the moment I fell in love with this lens. The color. The feel. The angle of view. I love everything about this lens. [...] This lens does have character." If just a general loss in image quality is the goal, I dont see how that couldnt be done in post processing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romanus53 Posted May 11, 2018 Share #51 Posted May 11, 2018 Looking at farnz's list the Sonnar-design is still appreciated 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted May 11, 2018 Share #52 Posted May 11, 2018 Summitar's the Star (Thread title from another forum). Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Pete 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Pete ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/283963-m-mount-lenses-with-character/?do=findComment&comment=3516712'>More sharing options...
pgk Posted May 11, 2018 Share #53 Posted May 11, 2018 Thats not at all how I would define 'character' of a lens, ever. Character to me is a lens that trades strengths for weaknesses. Ideally as described by Zack Arias: http://dedpxl.com/fuji-x-buyers-guide-part-2-lenses/ "This is one of three lenses I’ve owned in my life that I feel have that magical quality. Those lenses are the Nikon 105mm f2 DC, the Panasonic Leica 42.5 f1.2 for M4/3 cameras, and this Fuji 35mm 1.4. [...] The photo above is pretty much the moment I fell in love with this lens. The color. The feel. The angle of view. I love everything about this lens. [...] This lens does have character." If just a general loss in image quality is the goal, I dont see how that couldnt be done in post processing. In the link the photo taken on the Fuji 35/1.4 shows great handling of flare. This is a combination of lens and light. Many 35/1.4 lenses should produce not dis-similar results including the Leica pre-aspheric which can, in the right circumstances, handle flare exceedingly well.I think that this is somewhat due to using a large aperture lens in brightish light and against the light. Certainly characterful but not limited to the specific lens IMO. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted May 11, 2018 Share #54 Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) Character to me is a lens that trades strengths for weaknesses. Or makes weaknesses into strengths. Perhaps, this means the same thing. I see some fine LTM lenses mentioned above. These can be converted into an M lens in a few seconds using an adapter. Two of my favourites are the Summar (used here at about f 2.2) Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! and the KMZ Jupiter 3 (Russian Zeiss Sonnar copy - used here at f1.5) Character can only be judged by the eye of the beholder, of course. William Edited May 11, 2018 by willeica 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! and the KMZ Jupiter 3 (Russian Zeiss Sonnar copy - used here at f1.5) Character can only be judged by the eye of the beholder, of course. William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/283963-m-mount-lenses-with-character/?do=findComment&comment=3516884'>More sharing options...
farnz Posted May 11, 2018 Share #55 Posted May 11, 2018 . One of my favourite Leica lenses for character is the 80/1.4 Summilux-R (which has the same computation and design as the 75/1.4 Summilux-M): a picture of Paterson the jewellery designer. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! One of my favourite non-Leica lenses for character is the 1947 Carl Zeiss Jena 50/2 Sonnar: a picture from the Chap Olympiad. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! One of my favourite non-Leica lenses for character is the 1947 Carl Zeiss Jena 50/2 Sonnar: a picture from the Chap Olympiad. ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/283963-m-mount-lenses-with-character/?do=findComment&comment=3516896'>More sharing options...
Gobert Posted May 11, 2018 Share #56 Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) Thats not at all how I would define 'character' of a lens, ever. Character to me is a lens that trades strengths for weaknesses. Ideally as described by Zack Arias: http://dedpxl.com/fuji-x-buyers-guide-part-2-lenses/ "This is one of three lenses I’ve owned in my life that I feel have that magical quality. Those lenses are the Nikon 105mm f2 DC, the Panasonic Leica 42.5 f1.2 for M4/3 cameras, and this Fuji 35mm 1.4. [...] The photo above is pretty much the moment I fell in love with this lens. The color. The feel. The angle of view. I love everything about this lens. [...] This lens does have character." If just a general loss in image quality is the goal, I dont see how that couldnt be done in post processing. I think the two lenses I’m missing from my Nikon period are the two Defocus Controll lenses. It’s a Nikon patent, so there are no alternatives out there with Leica fitting. Edited May 11, 2018 by Gobert Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otho Posted May 11, 2018 Share #57 Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) /.../ Some non-Leica suggestions: - Rollei 40/2.8 Sonnar HFT - Carl Zeiss Jena 50/1.5 Sonnar or 50/2 - Zeiss 50/1.5 Opton Sonnar or 50/2 - Carl Zeiss Jena 85/2 Sonnar - Zunow 50/1.1 - Voigtlander 35/1.2 Nokton Aspherical version 1 - Nikkor Kogaku 50/1.4 Tokyo (or Japan) - W-Nikkor 35/1.8 - Canon 50/1.5 Sonnar LTM - Canon 85/1.5 LTM - Konica UC-Hexanon 35/2 - Konica Hexanon Dual 21-35 + for me: Konishiroku 60mm f1.2 Hexanon (both editions). Edited May 11, 2018 by otho 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobert Posted May 11, 2018 Share #58 Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) To buy that you need to have a father in law with deep pockets Edited May 11, 2018 by Gobert 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frame-it Posted May 11, 2018 Share #59 Posted May 11, 2018 there was one in hong kong 2 weeks back for $10,000USD + for me: Konishiroku 60mm f1.2 Hexanon (both editions). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobert Posted May 11, 2018 Share #60 Posted May 11, 2018 We seen them for 60/k Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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