Canon 50mm f1.8 ltm

[Geoff Marshall]

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My good lady has just bought me one of these lenses for my birthday ( she’s now making me wait until the day to use it ). From the images I’ve seen taken with them online they seem to be a very good lens so was wondering how many members own and use them on their Leicas, wouldn’t mind seeing some sample images taken with them. 
She found a good lens for me with no haze or fungus just some dust inclusion that I would expect for a lens from the 50s so can’t wait to give it a try. 
 

Geoff

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[TomB_tx]

I have a few of them, and agree they are very nice. Early ones were all chrome, the earliest branded "Serenar" which changed to "Canon" about 1953. These look great on an ltm body. Later ones are black & chrome, different appearance and a bit smaller, but I believe the same optics.

Some (usually later ones) have developed internal haze that sometimes won't clean up completely, but the last (late) one I bought with haze (good price) cleaned up very well with a CLA. I use it on a IIIf.

[david strachan]

Hi Geoff

Beaut lens which I've used for several years, as are several other Canon ltm lenses too.

Only trouble with the lens in question is it's 40mm filter size (I like to use on my M8's as well so need UV/IR cut filter).  This size filter is very difficult to get in any colour or light affect.

Also of course hoods are impossible too.

 

So I use the LH-X10 hood (Ebay) which also screws apart to accept 52mm filters. The thread pitch is not perfect fit to lens filter thread, but it is quite acceptable.

This lens hood works with Canon 50mm f1.8, and also the famous Canon 35mm f2 ltm lens...another small and excellent Canon lens at a fraction of the 35mm Summicron price.

 

All best hope this helps.

[jaapv]

And the 35/2.8, another little lens that rivals the Summaron. These lenses do particularly well  on the Monochrom and B&W film.

[luigi bertolotti]

Compliments to your wife !! 😃 A tasty present...

[Jerry Attrik]

I bought a new one in 1963, in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire and it has been in use ever since.

I have two Leica iiif and my wife used one for many years until I bought her a MiniLux zoom.

My Canon lens was given a cla. by Ian at Newton Ellis in December 2016.  Optics cleaned 

but a small group of tiny spots of balsam crystallisation are in the doublet. Not a problem.

An excellent lens with good contrast but bulky compared with my collapsible Summicron.

I have a Cannon lens hood for that lens which takes Series 6 (VI) filters these also are 

hard to find, must get a stepping ring, perhaps use my E39 filters.

D.Lox.

[Stacey]

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I have both the chrome and the later black and silver ones, both optically good! The earlier chrome ones are a lot heavier if that matters to you.

[250swb]

It's a fine lens, always in the bag when I go out with my IIIf. If searching for filters Marumi still do 40mm last time I looked, I have a UV and a yellow.

Edited August 29, 2020 by 250swb

[Pecole]

I had a Canon 50mm f1.8 (black, serial 340872) long time ago, and used it on a Leica IIf. I remember I liked it, but found it a little "big". It delivered  good images - however, following me, not better than a Summicron or even a Summitar, but with aperture slight advantage. Here is the only image I found in my archives. 

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[willeica]

On 8/28/2020 at 9:06 AM, jaapv said:

And the 35/2.8, another little lens that rivals the Summaron. These lenses do particularly well  on the Monochrom and B&W film.

I have one of these which came with a IIIf RD. It is every bit as good as the contemporary 35mm f2.8 Leica Summaron.

A friend of mine who is a renowned international photographer and collector has a lot of Japanese Leica copies which have magnificent build quality well up to and often exceeding that of the contemporary products emanating from Wetzlar. They are starting to appreciate in value in recent times as have the rarer FSU items. My friend has a black paint Canon and matching lens which if it were an M3 would fetch huge sums of money. It is every bit as well built as an M3. I covered Leica copies in my recent Zoom on Old Leicas for the LHSA. I chose a Leotax over the British made Reid in the 'copies category' because of the difficulty in getting parts for the Reid. This caused some upset among British collector friends.

The general opinions about Japanese Leica copies need to be re-assessed.

William

[jaapv]

On 8/29/2020 at 10:05 AM, 250swb said:

It's a fine lens, always in the bag when I go out with my IIIf. If searching for filters Marumi still do 40mm last time I looked, I have a UV and a yellow.

Vivitar used to make them as well. They sometimes appear on eBay.

[fotodude]

I picked up one this past October and really enjoy the clarity and colors it gives. Also found a Canon 100mm f/4 LTM in May of this year,  which has some great swirly stuff when opened up.

I have been trying to do a photo-a-day, until the COVID goes away.

toodles

Edited September 2, 2020 by fotodude

[pippy]

Many Happy Returns of the Day when the day arrives, Geoff! Great present. I trust you will make many wonderful snaps together!

Another 'Happy Camper' here. Mine is one of the '53-style all-chrome (on brass) post-Serenar period Canon-branded lenses. IMX it is very sharp indeed (for the period) and more contrasty than an equivalent period Summitar. I could be wrong but I believe the 50mm f1.8 Canon LTM was deigned with Sonnar philosophy in mind - good contrast, sharp centre but sacrificing softer edges in the process - and that has been my experience. I tend to use it with my film bodies but I've also used it on my M Monochrom and on that body the images it produced seemed to be quite 'Period' but superb in their own way. It's a heavy lens - as touched on by Stacey - but in a reassuring and not unweildy manner. I really love it in the hand with a 'Barnack' on a wrist-strap but if used 'normally' with the strap-lugs (on a IIIc or later) it will make for a nose-heavy package.

The 'correct' slip-on-and-tighten-with-a-grub-screw hoods turn up reasonably regularly. I managed to pick up mine from Peter Loy (no connection) and he seems to get a fair few through his site. Proper Canon filters seem to be quite rare in the UK but they do turn up in the usual haunts. The filters are beautifully constructed and very slim. The hood slips over the outside of the filter-rim; the front-face of the filter rim isn't threaded and is almost flush with the front of the filter plane. FWIW I've used mine quite often without the hood and have never (yet!) experienced a problem with flare.

Cue gratuitous snap of lens in question;

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Philip.

Edited September 2, 2020 by pippy

[Geoff Marshall]

I will finally be allowed to use this lens in a couple of days, she doesn’t realise what she’s put me through making me wait, it’s already attached to the M3 with Tri-x loaded. 

[Stacey]

On 8/31/2020 at 6:03 AM, jaapv said:

Vivitar used to make them as well. They sometimes appear on eBay.

I have a set of 40mm filters w/hood in a leather case made by walz. I was lucky finding this as it has all the normally used colors for B&W + a UV filter.

[jaques]

On 9/3/2020 at 7:01 AM, fotodude said:

I picked up one this past October and really enjoy the clarity and colors it gives. Also found a Canon 100mm f/4 LTM in May of this year,  which has some great swirly stuff when opened up.

I have been trying to do a photo-a-day, until the COVID goes away.

toodles

i have the 100mm f2 lens- and I think it is superb:

 

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