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Is the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 II the best 50 for film?


28framelines

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Currently, I’m eyeing a 50mm lens, and I honestly can’t seem to make up my mind. Eventually it would be nice to get a Leica Summicron/Lux, but until then, I’ve been looking at the 50 f1.2 and 50 f1.5 II from Voigtlander. I like the size of the f1.5 II, but I worry about the vignetting on film. Is it really that big of a deal? And how does it handle flaring (MC version, not SC)?

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If you are looking for a 50 with some "old school" vibe, then the f1.5 is a good choice. Very reminiscent of the pre-asph Summilux, but with a smaller, lighter footprint. I like some vignetting when shooting wide open - it helps draw the eye into the picture a bit. 

The f1.2 is great, but bigger, and more modern in rendition. 

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I had the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 II for a short period of time and liked it. But I ditched it for a Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 and I like it a lot more. To me, it's probably the coolest 50mm you can get for the M system. The rendering is unique (bokeh), and if you nail the focus, it's nice and sharp. 
Yes, there is focus shift if you're searching for it but on real world images I don't see any different to any other lens I have. The lens shines especially on "documentary photography" when you're snapping instead of focussing very precise. Sounds weird but this is what I have experienced so far. And BTW I'm shooting digital where focus shift is normally even more pronounced.

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I have the CV 50 1.5 II, as well as a lux asph, various Summicrons etc etc.  They all are great!

Here are some shots on film with the CV on my M5.  p.s I sold off my zm sonnar 50 and planar 50 because they all are very susceptible to developing the wobble.  You can read about it here. https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1762330/0?keyword=Wobble#15976828
 

 

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I added a rubber Lenstab to mine, as I really did not like the sharp feel of the focus ring.  This transformed it and it is not a permanent addition so does not harm the lens.

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  • 2 weeks later...
24 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

Couple of questions for anyone who might know:

Is the bayonet hood from the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 Nokton ii compatible with the ZM 50mm c-sonnar f1.5?

If not, is there a bayonet fit alternative to the stupidly expensive 'Zeiss'  lenshood?

No.  The Nokton has a 43mm filter thread while the sonnar 1.5 is a 46mm

The Nokton uses the Cv LH-6 hood.

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30 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

Couple of questions for anyone who might know:

Is the bayonet hood from the Voigtlander 50mm f1.5 Nokton ii compatible with the ZM 50mm c-sonnar f1.5?

If not, is there a bayonet fit alternative to the stupidly expensive 'Zeiss'  lenshood?

Agree I doubt if it fits. The Voigtlander LH-6 hood for the Nokton 35 f1.4 (43mm filters) does fit the Zeiss Planar ZM (also 43mm) hood bayonet. I used it on my Planar.

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4 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

Thanks.  I seem to remember reading somewhere that one of the Voigtlander bayonet hoods will fit the ZM 50mm f1.5 c-sonnar but I can't find any info.

That LH-6 hood also fits the Zeiss Planar 50 ZM.  You could buy the Zeiss labelled hood for $85, or the identical made in the same factory but with Voigtlander written on it LH-6 for $65.

 

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2 minutes ago, TomB_tx said:

Agree I doubt if it fits. The Voigtlander LH-6 hood for the Nokton 35 f1.4 (43mm filters) does fit the Zeiss Planar ZM (also 43mm) hood bayonet. I used it on my Planar.

You can see from my pic above that I am using the LH-6 on my Nokton 50 1.5

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On 10/7/2022 at 12:39 AM, 28framelines said:

Currently, I’m eyeing a 50mm lens, and I honestly can’t seem to make up my mind. Eventually it would be nice to get a Leica Summicron/Lux, but until then, I’ve been looking at the 50 f1.2 and 50 f1.5 II from Voigtlander. I like the size of the f1.5 II, but I worry about the vignetting on film. Is it really that big of a deal? And how does it handle flaring (MC version, not SC)?

Yes. The 50f1.5 II has pretty nasty vignetting is you plan to shoot at big apertures often.

A lens profile correction makes it tolerable. I like it myself. I enjoyed the lens while I had it. 

The rending is more beautiful than the Planar.

Also there is no focusing shift problems like with the Sonnar. It’s a really good package. 

it’s very small and I wouldn’t ruin the size with a hood. Mine came with one and I never took it out of the box. 

Edited by Chimichurri
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