Which is the M mount lens that has a rendering as close as possible to my Canon EF 50mm 1.2 L?

[Besprosvet]

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Leica M system really stole my heart, this means that I might, eventually, slowly, entirely part away from Canon.

There's just one lens that holds me from giving up Canon, and that lens is the EF 50mm 1.2 L

My 35mm 1.4 L (1998 version mk I) likely will be replaced by the fantastic 35mm summilux FLE, I love what I see from that lens especially wide open. It seems it's similar to my Canon but bettered a bit in all the departments.

My 85mm 1.2 L will be replaced by a 75 or 90 noct/lux, I don't know yet. It's a focal lenght I don't use much and I can figure this out eventually. But I accept any advice about this, considering that I don't want to spend above 4/5k for a lens I use very little.

The real struggle is what to get instead of my 50mm 1.2 L, I love the 50 Summilux asph, but it's "too sharp" when taking portraits closer than 2/1.5 meters, and the transition between focus and out of focus it's just harsher. I would like to get the asph summilux, but as a general puropose 50, not specifically for portraits.

I saw some very nice things coming from the Noct f1 (mostly v4), but it seems it has a bit less "bite" on the subject (like it seems less sharp than the Canon wide open, to the point of not making the subject popping out), and also has less plane separation wide open at distances around 3/5 meters. The Noct 0.95 instead to me it seems too sharp even wide open.

Is there an M lens that holds the same characteristics of my Canon 50mm? Not too sharp wide open but full of micro contrast, beautiful focus transition when the subject is close, and great "pop" and plane separation when at 3/5 meters of distance.

For now the closest one seems to be the 50mm Noctilux f1 v4, but I just saw other people's photos I didn't try it myself.

A few example photos of my 50 L, to show you what I mean

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This one below was taken with the 85 1.2 L

Thanks

[Al Brown]

I had the lens (and 85/1.2 first version) for very long. One of the worst L lenses.
The pre-asph Summilux 50 (first versions) would be closest as you stated, but (with a slight trade-off in IQ) also Canon LTM 50/1.2 or the Noctilux 50/1.

Edited February 24, 2023 by Al Brown

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[Besprosvet]

8 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

I had the lens (and 85/1.2 first version) for very long. One of the worst L lenses.
The pre-asph Summilux 50 (first versions) would be closest as you stated, but (with a slight trade-off in IQ) also Canon LTM 50/1.2 or the Noctilux 50/1.

I saw something nice also from the original Noct 1.2, but I don't know how much makes sense to pay that much for a re-issue

[frame-it]

57 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

Canon LTM 50/1.2

 

[evikne]

I know exactly what you mean, because I was using the same Canon lenses for several years, before I migrated to Leica. The 50/1.2L became my favorite Canon lens for the same reasons that you mentioned; it had just the right blend of sharpness and dreaminess.

My first Leica lens was the 50 Summilux ASPH, but I found it a little "too" sharp, and after a while I thought the pictures looked a bit boring. I then tried the 50 Noctilux f/1. I used almost only this lens for a year, and almost exclusively wide open. I loved it, but eventually I got a little tired of that look too.

Today I use the 50 Summilux pre-ASPH (E46). The Noctilux has one extra stop to “play” with, and I think it still has a slightly more creamy bokeh compared to the Summilux at f/1.4 and f/2, but all in all, the Summilux wins because of the compact size and fast focusing (the Noctilux and the v2/E43 Summilux pre-ASPH has a longer focus throw and longer minimum focus distance). For professional use, this is probably less important.

Stopped further down the Summilux pre-ASPH and Noctilux are very similar, and even though they get sharper, they always keep some of the gentler "Mandler look". On my homepage linked to in my signature, you can see many examples of both the Canon and Leica lenses (unfortunately just family shots, but they clearly show how they render).

There are certainly lenses from other brands that are more similar to the Canon 50/1.2L (and cheaper!), but I myself have chosen to only use Leica lenses.

Edited February 24, 2023 by evikne

[M Street Photographer]

Maybe this will help you:
I have the fantastic Canon 50 0.95 TV with Canon L mount.
For this reason, I photographed with an adapter for a long time with Sony.
L bayonet cannot be adapted to Leica, but I found a technician who converted it to Leica M bayonet for me.
It is not linked to a rangefinder, but can be used with the Visoflex 020, like other old lenses, but that does not detract from the imaging.
I immediately sold my Sony equipment and am very happy to be able to use my favorite lens on the M10 R.

If you want the contact details, please send me a private message.
The technician lives in Germany near Cologne, has carried out the conversion from Canon L to Leica M several times and is considered extremely serious!

[spydrxx]

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I'd go for the Canon 50/1.2 LTM. Put it on an LTM->M adapter and you're ready to go.

[M Street Photographer]

vor 55 Minuten schrieb spydrxx:

I'd go for the Canon 50/1.2 LTM. Put it on an LTM->M adapter and you're ready to go.

I do not understand that. The TO has a Canon with L bayonet, with special imaging. If you can have a Leica M bayonet converted for little money, I would never change a lens that I know and love. If he doesn't feel like it, I'm happy to buy his Canon L 50 1.2.

[evikne]

I understand that you search for a Leica lens that matches the Canon 50/1.2L. But if you are going to use it together with the Leica 35 Lux FLE and the 75 Noct or 90 Lux, the best match for them will almost certainly be the 50 Noctilux f/0.95.

[spydrxx]

9 hours ago, M Street Photographer said:

I do not understand that. The TO has a Canon with L bayonet, with special imaging. If you can have a Leica M bayonet converted for little money, I would never change a lens that I know and love. If he doesn't feel like it, I'm happy to buy his Canon L 50 1.2.

To each his own. I have no idea if it is possible to change the mount on his EF lens to an M mount which would couple with a rangefinder cam or what the cost might be. I do know that a Canon 50/1.2 LTM can easily couple with an M body and those lenses can be had for around $3-400 USD if one looks around. I picked up a Canon 50/1.2 in an FD mount a couple of weeks ago for less than $150 in excellent condition, which I use on my Sony A7RII, and could use on my Leica bodies (Barnack and M) via adapters, but in this case focusing would be by zone focusing as it doesn't couple to the rangefinder, but it certainly would work fine  on Leica bodies which have TTL EVF.

[Erato]

I'm not sure that the following adapter works for you or not.

Ref. URL:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162526858730?hash=item25d75b0dea:g:b-8AAOSw-0xYbgdJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4FLjj4721w1go63ebGiS%2BLTYhd8TFnj6MRmyeziCannIihqBcEylSL0ehwcrgH7f2OklYgs8mRSwPchH%2FPvCsyRIc2UxvWQz7NMfmLIrqSykG%2BXka9RvC3%2Bk7BRLCBBl7BsxKnt608LgyjJr7nQcgU8LzqIG%2FtZtMUQdL5HwP1gGLoGnMKS5zdL0qr8PJZ6dNJts2zkh0J2aSr7gHZ4uwd267rFxNXj5NRRMPzEHA4q%2FHkKYYfun1ZghShStIvqsead3KN9j%2B31z32VmJVKiNRrE7GkBMxWrsEuA8TlAN%2FBV|tkp%3ABFBMmrrH8tBh

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[28framelines]

12 hours ago, evikne said:

I understand that you search for a Leica lens that matches the Canon 50/1.2L. But if you are going to use it together with the Leica 35 Lux FLE and the 75 Noct or 90 Lux, the best match for them will almost certainly be the 50 Noctilux f/0.95.

Can I just say, this is the most wonderful understated compliment to Canon’s glass?

[evikne]

1 hour ago, 28framelines said:

Can I just say, this is the most wonderful understated compliment to Canon’s glass?

I think you probably misunderstood something. I was not talking about Canon glass at all. I just meant that the modern Leica lenses the thread starter mentions will pair better with a modern Leica lens than an old one.

Edited February 25, 2023 by evikne

[Besprosvet]

On 2/24/2023 at 5:35 PM, evikne said:

I know exactly what you mean, because I was using the same Canon lenses for several years, before I migrated to Leica. The 50/1.2L became my favorite Canon lens for the same reasons that you mentioned; it had just the right blend of sharpness and dreaminess.

My first Leica lens was the 50 Summilux ASPH, but I found it a little "too" sharp, and after a while I thought the pictures looked a bit boring. I then tried the 50 Noctilux f/1. I used almost only this lens for a year, and almost exclusively wide open. I loved it, but eventually I got a little tired of that look too.

Today I use the 50 Summilux pre-ASPH (E46). The Noctilux has one extra stop to “play” with, and I think it still has a slightly more creamy bokeh compared to the Summilux at f/1.4 and f/2, but all in all, the Summilux wins because of the compact size and fast focusing (the Noctilux and the v2/E43 Summilux pre-ASPH has a longer focus throw and longer minimum focus distance). For professional use, this is probably less important.

Stopped further down the Summilux pre-ASPH and Noctilux are very similar, and even though they get sharper, they always keep some of the gentler "Mandler look". On my homepage linked to in my signature, you can see many examples of both the Canon and Leica lenses (unfortunately just family shots, but they clearly show how they render).

There are certainly lenses from other brands that are more similar to the Canon 50/1.2L (and cheaper!), but I myself have chosen to only use Leica lenses.

Very useful samples, thanks!

Looking a bit further, I noticed that the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2 Nokton has kind of a vaguely similar spirit to my canon 50 L. I know it's not a Leica, but it's a less serious investment that it's still going to be easy to resell if it doesn't work for me. I just want a specialty lens for wide open portraiture at 50mm focal lenght.

At this point also the Zeiss 50 1.5 Sonnar gets into the way of a viable option. Leica wise, the summilux pre asph v3 seems a very good all rounder.

The Noctilux f1 and f0.95 maybe risk to become the protagonists of the photo, instead of the photographer's vision.

At this point beside such a specialty 50mm I'd have to pair another 50mm, more light and compact for daily photography. And here lenses like the 50 cron, zeiss planar, voigtlander 50mm 1.5 II are the ones I'll choose between.

I already own a very nice copy of a Canon 50mm 1.4 ltm, but with time I'd like to get rid of the slight annoyance of having adapted lenses, soooo I may sell it, one far day. Or leaving it just for the M246, it's where it really shines as a lens.

Edited February 27, 2023 by Besprosvet

[tedd]

Golly I loved the 35mm L mk I, it was my favourite lens when I shot Canon. I never gelled at all with the 50 1.2 though and prefer the Lux ASPH by every metric. Pretty sure the actual T stop is about the same with both of those 50's too.

 

[a5m]

If 1m min focus works for you, then the 50 Summilux v2. If size isn't an issue, then the Noctilux F1. Will be difficult to find a sharp copy, but the look is unmistakably unique and most magical of any Leica lens, or any lens for that matter.

[M Street Photographer]

Am 27.2.2023 um 13:24 schrieb Besprosvet:

Very useful samples, thanks!

Looking a bit further, I noticed that the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2 Nokton has kind of a vaguely similar spirit to my canon 50 L. I know it's not a Leica, but it's a less serious investment that it's still going to be easy to resell if it doesn't work for me. I just want a specialty lens for wide open portraiture at 50mm focal lenght.

At this point also the Zeiss 50 1.5 Sonnar gets into the way of a viable option. Leica wise, the summilux pre asph v3 seems a very good all rounder.

The Noctilux f1 and f0.95 maybe risk to become the protagonists of the photo, instead of the photographer's vision.

At this point beside such a specialty 50mm I'd have to pair another 50mm, more light and compact for daily photography. And here lenses like the 50 cron, zeiss planar, voigtlander 50mm 1.5 II are the ones I'll choose between.

I already own a very nice copy of a Canon 50mm 1.4 ltm, but with time I'd like to get rid of the slight annoyance of having adapted lenses, soooo I may sell it, one far day. Or leaving it just for the M246, it's where it really shines as a lens.

Here I would like to throw the VC 50 1.0 into the running.

 

[Besprosvet]

18 hours ago, tedd said:

Golly I loved the 35mm L mk I, it was my favourite lens when I shot Canon. I never gelled at all with the 50 1.2 though and prefer the Lux ASPH by every metric. Pretty sure the actual T stop is about the same with both of those 50's too.

 

I love it, but I find the 35 L mk I to be a bit behind the 50 L in terms of smoothness in focus transition and 3d pop at 2/5 meters wide open. But I guess it's normal, it's a wide angle after all. It's sharper wide open thou.

14 hours ago, a5m said:

If 1m min focus works for you, then the 50 Summilux v2. If size isn't an issue, then the Noctilux F1. Will be difficult to find a sharp copy, but the look is unmistakably unique and most magical of any Leica lens, or any lens for that matter.

It's difficult to find a sharp copy because copy variation or because the different versions?

[jaeger]

You can use any modern leica lenses shooting RAW, then use editors to lower the contrast, clarity, texture, dehaze, vibrance and saturation.  You should be able to replicate that look.  The color fringing is harder to add, but you should appreciate that. 

If you aren't into editing software, I believe using vintage M43 or M mount lenses should do without too much editing.

 

 

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[a5m]

3 hours ago, Besprosvet said:

It's difficult to find a sharp copy because copy variation or because the different versions?

Copy variation. I tried 7 (have 2 more on the way!) and only 1 was proper sharp wide open. The rest, while perfectly usable, were too soft for me.