Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/07/19

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Subject: [Leica] Zeiss Planar 50/2 vs. latest Summicron 50/2
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Tue Jul 19 12:58:21 2005
References: <BF02A35B.188AC%mark@rabinergroup.com>

For my budget, my big "splurge" last year was a used Leica 28/2.
About $1500 or so, IIRC.  I'm no measurbator, but damn that
lens can help make nice pics :-)

Used current 50/2's seem to come around quite frequently and are
usually pretty good deals. Oddly, the much maligned built in hood
is a plus for me when I think of cramming the camera/lens combo
into a 1/3 of my tiny Domke satchel. OTOH, my 28/2 with hood
and a CV 28 metal finder seems to squeeze in there, so who knows.

Just gotta be curious about the Planar 50/2 though. CV can make
nice lenses if they want to.  Some of the nicest feel and "smooth
action" I've experience has been with CV's nice, heavy 35/2.5
Pancake-I (the old LTM version).  Man, that's a nicely made
lens. Just found a guy on eBay who makes 43mm screw in vented
hoods for the thing, and me'thinks she'll be getting more "air time"
soon.  Same goes for the build of my CV 50/2.5, and I hear good
things about their 28/3.5 build wise as well.

But in plain speak, I've got nothing against CV. Right now I'm using
their Nokton 50/1.5 for my 50mm lens (and experimenting again with
their CV 50/2.5, which I never sold because it's just so nicely made
and damn small).  That Nokton 50/1.5 is a pretty sharp shooter,
although the size of the thing (E52) bothers me, and the bokeh can
be a little wirey at times.

Scott

Mark Rabiner wrote:

>>Pricewise (a factor for me), a used current and minty Summicron 50/2 with
>>it's built in shade (eyes on a chrome one) should probably cost me a
>>little less
>>than a new Planar 50/2 with it's somewhat expensive bayonet shade.
>>
>>But cost aside....
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
>>Scott
>>
>>    
>>
>I wonder how good a deal it would be the new Planar 50 made by Cosina for
>Zeiss?.
>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&s
>ku=361550&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
>Here's the B&H entry I'ts 825 bucks and the picture has it looking slightly
>Vivitarish.
>
>I paid $650 for my 50 Summicron new from Adorama 12.2 years ago, my first
>lens. From all I hear the tolerances over at Solms is in a different
>ballpark from what the Cosina people do.
>But then we consider Cosina people raising their standards to something even
>the excruciating level of Zeiss. Which I imagine are not too far off from
>the superb Solms or previously in wonderbar Wetzlar.
>
>I love Zeiss and shoot with a professional level Hasselblad system.
>The idea that I could get a similar "fingerprint" in my 35mm work almost got
>me into Kyocera Contax. I was going to do that instead of Leica SLR.
>But ended up just getting more involved with Nikon when the digital thing
>hit.
>
>Getting that Zeiss 50 would feel like an extravagant lens test experiment
>which would be hard for me to financially justify.
>
>I think the Zeiss digital body for their new set of glass is going to hit us
>before an R2D2 ever does or the made by Leica digital M body.
>
>I don't have a 28 for some odd reason.
>Perhaps instead of getting the awesome newish Leica offering, the Summicron
>APO ASPH Summicron 28 I could break up  my system and throw in a curve ball
>by getting the Zeiss offering. And let Biogons be Biogons with the
>Zeiss Telephoto 28mm f/2.8 Biogon T* ZM Manual Focus Lens - Black for
>1,042.00. The Leica is $ 2,795.00 from B&H.
>I'd save $1753 dollars and get the air conditioning in my car fixed.
>If it wasn't for that darn lens hood!
>
> 
>
>
>Mark Rabiner
>Photography
>Portland Oregon
>http://rabinergroup.com/
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
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>  
>


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Zeiss Planar 50/2 vs. latest Summicron 50/2)
In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Zeiss Planar 50/2 vs. latest Summicron 50/2)