Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/04/12

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Subject: [Leica] Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5
From: leowesson at gmail.com (Leo Wesson)
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 22:00:17 -0500
References: <CAG8EVmyi_w9S2CxnrK3O=KLPK7MizT-atjqBuW6WatD7dFjDCA@mail.gmail.com> <D150A656.59292%chris@chriscrawfordphoto.com>

Thanks Chris.  Seems to be your experience was not uncommon.

Leo Wesson
Photographer/Videographer
817.733.9157
www.leowesson.com

On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 9:55 PM, Chris Crawford <
chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com> wrote:

> I used to have one. It has neat bokeh, but it has several issues that made
> me leave it at home in favor of a 50 Summicron most of the time.
>
> The Sonnar has serious focus shift. That means if you focus so that your
> camera?s rangefinder shows proper focus, the actual focus point may not
> match the RF at some apertures. Some of them were calibrated to be
> accurate at f2.8, as was mine. Used wide open, it front focuses several
> inches. Others were calibrated for f1.5, and used at smaller apertures it
> back focuses. Stop down a lot, and this isn?t an issue because of depth of
> field.
>
> I like a lens that ?just works? at al apertures. The Summicron does that,
> the Sonnar does not.
>
> The other issue is even stopped down, the Sonnar is not sharp at the
> edges. In the center it is very sharp. The Summicron I had was uniformly
> sharp across the whole image. It was just a better lens for my work.
>
> The Sonnar is cool for some things, like portraits, as long as you?re
> aware of the focus issues. The focus shift is NOT an internet rumor, it is
> real. I tested mine and it is VERY real. If you can deal with that and can
> afford to buy a lens you will not use for most things, then get one.
>
> I sold mine after I realized that in three years, I had used it just four
> times aside from testing it for focus accuracy. I couldn?t afford to keep
> a lens that I never use.
>
> --
> Chris Crawford
> Fine Art Photography
> Fort Wayne, Indiana
> 260-437-8990
>
> http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com  My portfolio
>
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Crawford/48229272798
> Become a fan on Facebook
>
>
>
> On 4/12/15, 10:41 PM, "Leo Wesson" <leowesson at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Anyone using this lens?  Thoughts?
> >
> >Leo Wesson
> >Photographer/Videographer
> >817.733.9157
> >www.leowesson.com
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Leica Users Group.
> >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
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Replies: Reply from dstella1 at ameritech.net (Dante Stella) ([Leica] Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5)
In reply to: Message from leowesson at gmail.com (Leo Wesson) ([Leica] Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5)
Message from chris at chriscrawfordphoto.com (Chris Crawford) ([Leica] Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5)