[Leica] IMG: The Age-Old Question: Which 50mm?

[Alan Magayne-Roshak]

I too have a collection of "normal" lenses, so last March I tested 50mm
lenses for central resolution and bokeh from wide-open to f/4.
The lenses were: Canon f/1.2 LTM (1960), Nikkor f/1.2 (1990's), Nikkor
f/1.4 (1963), Summicron f/2  M collapsible (1959), Summicron f/2 DR (1966),
Super-Takumar f/1.4 (1968), and Olympus Zuiko f/1.4 (1990's). These were
done on my Fuji X-E2, (APS-C) so the edges on full-frame don't show.  The
background is cluttered shelves in the basement.  Camera was on 20-lb
Majestic tripod.

Look large.

Here are the maximum aperture frames for each.
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Canon_1_2_at_1_2.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Nikkor_1_2_at_1_2.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Nikkor_1_4_at_1_4.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Summicron_2_Coll_at_2.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Summicron_2_DR_at_2.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Super-Takumar_1_4_at_1_4.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/LensFu
n/50mm+Lenses/Zuiko_1_4_at_1_4.jpg.html>

For (central) resolution, I evaluated the lenses at f/4, and found that by
a small margin, the three best were the Nikkor f/1.2, and the two old
Summicrons:
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/
LensFun/50mm+Lenses/Nikkor_1_2_at_4.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/
LensFun/50mm+Lenses/Summicron_2_Coll_at_4.jpg.html>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/
LensFun/50mm+Lenses/Summicron_2_DR_at_4.jpg.html>

-- 
Alan

Alan Magayne-Roshak, Senior Photographer
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Photo Services
(Retired)
UPAA Photographer of the Year 1978
UPAA Master of the Profession 2014
amr3 at uwm.edu
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Alan+Magayne-Roshak/

"All the technique in the world doesn't compensate
 for an inability to notice. " - Elliott Erwitt