Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/04/02

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Subject: [Leica] widest lens used?
From: jsmith342 at gmail.com (Jeffery Smith)
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 20:11:07 -0500
References: <613857203.2808141270144633399.JavaMail.root@mail02.pantherlink.uwm.edu>, <C2A558A1-2434-40BA-ACED-5DA46BC0423E@gmail.com>, <792B6681-36BD-4AF9-9F7C-7B937C5A8665@gmail.com>, <06199C3D-1F39-4FDC-84D4-10A6E1FA6915@gmail.com>, <09A2F95F-F2F6-4952-9681-849FC849A89D@charter.net>, <6B412598-81A1-46D3-A17F-641209DED14C@gmail.com>, <AB74315B-2112-4E0B-9D32-CCE457BF8654@usjet.net>, <D5B49BC5-ECA8-42DE-B339-755E0C31D9BB@gmail.com>, <CB572360-F01C-47E5-A982-5AEC645B83F9@usjet.net>, <w2web6799211004021209gf0059218r21d8614270e66ab1@mail.gmail.com>, <k2j36172e5a1004021745wa1915819v47c241a29865f6e4@mail.gmail.com> <COL119-W15D8A6562CFFD2AD0AECD5821B0@phx.gbl>

I have an aluminum or some God-awful alloy Russian-made 50/1.5 Sonnar that 
focuses better than the Zeiss M lens, as does the Contax C lens on my 
Contax. In retrospect, it would have been wiser (by about $750) for me to 
buy Stephen Gandy's Bessa Contax mount camera body and put the old Zeiss 
lens on it. The Zeiss site says that they 50/1.5 improves at 5.6 and 
smaller. Is there any lens that doesn't look pretty good at 5.6 and smaller? 
I've got a great 50/3.5 Heliar for that. I do like the OOF aspects of the 
Sonnar. That said, it seems to be an outdoor lens.

Jeffery


On Apr 2, 2010, at 7:58 PM, Greg Lorenzo wrote:

> 
> hopsternew at gmail.com writes in part:
> 
>> The Sonnar was interesting. This sample appeared very well made like all 
>> of
>> this series that I have handled or owneed. Of course Zeiss themselves say
>> that it is meant to be a reproduction of a classic design, it does focus
>> shift and it has its own distinct character.
> 
> I tried out a Zeiss ZM 50/1.5 for a few days after finding I quite liked 
> my Soviet made copy with my M film cameras. The new Zeiss lens being of 
> better build quality then the Soviet lens. To my surprise I found the 
> Zeiss lens to be soft/soft/soft to about f4. Nothing coming out in sharp 
> focus. Thinking my eyes were the problem I put the Soviet lens on for a 
> few shots on the next roll and problem solved I had sharp focus from f1.5 
> to 4.
> 
> Didn't buy the Zeiss lens and now I have two Soviet 50/1.5 lens as I found 
> one NIB which was made in 1963 (reportedly a good year for these lenses). 
> 
> Greg Lorenzo
> Calgary, Canada                                         
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Replies: Reply from gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo) ([Leica] widest lens used?)
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