Hi everyone,

What are some of your personal favorites when it comes to choosing old school non-Leitz (non-V'lander) screw mount lenses? I saw this Canon 50mm f1.8 and someone told me that it was a nice performer.

So far, I have a Jupiter 8 50mm f2 lens which is very good and I don't have any other non-Leitz and non-V'lander screw mount lenses in my collection so far...

Alfie

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002

Answers

Many of the Canon lenses are excellent performers. The black (aluminum) 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 135/3.5, and one of the 35s (1.8 or 2.0--I don't remember which) are the cream. The 35/1.5 is so-so. I don't have any experience with the wider ones. My 85/1.5 is OK for me, but the reputations of the older brass-mount lenses is spotty.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002.

so easy -- my lux industries, fixed focus, fixed aperture, 16mm. total distance from flange to filter ring, 10mm.

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), March 30, 2002.

Roger,

Is that the Panomigon single element 16mm, 1:16?

Big Bucks, or should I say Francs, oops, Euros.

-- chris chen (chrischen@msn.com), March 30, 2002.

Zeiss Jena 85/2 Sonnar. The Jupiter 9 clone I use on my Kiev 4a is just as good.

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), March 30, 2002.

The only one I have is a Canon 50mm f/1.2

-- Tim Franklin (tim_franklin@mac.com), March 30, 2002.

I have a Canon 50 mm F/0.95 lens. It has a breech bayonet mount and its made for the Canon 7S/7SZ RF camera, which is not a bad camera. As far as the 50/0.95 Canon RF lens, it's a nicely finished lens that operates smoothly, but optically, it's pretty bad. I think many users bought this lens because of it's wide aperature but relegated it to their shelves because it is a poor performer. But hey, it's a lot cheaper than a Noctilux.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 30, 2002.

Canon 50mm f/1.9 Serenar collapsible (a Sonnar copy). Now. What does this have to do with improving our photographic technique?

"All lenses are sharp at f/5.6 to f/8."

-- Tom Bryant (boffin@gis.net), March 30, 2002.

The Canon RF 50/1.4, 50/1.8 (black), 85/1.8, 100/2, 100/3.5 (both black & black/chrome), & 135/3.5 black have all performed well for me. The Nikkor 50/1.4 & 85/2 for LTM, too. I also use most of my Zeiss & Nikkor lenses for Contax RF & Nikon RF via a Contax RF-to-LTM adapter.

-- Chris Chen (Wash., DC) (furcafe@NOSPAMcris.com), March 30, 2002.

Isn't that obvious to you, Wang? The best non-leica SM must be the Chinese copies!

-- Aflie Wang (leica_flies@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002.

Nikon made a pretty good LTM 28/5.6 lens. A little soft on the edges, but this lens is very old. Leica only had a 28/6.3 out at the time.

-- chris a williams (LeicaChris@worldnet.att.net), March 31, 2002.

Since when did Nikon make a 28/5.6??? (28f3.5, yes.) Anyway, no difference to Wang.

-- Aflie Wang (leica_flies@hotmail.com), March 31, 2002.