50mm lens test

Which is your favourite 50mm lens for bokeh wide open ?


Results are only viewable after voting.

Excellent comparison and documentation for those who need to scout for lens characteristics.
I must also applaud you for the choice of subject - Doremon. His facial expression really adds to the shot. :)
 

- F4 -

Summicron Rigid 50mm f2 / Summicron 50mm f2 / ZM Planar 50mm f2
 

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- F8 -

Chiyoko Super Rokkor 50mm f2 ltm / Tanack 50mm f2 ltm / Topcor-S 50mm f2 ltm
 

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- F8 -

Summicron Rigid 50mm f2 / Summicron 50mm f2 / ZM Planar 50mm f2
 

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Excellent comparison and documentation for those who need to scout for lens characteristics.
I must also applaud you for the choice of subject - Doremon. His facial expression really adds to the shot. :)

Thanks Benji! And a different Doraemon every test! ;)
 

Tanack has some character in it! Surprisingly topcor performed quite well too..
 

woah, excellent work!

if possible can you do a controlled flare test with the latest summicron and the ZM planar? thanks!

My humble apologies on the controlled flare test that I'm unable to follow up on... I've since sold the summicron to fund for something that is non-photography related! :cry:
 

Tanack has some character in it! Surprisingly topcor performed quite well too..

IMHO, the Tanack is quite awesome really... 6 elements in 3 groups with a sonnar formula!

Its a lens that I'd gladly hold on to as well as the rigid cron! :)
 

newghost said:
IMHO, the Tanack is quite awesome really... 6 elements in 3 groups with a sonnar formula!

Its a lens that I'd gladly hold on to as well as the rigid cron! :)

I guessed it since im waiting for ur msg..haha
 

Hey Ed, thanks for doing this test!

The Chiyoko, I have never heard of before but I must say the bokeh rendition is more to my liking (busier) than the Topcor and Tanack!
 

I guessed it since im waiting for ur msg..haha

When its time for me to part with the tanack, you'll be first on the list bro!

Hey Ed, thanks for doing this test!

The Chiyoko, I have never heard of before but I must say the bokeh rendition is more to my liking (busier) than the Topcor and Tanack!

Glad you like it! I guess Bokeh is rather subjective... with the chiyoko super rokkor, it renders a really lovely swirl :lovegrin:
 

Replying to this old post.

Great effort in the comparisons. Thanks.

I've not felt much about the Nikkor 50/1.4 ltm despite the fame.
Its just too shifty in the bokeh at wide open.

Generally, I feel that all Sonnar seems better in the wide open bokeh at f2 and longer focal lengths.
The f1.4 and f1.5 designs seem 'pushed to the limits'.

The ZM50/1.4 surprises me (and thats what I voted for).
Its not a Sonnar in the old sense of the design though (totally different lens element/grouping )
 

Found this post in accident. Really nice work on comparison!
I got the lovely nikkor-sc 5cm f1.4 recently in search of the sonnar look. It's my default lens attached on M9 now. The CCD sensor really matches the lens well and produces a very vintage yet charming and transparent rendering:
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I wrote a quick review on this lens last year when I got it. Feel free to take a look if anyone is interested (though it's in Chinese... I might consider translating it into English if someone is interested):