Most classic lenses ?

Solarflare

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Which lenses do you think are the most classic ? Lenses I know off:

- Leica Summicron-M APO 50mm f2.0
Is there even any original Leica lens, even those that arent still made, that wouldnt qualify for this category ? The APO 50mm is just a random pick, really.

- Zeiss Distagon T* 2.0/28mm
The "Hollywood" lens, popular for its dramatic rendering. Zeiss is mostly like Leica, really, a lot of really desireable lenses, though theres also some stinkers like the 2.8/25mm.

- Zeiss Makro Planar T* 2.0/100mm ZF
Used by NASA to record rocket starts because according to their tests you can see more details with this lens than with any other optics. Of course most other Zeiss lenses would probably equally qualify for this category. AFAIK NASA uses the ZF version, which basically is a Nikkor AI. Theres also a ZF.2 with CPU-contacts (Nikkor AI-P), ZE for Canon EF, ZK for Pentax K, and I think a version for Minolta A. This is only a 1:2 macro, manual focus only.

- Canon TV Lens 50mm 1:0.95
The "dream lens", famous for its seas of Bokeh. Also interestingly much cheaper, shorter and more lightweight than a Leica Noctilux 50mm f0.95. There are some Leica M mount conversions around of this.

- (Nikon) Nikkor AF 135mm f2.0 [D] DC
With the unique DC mechanism. Allows to optimize Bokeh without loss of light. The 105mm is of course also great.

- (Nikon) Nikkor [AI[-S]] 105mm f2.5
The famous classic portrait lens.

- Nikon 24mm f2.8
Galen Rowell's famous pick for a landscape wide angle.

- Minolta (now Sony) 135mm f2.8 [T4.5] STF
Same as the Nikon 135mm DC. Sadly "only" f2.8. However, thanks to an apodization(?) filter, both foreground and background Bokeh are gaussian and thus perfectly smooth and "creamy". Sadly due to this filter this means this lens is manual focus only and it also loses a lot of light. According to Ken Rockwell, the Minolta 100mm macro is also a classic.

- Canon EF 85mm f1.2
The reason to join Canon. Theres also FD versions of this lens, I think ?

- Canon MP-E 65mm f2.8
The popular magnifier lens, 1:1-5:1, for Canon. Another reason to join Canon.

- Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5L II
The Canon Tilt/Shift lens.



P.s: I really should add the

Voigtländer "Ultron" 40mm f2.0

Which also has something of a cult following. Also:

Voigtländer "APO-Lanthar" 125mm f2.5 Macro
 
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Voigtlander 35F2. 5 color Skopar is a wonderful lens with a big following

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Also the old Voigtlander 50f1.5 screw mount same as they fitted to the Promanent are fetching big money, I have the New version that is Leica mount

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Leica 50mm f0.95 Noctilux

Hey, if it ain't ridiculously expensive it ain't classic.
 
The question was, "Which lenses do you think are the most classic ?" - I think a 50mm f1.4 is probably the quintessential 'classic' lens of the last 50 years. I'm not saying one maker is better or worse, just that that specific lens is, IMO, a classic.
 
The question was, "Which lenses do you think are the most classic ?" - I think a 50mm f1.4 is probably the quintessential 'classic' lens of the last 50 years. I'm not saying one maker is better or worse, just that that specific lens is, IMO, a classic.
Well I wanted the lenses that you would want to mount on your camera because they are so exquisite, the lenses that kind of are defining lenses of the system, the lenses a photographer would to keep even if one wouldnt have a camera to mount them on, the lenses you would put on display as the best examples for the craft of lensmaking, and the lenses one would get an adapter for even if thats the only lens for that system one has and working with an adapter is a pain.

Instead of "classy" one could also say "legendary", "ultimate", "unique", "defining", or "definite".
 
150mm convertible Symar
53mm f/4.5 Biogon
165mm f/8 Super Angulon
100mm f/2.8 Planar
180mm f/4.5 Rotelar

All Linhof of course.

Joe
 

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