Lenses for the Leica- example shots

[BrianV]

Thought it would be useful to have a thread with example images taken with different lenses for Leica mount cameras, M-Mount, thread-mount, and using RF-coupled adapters.

I'm starting with the Voigtlander Cosina 50/1.1 Nokton in M-Mount. This is my lens for low-light on the M9, have not tried it on the Monochrom yet.

With prices of the Canon 50/0.95 at 10x what they were 10 years ago, and other "formerly low-priced" lenses like the Canon 50/1.2 hitting $600+, this lens is well worth considering.

This lens is large for an RF lens, but smaller than the FL mount Canon 50/1.4 that I converted to M-Mount.

These three shots are all wide-open at F1.1, high ISO - 1250 and 2500.

 

[BrianV]

"My Cheapest Fast 50 in Leica Mount".

Canon 50/1.4 FL mount lens, fitted with an RF Cam and adapted to M-Mount using a Foto-Diox Adapter. $60 and some time invested in making a Cam out of the leg of a tripod.

 

[BrianV]

The Russian Jupiter-3 5cm F1.5 is a faithful copy of the wartime Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm F1.5 Sonnar "T". It is made to the Zeiss standard, and often has to be adjusted to work properly on a Leica. This one is a very early J-3, had the focal length adjusted by moving the rear module, then was shimmed for optimal focus at F1.5. Russian lenses vary in quality, most are very good, some are poor, this one is as good as a wartime Zeiss lens that would cost 5x as much as this one.

Shots of my daughter at F1.5, the train is stopped down slightly, the lake is at F4.

 

[BrianV]

The same lens on the M Monochrom, with a red filter. This was the first lens used on the new camera.

 

[BrianV]

The Nikkor 8.5cm F2 in Leica Thread Mount is a Sonnar derivitive lens, simplified to 5 elements in 3 groups. It is the lens that put Nikon on the Map. Available in Leica Mount, Nikon S-Mount, and Contax RF mount. Uses 48mm filters, and takes Series VII filters in the original two-piece hood.

Shots of the Rooster are at F2 on the Leica M8, outdoor shots of the re-enactment at Jamestown Settlement are at F4. 100%crops provided.

 

[BrianV]

Some more hots with the Nikkor 8.5cm F2, At F2 and F4.

 

[BrianV]

The Nikkor 10.5cm F2.5 is also a 5-element in 3 group Sonnar, but has a slight under-correction for spherical aberration that results in smoother Bokeh from the 8.5cm F2. On a Leica M series camera, the 90mm framelines work out well for the 10.5cm lens. for the 8.5cm f2- I use the 75mm framelines of the M8 and M9 for framing.

 

[BrianV]

The Nikkor 5cm F1.4 is a Sonnar formula lens, the first faster than F1.5- even if it was not by much and was mainly for bragging rights. Nikon had an earlier 5cmF1.5 lens, and it is very rare.

The Sonnar formula 5cm F1.4 went through an optical "tweek" around the 33x serial number range, about the time when Nikon adopted the standard 24x36 image size. The Nikon S and M used a 24x34 image. The later lenses have larger-diameter optics. The earlier lenses have smoother Bokeh than thosethat followed.

These are with an earlier lens in Leica Thread Mount. Shots at F1.4 and F4 as noted.