Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 50mm F1.5 Limited Edition Nikon S Mt 1st Photos

OK, 600-700, that will be an "exclusive" lens!
/jon

ps: Jon - payment done last night from my end ds;
 
If a lens focusses in front of what is indicated by the Rangefinder, the Shim needs to be reduced. When you move a Nikon S-Mount lens to a Contax, you need to reduce the shim.

Okay, so who is going to put a Sonnar-C optimized for F4 onto a Contax? The Contax/Nikon focus difference should reduce the focus shift error at F1.5.
 
hasnt the focus shift on this lens been discussed to death? Its not a question of fixing the lens, the shift is always there. The optimization is *where* the shift occurs. For all you guys that keep asking the same questions over and over you might try actually trying the lens out, its likely not the issue you imagine it to be.
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I think your being a bit harsh. This is the limited S Mount version of the lens and Jon is the first one on RFF to have received his and posted. Without its own focusing helix its perfectly reasonable for members to be curious if the S mount version has the same focus shift as the ZM version. Jon seems to have anticipated this as well but telling us exactly what he focused on in each shot.

The lens looks good Jon, how much was it by the way? (If you dont mind me asking)

Its shorter than I was anticipating. When can we expect a S mount 50mm shootout Jon? Heliar 3.5 vs Millennium Nikkor Vs C Sonnar perhaps?
 
I tend to stick with the classic lenses, and not buy "the new ones".

But, it would be interesting to compare the focus shift on this modern lens with the classic Canon 50/1.5 and Nikkor 5cm F1.4. I wonder if that "air Element" produces a bigger shift than the old 1-3-3 design had.
 
akalai said:
Already have a few different variants of the Sonnar for my Contax IIa but would like a modern type 50mm lens (specifically in relation to contrast and coatings) to match with my Voigtlander SC wide lenses.
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I for one generally prefer the "look" of images from modern multi-coated lens, so am pretty stoked that Zeiss/Cosina went to the trouble of making this lens. Too bad there isn't a Contax version too ...
 
Captain said:
The lens looks good Jon, how much was it by the way? (If you dont mind me asking)

Its shorter than I was anticipating. When can we expect a S mount 50mm shootout Jon? Heliar 3.5 vs Millennium Nikkor Vs C Sonnar perhaps?
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It cost 99,800 yen. I'm working on the three-way shootout, James. Watch this space :)
 
Hello.

I received my copy of the new Sonnar today. I got it delivered here in Luxembourg (Europe), so availability out of Japan is not a myth!

I ordered mine from Carl Zeiss Europe. The price was the same as the ZM version (i.e. Leica mount). The box is indeed the same as the ZM version, but it has 'S mount'written on the top.

The handling and building is superb. I handle it better with the hood on. In terms of size it's closer to a Nikkor 5cm f2 than a f1.4. I attach a couple of pictures in between a Millenium and a 5cm f2.

I'm looking forward to shooting some pictures tomorrow. BTW, tomorrow is my birthday. These guys from Zeiss had just the right timing! :)

Cheers,

Arturo
 

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I forgot to say that the serial number of mine is surprisingly close to jonmanjiro's, in spite of the distance between us. This seems to confirm that there are very limited batches produced indeed.

Arturo
 
The small and "casual" Nikkor-H-C 50/2 on the right may be the best 50 ever made in Nikon-S mount.

The new 50/1.4 may be more pleasing for OOF rendition (I have one and of course, like it a lot) and has a f-stop more. But when I look at the photos produced by my Nikkor-H-C 50/2 bought in mint condition for $120 from Richard Tillis I'm floored.
 
arturo said:
Hello.

I received my copy of the new Sonnar today. I got it delivered here in Luxembourg (Europe), so availability out of Japan is not a myth!

I ordered mine from Carl Zeiss Europe. The price was the same as the ZM version (i.e. Leica mount). The box is indeed the same as the ZM version, but it has 'S mount'written on the top.

The handling and building is superb. I handle it better with the hood on. In terms of size it's closer to a Nikkor 5cm f2 than a f1.4. I attach a couple of pictures in between a Millenium and a 5cm f2.

I'm looking forward to shooting some pictures tomorrow. BTW, tomorrow is my birthday. These guys from Zeiss had just the right timing! :)

Cheers,

Arturo
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Hi Arturo,

Thanks for posting! Interesting that your box has a different type silver circle sticker on it! I really like the bayonet style lens hood, but the lens cap could be a better design.

A nice birthday present for you :)

Jon
 
Jon,

I also like the bayonet style lens hood, but I regret it can not be mounted reversed (like for instance the hood of the Zeiss Planar ZF 50mm f1.4 can). I like mounting the hood reversed when the camera is not in use.

Art
 
Art,

I tried to reverse the hood too, but of course its not possible. Luckily the hood is very compact. Though, I probably keep the hood in the box, and get a vented hood for it.

Jon
 
I'd like to be focus-shift mystified. Any conclusions about how the S-mount C-Sonnar 50/1.5 behaves vs. its ZM twin in that very respect ?
 
Highway 61 said:
I'd like to be focus-shift mystified. Any conclusions about how the S-mount C-Sonnar 50/1.5 behaves vs. its ZM twin in that very respect ?
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Still haven't found the time to do the three-way (Millennium 50/1.4, Sonnar 50/1.5, Heliar 50/3.5) test I mentioned earlier in the thread, but judging from my initial results the focus shift issue is somewhat overblown ....
 
Now tested! Handling and build quality excellent!
Got the first roll back today and attached you can see a proud photographer....



/Jon
 
jsuominen said:
Thanks Jon. Nice photos. Did you shoot any frames at close range 1-1,5m and wide open or f/2?
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Jari - no, time was short last weekend and there was too much to do but I will for sure test it more over the weeks and months to come - especially now that Spring is coming and we get the long bright eavnings... But first impression was good and easy handling and with excellent build quality!

Jon
 
jsuominen said:
Thanks Jon. Nice photos. Did you shoot any frames at close range 1-1,5m and wide open or f/2?
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I did shoot a roll of film yesterday, including test pictures wide open at short range. These were handheld tests though, something quick&dirty. What I saw is this: wide open the focus is where it should be and the DOF is very swallow and normally distributed. Then, as you stop down to f2, f2.8 and f4, the focused area growths almost exclusively *behind* the focus point, hardly in the front. But the focused point is always within the focused are, it is always sharp. It is only that the DOF around it is (very) unbalanced towards the back. If you continue stopping down things get back to normal. I could post pictures.

Nothing of that matters much for real life pictures, except perhaps for head portraits shot between f2 and f4. If you do not want to risk blur eyes it suffices to focus to the tip of the nose. In my view, the issue of the focus shift is a bit overstated. Nothing to be scared about.

I also saw that the corners are not particularly sharp wide open and it has some barrel distortion. That is not unexpected in a lens with old and very simple optical design.

For the moment and very happy with my lens. It is what I expected. A very small lens with peculiar signature. I do not think it replaces a nikkor, it is just different.

Arturo
 
Here's a few pics as requested by goliathus ;)

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