First Results: Test of Fifteen 50mm Lenses

Why Bessa and not M3?

Why Bessa and not M3?

Hi Raid,
Cool test, but......(maybe I missed it - so many posts to read, so it could have been addressed), my question is - why did you use your Bessa and not M3? Wouldn't focusing be more accurate with M3 with all lenses, especially wide open fast ones?
Sorry if you addressed this before and I missed it.
 
Krosya said:
...why did you use your Bessa and not M3? Wouldn't focusing be more accurate with M3 with all lenses, especially wide open fast ones?
Click to expand...

I think it would have been impossible to use other than M- and LTM-lenses with M3. For example the normal Nikon-S -mount 50/1.1 doesn't work with M3. Or to be correct, the 50/1.1 in Leica LTM-mount works, but it is the rarest version of the lens and very seldom seen according to Stephen Gandy's webpage http://www.cameraquest.com/5011.htm .
 
Raid used a Bessa T. Not even an M3 is as accurate as that.

Krosya said:
Hi Raid,
Cool test, but......(maybe I missed it - so many posts to read, so it could have been addressed), my question is - why did you use your Bessa and not M3? Wouldn't focusing be more accurate with M3 with all lenses, especially wide open fast ones?
Sorry if you addressed this before and I missed it.
Click to expand...
 
The Bessa T has a magnifying glass, which can be effectively used to focus fast lesnes accurately. I have been using the T as a standard camera in nearly all my lens testing so far.

The Canon 0.95 must be used with a Canon 7, and several lenses came to me in Contax or Nikon S mounts, and I had to use the Bessa R2C or the Nikon S2.

I tried out the M3 just to see if I can get better results with the Noctilux. Yesterday, I tried out the Leica M6 0.85 with the Noctilux at 1.0.


I am trying .... [and tired]


Raid
 
jsuominen said:
I think it would have been impossible to use other than M- and LTM-lenses with M3. For example the normal Nikon-S -mount 50/1.1 doesn't work with M3. Or to be correct, the 50/1.1 in Leica LTM-mount works, but it is the rarest version of the lens and very seldom seen according to Stephen Gandy's webpage http://www.cameraquest.com/5011.htm .
Click to expand...

Jari,
There were about 6-8 lenses not in Leica mount (Nokton, Zeiss, Nikkor).

Raid
 
Andreas and 40oz: What is sticky about the discussion thread? Maybe you can elaborate about what you mean by it.
Thanks.

Raid
 
Raid,

A sticky is a post that is permanently "stuck" at the top of a forum list. It doesn't roll out of sight over time like a normal post. Look at the top of the Russian RF forum for a couple of good examples. It means we think this post is valuable enough that we should never have to search for it!
 
Bill: Thanks! Now I know what is meant by a sticky thread. It actually is a positive thing.

Raid
 
I have returned the borrowed lenses and cameras in today's mail. Of course, I still have many of my own 50mm lenses left. It is a strange feeling that I now have. One side of me is sad to see such lenses leave me without being fully "experienced", and on the other hand I am glad that there is no pressure left on me to compare all the lenses. Somehow it is nice to be back with my own lenses that I know very well inside out. My fastest lens is the Canon 50mm/1.2 which will definitely be used more often wide open. I don't have any good lens between 50mm/1.2 and 50mm/1.8 except one lens which happens to be excellent optically, namely the J-3 adjusted by Brian Sweeney.

I have to run now.

Raid
 
Last edited:
Here are some new results for the Noctilux 50mm/1.0. My eyes cannot do any better I am afraid, so this is the sharpness that I get.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=683401

I used this time the M6 with the 0.85 finder. Some photos were taken on a heavy Gitzo tripod and others were taken hand held. The tripod supported images are in sequences of three images; one at 1.0, one at 2.0, and one at 4.0.


Raid
 
I like this image a lot. My wife was cooking up some dinner in the kitchen when I again bothered her with a request for trying out a lens with her being the subject. This image was taken hand held and the lens was wide open at the scary 1.0 setting. I used the M6 with the 0.85 finder for accuracy in focusing. Ny eyes are still the same old pair of eyes that tries to do the best it can no matter which finder is being used. I find the lens to be sharp. The out of focus areas are not harsh looking, when compared to other fast lenses. The shallow depth of field makes you have to decide which specific portion of the face you want in focus, as the rest won't be in focus at 1.0.

What do you think?


5445279-md.jpg



Here is the original color image:

5448719-md.jpg


Is it different [better/worse]?


Raid
 
Last edited:
If you always have been wondering how my right eye may look like, I have the answer to your prayers:

5448676-md.jpg


The photo shows interesting looking out of focus areas on the right, doesn't it.
I used PS to remove the color from the image.

Focusing on myself in the mirrow with the Noctilux at 1.0 was very challenging.

Raid
 
This is a bump posting to bring back this thread to life. Someone asked me about it. It is hidden in the RFF archives ... here it is.
 
I've always thought this is one of the best threads I've ever seen on RFF. It should be a sticky in the Optics and Lenses forum.
 
brachal said:
I've always thought this is one of the best threads I've ever seen on RFF. It should be a sticky in the Optics and Lenses forum.
Click to expand...

Bill,
I also like it a lot. It was followed by 50mm lens testing by other RFF members. Maybe it started a move to test more extensively and post results here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top