New Classic Collection Nickel 50/3.5 and 50/2 Heliars

I have the non-Nickel version of the two Heliar 50mm lenses. I like them both.
The "problem" is that there are many excellent 50mm lenses available.
 
I totally agree about the unique rendering, and about the situations in which the Heliar 3.5 will display its characteristics. I have to be shooting at close range in daylight or near a window to take advantage of how it renders. Indoors it makes the M9 jump to ISO 1600 or worse. Otherwise it is too slow and I ought to be using a faster 50. But the rendering is lovely and very organic, even on digital sensors like the M9 and GXR.
 
For the connoisseur of out of focus rendering, the Heliar 50/3.5 remains completely unsurpassed in my opinion, even with the harshest of out-of-focus highlights:

graham_and_monica_by_philosomatographer-d58gul6.jpg

(Leica M3, Heliar 50/3.5, Kodak TMY400-2)​
 
I am due to get mine in the mail Monday afternoon. These pics are getting me real excited. The only problem is that now I also want the 50/2 :)
 
Tom A said:
My two Nickel Heliars. Great lenses and they look good too. Performance is top notch
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Tom, does the f/2.0 version have any of the magic of the 3.5? Or do you feel the Heliar design was over-stretched to f/2.0? The f/3.5 has the most incredibly "solid", composed rendering - optically perfect, but with a tonal smoothness usually found in softer lenses.

How do you feel about the f/2.0 version?
 
Tom....I did not know there was a BLACK F2 Heliar...as on Camera Quest site there is no mention that there is one ?? Would be nice to know, and ask Steven about that possibility.


Tom A said:
The f2 is collapsible - just as the m-mount one. We talked about this in Japan last March and Mr Kobayashi likes collapsibles. I had suggested that he make it as a rigid - but it would involve a redesign of the whole mount and subsequent higher price.
With my black one, I just leave it out and if I get one of Nickel ones - it would be left out too. I have the negfiles to prove that you can forget to pull it out and you get lot's of "bokeh" and not much else.
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My CV Heliar Classic 50/2 came with the R3M body. I am using it a lot...both on 35mm rangefinders and on my Epsons. It gives a bit of a 'classic' black and white feel.
 
CameraQuest said:
where is the distortion?

if the camera back is not exactly at right angles to the tiles...
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I agree. It's also why the photo does not work for me. It needs to either be lined up perfectly (hard to do if grabbing a shot), or be deliberately askew.
When the composition is in-between with all those horizontal and vertical lines, it just looks off.
 
CameraQuest said:
where is the distortion?

if the camera back is not exactly at right angles to the tiles...
Click to expand...

No, when a line is straight, a lens should draw it straight, regardless the angle to it.

The line between the tiles at the bottom of the picture is curved on the picture. I presume that the line in reality is straight, so the lens must draw it straight, but it draws it curved. That is wrong in my eyes.

Erik.
 
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