Skyllaney Bertele FLB Coming Soon!

I was wondering about the focus shift, figured that they were using a floating element or two. Is that what the production lens will look like? KInda hideous if you ask me. Anyway, good news that it will be coming out this year.
 
Miles, you scooped me! I was just going to post this. It looks like Skyllaney will be able, through Omnar, to get this lovely lens into the hands of many, many people. My experience has been that it is a very nice lens. Here are some examples I have shot with it. If you like Sonars and want a really, really good one you might want to consider the Skyllaney. Bertele Lens Test for Brian who overhauled this sweet lens created by Chris at Skyllaney

This is the best color I have gotten on my M9. It shines on an M240 also. It looks good on an X2D, too. As noted, the color is almost edible. That is what pushed me across the line on this lens. I really like the colors of its images. This is a really nice lens. Again, if you like Sonnars you just might want to give this one some thought.

Added later: Just to be snarky, if you go to the Flickr page and double-click the image to its greatest size and look around, you will see stars in the sky. The camera was focused on the stern of the cabin cruiser. This is no ordinary lens.

B0001309 by West Phalia, on Flickr​
 
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dexdog said:
I was wondering about the focus shift, figured that they were using a floating element or two. Is that what the production lens will look like? KInda hideous if you ask me. Anyway, good news that it will be coming out this year.
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Mine has most of the paint off it. It was a bad paint tried on a pre-production lens. Makes no difference in the images. The M9 it usually is on is rough outside. That made it cheaper to buy. The insides have a factory replaced sensor and circuit board. And it takes good pictures. So ugly means less to me if it does not detract from the primary purpose of the tool.

Here is the Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar, bad paint and all, on the M9, with its rough outside, and a 35mm CV 1.7 Ultron alongside. The Ultron is a little rough looking, too. But it sure takes nice pictures.

M9 + Bertele.jpg​

I prefer pristine gear but can overlook less than pristine easily.
 
dexdog said:
I was wondering about the focus shift, figured that they were using a floating element or two. Is that what the production lens will look like? KInda hideous if you ask me. Anyway, good news that it will be coming out this year.
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Floating Lens Block.
 
lukx said:
But the twist is that the the elements are shifted relative to the aperture selection, not relative to the focusing distance. Quite an interesting feat.
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Yeah, that might be unique. A cool feature, but it appears that the entire optical block moves as a unit relative to the aperture.
 
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It will present that terrible problem of how much do you think a really good lens is worth? My copy was not cheap. But it was and is good value. That's the rub. If you really want the one 50mm Sonnar that turns it up to 11 this is the one. I can put this on my old M9 and be sure I will have a package which will make good images all the time. It works just great on any M body. And now that Chris has conquered focus shift it is really good. I cannot comment on what perfect is in lenses but this one is getting pretty close.

The night shot of the boat in dry dock is focused on the stern of the boat yet you can see stars in the sky. That is a lens with resolving power. And it sees color very well. I understand the dilemma. I was in it too. But speaking for myself and only for myself I would rather have the lens than have the money.

I shoot a lot of boat shots because that is what we have around here. Here is the Woods Hole research ship Atlantis.

L1003134 by West Phalia, on Flickr​
 
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It took some digging but I found this one of some Foxglove in my yard. Shot at f/2.0.

I have some very nice Sonnars. This one seems to subtly be the best, the refined Sonnar. And now Chris has come up with an additional improvement. I am pretty sure that I am SBS-proof (Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar-Proof) but you never know. As you can see, when I use the lens on the M9 I get good resolution and color. That's what lenses are about.

L1002853 by West Phalia, on Flickr​
 
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I have no connection with Skyllaney. I am just an unabashed fanboy. I had great good fortune to snag the one I have and have been rewarded with good color and image. And you all know I bitch and moan about some things - we will skip the subject - and feel just as obliged to praise what I think is good. I figure to do otherwise would be dishonest.

So understand that I am very pleased with this lens but it is just my opinion. Matt Osborne tested one and did not like it. He works in mono mostly and it did not do what he wanted in mono. His review is online.
 
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With the only other Skyllaney Bertele Sonnar in the US,
On my M9.

We went to Occoquan today, "the little Red Berries" in the first shot: Nikki used to have her "Walk and Talk Elmo" gobble them up. They are red, afterall.

Close-up shots wide-open, distance at F4.
L1028404.jpgL1028406.jpgL1028409.jpgL1028416.jpgL1028419.jpgL1028421.jpg
I "mentally compensate" for shooting at F4 by focusing ever-so-slightly closer than what the RF indicates.

I'd like to see Chris get a patent for the floating lens block.
 
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Sonnar Brian said:
I'd like to see Chris get a patent for the floating lens block.
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Yes, Chris is a nice guy and he has worked hard to create this version of the Sonnar. I hope he is awarded a patent.

The downside is that a very large company can challenge you in court and bleed you to death in legal fees so that you must abandon your defense. It has happened. Nevertheless I hope Chris is rewarded for his love of the Sonnar.

About the lens, it "sees" so very well. It has a gift with color and also does subtle quite well as we can see from your postings. The SBS and M9 are a sweet combo. I am grateful to have a copy of the SBS and a lucky purchase on the M9 with the Leica factory upgraded sensor and circuit board.
 
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It seems like a lens with good resolving power. Do any of the reviewers have interest in testing the MTF of this lens? I don’t know if Skyllaney will publish this kind of things when the lens if officially out
 
No interest in the MTF on my part. It's sharp-enough. Sonnars have high field curvature compared to a double-Gauss. The region of best focus for a Sonnar is not along a plane.



I adjusted mine for best focus wide-open and close-up, had been optimized for F2.4~F2.8 or so. New ones- not an issue, will be in focus at all apertures.
 
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