Time ripe for a ZM 50mm f1.0 ?

kram

Well-known
Local time
7:48 PM
Joined
Apr 8, 2005
Messages
675
With a range of 50mm with f0.95 & f1.1 around at the moment, which get attention, how about a ZM f1.0?
 
With a range of 50mm with f0.95 & f1.1 around at the moment, which get attention, how about a ZM f1.0?


Why do you want a heavy lens which is hard to focus on a rangefinder?? You get bad ergonomics, missed focus and huge price tags.. what´s to like here?
 
Why do you want a heavy lens which is hard to focus on a rangefinder?? You get bad ergonomics, missed focus and huge price tags.. what´s to like here?
A cheaper version of a Noctilux that people can use on their mirrorless cameras. 😉

Phil Forrest
 
It´s rather time for another M-mount body, digital or not. If you are looking into rangefinders your options are either used film cameras for 1000€ and up or new digital bodies for several thousand. Is everyone mounting the Voigtlander lenses on their Sonys?
 
The Noctilux f0.95 was released in 2008, ten years ago. At a 1/6 stop slower (big deal) it would be slightly less demanding to make plus progress in optics over the last 10 years. It would have to focus to 0.7m like the Chinese lens, closer than the Noctilux. Yes it would be heavy, but all fast f0.95-1.1 lenses are. According to reports the Zeiss ZM 35mm is 'better' than the Leica FLE f1.4, and less than half the price. If it is price similar to the Noctilux it won't sell, less than a second-hand Box, it will IMHO. Yes a new m mount camera would be welcome in some quarters.
 
With a range of 50mm with f0.95 & f1.1 around at the moment, which get attention, how about a ZM f1.0?

Recently I saw the Canon 50 f1.2 for their mirrorless EOS-R and thought it was way too large to be considered portable or fit with the rangefinder ethos. With just a little more volume, it could have been used to send an astronaut to the international space station...
John Mc
 
Is everyone mounting the Voigtlander lenses on their Sonys?

This seems to be the case. I've been looking for a couple of wide lenses for my film M bodies, and in trying to read user reviews of the different offerings from Voigtlander and Zeiss, it seems like 75% of the reviews are from people mounting the lenses on Sony A series cameras, or NEX cameras. Just would like to read how the lens performs with film, or on a digital M, and those reviews are few and far between.

Best,
-Tim
 
A 50mm with max aperture from 1.4-2 is sufficient for almost all situations. Such lenses will be smaller and lighter and less costly than a ZM 50/1.0.
 
This seems to be the case. I've been looking for a couple of wide lenses for my film M bodies, and in trying to read user reviews of the different offerings from Voigtlander and Zeiss, it seems like 75% of the reviews are from people mounting the lenses on Sony A series cameras, or NEX cameras. Just would like to read how the lens performs with film, or on a digital M, and those reviews are few and far between.

Best,
-Tim

I feel the same way, and find it hard to find reviews about these lenses on M mount (particularly film) bodies. I'm also finding that a lot of the reviewers who use them on Sony A7 cameras, seem to add a 'close up' adaptor to the lens.

John
 
It´s rather time for another M-mount body, digital or not. If you are looking into rangefinders your options are either used film cameras for 1000€ and up or new digital bodies for several thousand. Is everyone mounting the Voigtlander lenses on their Sonys?


NOw we are talking some sense.

Spomething made in brass, painted black w/ a horizontal movement curtain but w/ an eypiece that those who need glasses can look through.
 
I have a feeling Cosina moved out of camera manufacturing too early. Used Bessas are more expensive now than when they were new.
 
Building a Zeiss 50 f1 sounds like a losing business proposition....

I think you are right. If there was not a viable market for such 10-15 years ago when people were buying a lot more M and LTM mount cameras there sure is not one now.

Nothing has changed since back then when all lenses were a series of trade-offs and compromises involving optical performance, aperture, size, weight, and manufacturing cost. There will always be those who want a f1.0 lens IF it has the same optical performance as a f2.0, IF is not much bigger or heavier than a f2.0, and IF it does not cost that much more. But those basic optical laws that say the front element of a f1.0 has to be 4X the size of a f2.0 in order to be able to admit 4X the light has not changed in centuries. The reasons a Noctilux was so large, heavy, and expensive are still the same.
 
We don't havexa great modern one apart from the Noctilux
The new VC 50mm looks fantastic, focusing down to 0.7m etc., but 2/3 of a stop slower than f1.0. IMHO leasing 40mm lens, is a waste of time, so close to 35mm, but they seem to get released buy a lot of manufactuers.
 
IMHO leasing 40mm lens, is a waste of time, so close to 35mm, but they seem to get released buy a lot of manufactuers.

True, it´s a weird focal length, but around for quite a while. Konica had a sort of 40mm "kit lens" with their SLRs in the 1980s.
 
Back
Top