Erik van Straten
Mentor
gelatine silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica II.
Erik.
Erik.
Teemō1
Member
I can relate to this now that I've just bought one. This damn thread, which is one of the most popular on the forum, used to live rent-free in my head all the time. It's one of those lenses I couldn't take my eyes off even though I knew it wasn't the best value for money.
Finally the stars aligned and I had the coin and the timing to win one at auction, for only slightly more than the original retail price (well, probably less accounting for inflation). I was curious and went through all the current and recently sold listings and wrote down what serials I could find. On 16 samples, 6 black and 10 chrome, the average sold/buy-now price is 630 USD which amounts to a 53% premium over the original retail price. Quite incredible! The lens was produced in 2 series for LTM and production seems to be about 3500-4000 units in LTM and 1000-1500 units in Nikon S (which remains an affordable way to buy it and some of the others).
As has been said here before, not many were produced or sold, probably because it is not the sharpest lens in existence considering the small aperture (while the Heliar lenses are very sharp), as it doesn't use fancy materials like ED glass or aspherical elements. It must be one of the last modern 'classic' lenses produced, and due to its compact design you'll find that many vintage lenses are actually much sharper wide open between F1.4 and F2. Those who own it really like it, so few come up for auction at good prices or in perfect condition.
My initial impression is that actually, the lens is unlike my other lenses - in the way that the overall contrast is so high and it seems to have no imperfections on low frequency details, but even many vintage lenses are actually sharper and of higher contrast on fine details, at least in the centre. The aperture ring on mine rattles but I guess there is just a loose set screw inside. The focus isn't as smooth as I'd like either. Besides that, it was basically unused according to the seller.
Today I think you are actually better off buying one of the newer M-mount lenses like the 40mm F1.4 which is only 3mm longer (Skopar without any hood or filter) and 3mm wider (radius) at the widest point. It's also about $230 cheaper than the average price of the 50/2.5.
The only reason I didn't get that myself is because I have a Bessa R and the M-mount Bessas have grossly increased in price in the past 1-2 years. With the new Voigtlander M APO 50/2 and 35/2, I intend to buy those before they are discontinued even if I don't own an M-camera to use them on. I expect those will be really popular like the 40/1.4 and not discontinued in the future, though. If you don't want to crop images then the newest 50/1.5 in M-mount is optically improved over previous versions and in a more compact body - short but wide. Of course this is useless advice if, like me, you don't own an M-mount body already. The question you have to ask is: are you just looking for a compact lens, or are you looking for this lens specifically?
I guess what I'm saying is - if you want one, the prices probably aren't coming down - ever - but you should also buy it for the right reasons otherwise you may be disappointed with its performance. I will shoot a roll on some colour film with mine soon.
Who knows, Cosina might just release a modern version in M-mount, and I hope they can do it justice with high performance elements - maybe even design it as a 'budget APO'. The 50/2 APO is 120,000 JPY, so I think there is room for a budget model that also doesn't cannibalise sales of the other M lenses.
Maybe we should send them a petition asking for the newest lenses in LTM too? I don't know why they don't, they would be able to increase LTM-VM adapter sales 3-fold like Sony.
Erik van Straten
Mentor
Also in brass and black paint, please! And in LTM. Not too sharp at full aperture please. Good sharpness from f/4, just like the Summicron rigid 50 mm, so that full aperture is nice for portraits. Please also suitable for the Leica lens hoods, filters and lens caps. So rather make some more of those beautiful black-lacquered Color-Skopars 50 mm f/2.5.
gelatin silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica m3
Erik.
gelatin silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica m3
Erik.
Bingley
Mentor
What a lovely lens! Leica M-E Type 240, Voigtlander Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 LTM:
KB by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr
KB by Steve Macfarlane, on FlickrDennis.Carlson
Expect Grain
Hey everyone, been looking at this lens for awhile. Most of the posts I see for sale of this lens don't say whether they come with an adaptor or not, so I assume most don't. Can anyone recommend a adapter they have personally used with little to no issues?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Erik van Straten
Mentor
Originally the lens came without, but it is very easy to find an M adapter. The original Leitz adapters are very good, but the Rayquall ones are very good too and these are also available in black.
Erik.
Erik van Straten
Mentor
gelatin silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica III
Erik.
Erik.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The current Rayqual adapters have space for Leica six-bit lens codes and cover the code sensor area properly when used on modern Leica M digital bodies, and on the Tseries/CL/SLseries with the M-mount to L-mount adapters. I switched all my LTM lenses to Rayqual adapters to preclude issues with the digital bodies.
G
Deardorff38
Mentor
Dennis I've used Leitz, Fotodiox & Rayqual....all with no issues. If you're asking about issues w/ digital cameras then Rayqual is the choice...& as Erik mentioned they're black so they don't stand out at all. The 50 2.5 CS is a great lens BTW.
Erik van Straten
Mentor
gelatin silver print (s skopar 50mm f2.5) nikon s2
Erik.
Erik.
Dennis.Carlson
Expect Grain
Thanks for the quick replies everyone. I forgot to mention it’s for a silver MP (film) so no coding requirements and silver would be better. I’ll check out those that you mentioned thanks!
GLL
Member
Nikon S2 - Provia 100
seajak
Well-known
Dennis I've used Leitz, Fotodiox & Rayqual....all with no issues. If you're asking about issues w/ digital cameras then Rayqual is the choice...& as Erik mentioned they're black so they don't stand out at all. The 50 2.5 CS is a great lens BTW.
Flickr
That hood looks really good on the CV50/2.5. Was it branded or a generic one off eBay? I also like the strap, the whole package looks great.
Cheers,
Clay
Deardorff38
Mentor
Clay the strap is a cheap $15 "Canpis" strap off ebay. The hood is the 39mm Chinese hood.... the same one Erik Van Straten had shortened to use on the 35mm. Here's one cheap example https://www.ebay.com/itm/152346928020?hash=item237895a394:g:0nUAAOSwdd5dXRr3
Erik van Straten
Mentor
Nice to be back. I wish I knew how to load up pictures into this new forum.
Erik.
Erik.
seajak
Well-known
Thanks Deardorff, I have seen the tilted hoods but I particularly liked the look of yours because it was straight. I know it doesn't make any difference to the photos but just seems to have more of a vintage look. I'll check out the Canpis straps.
Clay
Clay
Erik van Straten
Mentor
The dedicated lens hood of the Elmar-M 50mm f2.8 fits too. Both black and chrome are available. This hood has the advantage of accepting original Leica lens caps.
Erik.
Erik.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Works the same way as I've used on RFF and other forums for years:
I use Flickr.com as a picture server. Upload photos to Flickr, let it generate the BBCode for a given size, copy and paste the code into a message. You can just paste it in, or edit it down to just the IMG portion that is the actual image link.
Easy. A free account on Flickr is sufficient.
I haven't used the RFF gallery for photo hosting.
G
Erik van Straten
Mentor
Thank you, Godfrey, Pan helped me out!
Erik.
Erik.
