Leica Leica M9p and Canon 50mm f1.5 LTM Sonnar

[brusby]

Took the combo out this weekend to check out the Canon lens for some people shots in all natural light. All shot at f2.
Shooting with the sun just outside the frame -- no hood.

L1007591 1 by Brusby, on Flickr

Moving the sun just a bit farther out of the frame to remove the natural flare. Still a little loss of contrast, but not bad for an old lens in strong backlight.

L1007592 by Brusby, on Flickr


Sisters in not quite so brutal backlight

L1007601 by Brusby, on Flickr

And last one

L1007673 by Brusby, on Flickr

 

[Brian]

Absolutely beautiful. "Sonnars make Flare look Good".
I've found that Canon optimized the 50/1.5 for F2, at least true for the few I've owned. The one I have now- I changed the shim for F1.5.
Walz made a vented hood for this lens- not common, but well worth looking for if you do not have one.

 

[brusby]

Thanks Brian! When I first got the lens I tested it to check focus accuracy and it was spot on at f1.5. I'm not the original owner so I don't know whether it was set from the factory this way or adjusted by a previous owner.

I did these shots at f2 only because I was concerned it might be a bit too soft wide open like the Nikkor SC 50mm f1.5 ltm I have seems to be. But, this lens surprised me with how sharp it is, particularly in the last photo of my friend laying down, where I focused on her eyelashes. It's almost too sharp.

Next time I'll try f1.5 to see if we can get away with just a bit more softness and dreaminess.

p.s., thanks for the tip about the hood. I'll look for one.

 

[Brian]

Leica - Jupiter-3+, Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.4, Canon 50/1.5 Visit Udvar Hazy

A non-scientific comparison, the museum does not allow the use of Tripods. So I bring three lenses and makes several rounds through the museum, try to take from similar angles. Jupiter-3+, wide-open. Nikkor 5cm F1.4, wide-open Canon 50/1.5, wide-open All with UV filters. The J-3+ uses...

cameraderie.org

I took the J-3+, Nikkor 5cm F1.4, and Canon 50/1.5 to the Udvar Hazy a few years ago. The Nikkor and Canon are fairly wild wide-open, the Nikkor even moreso. At F2- they all settle down. I suspect that is your best aperture for these types of portraits.

 

[Brian]

On film, color shot is wide-open. B&W at F2.

Older shots from 16+ years ago. Where does the time go. The girls did not stay still for me. On the Bessa R2. I still have this lens, same one used in the thread above.

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[brusby]

Thanks for the heads up about your previous thread. I was surprised at the significantly different levels of coma among the three lenses, with Canon having the least by a good margin.

 

[brusby]

Maybe we should re-title this thread Canon 5cm f1.5 LTM sonnar pics of our daughters and friends on swings.

L1007594 by Brusby, on Flickr