Leica Showcase Zeiss 50mm 1.5 C-Sonnar

I was waiting for this thread to get started! The Sonnar has always been on my wish list.

Antonio, do you experience any front or back focusing issues on your M9P with the Sonnar?
 
My 50mm Sonnar ZM is my favorite 50mm lens. I enjoy it a little more than my 50mm Summicron, which is an excellent lens. My Sonnar is optimized for f/2.8. So from 2.8 through 16 the rangefinder on my M8.2 focuses the lens correctly. Wider than 2.8, the lens focuses in front of where the rangefinder indicates. So when I use it at f/1.5 I first focus as normal, then I move the focus ring toward greater distance until the split images of the range finder are about as far apart as the width of the white frame lines. That technique works on my lens for objects from closest focus out to about 30 feet (which is as far away as my lens will focus wide open). However, for close objects the DOF at f/1.5 is only a couple inches or less, so I need to have a very good reason to use that aperture for close objects.

This lens is very compact. The focus feel is excellent. The build is excellent. I like the color contrast it gives. However to my way of thinking, it is not magical. I am not sure that I could consistently distinguish images made with it from images made with other good 50mm lenses.
 
I ve said it before. Your b&w processing is fantastic and suits what you do with the Sonnar perfectly. I love every shot here.
gordon
 
Wonderful work here, Antonio! I use a similar technique to what chalkdust described with my Ultron that has focus shift. I don't think focus shift is a big deal if you use a lens enough to know how to compensate for it.
 
I was waiting for this thread to get started! The Sonnar has always been on my wish list.

Antonio, do you experience any front or back focusing issues on your M9P with the Sonnar?

My copy is optimized for 2.8. It definitely front focuses at 1.5, but I really only notice it when I use it for close distances, such as head and shoulders portraits (which is what I mostly use it for).

What I do is I focus on the closest eye, and then shift my head forward about three inches. That seems to do the trick. It's easy once you get used to it. I've also read that what some people do is focus on the person's ear instead of their eye. It seems that should work as well.

Cheers,

Antonio
 
Here a couple of shots from my Sonnar.

75-reminder-we-all-connected.jpg


74-approaching-panama-canal-early-morning.jpg
 
My C-Sonnar, tried the first time on the M Monochrom, with a B&W Orange filter. The focus looks perfect at F1.5 and F2, at F2.8 and F4- need to compensate.
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On the M8, also spot-on at F1.5.
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C-Sonnar, Orange Filter, M Monochrom
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