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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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M9 with 1951's Zeiss-Opton Sonnar f/1.5 50mm
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:33 pm
Post subject: M9 with 1951's Zeiss-Opton Sonnar f/1.5 50mm
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:33 pm
Post subject: M9 with 1951's Zeiss-Opton Sonnar f/1.5 50mm
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Some samples of Zeiss Opton Sonnar 1.5 50mm lens, mounted on Leica M9 by use of Amedeo Muscelli rangefinder-coupled adapter.
The lens is datable 1951, Oberkochen, it is T coated, and it is aluminium coloured but it appears to be made of brass, at least the filter ring surely is.
It can focus to 1.5 meters and has a 11-blades aperture. It is courtesy of Andy (F16Sunshine) Smile

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Last edited by Orio on Thu May 20, 2010 11:38 pm; edited 2 times in total


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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:40 pm
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 10:40 pm
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Delicious charm.

Delicate and subtle colors.

I like them !!!

Thanks for sharing. Rino.


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 12:17 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 12:17 am
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Thanks Rino, w/r to colours, I think I have found a decent setting for M9 files in Lightroom. Still waiting/hoping on a real profile, though.

The old Sonnar has something magical to it. Perhaps I should post a couple bigger ones. With bigger size you can have better feeling of the lens rendering (small size tends to make everything look like "compact")


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 3:22 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 3:22 am
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Exciting combo!
Looking forward to your model shoots.
For me the this sonnar is the perfect Portrait 50mm.


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:11 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:11 am
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congrats! impressive rendering, so nice colors, smooth bokeh & 3D


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:16 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:16 am
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Lookng here again I want to say .. paintery.
Even the bw images. I think that is the real interesting trait of this lens.
Thanks for the inspiration Orio. I'm shooting mine over the weekend Smile


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 6:11 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 6:11 am
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The B&W and colour shots are completely different in my taste.

The black and white shots look fantastic, but in colour the lens does nothing for me I'm afraid. Just my taste though.


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:21 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:21 am
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Yes, definitely the 'Sonnar-look' so many are lusting after. I like the subdued colors, but also do wonder how things would look when there was some direct sunlight. Will you try it out in those conditions too, Orio?


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 8:35 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 8:35 am
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Martin, I agree about your comment on B&W, in fact the lens was born with B&W in mind and the correction for chromatic aberrations is not ideal wide open.
However I subdued saturation on purpose in these shots (lowered in-camera setting of one step), in order to exploit more of the half-tones of the very early morning.

Spot, yes I'll try it again for sure in sunny conditions. I am enojoying very much rangefinder shooting. Smile However I don't expect stellar performance stopped down, when compared to today's lenses. I think this lens is really calibrated to give the best wide open. It could be different with the slower Sonnar 2/50, of which I have both the solid and collapsible versions. I expect that lens to be sharper stopped down. we'll see Smile

ANdy, I'm happy that you will ride again the old horse Smile


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 10:26 am
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 10:26 am
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That is a combo, I would love to shoot with.
It's the magic of the old lens combined with the high level of immediacy of a digital rangefinder cam.

A dream!

(One that will not come true for me soon, since we just had a heating breakdown which will reduce the budget for new gear extensively. Crying or Very sad
Well, things could be worse. No heating is worse!)


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 4:34 pm
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 4:34 pm
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Thanks for sharing Orio.

Cool I always like the look of these old, really old, lens. Nice.

Do not have this but do the distant cousin, a '59 J3 was mounted a few days ago. Nothing to share since nothing was taken, heavily overcast/rain/t-storm here in the Midwest US.

Now I am inspired to put it back on.

@ martinsmith99. Why doesn't the color appeals to you?


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:05 pm
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:05 pm
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bawang wrote:
@ martinsmith99. Why doesn't the color appeals to you?

I either like vibrant colour or a muddy Kodak Gold look about them. Just my taste.
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