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Planar vs Nokton (Topcor) question
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:02 pm    Post subject: Planar vs Nokton (Topcor) question Reply with quote
Hi everyone. I am trying to compare these two little gems in the terms of sharpness wide open/stopped down and color rendition. I do have Planar 50/1.4 but never had neither Nokton nor Topcor. I am sure here are some persons owning both the lens. And I would be greatly appreciated if somebody share same pics taken with both lenses. BTW how much is the difference between today's Nokton SLII and Topcor? Less CA and more sharpness by some tests? Anything else may be?


PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
oops, maybe you inquiring the new 58 Topcon voigtlander [2003] Embarassed

The RE Auto Topcor 58 can easily hang your mirror to 5d [and miss infinity] but can be corrected with m42 conversion; with markII of course you could shoot with mirror up. The topcor could/should be less cost.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Planar vs Nokton (Topcor) question Reply with quote
http://forum.mflenses.com/voigtlaender-nokton-1-4-58mm-sl-ii-how-good-is-it-t21711,highlight,voigtlander+58mm.html

http://forum.mflenses.com/5d-and-1-4-50mm-planar-t29433,highlight,zeiss+planar.html


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 7:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bruce, thanks for mentioning mirror issue I'll dig around it. Vilhelm, thanks for links but I have seen them and I want to ask you as a Nokton SLII owner - how much sharper is it comparing to Planar both wide open? (I hope you ever had Planar Wink )


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Arctures wrote:
Vilhelm, thanks for links but I have seen them and I want to ask you as a Nokton SLII owner - how much sharper is it comparing to Planar both wide open? (I hope you ever had Planar Wink )


I tried Planar T* 50/1.4 ZF before I bought the SL II 58/1.4. Show-stopper for me was the Zeiss exhibiting a lot more CA than I am used to on a fast 50mm lens (and I have quite a few). Problem was made worse by fact that stopping down did not remove CA. It was actually very interesting to note that the Planar 50/1.4 ZF could be replaced with Makro-Planar T* 50/2 ZF which was better detail and no CA. (Due to copyright issues I can't disclose person's name but this is what a famous Zeiss reviewer also recommends). I would have bought Makro-Planar had it not been for a good deal I got on the Micro-Nikkor 60/2.8G AF-S at the same time. Later, I found a mint SL II for 300e and grabbed it.

How much sharper is the Nokton SL II than the Zeiss ZF? I don't think either lens has an advantage when it comes to detail wide open, but the Nokton is clearly better corrected optics (CA not an issue, geometric distortion better controlled).

http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1037171.html#1037171

Please note these opinions are based on SL II Nokton - I have not tried or owned the SL I Nokton or 58/1.4 Topcor.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Vilhelm wrote:
Show-stopper for me was the Zeiss exhibiting a lot more CA than I am used to on a fast 50mm lens

have you any sample with CA, I don't find such behavior with the Contax version
I read that they didn't change the optics for the ZFZE
do you mean the green CA on the security bars
http://forum.mflenses.com/contax-501-4-wo-5dii-t28701.html
wide open on 5DII


on the 40D


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
poilu wrote:
have you any sample with CA, I don't find such behavior with the Contax version
I read that they didn't change the optics for the ZF/ZE
do you mean the green CA on the security bars


When the Planar T* 50/1.4 ZF first became available a colleague wrote a 1-page review for a magazine (he got the lens from importer for testing). He asked me to try it out for a day and give my 2 cents what I think. I shot it on a bright hard shadow day at the market square, and noticed lots of CA around highlights (tree branches, building roofs). I also shot same day with my 50/1.4 Ai-S which does not show same amount of CA. Both lenses were unchipped versions so it could not be that the Nikon D3 automatically removes CA (as it does with chipped Nikkor lenses).

Never had the opportunity to test for bokeh CA (green/red fringing). It could be that it was a dud copy but that does not make sense: normally importers make sure they deliver only lenses which have passed stringent quality control tests, as they know that lens is going to form the basis of a magazine review. Since I am a big ZF fan I really want to do a thorough test with comparable exposures.

I have been asked by a magazine to write an extensive "50mm Nikon mount" -article. I am not enthusiastic about the idea as money offered does not match the amount of work/time that an academically valid test of all these lenses would require. Nevertheless, I plan to do it: bolded lenses are ones I need to loan to be able to complete request, the others I already own or have access to.

Nikkor 50/1.4G AF-S
Nikkor 50/1.4D AF
Nikkor 50/1.4 Ai-S
Nikkor 50/1.4 Ai
Nikkor 50/1.4F (Ai-converted)
Nikkor 50/1.8D AF
Nikkor 50/1.8 Ai-S
Nikon 50/1.8E
Nikkor 50/1.2 Ai-S
Nikkor 55/1.2F (Ai-converted)
Nikkor 58/1.2 Ai-S
Voigtländer SL II 58/1.4 Nokton
Zeiss Planar T* 50/1.4 ZF
Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 50/2 ZF
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM

In August, after business holiday season is over, I may have an opportunity to get the whole ZF line on loan (I already have Planar T* 85/1.4 ZF). I do look forward to this as I am a huge Zeiss fan and I would love to have the money to afford all the ZF lenses.

Last edited by Esox lucius on Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:44 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Esox lucius wrote:
Nevertheless, I plan to do it: bolded lenses are ones I need to loan to be able to complete request, the others I already own or have access to.

It would be very interesting to add also the Sigma 50/f1.4 to the bunch.


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
dimitrygo wrote:
It would be very interesting to add also the Sigma 50/f1.4 to the bunch.


Excellent suggestion - added! I will use July to write an offer for test methodology and work involved, let's see if I can reach an agreement with the magazine and importers. Unsponsored crowdsourcing is also an option, as long as I can find some Finnish members who are willing to borrow an optically mint copy for testing.

I have estimated that work involved totals 3-4 days, with 1 day for theory and methodology, 1 day for shooting, 1 day for evaluation and 1 day for summarizing results in written and pictorial format. Since this is very time-consuming I really am not interested in doing this for free - I need a sponsor (money or equipment as payment).


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 10:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think sometimes Planar has some CA but in 99,99% situations i don`t see them. I don`t think that is an issue vs Nokton. But i know that this lens is far superieor to the Nikons 50 1.4 in terms of contrast, colour rendering.
Look at crops wo - light is behind subject :


this shows some CA - strong light


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
karabud wrote:
I think sometimes Planar has some CA but in 99,99% situations i don`t see them.


I agree. 50mm lenses are mostly used in settings where CA does not show, therefore it is harsh to subject them to shooting they were not engineered for. Pixel peeping test charts is one thing or deliberately forcing CA to appear is one thing, real photo use and results something else.

Which is why I'd like to do the review, but place more emphasis on real use: fingerprint, bokeh, colors, contrast (though I need the test chart shots to software-map the geometric distortion of the lenses).


PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm curious to see how a Planar 1.4/50 behaves in different DSLRs in the CA department .

Canon crop vs Nikon crop, Canon full frame vs Nikon full frame e.t.c . Also digital vs film should be really interesting using the same lens....Wink
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