Favorite wide open lenses.

[matti]

I like my 35 mm Summicron from the 1970:s. The kind of low contrast, crispy details and smooth backgrounds wide open keep geting better and better. (Now, if I could afford a 50mm too...)

/matti

 

[naaldvoerder]

85/1.4 and 50/1.4 planars

 

[Mick Fagan]

85 1.4, 105 2.5, 180 2.8 ED all Nikkor ais.

The 180 is brilliant but for slow shutter speed when you need a tripod it can be a bit heavy hanging off the front of the camera. If I could get a tripod ring for the lens it would be brilliant.

Many years ago I had a 35 2 which I had ai'd I really loved that lens but it went when I finally managed to get the 85 1.4 something had to give and that was the one.

Mick.

 

[waynecrider]

Thanks Matti for that cute picture.

I have just started shooting my various lenses for Bokeh and sharpness and will start a new site dedicated to same. My testing film, and only because of the price, is Sensia. If anyone cares to add to the future database you are welcome. Start testing, and once I have the site's format done I'll notify you. Btw, I would welcome thoughts on somewhat standard testing procedures.

 

[jedrek]

Canon EF 50 1.4
Canon EF 85 1.2L
Canon EF 300 2.8L IS
Carl Zeiss 300 5.6

all of them are just wonderful

 

[Ray_G]

50mm Summilux

 

[Dave Wooten]

50mm Summilux

Welcome Ray!

 

[Relmhill]

Nikkon AF 50/1.8
Contax G 45/2.0

 

[waynecrider]

50mm Summilux

Now that's the way to make a first posting; With a picture and a reference to leica glass. Well done and welcome Ray.

 

[tony lockerbie]

Keep coming back to Leica stuff. Anyone out there used a Noctilux? I tried one a couple of years ago and it's sensational in low light wide open. Not as sharp as a Summilux but wow! If only I could afford one.

 

[dnjl]

I'm going to blow the dust off this old topic with the FD 85mm f1.2L at its largest aperture:

I find it quite soft wide open, but the bokeh is second to none.

 

[Klainmeister]

Or is it? I have a 4.5 75mm Heliar that has the most beautiful/interesting bokeh I have seen. Something about that lens design!

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

I'm going to blow the dust off this old topic with the FD 85mm f1.2L at its largest aperture:

I find it quite soft wide open, but the bokeh is second to none.

None?!!?

You've tried them *all*?!!?

 

[dnjl]

I did!


Well, uhm, it was uhm, a figure of speech actually

 

[darinwc]

Pentax SMC Takumar A* 85mm f1.4
(under the wish I had catagory.)

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I also like my FD 85 1.2L wide open!

Jeff

 

[lxdude]

SMC Pentax-M 100mm/4 Macro
Pentax 200mm/4 Super-Takumar
Bronica Zenzanon PE 105mm/4.5 Macro
Zenanon PE 135mm/4
Zenzanon PE 150mm/3.5
EBC Fujinon 28mm/3.5

 

[polyglot]

Bokeh? Minolta 135F2.8T4.5 STF. You can't beat a lens with an apodisation filter for bokeh - highlights come out as gaussian blurs instead of discs, therefore NO hard edges even if you have point sources and lines in the background.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Leitz Summitar 5 cm , best thorium rich optical glass ever used by Leica.

 

[Aristophanes]

SMC Pentax-M 100mm/4 Macro
SMC Pentax-A 50m/2.8 Macro

I also unhesitatingly use my Minolta MD 24/2.8 wide open and mention this as most of the lenses referenced here are 50mm+

 

[zenrhino]

As much as I love my Nikkor 105/2.5 and my SMC Tak 50/1.4 M42, I'm still going to have to go with the Zeiss Planar 80mm T* CF that I have on my Hasselblad.

I love the bokeh and rendition of that lens so much that I bought the camera just to get that look.

 

[zenrhino]

Worst Bokeh, while we're at it:

I had a YashicaMat 124G with radial bokeh that would make me motion sick from looking at the photos too long. Ugh.

 

[removed account4]

mine isn't a small format or medium format lens
but a rapid rectalinaer lens named laverne

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

80mm Planar f/2.8 for Hasselblad
50mm Super Takumar f/1.4 for Pentax 35mm
35mm SMC f/2 for Pentax 35mm (got one coming in the mail)
50mm Summicron f/2 for Leica
85mm SMC f/1.4 for Pentax 35mm (wish I had this)

 

[zenrhino]

80mm Planar f/2.8 for Hasselblad
50mm Super Takumar f/1.4 for Pentax 35mm
35mm SMC f/2 for Pentax 35mm (got one coming in the mail)
50mm Summicron f/2 for Leica
85mm SMC f/1.4 for Pentax 35mm (wish I had this)

Ooh, when you get some shots with that 35/2 SMC please post them. That's one of my dream lenses. Is it K or M42?