Favorite wide open lenses.

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 12, 2011

zenrhino said:
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?

I bought it in Europe, so it's being sent to my dad who lives in Sweden. From there on I'm not sure how long it takes to get it here...
But I'll do that for sure. I love this lens too. It's a K-mount for my KX cameras.

sandholm · Apr 12, 2011

The lens who outperforms everything else I have is the Hasselblad 40mm F/4 Distagon CFE T*, expensive as hell, but what a landscape/wide lens. Love it

Thingy · Apr 12, 2011

I've tried various lenses over 30 odd years of which my favourites are the Zuiko 135mm f2.8 for portraiture, the Zeiss lenses generally for my Contax G2 but especially my large format (4x5) Cooke PS945. I wish there was an equivalent lens for the Nikon FX series cameras (which I intend to opt for once the replacement for the D700 becomes available). The PS945's effects at f4.5 are simply stunning. I have been using it for photographing flowers, usually at f4.5-f8. The main limitation is the max shutter speed on a Copal 3 shutter of 1/125s, which obliges me to use Lee's glass ND 0.9 (at 1/125) and ND 3.0 (if I want to use a slower shutter speed) filters.

TheFlyingCamera · Apr 12, 2011

Contax 85mm f1.4 for 35mm
Wollensak Vesta, Kodak Commercial Ektar and Voigtlander Heliar for large format.
Don't have one for ultra-large format yet because I only have two lenses that cover ULF, neither of which are bokeh kings.

lxdude · Apr 12, 2011

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

Laverne? Surely you jest!

gregvassie · Apr 14, 2011

Pentax FA Limited 31mm f1.8 and the 77mm f1.8.

rycm · Apr 16, 2011

M-35lux, M-90 Cron, Canon 35 f1.4L, 50 f1.2L, 85 f1.2L, Nikon 180mm F2.8, 135 3.5 (not very wide)

threemilesfinal · Apr 16, 2011

Mir 1V 37mm f/2.8

Great lens! I love the colours and how sharp it is even at 2.8, considering I got it for $50 it's a steal. lol

(I shoot this on my Canon)

2F/2F · Apr 16, 2011

I like all my lenses that way.

Nikkor (all are Pre AI): 24mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2.0, 50mm f/1.4, 135mm f/3.5
Canon FD: 28mm f/2.0, 50mm f/1.4 (one S.S.C., one new FD), 50mm f/1.8, 55mm f/1.2, 200mm f/2.8 (one new FD, one IF)
Canon EF: 50mm f/1.2L
Pentax M42: 28mm f/1.9 (Vivitar), 35mm f/3.5, 50mm f/1.4
Leitz M39: Summar 5cm f/2, Summitar 5cm f/2 (though I would not say that they have high resolution or a lot of sharpness wide open...but that is part of why I like them)
Nikonos: 35mm f/2.5 (seems to be good wide open, but getting accurate focus with a scale can be a pain)
Yashica: 45mm f/1.7 on my Electro 35's

The lenses I have not liked, I have got rid of. They were all either off-brand or low-end brand-name zoom lenses (including a Viv. Series 1).

Sorry if that s not helpful, but I really have been pleased with almost every lens I have ever used, over the entire aperture range.

Bill Harrison · Apr 16, 2011

Wide open

I am astounded, in this whole thread no one has mentioned the Leitz Summar f2... in a class by itself, apparently........ A completely underrated, beautiful lens.

2F/2F · Apr 16, 2011

Bill Harrison said:
I am astounded, in this whole thread no one has mentioned the Leitz Summar f2... in a class by itself, apparently........ A completely underrated, beautiful lens.

That is funny. Look at the post right above yours, posted a few minutes earlier.

It is completely beautiful. I wouldn't call it very sharp or high in resolution, though, especially wide open.

blockend · Apr 16, 2011

Canon 50mm F1.4, Yashica Minister D @2.8 and a Sigma 75-300 f3.5 that is soft and beautiful wide open. Sadly the barrel has turned to jelly and Sigma aren't acknowledging responsibility.

MaximusM3 · Apr 16, 2011

The Summar and Summitar are two of my all-time favorites when used wide open. As said above, resolution and sharpness have very little meaning, especially with a well thought out composition and/or a fleeting moment. Those lenses can surely make a special image in their own unique ways. For clinical perfection, look elsewhere.

benjiboy · Apr 16, 2011

I don't think I have ever used any of my lenses wide open.

blockend · Apr 16, 2011

benjiboy said:
I don't think I have ever used any of my lenses wide open.

For many years I believed a lens was at its highest resolution about F8 or F11. Since I learned they're best only two stops down, and many are close to their optimum only one stop down, I'm happier shooting wide open.

ContaxRTSFundus · Apr 17, 2011

Contax Zeiss 55 1.2 Planar - an astonishing, if herniatic, piece of glassware - especially when added to those heretical DSLRs. Cool colours and soft bokeh but bitingly sharp at the point of focus - with a very, very shallow dof. The same applies to both versions of the 85 1.2. I also love the Yashica 55 1.2 ML - softer wide-open that its Zeiss eleder brother but quite dreamlike and then a very good standard lens from f2.8.

rkbry · Apr 19, 2011

SMC Pentax-M 50 f/2. Sure, there were only about 40 billion of these made, but *my* copy is freaking awesome wide open.

Brett_Jurgens · Apr 19, 2011

240 f5.6 Nikkor W on 4x5. Movement and shallow depth of field with nice bokeh.

Jeff Kubach · Apr 19, 2011

My Canon FD 85L 1.2.

Jeff

flatulent1 · Apr 19, 2011

I'll add the Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 and the FD 135mm f/2.

Favorite wide open lenses.

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