Leica iiif compatible with Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton?

BradS · Feb 14, 2019

As the title suggests, I’m wondering if the 50mm f/1.5 nokton fits on the Leica IIIF. I’ve read what Steven Gandy’s camera quest website has to say and looked at as many photos of the lens as I can stand to but I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

So does anyone know if this lens fits a barnack and if so, is the viewfinder obstructed at all ?

BradS · Feb 14, 2019

Eh, let me google that for you...answer found. Carry on.

awty · Feb 15, 2019

BradS said:
Eh, let me google that for you...answer found. Carry on.

And the answer is? so I dont have to google search.

summicron1 · Feb 15, 2019

Well, the Nokton was originally a Voigtlander lens for the prominent series -- is this a modern one made by Cosina? If not, itwon't fit. If so, is it screw mount?

If it is leica thread screw mount then, yes, it will fit on your Leica IIIf, but I would not focus the camera with the lens wide open -- the rangefinder base is possibly too short for accurate focusing with the lens wide open. Then again, I've been wrong before, so give it a shot.

petrk · Feb 15, 2019

summicron1 said:
... but I would not focus the camera with the lens wide open -- the rangefinder base is possibly too short for accurate focusing with the lens wide open. ...

Can you, summicron1, or someone else elaborate more on this common believe, that shorter rangefinder cannot focus with fast lenses? By my limited knowldge of optics and mechanics the shorter base creates only one important issue for accuracy in that for adjustment there is lesser tolerance. But, if adjusted, it is accurate regardles of other factors. I had all sorts of rangefinders cameras and the one with short base I have left now is Leica CL, which is absolutely OK with Planar 50/2 in aperture of 2. I had Bessa 3A, the same, the Yashica CC with very fast lens is also OK. On the other hand I had Leicas and Zeiss Ikon with rangefinder out but for very different reasons, they simply needed adjustment, thats all.
Thank you! Petr

Besk · Feb 15, 2019

In my opinion the focus is potentially more accurate with the iiif than the M. This is because the rangefinder of the iiif is magnified more. Don't know about the shorter base.
I have the lens and both cameras.
In fact I am sure the lens was designed with use on the Leica LTM cameras in mind.

Ko.Fe. · Feb 15, 2019

It is not a chat, but forum. Sub-forum and less populated. We can't give instant answers.
Leica has Leitz Summarit 50 1.5 LTM. So it was in use at II-III series.
Norton 50 1.5 first came as LTM version.
To use big lenses like these on II-III you will need external VF, because build in, tiny one is going to be blocked by the lens.
Basically anything bigger than Elmar 50 3.5 is going to block it.
II-iii RF is 1:1 and Leitz 50 mm is also 1:1. Both allows to have both eyes open.
I sold M3 after realizing it, M3 RF/VF is not 1:1.

guangong · Feb 15, 2019

If your’s is ltm, it can be used on Camera. I use mine on IIIa, IIIc & IIIf as well as Canon P. Get an M mount adapter and you can use on any M Leica. However, on ltm cameras, it does block a little of the viewfinder’s lower right corner, a little more with lens shade. I sometimes, but not always, use the 50mm finder with whatever 50mm lens simply because it’s very bright.
Nice lens.
In over 60 yrs using Leicas and other rf lenses, I never encountered the idea that fast lenses could ot be accurately focused on rf lenses. Considering that the 1.5 Sonnar was the usual lens sold with the Contax II ( if you could afford a Contax back then, what’s the difference in price between a Sonnar an a Tessar?)

BradS · Feb 15, 2019

Thanks for all the replies...and I appologize for not including more details. This was stream of consciousness question that I punched in on the cell phone..while riding the train. I've corrected the eggregious auto-spell nonsense in the op.

So, the specifics...
Leica IIIF and the modern Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton LTM lens.
Steve Gandy's side-by-side photo of "Leica IIIf mounting a Leitz 50/1.5 Summarit, Voigtlander Bessa T mounting the Voigtlander 50/1.5 Aspherical Nokton", prompted my question. That photo ( https://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm scroll down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom) makes the Nokton look enormous compared to the Leica/Leitz combo. It made me question whether the Nokton would even screw down all the way...apparently it will but the viewfider and range finder are partially obstructed.

Anyway, I'll be looking for a smaller lens for the little Leica. Thanks again.

summicron1 · Feb 15, 2019

petrk said:
Can you, summicron1, or someone else elaborate more on this common believe, that shorter rangefinder cannot focus with fast lenses? By my limited knowldge of optics and mechanics the shorter base creates only one important issue for accuracy in that for adjustment there is lesser tolerance. But, if adjusted, it is accurate regardles of other factors. I had all sorts of rangefinders cameras and the one with short base I have left now is Leica CL, which is absolutely OK with Planar 50/2 in aperture of 2. I had Bessa 3A, the same, the Yashica CC with very fast lens is also OK. On the other hand I had Leicas and Zeiss Ikon with rangefinder out but for very different reasons, they simply needed adjustment, thats all.
Thank you! Petr

it's a question of how much tolerance there is in the system and how the system is designed to compensate for imprecision that is going to happen no matter what -- a short rangefinder base doesn't allow for as fine a degree of correction or precision as a long one does -- shorter bases rely on the depth of field of the lens to keep the image sharp.

An f 1.4 lens has a shallower depth of field than an f2 does --- I used I used a 35mm summilux on my CL once and I did notice my focus wasn't as precise as the rangefinder would have indicated when shooting wide open. Leica doesn't recommend using the 90 mm lenses of f 2.8 or f2 on the CL for the same reason.

Ko.Fe. · Feb 15, 2019

BradS said:
Thanks for all the replies...and I appologize for not including more details. This was stream of consciousness question that I punched in on the cell phone..while riding the train. I've corrected the eggregious auto-spell nonsense in the op.

So, the specifics...
Leica IIIF and the modern Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton LTM lens.
Steve Gandy's side-by-side photo of "Leica IIIf mounting a Leitz 50/1.5 Summarit, Voigtlander Bessa T mounting the Voigtlander 50/1.5 Aspherical Nokton", prompted my question. That photo ( https://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm scroll down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom) makes the Nokton look enormous compared to the Leica/Leitz combo. It made me question whether the Nokton would even screw down all the way...apparently it will but the viewfider and range finder are partially obstructed.

Anyway, I'll be looking for a smaller lens for the little Leica. Thanks again.

Jupiter-3, Color Skopar 50 2.5.

Oldwino · Feb 16, 2019

Short answer - the LTM version of the Nokton 50/1.5 will fit onto a IIIf (and focus just fine, assuming the rangefinder on the camera is in good shape). The lens is, however, FAT, and will look oversized on your Barnack Leica. But it will work.

Besk · Feb 16, 2019

Some research shows that the EFFECTIVE base length of an M6 is 49.32mm and of a iiif is 58.5mm

Leica iiif compatible with Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton?

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