With the Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M Aspherical lens costing almost 4 grand, as well as the fact that it has been almost completely unavailable for well over a year makes this lens the next best thing. You could drop 5K or more on Ebay for the Leica 50mm f/1.4 or you could save yourself enough $$$ to get 2 used M8s or the lions share of the $$$ required to buy a M9 by just getting this lens. The lens is built solid and feels nice and heavy in my hand. There is no pouch which is kinda lame. Any lens over a few hundred dollars should come with at least a simple pouch to protect from scratches and other minor table accidents. Anyway this is easily remedied and is not a big sticking point. The front and rear caps are nice. The silver ring around the front makes this lens look great on either a silver or black Leica. Voigtländer does this lens style too and it's smart choice. They also make a silver but black just looks better and always looks clean. Black also reflects less light and is more easily concealable.
I got this simply for the extra 1/2 stop and believe me, it makes all the difference in the world compared to the Leica 50mm f/2.0 Summicron. In a perfect world and with unlimited cash, I know the Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M Aspherical is the better choice. I have seen comparison pictures online but unless you are the most uncompromising technically perfect photographer out there, please, just get this lens instead. The shallow depth of field when all the way open is amazing and the focus points are great. I have read about focus problems but I put this to the test with some vegetation outside and what I focused on was spot on. The bokeh looked great to me and I have read that the aperture was made a certain way for nice bokeh. It looked great to me.
There is not too much else to say. I will add more once I play around more but I am very very happy with this lens and I imagine it will easily last the rest of my life.
**** Some will say the Bokeh is busy and not as creamy and soft as other lenses like the Leica mentioned above. This is true but these are personal preferences and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. These are aesthetics and are subjective at best. Some people love dreamy images and others are nuts over super sharp images. Some want ultra soft bokeh and will pay 5-10 grand for it and others like me are just happy to have a lens that costs 1/5 the price and still looks great. This lens is for people who want to shoot with available light and with the aperture wide open. The results are amazing. If you have no need to shoot at night, dawn, dusk, or in dim lit situations go for the Leica 50mm 2.0 or the Zeiss 50mm 2.0. I own the Leica and it's a fantastic lens.
Remember, lenses are like variations of wine. Some experts or experienced people can tell the difference and will gladly pay for a $200 bottle while most people are content with a $15-$30 bottle at best. Each variation of a standard prime lens of a 50mm will yield different results. So now I have 2 50mm lenses for my Leica. One day I'd love to get my hands on the 1.4 Summilux-M but for now this lens will do nicely. I've even read reviews where people ditched the 1.4 Summilux-M in favor of this one. After all, this is a nice small compact lens too and I hear the Leica is heavier and bulkier.
Enjoy everyone. Happy shooting.
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This Item  ZEISS Ikon C Sonnar T* ZM 1.5/50 Standard Camera Lens for Leica M-Mount Rangefinder Cameras, Silver |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -15% $1,161.00 List: $1,361.00 | -15% $1,161.00 List: $1,361.00 | -15% $1,161.00 List: $1,361.00 | $468.00 | $699.00 | $649.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 22 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 24 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 22 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 22 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | TTArtisan | CameraQuest | CameraQuest |
| lens type | Standard | Wide Angle | Standard | — | — | Wide Angle |
| compatible mountings | Leica M | Leica M | Leica M | Leica M | — | Fujifilm X |
| lens design | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| focus type | Manual Focus | Manual Focus | Manual Focus | Manual Focus | — | Manual Focus |
| minimum focal length | 50 millimeters | 25 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters |
| max focal length | 50 millimeters | 25 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters |
| fixed focal length | 50 millimeters | 25 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters |
| model name | Ikon C Sonnar T* ZM | Ikon Biogon T* ZM | Ikon C Sonnar T* ZM | — | nokton | nokton |
| min aperture | 16 millimeters | 22 millimeters | 16 millimeters | — | — | — |
| max aperture | — | 2.8 millimeters | 1.5 millimeters | 2 f stop | 1.5 f stop | 1.2 f stop |
| diaphragm blades | 10 | — | 10 | 5 | — | 12 |
Reviews with images
Nothing Beats a Sonnar
As always, Zeiss has not let me down in build quality. As always, built like a tank. Though this lens is little, it’d make a formidable weapon in a fight to whip at someone’s head. I’m always impressed at the weight of their glass. It’s solid at 250g but still much lighter compared to 335g Leica Summilux. This lens is also quite a bit shorter at just 45mm in length while the Leica is 52.5mm in length. The minimum focal distance on the Sonnar is 0.9m compared to 0.7m on the Summilux.One thing to note – when using a rangefinder, the Zeiss does not block any of your view. The Lux, on the other hand, takes up a good portion of the lower right corner – more so if the hood is extended out.The lens is smooth as butter when focusing. There is a slight “bump” to help you find the focus without turning the camera around – this helps to quickly find a focus range. I do like the Leica’s much larger focus grip – maybe because I was more used to it.The LookThe Sonnar offers such a warm rendering of images. It is not as contrasty as the Leica – and softer contrast is something I really like for portraits. The colors are true, though tend to a warmer WB. The bokeh is what you come to expect and love about Zeiss. Check out some of the earlier compares regarding bokeh and you’ll see just what I mean. Some prefer the Leica smoothness, others prefer the Zeiss character. I’ve always been a Zeiss-man in regards to bokeh, so I absolutely love what the 50mm Sonnar does. More so than what it did on the Nikon ZF.2 mount.PriceI truly think this is a great, all around lens. If I had to buy either the C Sonnar ($1200) or the Summilux-M ($4000) today (and owned neither) I’d go for the Sonnar as I do mostly portrait work – and it honestly renders females much more smooth. With the savings in money, I’d pick up another one or two Zeiss primes – like the $1400 2.8/21 and the $1000 and still have a few hundred dollars left over to take my wife out for sushi in NYC. That’s a huge difference in cash for a little difference in IQ. For many of the compares where people were guessing which lens took the photo – they couldn’t tell. About 60% got the lens right.SummaryOverall, I am completely in love with this lens. It's pernamently mounted to my new Leica M-A and doubt I'll take it off anytime soon. It’s amazing and just slightly different enough to justify having a 3rd – or is that 4th – 50mm for the Leica. Honestly, the SOOC warmth is really something special if you're shooting digital - and mind-blowing if you're on film like me.
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John Grimbley
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2015*: BlackVerified Purchase
