ZI 50/2 Planar - user comments

[Bar6]

Hi...a black ZM 50/2 Planar arrived at the office this week. (private sale).

I'm battling a bad cold and have not been able to get out an use the lens...but wondered if anyone had comments or experiences with this lens.

Thanks

P.S. - Sorry...but can't seem to edit subject line. Meant to write Planar (feeling poorly). Amin...can you fix?

[Amin Sabet]

P.S. - Sorry...but can't seem to edit subject line. Meant to write Planar (feeling poorly). Amin...can you fix?

Fixed. You can edit the subject line by clicking on "Edit" followed by "Go Advanced".

[Surfwave]

Ah, the now and future Classic, the ZM Planar 50mm. What a lens. Try a roll at every F-stop click, its all a good time. Wide open, close or F16 and landscape, just as strong. A truly great, all around lens.

[Batmobile]

this lens is superb. Fairly high contrast but great resolution and creamy OOF. Very smoooooth lens. Performs very well wide open and contrast aside produces very classic images. I shoot film and dont find the contrast even remotely an issue.

[Tom A]

The Planar 50f2 is a very good lens. I call it the Summicron Killer! It has a very good out of focus rendition too. Try it close in @f2 and be prepared to OOOh and AAAh over the look.
It is sharp, but without being harsh - good portrait lens, though a tad edgy for that - most of us don't look that good!
Mine is currently on a M2 loaded with Kodak's XX movie stock and the weather seems to be co-operating today so I should be able to finish that roll and a couple more for a week end process run.
For any new lens, I recommend going to Flickr and checking what's posted there. It is not ideal for judging performance - but it gives a general indication of performance.
Tom

[andy_v]

Great lens, but as for me, for girl's portraits I prefer sonnar scheme

[fuwen]

I have the 50/2 Planar. I like it.

http://www.fuwen.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=57&Itemid=117

[lawa]

Try it close in @f2 and be prepared to OOOh and AAAh over the look. It is sharp, but without being harsh - good portrait lens, though a tad edgy for that - most of us don't look that good!
Tom

I'm planning to buy a Planar and would like to know how close you get with a portrait. The Carl Zeiss website says closest focus is 0.7m and "Image ratio at close range 1:12". Will my kids face fill the frame? Could anyone here post a sample from 0.7m?

Thanks in advance,

~ Lars

[digitalintrigue]

How does the 50/2 Planar compare to the 45/2 Planar in the Contax G series? I had a G1 years ago, and I believe it was the best set of lenses I have ever owned.

[peripatetic]

I'm planning to buy a Planar and would like to know how close you get with a portrait. The Carl Zeiss website says closest focus is 0.7m and "Image ratio at close range 1:12". Will my kids face fill the frame? Could anyone here post a sample from 0.7m?

Thanks in advance,

~ Lars

This is about as close as you can get - arm's length :)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/peripatetic/2860784180/" title="43540028.JPG by Craig Arnold, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/2860784180_20bc948e85.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="43540028.JPG" /></a>

[lawa]

This is about as close as you can get - arm's length :)


Thanks for sharing, lovely image!