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Disclaimer about sharpness. The question of sharpness and 50s isn't new. I've seen a lot of photographers knock the idea of pixel peeping, and responses like "Just stop down!" or "Why shoot wide open?" or "Stop chasing sharpness."
Well, to each their own, but It's still an important aspect of photography to me. I like seeing that critical focus on that part of the subject that I want in focus. Sure, I'm not going to use max aperture on everything - but when I do, I still want a crisp subject in my isolation.
Why am I using old lenses?
It's the insatiable desire for better IQ, more bokeh, faster lenses, longer wider etc.
Over the years I've accumulated a large collection of vintage glass.
What am I testing
A look at center sharpness
- Minolta is off by itself since it cannot mount to Canon EF. That lens has its own Pixco adapter.
- The Cheap $70 Pixco has nicer contrast and sharpness than the Zhongyi, although the Zhongyi lens turbo II is a little brighter. I'd recommend the Pixco based on that though.
- Viltrox provides aperture control and autofocus. The image though is smeary Vaseline.
- All shots were done with a flash to keep exposure mostly constant. ISO 200, 1/160 shutter speed, and lenses were used wide open.
- I think the Nikon 50mm F1.4 is quite good, being the "newest" of the vintage class. It's almost as bright as the 1.2s but has better contrast wide open. The Minolta is cheaper to obtain but not quite as sharp.
- The sharpest lens wide open is the Rokinon 50mm F1.4. The Zeiss is beautifully sharp too and the Takumar is spectacular given its age, but the Rokinon has truly impressed me here.
- The SMC Takumar 50mm F1.4 yellowed with age. That's radioactive glass! It's beautiful and crisp - but darker than the F1.7 Zeiss Planar. I left it in the sun, with some foil under it to "cure" the yellowing (UV light). It did lighten up a lot before this test. I left it there for maybe 2 weeks. I think the dark effect of the glass diminishes the benefits of this fast lens.
- The Canon 55mm F1.2 and Nikon 50mm F1.2 seem close. I snapped the tabs off the Nikon lenses so that I could use them on all the focal reducers. The Canon 55mm F1.2 SSC is spectacular on the Metabones adapter and is ahead of the Nikon 50mm F1.2 there. Strangely enough, I think the Nikon F1.2 does better on the Pixco adapter than the Canon. I've gone back and tried this several times. It really does seem that an adapter can work better with some lenses than others.
- The Nikon 50mm F1.4 on Pixco looks really good - spectacular given the price.
- The Rokinon has me absolutely floored. I really wasn't expecting it to blow me away. Online reviews generally paint it as "average". Not a bad lens - but in competition with modern brand specific 50mm F1.4s, it does not really stand out - while at the same time, lacking autofocus. Getting this used at a fraction of the cost ($334 from their site, <$200 used) provides a magnificent manual lens for use on a focal reducer.
What about the Edges?
- The Nikons seem to have the edge here on the Pixco and Zhongyi LensTurbo II, though the LensTurbo falls apart at the edges.
- The Nikon 50mm F1.4 continues to impress on the cheap Pixco adapter. A good combination of contrast and clarity.
- The biggest disappointment is the "modern" Canon 50mm F1.4 USM. That current lens just can't keep up with the Nikons.
- The Zhongyi just isn't as nice a render as the Pixco. Given that the Pixco is a half to a third the price new, it just seems like a better buy.
- Neither cheaper adapter can do the Canon 55mm F1.2 justice. The Metabones Speed Booster clearly shows superior contrast and brightness.
- I'm not investing in Canon EF gear, and the Canon 50mm F1.4 USM sucks using manual focus. Wide open it falls to the older Canon 55mm F1.2 SSC. Given that, and the fact that my Panasonic G9 would error out with vintage glass attached shorting the Metabones "smart" adapter pins, I disabled it. I opened the Metabones and cut the ribbon cable. Now there are no more errors and problems with vintage glass.
- I'd say the Metabones Speed Booster is worth it if you still like vintage lenses and want the most out of them. Just use eBay and hunt. I'd be very satisfied with the Pixco-generic if the only available Metabones Speed Booster was $600 (current cost).
- I might try cutting the protrusion off the Nikon lenses so that I can run them on the Metabones and see how they perform there.
Other aspects of the lenses are also relevant!
- A lens could be sharp, but also difficult to focus. I don't think the Modern Canon 50mm F1.4 USM is bad. But it's not great, and manually focusing it is compounded by the sticky, rough focus action.
- Focus action on the Canon 55mm F1.2 is butter smooth, and long. It's easier to move past focus and move back to where you saw focus peak. the Takumar is also great for this. It's a pleasure to use. the Contax Yashica Zeiss is also nice. Not as smooth and damped, but still a pleasure to use.
- The Nikon focus action isn't nearly so nice and damped. It's not nearly as rough as the modern Canon 50 USM, but I'm surprised it's not smoother.
- The Canon 55mm F1.2 SSC is an FD mount. This predates EF and is not adaptable. I found a mount replacement (EdMika) that replaced the FD bayonet mount with a brass EF mount. This makes this a one-of-a-kind lens.
- The Nikon 50mm F1.4 can go from $75-$100 on eBay. The Pixco adapter is ~$70. You can end up with a $160 35mm F1.0 with this combination. An impressively low price for the speed and quality.
- The Rokinon is a beautifully made lens - but it's large. It's larger than the Canon 55mm F1.2 FD, and the Canon 50mm F1.2 USM. The focus is nice and damped, with just the right length of throw. It's not metal, but decent-quality plastic. If this were metal, I doubt it would be affordable.
How they look on M43 cameras
Todo:
- Attempt to put the Nikon lenses on the Metabones adapter - it deserves a try 😁
- Go out and have fun with the Canon 55mm F1.2/Speed Booster. 👍
- update: Nikons tested! Broke tabs off with pliers. Pretty sharp, but lacks contrast on Metabones wide open. Have to update the images.
- Have to test bokeh smoothness and flare. That may be interesting ;)