Questions about 50mm Millenium Nikkor

[thompsonks]

I was reading another thread about someone's new S3 with Millenium Nikkor, and I have a couple of questions about the lens.

I'm asking because I own a black ltd ed S3 body that a dealer had separated from its lens. The body was rather cheap that way, but I've had to use other lenses than the one meant for the camera. At first I used an older 5cm Nikkor, and then was lucky to find one of the few 2007 50mm Sonnar-C lenses that were made in S mount instead of M.

I like the Sonnar-C very much, but wonder how it compares to the Millennium Nikkor. The Sonnar has beautiful bokeh at wide apertures, becomes very contrasty when stopped down, and experiences focus shift (you have to skip the middle apertures and use just the wide ones or f5.6 and smaller).

--Is the Millennium Nikkor still the 5cm Nikkor design, but with modern glass and coating? Or are there other differences?

--Were they set for optimal focus at f1.4, or at f2.8?

--Does it become very contrasty when stopped down (because of modern glass and coating)?

--If anyone has direct experience using both lenses, how do they compare?

Thx for advice,

Kirk

[msbarnes]

Hello.

I don't have this lens but I looked into it because it was one that i was considering. I have the 50mm f1.4 LTM (Sonnar) lens though...

The design is not the same as the previous Nikkor so there shouldn't be a focus shift. It is reputed as being as sharp as the 50mm ASPH Summilux.

Everyone who owns one seems to like them, so I'll let others chime in.

[msbarnes]

http://www.imagere.com/edsarticles/fast50shootout.htm

[maitani]

the 50 millenium is one of the best 50 I know, and up there with best leitz or zeiss has to offer, but with a special own signature.

I'll chime it in here, anybody knows what the S-mount sonnars (2007 le) go nowdays and about how many were made?

best
maitani

[Highway 61]

Originally Posted by maitani

I'll chime it in here, anybody knows what the S-mount sonnars (2007 le) go nowdays and about how many were made?

Over $1500. Very few. Not worth it if you have a Millenium Nikkor.

[maitani]

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping for something below 1k, but I have enough 50ies anyway..
thanks for the information though.

[MikeL]

Kirk, I'll lend you my Millenium if you want to use one. Super lens. Send me a pm and we can meet at SFMOMA or someplace.

[JMQ]

Not many s-mount sonnars were made -- about 300 is the number I've read here on RFF.

[thompsonks]

That's only $641! If it's OK, you might buy it and sell it here to a 'real' photographer, so it doesn't fall into the hands of a collector.

I've learned so much here! My thought was to unite a beautiful body with the lens it 'wanted,' but now I'm not so sure.

Now I understand that the Olympic/Millennium 1.4 is a Planar and not a Sonnar design, which makes a big difference to me. I prefer Sonnar to Planar and often use my Sonnar-C at f1.5 or 2 (sometimes with ND filter). If I want to avoid its focus shift I can use Summilux on M9.

My preference depends just about 100% on bokeh. Your Flickr set with the Millennium is fine photography, but the OOF areas are – in just my subjective opinion – sort of harsh in comparison to Sonnar.

I was also very interested in the blog by the fellow who compared Millennium Nikkor and asph Lux. I could see many but not all of the illustrations – some didn't load on my browser. I liked the lower contrast of the Nikkor in the backlit shots, but in other respects agreed they were a lot alike.

In his photo of the Christmas lights I noticed something that might upset the comparison: it looked like the Nikkor may have been collimated for best focus at f1.4, the Summilux at f2.8. I'd read somewhere that the early Nikkors were calibrated for f1.4, and my modern Sonnar is also calibrated for wide open – whereas I believe Leica and Zeiss (except for some Sonnar-Cs) normally calibrate for best close-up focus at f2.8.

Incidentally, I was pleased to find that DAG works on Nikon RFs and their lenses. He's cleaning and calibrating 50 & 85 Nikkors for me, for best focus wide open on an S2 that I sent along with them.

To Mike: Thank you, and I'll get in touch about meeting next week – if I decide to pursue this further.

Thx again to all!

Kirk

[maitani]

If you re after a classic Sonnar style lens you could also go fo the vintage 5 cm 1.4 nikkor. A classic Sonnar Formula. Although not as sharp as the Millenium this is a lens with a lot of character.

Jon wow 50k for the new Sonnar t
For that price snap it up if you see one again.. And get in contact with me

[thompsonks]

Agreed! – the 5cm f1.4 is what initially got me interested in the way Sonnars 'draw.'

Kirk

[thompsonks]

OK, I did it – because I read the ad again and realized the reasonable price also included an Amedeo adapter, allowing me to use S Mount lenses on M9.

The lens turned out to be mint, as advertised.

With the adapter I've been checking out the bokeh of alternative 1.4 & 1.5 lenses, wide open: Pre-asph Lux, Millenium Nikkor, 2007 Sonnar C; even a 1938 Sonnar.

I'll try to write something about this in a day or two.

Kirk