The year is 1954....

[rodt16s]

I have the 2" f/2 Taylor - Hobson Anastigmat, which came with the Reid... an unsung classic from the early 50's.

[S.H.]

I'm still shooting with my Opton 50 1.5. Quite nice. I think they can compare with a 1st version Summilux even if they are 10 years younger, but ymmv. I also use from time to time prewar jena sonnars. All these if they are clean are good performers, if you do not need maximum modern "performance" (sharpness is sometime overrated as a pictural quality, and if I want some a have a '53 Rolleiflex ).

By the way, there are also the Schneider Xenon f1.5 and f2, and the Rodenstock Heligon f2 in this time frame. I have one Heligon on a cheap retina, I have yet to try it.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Originally Posted by sparrow6224

Just curious what very well informed people think, I've never seen the question put broadly to cover all contenders: the year is, let's say, 1954. Which of the available fast 50mm do you want to be shooting

I can't! I've been informed I wasn't born yet

[seakayaker1]

I have a 1951 Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Summitar 5 cm f/2 which I enjoy. A compact lens that has great optical quality and works to today on the M with an LTM adaptor.

[peterm1]

For my money I would be happy to be shooting any of the following

- The LTM Summitar and Summarit (although the latter is better perhaps as a special use lens) The Sumitar is a lens that I think of as being half way between the Summar and the Summicron, so for this reason would leave the Summar off the list.

- The Summicron (of course)

- The Canon f1.8 (It has to be about on par with the Summicron but to my eyes has a more "modern" look to its images.)

- The prewar Zeiss f1.5 (I cant speak for the others as I haev not used them)

And yes if the Canon f1.4 were available in 1954 I would be happy to use it - but I think it came later as I do not recall seeing it in a chrome mount. I owned a black and chrome one which again like the f1.8 was very sharp - and like the 1.8 rendered in a quite modern way.

On the other hand the 50mm f1.5 definitely was available in chrome (and hence was available earlier - although I cant recall without accessing my reference books if it was in 1954). I had one of these that was a bit knocked about although optically perfect. If I only had one lens I think this would be the one. This lens is a killer (as its price on eBay now attests.)

All of these lenses have excellent capabilities