I've liked the look and idea of the Heliar Classic since I first saw it announced, but didn't need the body, so I jumped when I saw a specialist camera store selling a minty black lens without the R2M body (seems some guy bought the kit for the body only).
It came this morning and I've got to say - wow! Is this the first new lens CV have released under their own name since the Zeiss ZMs? 'Cos if it is they've really learned something from the Germans. Now I'm a big fan of the CV lenses anyway (I should be, I own a half-dozen of them), but this is BY FAR the best built example I've handled, and the black and silver finish is REALLY similar to the ZMs.
It's seriously compact as well, although as has been mentioned it doesn't actually collapse all that much. But next to the Nokton it looks tiny. Weirdly though, it weighs nearly twice as much as the 1.5?! I've been out shooting with it this afternoon and can't wait to get the roll of Neopan 1600 in the soup.
mr_philip: yes, the heliar is very well built, the hood is spring loaded, the same as ZM lens, i have the silver one, it is heavy, the mount is brass I believe.
I've shot a couple of rolls with the Heliar Classic now and it really is a bit special. It's noticably sharper than the Nokton (itself no mean performer) at the same apertures, and the handling continues to impress.
I've put a few of the images up on my Flick Stream - I'll be adding more when I get through scanning the negatives.
Now if only Mr K would do a collapsable 90mm to match...
Just to help people suffering from acute GAS, here is a portrait of the Heliar on my black R3M:
Cheers,
Abbazz
__________________ Il n'y a rien dans le monde qui n'ait son moment décisif, et le chef-d'œuvre de la bonne conduite est de connaître et de prendre ce moment. - Cardinal de Retz
__________________ Il n'y a rien dans le monde qui n'ait son moment décisif, et le chef-d'œuvre de la bonne conduite est de connaître et de prendre ce moment. - Cardinal de Retz
Here's a few for you Ray, great little lens, you'll love it..
Thanks, Bill. How much sharpening (if any) did you do on the outdoor pics, particularly the Indian? It looks like a sharp lens. Both your exterior images and kshapero's look good.
mounted on a blk chrome MP the combo is sweetly light and can be carried all day long for sure. I think Camera quest is selling them for $450 or so. I paid a hundred bucks more than that. These are all wide open. Taken for fun at the office.
Thanks, Bill. How much sharpening (if any) did you do on the outdoor pics, particularly the Indian? It looks like a sharp lens. Both your exterior images and kshapero's look good.
my shots were not retouched and I am not that good of a photographer. Must be that new 50mm f2 lens.
I've shot a couple of rolls with the Heliar Classic now and it really is a bit special. It's noticably sharper than the Nokton (itself no mean performer) at the same apertures, and the handling continues to impress.
I was comparing it with the 50mm/f1.5 Nokton. The Helair Classic supplanted my 50mm Nokton to such an extent that I recently sold it - I'd stopped using it altogether. The Nokton was a lovely lens, but the Heliar's better in every regard bar the maximum aperture.
I was comparing it with the 50mm/f1.5 Nokton. The Helair Classic supplanted my 50mm Nokton to such an extent that I recently sold it - I'd stopped using it altogether. The Nokton was a lovely lens, but the Heliar's better in every regard bar the maximum aperture.
And you say the Heliar is actually sharper than the Nokton? Sorry for being dense, but it seemed like all the reports I was reading about the Heliar indicated that it was a nice lens, especially WRT boken, but that it wasn't especially sharp. So I was getting the impression that the Nokton still might be a tad bit sharper....
What aperture range do you tend to use? How did the two seem to compare at F2?
And you say the Heliar is actually sharper than the Nokton? Sorry for being dense, but it seemed like all the reports I was reading about the Heliar indicated that it was a nice lens, especially WRT boken, but that it wasn't especially sharp. So I was getting the impression that the Nokton still might be a tad bit sharper....
What aperture range do you tend to use? How did the two seem to compare at F2?
The Heliar is a very sharp lens. In his Pop Photo November 2006 column, Herbert Keppler is rather eulogistic: "The Heliar turned out to be incredibly good, comparable at all apertures to the 50mm f/2 Leica Summicron-M we'd tested in 1996."
In its January 2007 column, Mr. Keppler compares the Classic Heliar with the Zeiss Ikon Planar 50mm f/2 and the Summicron 50mm f/2. The Summicron is a tad better than the 2 other ones, but these 3 lenses definitely play in the same league.
Cheers,
Abbazz
__________________ Il n'y a rien dans le monde qui n'ait son moment décisif, et le chef-d'œuvre de la bonne conduite est de connaître et de prendre ce moment. - Cardinal de Retz
Thanks for being patient with my questions and providing info. I also revisited mr_phillip's pictures, and in the end decided: "what the hey!" So now I've got both this lens and the 75/2.5 on order.
I'm new here...first post, actually, but I've been lurking. I've been wondering about this lens, and it's nice to hear such good things. I've been trying to decide between the Heliar and one of the numerous $499 "BGN" Summicrons at KEH. Is the Heliar just as good?
Here is a couple shots I took with the Heliar lens. It does not have half stops past f8 though. It is a very sharp lens and I like using it besides thats all that matters.
, here is a portrait of the Heliar on my black R3M:
Linear Mode
