Strange bokeh from 50mm f2

[Fanie]

First of all thank you Bjørn for the revival.

I bought a F2 film camera last year and tried the 50mm f2 lens on my D800.

It seems to have a very harsh bokeh with shadow lines around any high contrast out of focus lines. Is this normal for this lens? I have developed some B&W film with the F2 and lens combo, but have not yet have it scanned to see if it repeats this characteristic on film.

The exif reports 135mm lens, most propably picked up the programmed 135 MF lens as the lens fitted?

[Jan Anne]

Hi Fanie, welcome aboard

[Fanie]

Thanks Jan Anne, feels like home :-)

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The bokeh of the 50 mm f/2 can be pretty harsh. Probably not only due to the 6-blade aperture, the otherwise excellent correction of spherical aberration is contributing as well. So the general advice is to keep an eye on how the background appears (using the stop-down button for checking).

You should keep the aperture down to f/5.6- f/8 only for the best image quality.

[Fanie]

Thanks Bjørn, will definitely use it a bit more, really love the lens.

[Roland Vink]

My (brief) experience with the 50/2 is similar. I quickly changed it for the AI 50/1.8 which is much better. It has smoother bokeh especially at the center of the image  (worse towards the edges), and the 7-blade aperture is also nicer.

[Frank Fremerey]

I just tested the AI 50/f=2.0 against the AFS 50/f=1.8G and found a very similr rendering in the sharp parts.

if it is OK for you I can contribute a comparsion of these lenses @2 and @4...

[Fanie]

I just tested the AI 50/f=2.0 against the AFS 50/f=1.8G and found a very similr rendering in the sharp parts.

if it is OK for you I can contribute a comparsion of these lenses @2 and @4...

Please Frank, please do post the comparisons here, would be interesting.

[Intrepid]

FWIW

There are only two 50mm candidates that I know of that will give you creamy smooth bokeh.

1. Leica R Summicron 50/2 (two versions)- the mount can be changed to Nikon F.

2. Zeiss ZF(2) Planar 50/1.4.  Nothing beats it.

Anything else will give the double line bokeh with varying effect.  The new 58/1.4 will also show onion rings in OOF highlights from its aspheric element (not discernable in the original Noct).

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The Nikkor 50  mm f/1.2 AIS should be a candidate for the short list as well - really soft and creamy bokeh at least up to f/5.6, maybe even a bit further down the aperture scale.

The Zeiss ZF 50/1.4 had an ugly bokeh at the widest stop(s). Bokeh improved when the lens was stopped down, but double lines appeared quickly from f/7 onwards. Perhaps ZF.2 is a different design.

Agree that the Leica 50 is good. Image contrast is high. Only used it at my Panasonics, but perhaps should look into modifying its mount? A  nice challenge for Erik next time I visit him in Copenhagen.

[Intrepid]

Bjørn, I have 2 samples of the Summicron (version 1, 6/5 construction) 50/2.  One is already in F mount (though it could have a better F mount for longer term use). Will donate that to the new site. 

[Erik Lund]

Leica R to Nikon F is a rather easy job for most lenses, Leitax has a replacement mount that has the correct thickness so the register distance will work flawless, they even come with Dandelion mounted if needed, but I'm sure a custom CPU will be provided.

Vivek we will gladly accept your donor lens, I'm sure Jan Ann could pick it up... Thanks

[Intrepid]

Leica R to Nikon F is a rather easy job for most lenses, Leitax has a replacement mount that has the correct thickness so the register distance will work flawless, they even come with Dandelion mounted if needed, but I'm sure a custom CPU will be provided.

Vivek we will gladly accept your donor lens, I'm sure Jan Ann could pick it up... Thanks

Will do, Erik.  I modified mine before Leitax came up with their replacement mount!

Damn, I am ancient!

[Erik Lund]

The Onion ring thingy only appear sometimes for newer Aspherical designs, cast elements? so far I have only seen it seldom with the New Noct-Nikkor 58mm 1.4 and it can differ from image to image almost without any change in framing...

I have never ever seen onion rings in the out of focus highlights in images from the Noct-Nikkor... Nikon claimed it was a hand grinded Aspherical element...

The Leica M 50mm Summilux 1.4 Asph and pre Asph + Leica M 50mm Summicron 2.0 Apo and Pre-Apo are candidates for smooth Bokeh as well!

Although IMHO it is not only the choice of lens but also an exercise in PP not to tweak too much with the 'sliders' in PP when 'developing' the images...

Often now a days online I see contrast, detail and sharpening turned up so much that the Bokeh suffers. So watch out

[Intrepid]

Leica M lenses can not go on the F mount cams. 

Yes, it is the last point you make that would make me rule out the 50/1.2 AiS.

The Summicron R 50/2 has everything going, sharpness (center only in the 1 version), micro contrast and smooth bokeh-  all these I have only seen in one Nikon lens, the F3AF's 80/2.8 AF Nikkor and possibly/may be the 85/2.8 PC Nikkor.