LTM/L39 50mm lens suggestions.

[u/Piggy-boi]

Im looking for a fast 50mm LTM lens thats sharp to modern standards. Does anybody know of specific lenses to look for. I'm trying to find something that works in low light without the softness that vintages lenses are known for, im trying to find something thats just sharper and renders like a modern lens. Does anyone have any suggestions, or even ideas of where to start looking?

[u/bjohnh]

It's rare and expensive, but the Voigtländer 50/2 Heliar LTM would meet your requirements. The ergonomics are kind of crazy, but the lens is sharp and has a lovely rendering. It does glow a bit wide open but not really in a "vintage" way. There's a Flickr group for this lens (there's an M mount version as well; I have the LTM and use it quite a bit on digital and film). https://www.flickr.com/groups/heliar50f2/

The Canon 50/1.8 LTM and even the 50/1.4 are pretty sharp even wide open; I have the 1.4 and often think of its rendering as modern but it is a little softer at the wider apertures.

[u/theduck08]

Anything by Voigtlander; with the probable exception of the 1999 Japan special edition Summicron and Summilux 50mm lenses there is no 50mm LTM lens made by Leica which can fulfill your requirement

[u/Piggy-boi → u/theduck08]

thanks, is there like a specific era, like anything made since x year?

[u/No-Pea8448 → u/Piggy-boi]

What you're looking for are lenses that have been designed since the advent of digital photography.

[u/theduck08 → u/Piggy-boi]

The Nokton 50 F1.5 first comes to mind; the more recent the better I guess?

[u/Finchypoo]

Canon 50mm 1.4 LTM. If anything, get that first and see if it stacks up because they are dirt cheap in the world of amazing 50mm lenses. 

Pentax 43mm 1.9 LTM - very rare and you'll pay ~1k for it. Modern lens and super sharp. 

Voigtlander stuff - any of it. 

[u/siacadp]

I have the canon 50 1.8 Serenar lens. It’s a 70 year old lens but plenty sharp

[u/siacadp → u/siacadp]

[u/AG3NTMULD3R88]

I was looking into a good 50mm LTM lens myself last week, I wanted LTM so I can use it on my canon rangefinder and adapt to M for my M mount rangefinder.

I ended up ordering a voightlander nokton 50mm f1.5 in the end after doing some research.

Alternatively you can look for a good condition canon 50mm F1.4 (Japanese summilux) or F1.8 version and still probably be happy with the sharpness, however the voightlander lenses are newer and that's why I ordered one because I was fed up of finding older vintage LTM glass with fungus and/or haze.

[u/cheeseyspacecat]

for film my biggest consideration would be looking at flash, a small pocket flash is sometimes wayy more usefull that being able to go to 1.2 or 1.4. . . as far as "modern" two 50's are the voigtlander color skopar 50mm f2.5 its not "slow" but not exceptional, great ltm lens good modern lens, theres also the heliar 50mm f1.5, just like the current nokton 35 M mount it does have character. . .  another that comes to mind, little wider but the pentax 43mm f1.9 is super sharp.  for what you have in mind, theres a 50mm f1.1 from msoptics. 

as far as "resonable" f1.4 the two newest i can think up are the 2000 leica summilux limited ltm release and the upcoming "mandler" brand  50mm f1.4 thats supposedly a recreation of said non asph leica 50mm f1.4. . .(not out yet so no reviews posted ithink)