Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Loving the Rollei HFT 50mm f1.8 Planar

Bike -- NEX-5N & Rollei HFT 50mm f1.8 Planar QBM Mount

I have been shooting with this lens for the last few days.  Not a lot of pictures, but have taken it with me when I am out and about.  Amazingly sharp lens with beautiful colours.  It's truly a bargain for a Zeiss designed lens.  It's well made too.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 3, 2012 at 12:43 AM

    Thanks for the post!

    One thing about lenses that I find curious is the mention that different lenses of the same focal length can render colors differently. I am curious of an A B comparison of a lens with good colors versus one with less than desirable or muted ones. How perceptible is this? And is a lens with good colors demonstrate this effect across different digital sensors?

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    1. Lens BubbleAugust 12, 2012 at 10:04 PM

      From experience, yes. Different lenses of the same focal length exhibit colors differently. I am planning to do a comparison later on different 50mm lenses. Some lenses tend to have some sort of tint to them. Many Sigma lenses have a tendency toward yellowish, warmer colors than the Canon, for example. With digital, color is less important than film, as most colors can be fixed through software.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 16, 2012 at 7:23 PM

    The Rollei 50F18 is a Zeiss designed lens in the meaning of every 6-lens planar has it roots on a Zeiss planar.
    The Contax/Yashica lenses 50F17 and 50F14 have 7 lenses and deliver sharper results.
    But the Rollei is a very good companion.
    Thanks for your Work. I love it.

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    1. Lens BubbleAugust 16, 2012 at 9:05 PM

      Thanks for your info. I could be wrong, but I think the Rollei planar design was licensed from Zeiss.

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    2. AnonymousJuly 26, 2017 at 5:22 PM

      Wrong, the Rollei planar is a seven element design more like the ultron planars.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 19, 2012 at 7:32 PM

    You are right. This is because both companies are german companies and they did not loose their patents in germany during and after the WW2.
    But for the international community of lensmakers the Zeiss-patents on the 6-lens Planar design went lost and they all were free to do their own copies.
    And so there was a need to do a better Planar-Design by Zeiss with 7 lenses,;-).
    By the way: have you ever used the canon FD 135F2, maybe on your nex too?

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  4. ClaireNovember 16, 2012 at 12:07 PM

    I got mine this morning and it seems indeed to be maybe my best nifty yet ( so far the crown belonged to MC Rokkor 50/1.4).

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