Zeiss Sonnar 50mm

By: Mikael Törnwall

There are few lenses that are more hated and more loved than the Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm. Some photographers love the lens for its smooth bokeh and great 3D images, some hate it for its soft edges when shot wide open, and for its focus shift issues. I have been in both those categories.
I got the lens a couple of years ago for my Leica M8.2 and I kept it when I upgraded to an M9. I have to admit I did not give too much thought to it when I first bought it. An almost new, f/1.5 normal for $750 felt like a bargain compared to a used Summilux 50, and definitely compared to a new Summilux.
It quickly turned out that the lens had something extra, a classic look and feel to the pictures that few modern lenses can compete with, at the same time that its supersharp stepped down to f/5.6 or f/8. That’s thanks to the combination of Zeiss using the 70 years old Sonnar design as a starting point for a modern lens, while still using contemporary coating. For insta...