Sonnar’s main line, C SONNAR 50 ZM
Review and photo examples of CARL ZEISS C SONNAR ZM 50mm Leica M mount used with film camera LEICA M6
Table of contents
Gallery
- LEICA M6 +KODAK E100VS reversal film
- Film scanning was done with Minolta’s DiMAGE Scan Multi PRO and VueScan.
Review
1．Overview
The C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM is a Carl Zeiss brand lens manufactured by Cosina in 2006.
The main specifications are as follows, and the details are listed in the table.
- Aperture value: 1.5
- Lens construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
- Aperture blades: 10
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.9m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder coupling: 0.9m
- Hood: Dedicated bayonet hood
- Lens color variations: Silver and black
As the name suggests, the C SONNAR 50mm is a Sonnar-type lens. The original large-diameter Sonnar-type lens is generally recognized as a 3-group, 7-element lens made in 1932. The lens configuration of the original Sonnar, which used two sets of 3-element cemented lenses, was created when coating technology was still immature.
The C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM uses the same lens specifications as the original Sonnar, 50mm F1.5. However, the lens configuration is 4 groups and 6 elements, with the front 3 elements being independent lenses and the rear 3 elements being cemented lenses, paying homage to the original Sonnar.
Considering the examples of Cosina/Zeiss brand lenses to date, the C at the beginning of the lens name is likely to stand for Classic. It is part of the Classic series because the lens configuration uses the Sonnar format that Zeiss released in the past.
2．Usage
The image produced by the C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM is not classic, but rather a sharp, modern lens with little distortion around the edges, although the film used is KODAK E100VS, which emphasizes color saturation.
There is no suspicious atmosphere like with old lenses, so it is a lens that can be used sufficiently for digital photography.
The thickness of the lens barrel is just right, and it is designed to match when attached to a rangefinder camera. Since it is a compact lens, it may look a little shabby when used with a large mirrorless camera.
The aperture ring is at the end of the barrel and the focus ring is in the center, which is common to the ZM lens series, so there are no problems with operability.
3．Summary
To sum up the C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM, it is worth finding value in a modern lens that was manufactured with as much in mind as possible to recreate the original Sonnar. The coating, manufacturing precision, and manufacturer warranty give it a sense of security that is not found in old lenses, so it is suitable for photographers who want to easily enjoy the feel of Sonnar.
Specification and Competitor
Before the release of the C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM, the Sonnar format was promoted by Miyazaki of Ms-optics (Miyazaki Optical), who released the Sonnar series of lenses that were developed from the Sonnar format as modern standard lenses.
The earliest lens, the MS-Mode Dual 50mm F1.3, the brightest Sonnar-type SONNETAR 50mm F1.1, and the SONNETAR 50mm F1.3, a revival of the early lens, are all lenses that were developed from the Sonnar format.
The SONNETAR 50mm F1.3 shown in the comparison below is a lens configuration of 4 groups and 5 elements, with the rear group being made of 2 elements bonded together, a lens configuration that prioritizes manufacturing costs and ease of design.
I imagine that Zeiss reissued the C SONNAR 50mm F1.5 ZM because of their pride in being the original Sonnar.
- The lens configuration diagrams are quoted from materials distributed by each company, and the sizes have been adjusted by us, so they are not exact.
| Lens name | C SONNAR | SONNETAR |
| Focal length | 50 | 50 |
| Max aperture | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 |
| Leaf blade | 10 | 10 |
| Lens Construction | 6 elements in 4 groups | 5 elements in 4 groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Lens length(mm) | 38.2 | 36 |
| Max diameter | 56 | 50 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 46 | 49 |
| Weight(g) | 250 | 110 |
| Lens hood | Carl Zeiss Lens Shade 35mm/50mm | Special trumpet type 49mm reverse thread |
| Lens mount | ZM | LEICA M |
| Release date | 2006.8.4 | 2022 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | ¥105,000 | -¥100,000 |
ZM Lens list
- Distagon T✻ 15mm ƒ/2.8 (Made in Germany)
- Distagon T✻ 18mm ƒ/4
- Distagon T✻ 21mm ƒ/2.8
- C Biogon T✻ 21mm ƒ/4.5
- Biogon T✻ 25mm ƒ/2.8
- Biogon T✻ 28mm ƒ/2.8
- Distagon T✻ 35mm ƒ/1.4
- Biogon T✻ 35mm ƒ/2
- C Biogon T✻ 35mm ƒ/2.8
- C Sonnar T✻ 50mm ƒ/1.5
- Planar T✻ 50mm ƒ/2
- Tele-Tessar T✻ 85mm ƒ/4
- Sonnar T✻ 85mm ƒ/2 (Made in Germany)
Reference links
Update
- 2025.4.9
- 2024.04.20
- 2024.01.24
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