In addition to my original post, my most used and most trusted lens is an M42 Mamiya Sekor SX 1.4/55. I was after the best IQ I could get
no matter what. You will most probably get that from a 24x36mm standard lens on the Pentax DSLR. I use the SMC Tak 1.4/50 + 1.8/55
as well as the Contax pendants and many more 50ies. The winner is the Mamiya for my style of photography.
Anything I want: Colors, bokeh, spherical appearance, 'sharpness' right from f/1.4 (this one's 2.8 probably, no PP but cropped)
I have just found the original design.
Frank Mechelhoff claims it is the 1961
Zeiss Ikon Contarex Planar 1.4/55. This lens has seen quite some
mass production as the Rolleinar MC 1:1,4/55mm in Rollei QBM mount (only on Canon EOS without slaughtering).
It seems strange that 1960's designs shall be better than those of the seventies and onwards. OTOH "better" always just meant sharper in a
lab-test perspective. That can involve skipping bokeh and rendition characteristics in favor of the lab test. I am having an eye on those old
Auto Takumars and Nikkors and stuff, but they are hard to find. Canon SSC FD lenses are said to be excellent also, but impossible to get onto
PK-mount.
I am only talking 6mpix K100D here, so maybe I'll revert the pecking order when those oldies would be mounted on a K20D or similar .-)
Best, Georg (the other)