If you have a metabones adapter (I assume also for a shogun adapter), you can easily adjust the adapter's cam. Just spin clockwise or counter clockwise. Use liveview on a digital-m camera to dial it in, then use a sharpie to mark the cam's setting. I never shimmed mine as it stays in place. My 50mm 1.9 is a gorgeous black paint lens and the rendering is akin to a more romantic 50mm Apo-Summicron.
@@kevinfickling6384 This lens is so good I use it as my main 50mm on my M3. Once you dial in the adapter it's incredible - a more romantic version of the 50mm Apo-Summicron. Fun fact, Leitz bought Kern when they were bidding on a Swiss military contract open only to Swiss companies. So the Kern Macro-Switar is in the Leica family...Leica "adjacent."
I have both versions. I didn’t get the adapter for my Monochrom, but I did pick up one for my OM-D E-1 Mark III. I’ll probably get one for the Leica later. Nice shots.
I have a couple of Kern lenses for 16 mm cine cameras. Nice shots. On special occasions I use on my Leica M-P 240 a Pierre Angenieux 2.8/45-90 lens built for Leicaflex in the early 1970s. This French lens is stunning.
Kevin, Leica purchased Kern in 1986/87 and own all the intellectual property, they purchased them to be able to bid on a contract for Switzerland to supply all the binoculars for the the Govt. As Kern also made binoculars and the Swiss had a rule that in country company's got first shot at Govt. contracts. If you look at a lens diagram of the 50mm f 1.9 Kern Macro Switar it looks almost the same as the Apo Summicron, I wonder how that happened. I have three Alpa lenses that I use on my M cameras However only the 50mm f 1.9 I have can be rf coupled with the Leica M bodies. The other two lenses I have are a 24mm f 3.5 and a 40mm f 2.8 Makro Killar the lenses do not have a rf cam so you cannot focus with the rf. But if you have a viso they will work on the newer M digital cameras.
Wow Bill that is so interesting and I had no idea about that! Thank you so much for sharing that info. I always love learning bits of history like that!
Bought the Chinon”tapered” version of the Alpa lenses. A28mm, 35mm, 50mm 1.7 macro, the 50mm 1.9 and a 135mm. Shame there’s nothing matching between 50 and 135.
The Alpa Kern 50mm 1.8/1.9 was made exclusively for the Alpa. It was a contemporary of the Schneider 50mm Xenon 2.0 popular in the 1950s, and its' normal performance is very similar to that optic - nice for the times, but not exceptional. The Kern Switar is a "macro lens" only in that it has an extended focusing helix, which allows it to extend far enough to focus closely. What it does not have is any optical provision or design as a macro lens. Almost any prime lens designed as a macro lens will significantly out-perform this Switar, such as the Micro-Nikkors (any). As for adaption to the Leica mount, a Tamron Adaptall II 90mm 2,8 macro, made in various versions from the 1970s, will Leica couple with the appropriate Tamron Adaptall/Leica camera mount ($30 if you can find one), and blow away this rig for a fraction of the purchase of the Kern lens and its adaption from the Alpha mount. ("Apochromatic" means that the three primary colors (red, green and blue) focus to the same point on your film. The optical glass available until the 1980s didn't permit that to happen in lenses of this type. Like the "apo macro zooms" of 30-40 years later, this "apo" label was invented in the marketing department, not by the engineers. In the Kern Switar what Apo means is that it is a bit better color corrected to get closer to a real apochromatic optical result than most similar lenses of the day, but it color fringes along the edges and corners of the 35mm image like any other non-Apo lens.)
You have to use live view below .7 meter just like the new close focus Leica lenses. This is because of the rangefinder/camera mechanical limitations. It has nothing to do with the lens. No matter what close focus below .7 will be live view only.
@@kevinfickling6384 figured! just making sure and thanks for the info. i’ve seen some 40-60 dollar adapters on ebay, curious if those are the same as the kipon and if they are all rangefinder coupled?
Don't talk that Kern-Switar talk to me. ;o) I'll be looking for an M mount one. I have lusted after Kern-Switar far too long. Mmmm-hmmm. How does it compare to the Speed Panchro??
Sorry for the late reply! It’s a pretty different rendering in my opinion. The speed pancro is less sharp and the bokeh is a bit more busy. Not in a bad way but just different! The alpa lens is sharper and has a more modern rendering. The bokeh is much more soft and less distracting. They are both great!
If you have a metabones adapter (I assume also for a shogun adapter), you can easily adjust the adapter's cam. Just spin clockwise or counter clockwise. Use liveview on a digital-m camera to dial it in, then use a sharpie to mark the cam's setting. I never shimmed mine as it stays in place.
If you have a metabones adapter (I assume also for a shogun adapter), you can easily adjust the adapter's cam. Just spin clockwise or counter clockwise. Use liveview on a digital-m camera to dial it in, then use a sharpie to mark the cam's setting. I never shimmed mine as it stays in place.
My 50mm 1.9 is a gorgeous black paint lens and the rendering is akin to a more romantic 50mm Apo-Summicron.
Going to give this a try!
@@kevinfickling6384 This lens is so good I use it as my main 50mm on my M3. Once you dial in the adapter it's incredible - a more romantic version of the 50mm Apo-Summicron. Fun fact, Leitz bought Kern when they were bidding on a Swiss military contract open only to Swiss companies. So the Kern Macro-Switar is in the Leica family...Leica "adjacent."
I have both versions. I didn’t get the adapter for my Monochrom, but I did pick up one for my OM-D E-1 Mark III. I’ll probably get one for the Leica later.
Nice shots.
If I come across a 1.9 I’ll pick it up! Highly recommend it on the Monochrom. Thanks for watching!
Update, I have the M adapter, and also a M to L so I can use the lens on M and SL cameras.
I have a couple of Kern lenses for 16 mm cine cameras. Nice shots. On special occasions I use on my Leica M-P 240 a Pierre Angenieux 2.8/45-90 lens built for Leicaflex in the early 1970s. This French lens is stunning.
Wow very cool! I love mixing vintage with modern. Thanks for sharing!
Super cool lens! I wish I had one 🥹
What’s mine is yours 😍
@@kevinfickling6384 😍😍😍
@@kevinfickling6384 but what’s mine is still mine 🤓
Kevin, Leica purchased Kern in 1986/87 and own all the intellectual property, they purchased them to be able to bid on a contract for Switzerland to supply all the binoculars for the the Govt. As Kern also made binoculars and the Swiss had a rule that in country company's got first shot at Govt. contracts. If you look at a lens diagram of the 50mm f 1.9 Kern Macro Switar it looks almost the same as the Apo Summicron, I wonder how that happened. I have three Alpa lenses that I use on my M cameras However only the 50mm f 1.9 I have can be rf coupled with the Leica M bodies. The other two lenses I have are a 24mm f 3.5 and a 40mm f 2.8 Makro Killar the lenses do not have a rf cam so you cannot focus with the rf. But if you have a viso they will work on the newer M digital cameras.
Wow Bill that is so interesting and I had no idea about that! Thank you so much for sharing that info. I always love learning bits of history like that!
Bought the Chinon”tapered” version of the Alpa lenses. A28mm, 35mm, 50mm 1.7 macro, the 50mm 1.9 and a 135mm. Shame there’s nothing matching between 50 and 135.
Wow that's cool! Im curious to check out other lenses in this line now.
The Alpa Kern 50mm 1.8/1.9 was made exclusively for the Alpa. It was a contemporary of the Schneider 50mm Xenon 2.0 popular in the 1950s, and its' normal performance is very similar to that optic - nice for the times, but not exceptional. The Kern Switar is a "macro lens" only in that it has an extended focusing helix, which allows it to extend far enough to focus closely. What it does not have is any optical provision or design as a macro lens. Almost any prime lens designed as a macro lens will significantly out-perform this Switar, such as the Micro-Nikkors (any). As for adaption to the Leica mount, a Tamron Adaptall II 90mm 2,8 macro, made in various versions from the 1970s, will Leica couple with the appropriate Tamron Adaptall/Leica camera mount ($30 if you can find one), and blow away this rig for a fraction of the purchase of the Kern lens and its adaption from the Alpha mount. ("Apochromatic" means that the three primary colors (red, green and blue) focus to the same point on your film. The optical glass available until the 1980s didn't permit that to happen in lenses of this type. Like the "apo macro zooms" of 30-40 years later, this "apo" label was invented in the marketing department, not by the engineers. In the Kern Switar what Apo means is that it is a bit better color corrected to get closer to a real apochromatic optical result than most similar lenses of the day, but it color fringes along the edges and corners of the 35mm image like any other non-Apo lens.)
Wow amazing video man!
Thank you!
Hi Kevin, you don't need shims to calibrate the metabones adapter. You can adjust it by turning the ring that touches the RF cam on the camera.
Ok I will give this a try again. I couldn’t figure it out last time
@@kevinfickling6384 if you have any issues let me know 👍
Nice vid!
Thank you! Lets get out and shoot soon
Someone needed to make kern style lenses again, it looks way too good
I agree!!
kevin, is it rangefinder coupled in macro mode? or do you use live view where available?
You have to use live view below .7 meter just like the new close focus Leica lenses. This is because of the rangefinder/camera mechanical limitations. It has nothing to do with the lens. No matter what close focus below .7 will be live view only.
@@kevinfickling6384 figured! just making sure and thanks for the info. i’ve seen some 40-60 dollar adapters on ebay, curious if those are the same as the kipon and if they are all rangefinder coupled?
I purchased an Alpa 9D black w/red leather & M S 50mm in the 60s... should have kept it.....
That’s a beautiful set up!
Don't talk that Kern-Switar talk to me. ;o) I'll be looking for an M mount one. I have lusted after Kern-Switar far too long. Mmmm-hmmm. How does it compare to the Speed Panchro??
Sorry for the late reply! It’s a pretty different rendering in my opinion. The speed pancro is less sharp and the bokeh is a bit more busy. Not in a bad way but just different! The alpa lens is sharper and has a more modern rendering. The bokeh is much more soft and less distracting. They are both great!
Hi my adaptor need to be shim off, any idea how to do ? In order to use the RF with this lens
If you have a metabones adapter (I assume also for a shogun adapter), you can easily adjust the adapter's cam. Just spin clockwise or counter clockwise. Use liveview on a digital-m camera to dial it in, then use a sharpie to mark the cam's setting. I never shimmed mine as it stays in place.