5 Frames in Stuttgart with a Canon Serenar 50mm f/1.8 and Kodak 5222 Double-X

The Canon Serenar 50mm f/1.8 lens in M39 mount is a heavy brass assembly weighing 270 grams. It is small, so the weight feels exaggerated in my hand. It has 10 diaphragm blades and a double-gauss construction of 6 elements in 4 groups. Canon used the Serenar name on their early M39 mount lenses and this one dates from 1952. Canon’s 50mm M39 lenses made after 1956 are not as heavy as my early Serenar, but Canon must have changed their helicoid lubrication formula, making them vulnerable to contamination of the glass elements. The early versions before 1956 appear to be free of that issue. Some detail on this Serenar lens is available from the Canon Camera Museum

I expect this heavy Serenar lens to be well balanced with a Canon rangefinder in both size and weight. This lens does mount on my small Leica IIc, but its mass makes for a front-heavy pairing that partially obstructs the IIc’s viewfinder. Despite this lack of equilibrium, I like the images captured with this Canon lens. To my eye, it renders images with medium contrast and good resistance to flair. I can capture some fine backlit photos with it. I made a comparison of this Canon Serenar to my coated Leitz Elmar 5cm f/3.5 lens from 1951. Hoping to be objective, I used a tripod, a simple test chart, and Ilford Ortho 80 ISO film. The Canon results displayed more contrast, while the Elmar had an edge in sharpness.

A brief note on my Leica IIc: It was built between 1948 and 1951. This is a basic model with a maximum 1/500 shutter speed. It lacks the timer, low-speed dial, and flash sync connectors of more upscale Leicas from that era. I find its simplicity to be charming. The rangefinder has 1.5X magnification, a new split-image mirror, and a diopter adjustment, allowing me to accurately focus. The separate viewfinder is tiny, but since it has no rangefinder function, the glass is clear and bright.

I have been using Kodak 5222 Double-X for some time, first purchasing rolls of it packaged as “Cinestill BWXX”, then going for it in the 100 foot (33 meter) length. I understand the formula of this emulsion has not significantly changed since 1959. Since this is motion picture film stock, a cinematographer’s perspective is informative

While Double-X lacks the exposure latitude of modern B&W films, I have used it enough to get scannable negatives with my basic “sunny 16” skills or a cellphone light meter app. My most common error with this Double-X stock is blown out highlights from overexposure. This film is a favorite of mine with lovely contrast and shadow detail. I usually expose it at box speed (200 to 250 ISO). I have found it to be well suited for days with heavy cloud cover. Portraits composed away from the direct sun have fine gradations of skin tone. There are some inspiring reviews of 5222 Double-X posted on 35mmc here and here

Approaching Stuttgart from the north, I chatted for a while with another rail passenger disembarking. When I stated that our family was booked for a stay in Stuttgart, she expressed her distaste for its brutalist architecture. Reflecting on her statement, I thought of how monochrome film gets along quite well with brutalist concrete.  Hard edges can reveal some striking graphic forms.

Our family stayed in a hotel near the Hauptbahnhof and the Oberer Schlossgarten. My 5 Frames here are from my strolls in the Schlossgarten. While these sculptures and neo-classical buildings are far from brutalism in style, I think the stone and pavement are well rendered with the Serenar lens and Double-X film.

Walking from our hotel towards the Schlossgarten, I was ensnared in a busy commercial shopping district. A small tunnel led me towards the tranquility of the park.

The Neues Schloss (New Palace) with construction for some grand entertainments. I always find scaffolding to be photogenic. Double-X displays some gritty drama with the clouds overhead

A classical sculpture on a modern platform

Some visual clues illustrate the scale of this chessboard. I am impressed with the flare resistance of this Canon Serenar lens.

I developed the 5 Frames posted above in Adox Rodinal using a semi-stand process with 1:100 dilution.

Share this post: