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Should I sell my MATE?


robbie1

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Hi everyone.

I have a little question which you may be able to help me with.

I'll try to keep it quick.

 

I have a MATE mk1, which if you don't know, because I didn't until recently, is the short name for the Leica Tri-elmar 28-35-50mm f4 lens. It's risen in price recently, because of it's handiness with the M9 and the fact that Leica have stopped making it. They can't get the amazing glass for the front element. I had to part-ex quite a lot of kit to get my new M9, and lost a much loved 24mm f2.8 Elmarit and 2 film bodies and accessories. So I've been thinking... I'm not sure I need the MATE. It's burning a hole in my bag, I could get a couple of primes for the price of the lens.

 

So - should I sell the MATE and buy 2 fairly good used primes, say a decent 28mm Summicron and probably a Zeiss 21mm? I'm asking because I can't afford to just go out and spend just under £3000. I wish I could, but it wouldn't go down well with my other mate - of over 25 years.

 

I see the point of the MATE, I've used it for years - but not as often as the other lenses. It would be tethered to the film that was in the camera, and that may not have been a good match. It makes a lot of sense with an M9 - I can go to 1200 ASA plus, without things falling off completely. It's great to have one lens for travel, you don't need to take the big bag everywhere, so it saves spending money on a back doctor.

It's just a real shame it's so slow, here in the UK we don't get as many nice days as the tri-elmar requires. I have 35mm & 50mm f2 Summicrons - so I don't need to think of replacing those. I have a Zeiss 25mm as a replacement for the 24, but it's a bit wobbly, okay in terms of value for money.

 

I haven't had any experience of the prime 28's or Zeiss 21's, how good are they, and I can't say in comparison, but is it worth doing this? What would you do, is it maybe speed and quality over convenience? It's more a question of whether it's worth keeping when I could have the other bits of kit for the same money?

 

I know it's a pretty daft question without knowing me and what I do in detail, but you may have an opinion or may have been in a similar situation.

 

Rob

Edited by robbie1
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I have both versions and these days, it's more of an interesting curiosity than a core lens. Even when travelling, I prefer to use a trio of small lenses - 28mm Elmarit, 35mm Summicron and 50mm Elmar take up next to no space and offer at least a stop extra speed.

 

The MATE is a very fragile mount and it's easy to damage the mount without too much effort.

 

I'd still like Leica to produce another variable focus length lens, 28 and 50 would be fine, higher speed would be essential.

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I recently sold mine after many years of considerable use and much travelling on an M6. My reasoning was that when shooting transparencies for AVs, framing was critical. Now with the M9 I can crop as much as I like so no longer need it. I am happier using my smaller lighter, faster lenses.

 

Ian

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Well..... just to be contrary I'm heading in the opposite direction......

 

It's a great hikers lens, particularly for a minimalist tramp with the dog.... where changing lenses with a demented puppy on the end of a lead is a struggle....

 

Having carted a bag full of lenses on a walking holiday this summer in Italy I regret not having a MATE sooner.....

 

Anyway, basically if you don't use it, SELL IT :)

 

Leica gear is too expensive to be in a bag collecting dust......

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I came near to selling my MkII version earlier this year. Then saw some stunning A3 prints a colleague had made using his MATE. So I spent some time with it fixed to an M9 and find the quality during travel truly excellent, even at full aperture. (At least T35 and T50). If you need more speed, adjust the ISO which, up to a high point, is perfectly usable.

 

Remember also that its main virtue is a reduction in lens-changing which can be highly beneficial in some environmental situations. Try it again for a couple of weeks and if you seriously don't like it, sell it. There are many people out there waiting to buy a landmark lens which holds its value rather better than some lenses.

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Anyway, basically if you don't use it, SELL IT :)

 

What he says.

I find it to be a great travel lens when space is tight (or just for street wandering) and overall light is sufficient.

Had mine (v2) adjusted/coded in Solms a couple of years ago and it's been performing flawlessly ever since. The mechanism is indeed complex, but with normal care this should not be a problem.

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Well, from what you say in your post, you might as well sell it and get one or two primes you think you will use more often.

 

But if you ask me whether I would sell my MkII MATE, I'd have to answer: NEVER EVER. I'd rather sell some primes instead. Fortunately, I don't have to.

 

Andy

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Not yet. See how useful you find it with your M9. Mine is my second most used lens, after the 50 f1.4 so I would never sell it. It is the only lens which is always in the bag, usually mounted.

M9, WATE, MATE and macro Elmar weigh very little and are all superb in every way.

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Not yet. See how useful you find it with your M9. Mine is my second most used lens, after the 50 f1.4 so I would never sell it. It is the only lens which is always in the bag, usually mounted.

M9, WATE, MATE and macro Elmar weigh very little and are all superb in every way.

 

a man after my own heart :)..... after using most M lenses over the 18 months this too is the default three that are always in my camera bag.....

 

I really cant see the gripes about f4....... the M9 is ok for slow speeds down to 1/8 handheld with all but 90 and 50 ... and there is still the option of raising the iso .... plus this trio are spot on focussing at all apertures and distances.... which is not the case with some of my other more exotic Leica offerings. :(

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Funny. One of the most frequently offered pieces of advice on the forum is NEVER sell a Leica lens unless you have to.

 

Then as soon as you ask directly whether you should sell a lens, everyone says "Yes".

 

I love it! :):):)

Not EVERYONE, Peter! I would not dare to advise a sale of something I do not own!

 

No, I genuinely believe that the MATE is a rare phenomenon, a miracle of fine mechanical and optical design which performs outstandingly well within its given parameters. It will continue to appreciate in value unless Leica belatedly introduce a successor.

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