which 28mm for Leica M8?

[Maggie_O]

Another shot from the 28/1.9 Ultron, wide open @ ISO1250:



I love that bokeh!

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by jklotz

My situation was similar to yours; I bought into the system, got a nice lens and quickly found out that I wanted other focal lengths. Now keep in mind I have a really bad case of MLD (multiple lens disorder), but I decided to go the cheap route and I got the little CV 28 Color-Skopar. Sean Reid's reviews of it were pretty good, and it's really cheap, so I got it as an "interim" lens. So far I've been really impressed. It's slow (3.5), so forget about low light handheld, but it's small, easy to carry, and as Sean put's it, a nice "day time" lens. On a tripod, it renders beautifully in low light. (see attached) Keep in mind it is an LTM, so you'll need an adaptor for it, but it does a nice job, and at the price, why not? That way, you'll have something to use until you can afford your 'cron. Oh, and with the included little hood, it doesn't block any of the viewfinder. Hope this helps

Once one allows for its max aperture of F/3.5, this is one of the most under-appreciated 28 mm RF lenses ever made. It's an exceptional lens in many respects and, of course, the LTM mount makes it easy to code this lens with an LT-M8 adapter.

Cheers,

Sean

[sean_reid]

Originally Posted by DrTebi

The CV 28 Color-Skopar would be good for day light use, but I assume that I will end up wanting to open up wider once in a while. So far I have not developed the Multiple Lens Syndrome, so I am hoping that I find just one lens that fits in between my 15mm and 50mm.

That said, I still think that the Elmarit would be my best choice.

You do realize that there's only about a half-stop difference between those two lenses, right? If F/3.5 is too slow, F/2.8 isn't going to be much better. You might want to consider a slower compact 28 (Skopar or Elmarit) as well as a faster 28. My own kit includes a high contrast compact 28, a low contrast compact 28 and a fast 28.

If you want just one 28 to do it all, the current Summicron is the most versatile, followed very closely by the Ultron (depending on lighting, one's contrast preferences, etc.). My personal preference is for the 28/3.5 Skopar over the current 28 Elmarit and then, among the fast 28s, the current 28 Summicron over the 28 Ultron.

Cheers,

Sean

[farnz]

Originally Posted by mat_mcdermott

... Is that grain elevator still in operation or is it a relic?

Matt,

You had me completely hornswoggled there for a moment! I thought to myself "Grain elevator?? Is that a Photoshop plugin that I haven't heard of yet?" Then I wondered if it was a pseudonym for digital noise turned into simulated film grain. Then I noticed then grain silo in the picture and ... duh!

Pete.

[DrTebi]

I now realize the difference is only about a half-stop, good you brought this to my attention Sean. Numbers can be confusing at times.

When it comes to opting for several 28mm lenses, I would like to avoid that. It would be inconvenient when traveling or hiking, and for most of my purposes I won't need a very fast lens, and I also believe that I should try to get acustomed to one 28mm lens and learn it's ins and outs.

I wish I could have tested all these lenses on my own. Without my own experience, I tried to make a decision based on images I found on pbase (shot with the M8). Another important factor for me was not to have the lens block any of my view.

End of story: I just placed an order for the 28mm Elmarit...