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80 Summilux- Your subjects and light conditions?


dave.gt

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The 80 Lux is so special and has been a dream of mine for a long time. This is the most amazing lens.

 

I am finding close focus portraits a challenge at times shooting wide open as I have yet to predict the razor thin depth of field. Bokeh is always pleasing but also a surprise most of the time. So I reckon it will take a long time to really learn the lens on a film body.

 

In that regard, I am curious as to how you use yours. What subjects? Wide open or stopped down? Low light? Bright sunny days? ND filter at times?

 

Thank you in advance...

Edited by dave.gt
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Other than portraits you did not provide much info about your use. Camera? Filters? Available light? Artificial light? etc.

 

Hmmm, let me try to rephrase the question...

 

I do documentary work on small towns and portraits with available light. The 80 Lux is my only R lens but I do most of my work with my M3 and a variety of lenses from 35 to 90mm.

 

I am curious what others use the same lens for...what makes you decide to use this particular lens on any given day? Does anyone else use the lens for portraits? Do you shoot in low light situations more or do you shoot in bright sunlight?

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I bought one locally about three months ago. 3 Cam version and it's beautiful although I haven't used it much.

 

The Plan is to use it mainly for available light portraits. Things like Church services (Christenings, Weddings etc) and indoors. I'm open to trying some flash work.

I have green and orange filters so we'll see what happens. :D

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I use it in all light situations. I prefer the low ligth. When shooting in hi-lighting don't have the R8 always - with 1/8000 to compensate for lens wide open. Sometimes I used also at f-stops closed: it is sharp from f/5.6, however is surpassed by 90 Elmarit and 100 APO.

Fernando.

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Other than portraits you did not provide much info about your use. Camera? Filters? Available light? Artificial light? etc.

 

Thank you for the comments so far. I love this lens! I have not been able to use it much at all this year (medical emergencies) so I am looking forward to shooting with it much more now that life has settled down a but.

 

Ah, cannot attach an image with the iPhone.

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I bought the lens for available light photography. Indoors for portraits and/or outdoors for scenes or street photography where low light requires 1.4 type of lens.

 

I have a Monochrom, but will use the 75/1.4 with that and often use green, yellow or orange filters and very rarely use red filters.

 

Many say the cell of the 80/1.4 and the 75/1.4 are the same, but since both were designed by Walter Mandler they will stay with me for a long time.

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Dave,

 

Since receiving my M240 I've used my 80 Summilux a lot for candid portraits and general street shooting, always wide open (what else?) and with a 3-stop ND filter on bright days. It gives me extra reach over my fast 50's in certain parts of London where people can be very wary of those close to them with cameras and its shallow depth of field helps to isolate subjects from the melee around them in such a busy city.

 

Prior to the M240 I used it on a 5D MkII (my R9 having departed before its arrival) but it wasn't a comfortable or effective candid or street combination owing to the bulk and 'big, black, plastic box' effect and the dSLR's average viewfinder. I even resorted to using a Seagull loupe attached to the LCD and shooting with LiveView and although that improved results by magnifiying the image it was more awkward and unwieldy and made me look like I was shooting video, which was even more obtrusive and rather defeated the objective of trying to blend into the background.

 

My M240 has given my 80 Summilux a new lease of life.

 

Pete.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I bought the lens for available light photography. Indoors for portraits and/or outdoors for scenes or street photography where low light requires 1.4 type of lens.

 

I have a Monochrom, but will use the 75/1.4 with that and often use green, yellow or orange filters and very rarely use red filters.

 

Many say the cell of the 80/1.4 and the 75/1.4 are the same, but since both were designed by Walter Mandler they will stay with me for a long time.

 

For what situations are u using each of your filters? Can you show us a few before and after? Thanks

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I don't do before and after. I do not go out to test situations. After 50 years of photography I usually know the filter I want to use.

 

B&W discussion:

 

-Old men's faces=green

-big puffy white clouds=orange or red

-ND 0.9 for candid or street work and sometimes landscapes where wanted.

 

Many use yellow for landscape contrast, but I prefer more drama so I use orange and.or red (where I have lots of blue sky with very nice maybe even dramatic cumulous clouds).

 

Frankly, SEFEX Pro has given a whole new life to B&W print quality.

 

Color? ND 0.9 when I use a filter.

 

Trust this helps, but it is only one man's opinions.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I really love this lens and use it at night for street scenes here in Daejeon. The street live is fantastic and there are districts where the students hang out and I find that with the M (240) and this lens I can photo from the distance and get candid pictures of the night life here in Korea. I usually take the pictures at 1/30 to 1/60 wide open and an ISO of 1600 and the photo peaking really helps with the critical focus. I know that those shutter speeds sound too low but I think the heft of the lens and camera body dampen camera shake. I also did a lot of bracing but found that hand held photos came out very well. I am always amazed at the color balance and the sharpness of the final pictures. I did post many on the M (240) users face book page when I started taking pictures with it again back in April. I even demoed it at the Leica Center in Seoul and they were suprised at the excellent color balance and the lack of color fringing at f1.4. I would recommend this lens to anyone wishing to do street photography at night with the new M. By the way I used a self coded 22228 adaptor purchased from Luigi over five years ago that brought up the R menu where the lens is listed much to my suprise due to its age. I originally wanted to use the lens on my M7 but gave up do to focus issues. The depth of field is really narrow when near the subject.

Edited by George Furst
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By the way I used a self coded 22228 adaptor purchased from Luigi over five years ago that brought up the R menu where the lens is listed much to my suprise due to its age. I originally wanted to use the lens on my M7 but gave up do to focus issues. The depth of field is really narrow when near the subject.

 

Danny

 

I have that 22228 adapter, but it will not bring up the R list since there is a screw right over one position which I guess is the problem. What did you do to 6 bit code it.Did you use the coder and felt tip pen?

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I have a really nice one. I've never converted it to Nikon, and I don't have an M240 yet, so I'm sitting here with a heavy paperweight. sigh... http://photojazz.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v44/p107103509-4.jpg Probably as nice a 80 lux R you will see I bet. I've had it a year or two waiting to convert it, and never did. I think I just couldn't get my nerve up. maybe eventually I can afford a M240, just been several other things got in the way.

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I have a really nice one. I've never converted it to Nikon, and I don't have an M240 yet, so I'm sitting here with a heavy paperweight. sigh... http://photojazz.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v44/p107103509-4.jpg Probably as nice a 80 lux R you will see I bet. I've had it a year or two waiting to convert it, and never did. I think I just couldn't get my nerve up. maybe eventually I can afford a M240, just been several other things got in the way.

 

Hold on to it and use it when you can as you will be rewarded.

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Thanks Algrove. I could see it becoming a valuable asset in my gear with a M type 240. I have to do a bit of soul searching and figure out my priorities. I would like to get an MM and a M 240. So, I have to weigh importance of each. If I keep the lens, then I am that much further away from one of these cameras, so it's a catch 22. Right now, I am not real close to a lens, so I can hang on for a while, and see...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Danny

 

I have that 22228 adapter, but it will not bring up the R list since there is a screw right over one position which I guess is the problem. What did you do to 6 bit code it.Did you use the coder and felt tip pen?

 

Yes I used the coder I purchased from ebay Match Technical. I use it to locate the areas to mark with a felt tip pen. One of the locations has a screw so I did not expect it to work but it did. I have found out that you must be very precise in your marking of the lens flange and put the marks on with a heavy black color. that means three black marks with the screw in the middle of the three and then one unmmarked area, then the last two black marksin the direction toward the locking pin indentation. I do have to remark the lens with the felt tip pen from time to time as it does rub off. After doing that I am back in buisness with the R menu. I have done this since April so I have been able to use my extensive R lens kit. Right now I am photographing birds in a tree near a classroom window with my Apo 2.8/280 lens. I know that others have not been able to do this and do not understand why. If you have the 22228 adaptor and do not give up you will be able to bring up the R lens menu too. Best to you and try it again.

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