Lens for Leica T

[Enrique1]

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Hi,

Do you think is a good idea to buy the Leica T and Voigtlander Color-Skopar Pan 35mm f/2.5 Wide Angle Manual Focus Lens or is worth to buy the Leica Summicron-T 23 mm f/2 ASPH, for street photogarph.

Thank you

[IkarusJohn]

HI Enrique,

 

These are two quite different focal lengths. The Summicron-T 23/2 gives you an effective focal length (full frame equivalent) of 35mm and the 35/2.5 will give you 53.55mm equivalent (1.53 crop factor with the APS-C sensor).

 

Also, one being manual focus and the other autofocus, the user experience is very different. I've heard very good things about the Summicron-T 23, and I would suggest it's worth having at least one native lens. I have the 18-56 zoom, and I otherwise use Leica M lenses with my T, and I'm very comfortable with the combination.

 

Cheers

John

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[bencoyote]

Hi,

Do you think is a good idea to buy the Leica T and Voigtlander Color-Skopar Pan 35mm f/2.5 Wide Angle Manual Focus Lens or is worth to buy the Leica Summicron-T 23 mm f/2 ASPH, for street photogarph.

Thank you

 

The 23mm is a really really good lens. It is a Leica lens. Isn't that what Leica is about? Plus it gives you native autofocus when you have time to use that. Expect about 1s to get good focus lock.

 

For street shooting with the screen alone MF can be tricky unless you do zone focusing. It is likely me, but I've yet to master quick MF. I can zone focus and get a shot off quickly and I can take my time and compose and focus. For those in between times where I don't need to be right on it, the T's kind of leisurely AF is handy. Probably you will need the EVF to do good MF. Try a MF lens out before you buy it. It may be that mechanical stops and relative position of the focus ring will get locked into your muscle memory allowing you to focus more quickly. The T is not a rangefinder though.

 

It is a shooting style thing 35mm equiv vs 50mm but I will bet that you will get better performance out of a 23mm f/2 vs a 35mm f/2.5. However if you live at f/7 who cares. I have been happy with how far I to the night I've been able to push the T with the 23mm.

 

One challenge with the T and street is that if it goes to sleep it takes about 4s to wake up and activate the shutter. You either need to keep the camera awake burning battery or anticipate the shot.

[Enrique1]

Thank you very much to both of you. It was very helpfull!!,

Cheers!!

[bencoyote]

One more thing, the Leica 23mm seems to be designed to allow you to shoot wide open. You don't have to back off a stop to get acceptable performance,

[tom0511]

IMO AF is a big advantage for the T lens.

[henricus1934]

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Two days ago I received both the wide and tele lenses.

Both lenses are very very good.

First test turned out excellent as soonI have some reasonable shot i will publish them.

 

Harry

[SirPiet]

I'm currently looking for a fast 35mm prime for the Leica T on a budget to bridge the gap between 23 and 55mm while Leica doesn't offer a native lens. any suggestions? I'm willing to spend < 800€, can be older glass (i'm somewhat eyeing the Canon LTM 35 1.5).

[bernie.lcf]

I'm currently looking for a fast 35mm prime for the Leica T on a budget ...? I'm willing to spend < 800€, can be older glass (i'm somewhat eyeing the Canon LTM 35 1.5).

 

Well, let's see. Key question: what is fast?

 

Generally speaking, there are adapters for Leica M, Nikon, Contax CY, Canon FD, M42 - more or less

 

 

For Leica M you really have a single choice for new gear, which is the Zeiss f2.8 Distagon.

In the 2nd hand area, you might be able to find a Summaron 35 for that budget and of course the Voigtlander Skopar. All others, I believe, will be beyond EUR 800 or simply not worth the trouble given the IQ.

 

I don't know anything about the Canon, but this thread (German forum) here looks at the f2.0 version compared to 3 other lenses mounted on M8.

Vergleich: Vier 35mm-Objektive unter 500 an der M8 - DSLR-Forum

 

 

 

 

For the other mounts, you probably end up with around 300 for fast 35mm lenses (> f2.8) if you shop around and are willing to accept the size penalty compared to Leica M and Leica T.

[SirPiet]

thanks for your input, that was the kind of answer i was expecting. Maybe a 35 f/1.4 is coming sooner rather than later, Steve Huff wrote on his blog in September when the two zooms were released:

 

Slow zooms yet again, so not sure where Leica is headed with the T but many that I know use it with their M lenses, so maybe that is why Leica is just releasing more zooms. I do know a fast prime is coming later

 

Biogon 35 f/2.8 looks like the right choice for me.

[brill64]

the 23, apart from being an excellent Leica lens in it's own right, is designed to get the best results from it's native T sensor. i' think your question should be whether you want auto or manual focus, etc & that really depends on how you prefer to shoot.

 

having said that, it's sharper than any of the zooms & optimal at f2.

[SirPiet]

Actually you might have missed that I asked for a lens to bridge between 23 and 55mm. I currently own the 23mm Cron, the wide and the Tele zoom, but I have an uncovered gap between 23 and 55mm I would rather fill with a faster 35mm than the standard zoom, although it has excellent IQ.