45-S -- on order... good thing?

[dritz]

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Just ordered a 45-S (non-CS). I find the 35 too wide for my tastes, and years of the 35-lux-M have habituated my brain to that angle of view.

 

Any other users out that with experience to share?

Thanks.

Dean

[albireo_double]

Good thing. You will not regret. One of the "special" S lenses (together with the 120, my favourite combo).

 

Here's an example of my "experience" with the lens, on S007.

 

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[albertknappmd]

It is a beautifully made lens with stunning results... However the choice is entirely personal. I used the conventional 35mm lux  for so many years that I actually have eschewed the equivalent on the S!

Albert     

[ynp]

I hoped to use my Contax 45mm or HC50-II and fought with the temptation to buy the S45CS to no avail. I borrowed the S45 from a friend and, after one day of shooting, we decided to look for a nice second -hand lens for our work outside.

Beautiful bokeh and nice subject separation, the lens is very sharp but very kind to the human skin at the same time. I hope to get the S45 to pair it to my S-summicron.

 

 

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Edited April 25, 2016 by ynp

[349A]

I found a mint 45 at Leica Miami last week, will be here tomorrow. Quite excited as 35mm FOV tends to be my favorite on my 135 gear. I'm taking the 45 and 100 to Germany and Italy in May. Should be a nice combo. Maybe the zoom too for a one lens walk around. Can't yet report on the look of the 45mm but its an S lens. How bad can it be!

[dritz]

I hoped to use my Contax 45mm or HC50-II and fought with the temptation to buy the S45CS to no avail. I borrowed the S45 from a friend and, after one day of shooting, we decided to look for a nice second -hand lens for our work outside.

Beautiful bokeh and nice subject separation, the lens is very sharp but very kind to the human skin at the same time. I hope to get the S45 to pair it to my S-summicron.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

That's great to hear about rendering flesh! (unless you're a vegetarian)

 

Like you, I plan to to use it in a 2 lens kit with the 100 'cron.

 

For me, my favorite kit was the R with the 35 'cron and the 80 'lux. Gorgeous rendering of skin and everything else.  Looks like I'll be duplicating that kit on the S (though I expect the 45 to have better edge performance than the 35 'cron).

 

Thanks for the affirmational messages.

[RVB]

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Just ordered a 45-S (non-CS). I find the 35 too wide for my tastes, and years of the 35-lux-M have habituated my brain to that angle of view.

 

Any other users out that with experience to share?

 

Thanks.

Dean

Its a fantastic lens and has one extra element over the S35mm which I believe improves color correction,its also the reason its slightly slower and heavier.

 

Rob

[alan.y]

Congratulations Dean. 

 

I too find 35mm on 135 to provide the most natural perspective, and have wanted to replicate my beloved R35 and 80 on the S. But I find the heft and bulk the S45 more or less negates the immersive and spontaneous quality I enjoy about 35mm on 135. Nowadays I use the S35+S70 combo more often than S45+S100. The size difference between the S35 and the S45 isn't much on paper, but it does make a qualitative difference for me.

 

Optically the S45 is hard to fault. But on one occasion I actually managed to trigger what seems to me a very large amount of CA, even at f/4. Maybe my copy is out of alignment, but generally the images are very good.

 

 

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[Bill W]

Excellent choice, I bought mine from Leica Miami as a CPO. I have not had much time to use it lately as we are in the process of moving to another city. It is not a very expensive lens in the S lens lineup especially if you buy it used or CPO. CPO has the same Leica warranty.

[349A]

I agree with Alan. On paper, its only slightly longer and heavier than the S35. The moment I mounted it, I was surprised how heavy and long it felt by comparison. A half inch sure makes a surprising difference (thats what she said?." I haven't yet had a chance to take shots with it.

[hoppyman]

If you like that 35mm (equivalent) focal length I think that you will love the lens. Leica Camera here in Australia loaned me one for a few weeks and I hated to give it back. I shoot primarily studio based fashion/beauty/art now.

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[dritz]

I agree with Alan. On paper, its only slightly longer and heavier than the S35. The moment I mounted it, I was surprised how heavy and long it felt by comparison. A half inch sure makes a surprising difference (thats what she said?." I haven't yet had a chance to take shots with it.

 

That's the price I *think* I'm willing to pay for the FOV. In the meantime I've been using the 30-90.

 

Compared to the 30-90, it will be lighter in weight and much faster in aperture.

 

Still waiting for arrival...

[349A]

Lighter for sure than the 30-90. The zoom is obviously much wider/bulkier than the 45. 

 

The 35mm fov in 135 is just about right for me. My most used lens on my M9, especially for travel. 

 

 I'm struggling now with which lenses to take to Germany... 45 and 100 or zoom or zoom and 100. Leaning towards the 45 and 100.

[jip]

The 45 Elmarit-S is a superb lens!

 

Yet I already had the Zeiss 45mm for the Contax 645 system... I'm using that for now.

[kparseg]

Has anyone chosen 70CS over 45CS for portrait work? Besides some differences due to the 70 vs 45mm focal lengths, are there any major differences in the image rendition?