conorbradshaw Posted October 21, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 21, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi there, Have had my DL3 now for just over a month, and I love it Very happy with the 14-50 kit lens, and now looking to add a prime. Currently looking at... Pana/Leica Summilux D 1.4/25mm Vs Leica R 2,8/24mm Elmarit-R ROM or Leica R 1:2/35 mm SUMMICRON-R E55 ROM or Leica R 1:2/50 mm SUMMICRON-R E55 ROM ... which all come in at approx the same money (including Leica R lens adaptor where necessary). Views / opinions / comments?? ... particularly re: quailty of R lenses (are they better?) vs speed of the 4/3 option. Any other considerations I should be taking into account? Cheers C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 21, 2009 Posted October 21, 2009 Hi conorbradshaw, Take a look here Digilux 3 - Next Lens Purchase. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rsolomon Posted October 22, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 22, 2009 I love using the 80 f/1.4 and the 50 f/2.0on my Digilux 3. The 80 f/1.4 would take you to a differnt perspective / view then the 14-50 kit lens. the 80 1.4 acts like an awsome 160 f1.4.and there is sometihng special about that 80 lux. the bottom line is what kind of pictures to do take or want to take ? Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
conorbradshaw Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted October 23, 2009 Thanks for your response Rich As a beginner, I'm still learning (and expect and hope to do so for a long long time) both technically and also about the types of photography I like and want to try out... so not sure if the following will help,,, Generally I like, and would like to take, photographs that are a little bit different or quirky, something out of the ordinary... a building or piece of architecture photographed from an unusual angle... geometric shapes found in everyday life... a portrait of an interesting face, either in context or with that lovely creamy soft out of focus background that Leica lenses are so revered for... light and shadows... a landscape bathed in beautiful light... long exposures... cityscapes... streetscapes.. a person going about their business, picked out of a throng... As you can see, I am not at the point yet where I have developed a style of my own, just an appreciation for certain styles or types of photographs that I am hoping to try out for myself. Obviously a lot of what I have described has much to do with composition etc. but I do want to make sure I make the "right" or at least best/most appropriate lens purchases for what I want to achieve. I hope this makes some kind of “sense”... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJLogan Posted October 23, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 23, 2009 If autofocus is important to you, the PanaLaica4/3 is the winner, as the others lack autofocus. If shallow depth-of-field is important to you, the speed of the PanaLeica 4/3 is vital--it's much harder to achieve shallow DOF on smaller sensors, so a fast lens is needed. I have no experience with R lenses on my Digilux 3. I occasionally use old manual-focus Olympus OM lenses, though, and find getting accurate manual focus through the viewfinder quite fiddly--especially if I'm trying to focus anywhere but dead-center in the frame. I imagine that would be true with R glass as well. Using live view and a tripod to photograph a stationary subject, my old manual focus lenses are a joy on the Digilux 3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASpes Posted October 24, 2009 Share #5 Posted October 24, 2009 this is an easy one ... FL and FOV. Two of the Leica lenses you mention are around the same FL & FOV of the P/L 25/1.4, so you have no advantages in choosing them, unless you want a portrait lense. In this case I'd suggest to also to have a look at the Oly 50/2, which retains full functionality and its price is about half the one of the P/L. Brightness. The P/L wil give you one or even two stop advantage, and the 1.4 feature will also offer you some interesting "expression" chances that the others will not. (Btw this holds true also vs your "kit" lense.) Optical quality. This is mooth point, the P/L has an astounding quality to it, even wide open, never heard one single comment denying it. Plenty of jaw-dropping examples around (but let's not forget the "handle", which IMO is always the real factor in them, well before the equipment). Ease and speed of use. Manual focus with the not-so-bright finder of the D/3 is unfortunately not my cup of tea, but quite a few users have no problem with it, so guess it's quite a personal thing. Anyway camera use will become somewhat sluggish if you use a manual lense and do not use it at the widest aperture, while the P/L is fully functional and is one of the only three lenses on the market that has a working aperture ring with the D/3. I'm sorry, but unless you need it for some significant advantage, why in your use should you concentrate on hardware instead of the image? Price. The P/L is a rather expensive lense, it also had a recent price increase, at least in the States, possibily because of the weak dollar, but anyway, if you say the all the other lenses you mention are around the same price, well, again you have no advantage in choosing them. To sum it up, and according to the terms of your choice, choosing any of the Leica lenses has no advantage on optical quality, brightness, FOV, handling and ease of use, and also on price as they are even. The P/L 25/1.4 is IMO by far the best choice in your list, as it wins hands-down on each point, and its top optical quality is undisputed. Go for it and do not look back, you'll really enjoy it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted October 24, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 24, 2009 25/1.4 - an excellent lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlosecpf Posted October 24, 2009 Share #7 Posted October 24, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) 25/1.4 - an excellent lens. I agree. The shallow DOF that this lens can deliver is beautiful! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretzel logic Posted October 24, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 24, 2009 Digilux 3 owner with the kit lens, and the Panasonic 25mm f1.4. Big fan of the prime lens, it has been on the camera almost exclusively since I bought it. It was input from some of the posters who've already replied in this thread which helped with my purchase. Slightly off topic, but I wonder are any Digilux 3 owners considering an X1, either as a replacement or supplement? I like the idea of something small as an always-carry-around camera, which for me the Digilux 3 isnt. Sample image with Digilux 3 and 25mm lens: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsolomon Posted October 24, 2009 Share #9 Posted October 24, 2009 The number one thing i would like to see in a Digilux 4 (and still hoping beyond hope for this) would be to put imige stabilzation into the camera body, this would open up all the telephoto lenses. I am a BIG fan of the 80 f1.4 50 f/2.0. i have used my various R lenses on the D3 mostly VERY happy with the results .... i own: 24 f/2.8 50 f/2.0 80 f/1.4 135 f/2.8 180 f/2.8 250 f/4.0 the 80 1.4 is a sweet lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASpes Posted October 24, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 24, 2009 ...Slightly off topic, but I wonder are any Digilux 3 owners considering an X1, either as a replacement or supplement? I like the idea of something small as an always-carry-around camera, which for me the Digilux 3 isnt. ... Well, maybe it's a bit early for that as specs are still trickling slowly, like the missing AA filter, which is not a minor one. It's a very interesting camera, but anyway, speaking just for myself of course, I'd be definitely really interested only if it had a small zoom, a sort of new D/2 so to say. Otherwise, given the price tag, a used or new/demo M8 and a small lense, is today more or less in the same price range, and looks like a much better and appealing option to my eyes. In any case it would not be a replacement for my D/3 but an addition to my system. Just my 2(euro)cent of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruhayat Posted October 25, 2009 Share #11 Posted October 25, 2009 I have the Elmarit-R 28mm and Summicron-R 50mm, which I used to use with an Olympus E1, and now with a Canon EOS 5D. Both lenses have their usefulness -- on the 4/3 sensor, the 28mm becomes a "normal" 56mm and therefore a good walkabout lens, the 50mm becomes 100mm which makes it superb for portraits. That's one consideration you can make. Another way of looking at it: I find the Elmarit has higher contrast and colour saturation at default settings, which makes for punchier photos. The Summicron is on the whole a bit more natural-looking at default settings, and produces images that look a bit "cleaner". I shoot indoor events mostly, at night and in black and white -- the Summicron is by far the one I use more often. But if I could only have one lens, I'd probably get a 35mm Summicron-R: for the natural rendition and more useful 70mm POV (the 50mm@100mm is too tight to be a standard lens). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterm1_Leica Posted October 25, 2009 Share #12 Posted October 25, 2009 "Generally I like, and would like to take, photographs that are a little bit different or quirky, something out of the ordinary... a building or piece of architecture photographed from an unusual angle... geometric shapes found in everyday life... a portrait of an interesting face, either in context or with that lovely creamy soft out of focus background that Leica lenses are so revered for... light and shadows... a landscape bathed in beautiful light... long exposures... cityscapes... streetscapes.. a person going about their business, picked out of a throng..." Chances are that you may find a longer lens more useful. I certainly do. A lot of the architectural photos I take are ones that rely on getting in close. Often this will give me an abstract take on the subject, which from your post you would seem to like. And when I shoot people in the street I find it to be nowhere near so confronting to them or me to be able to shoot with a bit of distance. I shoot with a mixture of a Pany L1 (the D3 equivalent badged by Panasonic) and a Nikon SLR sometimes using legacy lenses sometimes not. The nice thing about the L1 is that the camera doubles the apparent focal length so a moderate lens like say an 85, 105 or 135 becomes quite useful. Here are some of mine. I must confess though that more of these are shot on the Nikon but there is a mixture. Adelaide - a set on Flickr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
conorbradshaw Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted October 27, 2009 Thanks a lot for all the very useful advice folks. Having taken all this into account and done some further research myself, I have ordered a D Summilux 25mm Unfortunately, the vendor I placed the order with has replied saying that the lens is currently "out of stock at our suppliers"... so I'm waiting to find out how quickly it is likely to be back in stock ... by all accounts a common issue with this particular lens. Hopefully the vendor will stand over their very competitive price when they do get the lens. I reckon these two (the D Summilux and the Vario-Elmarit 14-50) will keep me occupied in the short to medium term. Following on from Peter's comments about longer lenses, however, I would be interested to hear what anyone else out there is using at the Telephoto end of the spectrum on their D3 (or L1 or other 4/3 body). The Pana/Leica Vario-Elmar 14-150 would seem an obvious choice (for the D3)... but I'm not particularly keen on the overlapping focal length with the 14-50 and in any case would be interested to hear about other options/experiences... R Lenses... fixed focal lengths... etc. etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlosecpf Posted October 28, 2009 Share #14 Posted October 28, 2009 Thanks a lot for all the very useful advice folks.Having taken all this into account and done some further research myself, I have ordered a D Summilux 25mm Try Adorama Camera. I've bought mine there and they seem to have more on stock now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASpes Posted October 29, 2009 Share #15 Posted October 29, 2009 ... Unfortunately, the vendor I placed the order with has replied saying that the lens is currently "out of stock at our suppliers"... so I'm waiting to find out how quickly it is likely to be back in stock ... by all accounts a common issue with this particular lens. ... ... I would be interested to hear what anyone else out there is using at the Telephoto end of the spectrum on their D3 (or L1 or other 4/3 body). The Pana/Leica Vario-Elmar 14-150 would seem an obvious choice (for the D3)... but I'm not particularly keen on the overlapping focal length with the 14-50 and in any case would be interested to hear about other options/experiences... R Lenses... fixed focal lengths... etc. etc. Guess your best options are the P/L 14-150 and the Oly 50-200. Both optically outstanding on their own, but quite different lenses, in price, size, brightness and stabilisation (no Oly lense has it). I understand you issue about the overlapping FL, but the P/L has become my walk-about lense in good daylight. Besides having the aperture ring, its size is about the same as the "kit" lense, so when you want to travel light, it's like having a full bag of lenses in one. The Oly is bigger but has a longer reach, is brighter and optically has somewhat the edge, as it has none of the (minor) faults of the P/L, and, last but not least, is nowadays quite a bit cheaper too. I don't know if this might be of any interest for you, but B&H has both the P/L 25/1.4 and 14-150 in stock at the moment. Their recent significant price increase in the States has quickly put them out of the back-ordered status they had for so long. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
conorbradshaw Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted November 7, 2009 Thanks Carlos / ASpes... I've been getting radio silence from the retailer I placed the order with, so I''ve cancelled it. My bro is over in NYC for a few days after Thanksgiving so I'll get him to pick up the lens for me then at either Adorama or B&H. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo_Lorentzen Posted November 15, 2009 Share #17 Posted November 15, 2009 25 1.4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
audidudi Posted November 17, 2009 Share #18 Posted November 17, 2009 As a point of reference, I have found the Olympus SHG 4/3 lenses work very, very well on the D3/L1 (once you get used to their lack of an aperture ring, that is!) Over the past few months, I've stumped for the 7-14/f4, 14-35/f2, and 35-100/f2 zooms and without exception, I have found them to be truly stellar performers, easily outresolving the L1's sensor (and to my eye, also the later generation of sensors on the G1 and GF1.) Of course, the flip side is that they're not inexpensive, but if you can rationalize the expense, you do get what you pay for... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdannn Posted January 18, 2010 Share #19 Posted January 18, 2010 Greetings, I'm new here so I would like to welcome me. . I have a question: I have a Digilux 3 on the way to me which will add to my Leica lineup. I'd like to know what functions I lose when using an Oympus 12-60 SWD lens? How do I set the aperture when using a lens with no ring? Do I lose autofocus capability? Does Manual Focus Assist still function in the menu? Next question: Same with the R lenses, however I know I will have the aperture ring, but do I lose the autofocus ? Also, last important question: When using an adapter from a Lieca R lens to 4/3 mount do I lose an f-stop because of the adapter? That's lots of questions for a newcomer to ask and I hope you will help me out. Any knowledge I can share I'll be happy to. I have a couple of DSLR Olympus cameras and have owned other DSLRs over the years back to film SLRs and Rangefinders. My last film camera was a Minolta 7000i, circa 1980. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASpes Posted January 19, 2010 Share #20 Posted January 19, 2010 Greetings, I'm new here so I would like to welcome me. . I have a question: I have a Digilux 3 on the way to me which will add to my Leica lineup. I'd like to know what functions I lose when using an Oympus 12-60 SWD lens? How do I set the aperture when using a lens with no ring? Do I lose autofocus capability? Does Manual Focus Assist still function in the menu? Next question: Same with the R lenses, however I know I will have the aperture ring, but do I lose the autofocus ? Also, last important question: When using an adapter from a Lieca R lens to 4/3 mount do I lose an f-stop because of the adapter? That's lots of questions for a newcomer to ask and I hope you will help me out. Any knowledge I can share I'll be happy to. I have a couple of DSLR Olympus cameras and have owned other DSLRs over the years back to film SLRs and Rangefinders. My last film camera was a Minolta 7000i, circa 1980. With a D/3 you can use any 4/3 lens, just like you do with your Oly bodies, as it's a fully 4/3 compliant body. Just to avoid any misunderstanding, let's not confuse 4/3 with the *micro* 4/3 standard, but guess you know all this already. On the D/3, when the aperture ring is missing, the f/stop will be set via the thumb wheel at the back, so you won't miss any function by using an Oly lens, everything will work just as expected. On the other hand, with lenses like the Leica R ones, everything turns to manual and the AF LED will just give you a focus confirmation in the viewfinder. I do not expect that you will lose anything on the lens brightness as the adapter is just what the name says, something that connects the lens and the body, and not, say, a macro extension tube, which by the way would not allow to focus to infinity. Hope it helps, and of course have my warmest welcome to the forum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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