brt3 Posted October 27, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 27, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Sorry to ask something so silly -- but I am a newbie, after all... I also realize that we all have different styles, favorite subjects, lighting preferences, etc.. I recognize the gear has less to do with the image than the person behind the lens, but I'm also new to the Red Dot, am getting my first Leica (an M9), and am looking for advice on lens purchases. Even after selling the bulk of my Nikon gear, this will be a substantial purchase! However, I will blame my question on the superb sites of people like Maurizio and Bixi. Specifically, after visiting their sites and viewing their work I am both inspired and blown away -- GREAT stuff! So, kindly excuse me for asking -- but could you share your list of favorite lenses? Assume, for example, that you are going on a special trip and can only take 3 lenses along. Also assume that these have to be relatively modern lenses that are fairly easy to obtain. Lastly, I don't think I want to go wider than 28mm or longer than 90mm. And thanks (in advance) for any advice! Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 27, 2009 Posted October 27, 2009 Hi brt3, Take a look here "Desert Island" lenses?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
spylaw4 Posted October 27, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 27, 2009 Careful you don't get sand in the lenses! But on a more serious note - firstly, there have been endless threads on this sort of topic - a search might have helped you. Frankly for the M9, I am not sure you actually need 3 lenses, but for 3 - 28/2.8, 50/2, 90/2.5 or if you want to splash out 28/2, 50/1.4, 90/2. YMMV Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted October 27, 2009 Share #3 Posted October 27, 2009 If I could have only one lens for a stay on a desert island (with power outlets, and SD cards growing on trees) it would be one of the standard lenses. And to me, 'standard' means 35 or 50mm, for both lengths are equally close to the traditional 'diagonal of format' length, which in this case is 43mm. The old man from the Age of 10.5cm on 6x9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted October 27, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 27, 2009 Agree with Lars. If you're casting for ideas for a minimal outfit, frankly you could do worse than a 35/75 pairing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug_m Posted October 27, 2009 Share #5 Posted October 27, 2009 Start with a 50 lux ASPH. Its great on the M9 and M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big T Posted October 27, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 27, 2009 New M8.2 user (M9 upgrade next year) here and I went for the following lens: Summarit 35mm f2.5 Summarit 90mm f2.5 Voigtlander 15m f4.5 + 21mm View finder (hand coded to Elmarit 21mm f2.8) In order of use: 35mm used 60% 15mm 30% 90mm 10% Love'm all....... Will keep them for the M9 that I purchase one day....... . The Dirty Church (15mm in action).... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaiste Posted October 27, 2009 Share #7 Posted October 27, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) So, kindly excuse me for asking -- but could you share your list of favorite lenses? Assume, for example, that you are going on a special trip and can only take 3 lenses along. Also assume that these have to be relatively modern lenses that are fairly easy to obtain. Lastly, I don't think I want to go wider than 28mm or longer than 90mm. And thanks (in advance) for any advice! Ray Hi Ray, IMO One lens kit : 50/1,4 Asph. Two lenses : 35/2 Asph and 75/2 Apo Three lenses for city trip: 28/2,8 Asph, 50/1,4 and Macro-Elmar 90/4 Three lenses for special trip: 28/2 Asph, 50/1,4 and 90/2 Apo Another solution for travel and dusty places is a second-hand Tri-Elmar 2d version 28/35/50 f4 + M-E 90/4 (+ 50/1,4). The 28/2,8 Asph and the 35/50/75/90 Summarit are excellent and offer great value. Best, Lucien P.S. A great accessory IMO is the Double Lens Mount Cap from OP/TECH USA (Stock # 1101231). It is much safer than the Leica version (discontinued) with wide-angle lenses. Lens Mount Cap | Demo Page Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLV Posted October 27, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 27, 2009 Hi Ray, One lens kit: 50 lux asph or if you want small, inexpensive and beautiful second hand 50 Elmar 2.8 Two lens kit; 35 cron asph and 75 cron apo asph: (as beautiful IMO as the 50 lux) Three lens kit; super elmar18, 35 cron asph, 75 cron asph Four lens: I would add the Elmar 50 2.8 All the best, Jean-Luc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
microview Posted October 27, 2009 Share #9 Posted October 27, 2009 Start with a 50 lux ASPH. Its great on the M9 and M8. I'll second that; and there's the 24mm f2.8 Elmarit-M which has even more lovely colour rendering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah_addis Posted October 27, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 27, 2009 For me it would be: 28 Summicron Asph 35 Summilux Asph 50 Summilux Pre-Asph It seems like a tight grouping but it works for me. When I travel I may also take my 21 Elmarit Asph and 90 Summicron AA. For someone who wants a more well-rounded kit I'd probably suggest: 28 Summicron Asph 50 Summilux 90 Summicron AA Three lenses is a lot for a Leica M. You may want to just start with one or two and see how you do. Often I'll work with only one lens (usually a 35) or with two (usually a 28 + 50 combo). But if I were stuck on a deserted island, I'd take a Nikkor 600/4 so I could search for help:D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted October 27, 2009 Share #11 Posted October 27, 2009 On a full frame sensor, 35mm ASPH Summicron. I could live with just that if I had to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted October 27, 2009 Share #12 Posted October 27, 2009 It depends. Does the desert island have people? If so, the 28/2. If not, the 50/1.4. It's all about what focal lengths you use an like the most. Don't succumb to the thinking that you need 4, 5, 6 lenses. 90% of your photos will probably be taken with one lens, 9% with a 2nd, and the other 1% from all your others combined. Maybe, maybe, it will be 60/39/1 I'm of the 28/50/90 school. I can see where the 21/35/75 school is coming from too. Unless you shoot a ton of 90, skip the 90/2 and go for the 90/2.8 or 90/2.5 - it's a lot smaller and more compact. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamiji Posted October 27, 2009 Share #13 Posted October 27, 2009 One Lens Kit - 50 Two Lens Kit - 35 & 75 Three Lens Kit - WATE 35 & 75 Four Lens Kit - WATE 35 50 75 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted October 27, 2009 Share #14 Posted October 27, 2009 Ah, this question is as old as the hills... One lens - 50mm Elmar-M Two lenses - 35mm CV 2.5 Pancake, 90mm Elmarit-M Three lenses - 35, 50, 90 (the original "holy trinity") Four lenses - add a CV 15mm for town, a 135 3.4 APO for country Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brt3 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share #15 Posted October 27, 2009 I certainly appreciate the quality and quantity of input from this group! I'm sorry to have beaten a dead horse (figuratively speaking), but I want to be somewhat targeted here and I have no desire (or the funding) to run out and buy 5 or 6 lenses. It is great to hear the different thoughts and perspectives on this; thanks for your tolerance and hand-holding... Starting from a completely blank slate, I would likely choose the 50/1.4 as lens number one. That seems to be a no-brainer. Lens number two would, I think, be a 35/2, and lens three the 75/2. I really like what I'm hearing about this combination, and I think it would match my needs. At present I am not doing a lot of street photography; were that the case I'd probably go a little wider (28) than the 35. One thing adds a bit of a twist to all of this. I have a Konica Hexar RF Ltd. with the Hexanon 50/1.2 lens. There's not a lot of info about how well this lens works with the M9. However, each and every time someone compares Zeiss lenses (to use one example) with their Leica "equivalents", I usually prefer the look of the all-Leica images. So -- I need to decide whether to sell the Hexar RF kit and put that money towards the Leica 50/1.4 lens. That would certainly be simpler in some ways, as it would take advantage of the 6-bit coding and adjustments the camera makes to deal with lens variations. That one fact seems to stack the deck a bit, whereas that wouldn't be an issue with a film camera. Of course, I can just use the Hex and see how well it plays with the M9. Regardless of which path I take with the 50, I think I clearly need to get the 35 and 75. I can always buy those two lenses, use the heck out of the M9, and decide whether to keep the Hex or upgrade to the Leica 50/1.4... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdtrick Posted October 27, 2009 Share #16 Posted October 27, 2009 That is one of the things I thought about when I moved to the Leica (M9) system. I am a big fan of two and three lens kits. I already had an idea of the lenses I wanted so here is my final picks. 28 2.8 ASPH 50 1.4 ASPH 90 2.0 Cron (Canada) The 28 and 90 are my main two lens kit and the 50 1.4 was added for low light and sometimes a one lens venture. Maybe I will get something wider like the Zeiss 18 but that will be down the road. Anyway, you said only three lenses but what about if you added a second body like the M8-2, you would be able to use your three lenses as different focal lengths making a six lens kit... Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted October 27, 2009 Share #17 Posted October 27, 2009 Well, if you don't want to go wider than 28 I think it's fairly straightforwards If you aren't too hard up: 28 summicron f2 50 summilux f1.4 90 summarit f2.5 (or secondhand elmarit f2.8 - even better) the reason not to have the 90 'cron is really to do with size. You want an M9 because it's small (right). if you are a bit hard up: 28 elmarit f2.8 50 summarit f2.5 90 summarit f2.8 I think the summarits are great - small and reasonably priced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 27, 2009 Share #18 Posted October 27, 2009 Start with a 35 - classic M focal length - and see how you go from there. Go wider/longer as you see fit - only you will know which lenses you really need at the end of the day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bixi Posted October 27, 2009 Share #19 Posted October 27, 2009 However, I will blame my question on the superb sites of people like Maurizio and Bixi. Specifically, after visiting their sites and viewing their work I am both inspired and blown away -- GREAT stuff! Dear Ray, I hardly change lenses on my M9. The Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 is my favorite. Having the option opening aperture up to 1.4 makes all the difference for me. I use it a lot. Ray - thank you for commenting on my website in such a positive way. This is very kind of you And I agree with you, Maurizio has an inspiring website full of great photographs. Best, Bixi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc yyy Posted October 27, 2009 Share #20 Posted October 27, 2009 how big is the "desert island"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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