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"Desert Island" lenses?


brt3

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Agree with Lars.

 

If you're casting for ideas for a minimal outfit, frankly you could do worse than a 35/75 pairing.

 

Another vote for this combo.

 

On a full frame sensor, 35mm ASPH Summicron. I could live with just that if I had to.

 

Agree, but the 75 would be awfully nice for portrait work.

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Well, I keep "waffling" back and forth on this; guess I need to run for office. For me it seems to come down to these two lenses for the island -- I want to get one wide and one tele to sandwich my existing M-Hex Ltd. 50mm f/1.2:

 

Wide Angle: 28//2 Summicron Asph vs. 35/1.4 Summilux Asph

 

Tele: 75/2.0 APO Summicron Asph vs. 90/2.0 APO Summicron Asph

 

I need to find a dealer who will let me demo these lenses to get a good basis for comparison. Then I'll work with the M-Hex until I get some feel for how it compares to my other object of lust -- the 50/1.4 Summilux Asph...

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Having had both the 75 cron and the 90 cron AA I would say the 75 cron is far superior (just my opinion...). Although it is "only" 75 mm it focuses down to 0.7 M; whereas the 90 goes to 1 M. My understanding is that the 75 cron has a higher reproduction ratio.

 

The 75 cron is smaller and the focus is faster. They are both excellent lenses but the 75 cron is special in the way it draws. I bet you will use it more than the 90 but may wish for the length of the 90 on occasion.

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Well, I keep "waffling" back and forth on this; guess I need to run for office. For me it seems to come down to these two lenses for the island -- I want to get one wide and one tele to sandwich my existing M-Hex Ltd. 50mm f/1.2:

 

Wide Angle: 28//2 Summicron Asph vs. 35/1.4 Summilux Asph

 

Tele: 75/2.0 APO Summicron Asph vs. 90/2.0 APO Summicron Asph

 

I need to find a dealer who will let me demo these lenses to get a good basis for comparison. Then I'll work with the M-Hex until I get some feel for how it compares to my other object of lust -- the 50/1.4 Summilux Asph...

I have the 60mm Hex F1.2. I would believe it draws similar to the 50mm Hex F1.2. In fact compared to the 75 Cron, it is as sharp, if not a bit sharper. I probably won't sell it as I am not quite sure yet I will settle on 35 Lux + 75mm Cron or 60mm Hex. I will have to wait for the M9 to arrive and a few weeks of testing (especially with framelines).

The 60mm Hex is stunningly sharp at F1.4 already and would not be surprised that it is comparable to the 50mm Lux in these terms + you get the freebie at 1.2 with aberrations that give a special look. So you are taking a good decision to keep the 50mm Hex, but then the next logical step would be 90mm. I do mainly street (few portraits) and I feel the 75mm FOV is more adapted to get closer to action but still leaving room for the surroundings. 90mm isolates too much IMO, unless you are way back which is usually not easy in tiny European streets. Also found the 90mm F2 (pre-asph) to be too big and didn't like the ergonomy. But wait, I forgot, you are on a desert island ...

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Having had both the 75 cron and the 90 cron AA I would say the 75 cron is far superior (just my opinion...)... They are both excellent lenses but the 75 cron is special in the way it draws

This is what I keep hearing over and over. It's not that the folks with the 90 don't love it -- it's that the 75 owners, to quote Sally Field, really, REALLY like it...

 

Yanidel, you describe some of the things I'll be looking for on the M9/Hex combo.

 

One thing that interests me is the concept of how far Leica will take the aspect of lens integration on digital cameras. (moved this last bit to a new thread)...

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Sorry to ask something so silly --

 

I don't think I want to go wider than 28mm or longer than 90mm.

 

And thanks (in advance) for any advice!

 

Ray

 

What you need is the DC Vario-Summicron; it runs from 28-90mm and comes with a Digilux2 body attached. :rolleyes:

 

Pretty sand-proof too.

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Well, let me speak in the other direction. I own the 90AA and it is an absolutely fantastic lens with a good dose of magic left in it, unlike some other ASPH lenses in the lineup, which are more clinical. At one point, I have used a 75 Cron, and although it was just as sharp, I found it to be more clinical, with less magic. I don't know why one user could see one thing and another the opposite, so perhaps it depends on the situation in which it is used.

 

Here is a shot I took today with the 90AA, straight out of Lightroom with minimal modification. It was taken in early evening and it was a bit dark, so there is a very slight amount of shake in it, but the look is intact. Notice how gracefully the boke is handled, given the difficult background. It is even a little painterly.

 

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Normal light conditions:

35mm f1.4 aspherical

50mm f1.4 asph

90mm f2 apo-asph

This is pretty much where I've arrived, thanks to my own research and the great feedback from this forum.

 

I spent part of last night poring over old issues of the Leica mag and found a couple of interesting comparisons between the 28 and 35mm focal lengths. I can see the benefits of each, but I am a low-key guy. For shooting people you need to be closer with the 28, all things being equal. I'm 6'7" tall, so it's already difficult for me to fly under people's radar (in more ways than one). I realize the difference is slight, but I think the 35 is just slightly better suited to my style. I am also impressed by the raves the 35/1.4 ASPH seems to consistently garner.

 

I'm trying to find a 35/1.4 ASPH in chrome and think I may have located one. I'll use my existing M-Hex 50/1.2 until I have enough of a basis for comparison to the Leica glass, but if that doesn't satisfy it will be the 50/1.4 ASPH for me.

 

On the tele end I'm still going back and forth between the 75/90 APO/ASPH, and hope to arrange a dealer demo soon. Even though having three lenses that only cover 35/50/75 seems limiting, I am still leaning in that direction... :eek:

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Why would you *throw* a *foot*ball? Just kick it... :)

Perhaps an international explanation is required. The football player is Brett Favre, formerly of the Green Bay Packers (of the NFL).

 

Messr. Favre is quite famous for quitting the game, rejoining the game, quitting the game, and rejoining the game yet again. Currently he is despised in the state of Wisconsin, as he has lead his current team (Vikings) to two victories over his old team (Packers).

 

We now resume our Leica programming...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread!

 

After playing around with a few different combinations (with the indulgence of friends and dealers) I have decided to go with the following setup:

 

35mm f/2.0 Summicron ASPH

50mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH

75mm f/2.0 Summicron APO-ASPH

 

These seem to best fit my style and match "the look" I'm trying to capture in my photos.

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Many thanks to all who contributed to this thread!

 

After playing around with a few different combinations (with the indulgence of friends and dealers) I have decided to go with the following setup:

 

35mm f/2.0 Summicron ASPH

50mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH

75mm f/2.0 Summicron APO-ASPH

 

These seem to best fit my style and match "the look" I'm trying to capture in my photos.

 

The 50 and 75 are too close. One step back is all you need to change your 50 to a 75. In fact, all those 3 lenses are very close to one another. Most people would only have one of those.

 

The classic minimal set is a 35/90.

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