less expensive glass on an m9- complete set up for the price of one new leica lens.

[jaques]

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I am building up a small range of cheapskate lenses while I wait for my m9 to arrive. So far I have the following:

 

50/2 Summicron 1973 black model

35/1.5 CV Nokton SC (new)

28/2 CV Ultron

135/4.5 Hektor

Visoflex 3

 

I have read reviews comparing the CV lenses to the ASPH leica equivalents- they are disappointing in general (for a cheapskate) with the reviewers always loving the leica in the end... however Puts concluded his discussion of the Ultron by saying it blew away older Leitz glass, and most reviewers say that if the CV lens was all they could get it would be great. I was considering buying older leica glass- but this seemed a better option?

 

The Hektor 135mm lens didn't need a review- when I saw you could get a mint condition leica M lens for $70 I knew people must hate it for some reason- but I though - what the heck. Looking at the lens I am sure it is going to make some good pictures for me- and I seriously doubt I will regret the purchase. The build quality is super- and the glass looks very fine.

 

The same goes for the Visoflex- even if the thing is ridiculously antiquated compared to an MKiii- I am sure it will be fun and well worth the modest cost- and make some good pictures for me- it hasn't arrived yet but it sure looks like a quality piece of optical engineering. I think it will be amusing on the M9- and I want to get a long telephoto (can I use m42 mount lenses with an adaptor?).

 

All in all my purchases so far have cost less than 2300 AUD- I think I can get a 90/2.8 Elmarit lens to complete the line and still be under 2500USD for the lot. I figure down the track I could get a 1.4 35 or 50 asph lens if I find myself wanting more from my images.

 

So I have built a good little line up- covering nearly all the m9 frame lines- for well less than the cost of a single new leica lens (and all of it will fit in a tiny little case).

 

Does anyone think I will be letting the M9 body down with this line up? I don't plan on shooting any resolution charts or anything like that...

 

any one had good/bad experience with these lenses?

[thrice]

The 50/1.5 Nokton asph might actually be sharper than that old summicron. Likewise the 35/1.7 Nokton asph will be sharper than the new 35/1.4 nokton, at the expense of being slightly larger. Both the 50/1.5 and 35/1.7 are discontinued but Steve Gandy at Cameraquest still has the 50 and with a little searching you can find the 35.

[jaapv]

Yes- you can use screw-mount Visoflex lenses like the 200 and longer, provided you have the proper ring 16466.

[aesop]

I am building up a small range of cheapskate lenses while I wait for my m9 to arrive. So far I have the following:

 

50/2 Summicron 1973 black model

35/1.5 CV Nokton SC (new)

28/2 CV Ultron

135/4.5 Hektor

Visoflex 3

 

I have read reviews comparing the CV lenses to the ASPH leica equivalents- they are disappointing in general (for a cheapskate) with the reviewers always loving the leica in the end... however Puts concluded his discussion of the Ultron by saying it blew away older Leitz glass, and most reviewers say that if the CV lens was all they could get it would be great. I was considering buying older leica glass- but this seemed a better option?

 

The Hektor 135mm lens didn't need a review- when I saw you could get a mint condition leica M lens for $70 I knew people must hate it for some reason- but I though - what the heck. Looking at the lens I am sure it is going to make some good pictures for me- and I seriously doubt I will regret the purchase. The build quality is super- and the glass looks very fine.

 

The same goes for the Visoflex- even if the thing is ridiculously antiquated compared to an MKiii- I am sure it will be fun and well worth the modest cost- and make some good pictures for me- it hasn't arrived yet but it sure looks like a quality piece of optical engineering. I think it will be amusing on the M9- and I want to get a long telephoto (can I use m42 mount lenses with an adaptor?).

 

All in all my purchases so far have cost less than 2300 AUD- I think I can get a 90/2.8 Elmarit lens to complete the line and still be under 2500USD for the lot. I figure down the track I could get a 1.4 35 or 50 asph lens if I find myself wanting more from my images.

 

So I have built a good little line up- covering nearly all the m9 frame lines- for well less than the cost of a single new leica lens (and all of it will fit in a tiny little case).

 

Does anyone think I will be letting the M9 body down with this line up? I don't plan on shooting any resolution charts or anything like that...

 

any one had good/bad experience with these lenses?

 

 

...jaques, when you have a minute, take a look at the classic images created between the '30s and the late '50s. None of the lenses used at the time had the sort of "grunt" present in the lenses you have listed. Despite this (some may say "in spite of"), those photographers regularly churned out cracking images, many of which, from a purely artistic and technical point of view, certainly cannot be touched by the vast majority of dross created today.

 

If you feel your photography will suffer a disbenefit simply because you do not have the latest "non-cheapskate" optics, then it most surely will. I will even go as far as to say that you are in it for the wrong reason.

 

Remember - first the mind, then the eye, then the camera.

 

 

 

.

[chrism]

Yes- you can use screw-mount Visoflex lenses like the 200 and longer, provided you have the proper ring 16466.

 

But I don't think you can use other brands of lens with adaptors (like the M42 screw mentioned by the OP).

 

Chris

[Ecar]

I don't pixel-peep either and am more interested by the "rendering" or "signature" of a lens.

The only one I can comment on is the CV 28/2, which is so distinctive that I have kept it alongside an Elmarit and a Cron (both ASPH) in the same 28mm focal length.

You may find that it's less sharp / less contrasty than you want, but I find it produces unique, somewhat old-style images.

Also note that these impressions are based on using the lens with the M8. I am still waiting for my M9 and I don't know yet how it will perform on the edges of a full-frame sensor.

[tom0511]

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For my part I experienced the Summarit series to be very good performers.

To answer your question: I dont think you let the M9 down.

What counts is that you are fine with your results. Are they sharp, do you like the rendering, color.

I think sometimes there is too much discussion about "character" of lenses.

[jaapv]

But I don't think you can use other brands of lens with adaptors (like the M42 screw mentioned by the OP).

 

Chris

I wonder. There are 42-M adapters, and I don't know how that would work out with the register. Probably macro only.

[thrice]

I wonder. There are 42-M adapters, and I don't know how that would work out with the register. Probably macro only.

 

You're thinking in reverse. There will be no issues as the adapter just needs to be thicker to accomodate for the shorter register of the M camera in comparison with an SLR body. Obviously focusing is scale or trial & error if you have digital.

 

It's when you try and adapt an M lens (not a visoflex head) to an SLR body that you get EXTREME macro and shallow DOF Here's one at f/1.1.

[wlaidlaw]

I wonder. There are 42-M adapters, and I don't know how that would work out with the register. Probably macro only.

 

Jaap,

 

I am using an M42 (Elephoto) adapter with a Zenitar fish-eye and it works just fine. It is much more spectacular on the M9 than it was on the M8, where it looked a bit like a wide angle with a lot of barrel distortion. Attached an example of no artistic merit but just to show what the end result looks like

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

Sometimes cheaper is better. I have bought two current model 11826 coded 50 Summicrons over the last few months in anticipation of the M9. Both looked mint. The first one went "graunch" part of the way from infinity to close focus - it went straight back for a refund. The second one had a weird focussing fault. it was in focus at infinity, albeit with a small RF cam adjustment needed. As you focussed closer, it developed very serious back focussing. My lens man was stumped and as the seller declined to have it sent to Leica, it has also gone back to the seller for a refund.

 

I bought a S/H chrome Zeiss 50 Planar yesterday from Ffordes at about half what the Summicrons cost. It is perfect. RF spot on at infinity and zero back focus at 2 meters. I like the high contrast, which puts some folks off this lens. IMHO the 50 Planar and the 21 Biogon, are the two lenses, where the Zeiss is at least the equal of the Leica equivalent (Summicron and Elmarit respectively) and much cheaper. Of course I think the Summicron, with the optical cell dating from the 1970's, is now the oldest lens design still in the current portfolio, unless someone can correct me on this.

 

Wilson