terrycioni Posted December 10, 2006 Share #1 Posted December 10, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a choice... A local shop has a 21mm Elmarit F2.8 Pre-Asph, looks in good shape but expensive for a used Pre-A. Leica lens. I was eyeing a new ZM 21mm F2.8 on POPFLASH it is somewhat less dough. Of course the Leica lens can be coded and sofar the Zeiss has no coding solution (we can hope Leica makes lens focal lenght a menu option in firmware - rather than on and off) Any opinions would be appreciated. Currently I use a 21/35 dual Hexanon F3.4/4 which is excellent corner to corner both focal lengths on the M8. Thanks. Cheers. Terry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 10, 2006 Posted December 10, 2006 Hi terrycioni, Take a look here 21mm ZM Biogon or PRE-ASP 21mm Elmarit. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Eoin Posted December 10, 2006 Share #2 Posted December 10, 2006 This is also my playing on my mind and I'd also be interested in any insight. Lens coding DIY fashion is possable with the Zeiss and Sean Reid has an article comparing this Zeiss to the 21 ASPH. From what I'm reading else where the pre asph's edge sharpness should be less of a problem on the M8 with the crop factor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike prevette Posted December 10, 2006 Share #3 Posted December 10, 2006 I have the Zeiss and have been very happy with it. I haven't shot with it a huge amount as most of my photos are in very low light, and the 2.8 is just a little to slow. But the photos I have taken with it are superb in quality. I personally rarely shoot in environments where the fine optical differences show up, but I'm confident the Zeiss holds it's own. i've also coded it my hand to match the Leica lens, and the vignette reduction is effective. _mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted December 10, 2006 Share #4 Posted December 10, 2006 Mike, that is really interesting information. I will add that to my M8 coding table. Could you explain what you did to test that? Have you also tried with an IR filter? Did you match it to the Asph or non-Asph version? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean LeBlanc Posted December 10, 2006 Share #5 Posted December 10, 2006 We all know that Zeiss makes fine lenses, as does Leica. And we know that the Leica can be coded, if that's important to you. My 21 is a very sharp, low distortion lens that I've used for years with slow slide film, and expect to use with the M8. I wouldn't worry at all about image quality from either lens. I'd be looking at price and whether or not the Zeiss will work well with some coding scheme. It may be a while before you'll know if that's the case. If the Leica is available at a good price, under $1200 in mint condition, that would tilt me towards the Leica. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrycioni Posted December 10, 2006 Author Share #6 Posted December 10, 2006 Thanks all for useful comments... The used 21mm pre-asph (I just got back from having a second look) is going for almost double the cost of a new ZM. I think I will go with the ZM. I will order it from POPFLASH. Cheers. Terry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grober Posted December 11, 2006 Share #7 Posted December 11, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have the pre-Asph 21mm Elmarit and will keep it for use on my M8 whenever the latter gets back from its sudden "fixit" trip to Solms. (Mid-January???) Yes, the Elmarit's filter size is large but, of course, 60mm is one of the two IR cut filters that I've told Leica to buy for me. Between this 21 and my next Leica lens, a 35mm Summicron, I currently use two non-Leica wide angles: ZM 25mm Biogon and 28mm Canon LTM (with adapter.) The ZM 25mm Biogon is a lovely lens which I like more and more. BUT all the uncertainty about getting it 6-bit coded and the fact that it invokes the "incorrect" v/f frame has moved me to a decision point: I'm going to sell both these non-Leica wide angles and buy a 28mm Elmarit-M. There are enough changes and workflow adaptions I'll need to make in switching from film to digital wihtout hassling additional issues brough on by non-Leica wide angle lenses when used on the M8. In longer focal lengths, these issues won't mean as much but in the wider angle range, I'll preclude potential issues by going all Leica with my glass. -g Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrycioni Posted December 11, 2006 Author Share #8 Posted December 11, 2006 Greetings, I have two 28mm lenses. I have a 28mm Elmarit PRE-ASPH which I like very much and I also have a 28mm F1.9 ASPH VC which is also good. I pretty much use the Elmarit exclusively but have no intention of parting with the 28mm VC because of it's additional speed. I have been eyeing the 25mm ZM lens as well. I am not to worried about frame-lines... Funny thing today when I put the 21mm pre-asph Leica lens on the M8 I could not get the focus patch to work correctly.... not sure what that was about. Apparently coding the ZM lenses is possible. Cheers. Terry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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