Which lens kit would you choose for the M8?

[Hartmonstr]

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I am new to the Leica world (but 33 years in the photography business) and will be ordering an M8 with three lenses that will be used to create travel, landscape and people images. I have narrowed the lens choices to the following:

 

21mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

75mm f/1.4 Summilux-M

 

or

 

21mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

50mm f/1.0 Noctilux-M

90mm f/2.0 APO Summicron-M ASPH

 

Since the price difference between the two kits is negligible, I'm asking for suggestions or recommendations from those of you who use these lenses as to which you would select. I realize personal preferences and biases will affect which you choose, but I'd like to know of there's something I might be missing when considering these options.

 

Feel free to suggest and defend any other choices you would prefer for your 'ideal' three lens kit that are not listed above.

[stunsworth]

Hi John

 

I'd go for the first set, but have a 75mm Summicron instead of the Summilux. The Summicron is outstanding!

 

Why not the second set? Well good as the Nocti lens is, it's a bit on the big side if you only have one 50, and the 90 is a bit long for the M range - factoring in the conversion factor.

 

I'd also consider a 24mm instead of the 21mm as you wouldn't need an external viewfinder. So 24/35/75 for me!

[marknorton]

The Noctilux is an interesting lens but it definitely should not be your first 50mm lens. It's my fourth. Of the two options, I like option 1 better, but would replace the 75mm Summilux with the Summicron.

[Hartmonstr]

"I like option 1 better, but would replace the 75mm Summilux with the Summicron."

 

Thanks for the quick replies. Besides losing a stop, why would you choose the Summicron?

[peterv]

...the 90 is a bit long for the M range - factoring in the conversion factor...

Interesting that you should mention this.

I, too, am new to the M-sytem and just bought a 90 and a 135 mm.

 

Of course I plan to always use a tripod and a magnifier with these lenses. Nevertheless I'd like to know if I should anticipate 'additional' diffuculties using longer lenses on the M8?

[Mark D]

I also like # 1 best.

 

Right now I have

 

35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

50mm f/1.2 Summilux-M

90mm f/2.0 APO Summicron-M ASPH

 

I plan on adding the 21mm when my M8 comes in and then at some time in the future I will go with one of the 75's.

 

I am also thinking about getting a 15mm, but that is in the future.

[marknorton]

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I would choose the Summicron because it's a more modern design and has the modern character of the ASPH lenses where the Summilux comes from the Mandler era. Nothing at all wrong with that but it's an older lens design. Personally, I prefer the more modern ASPH look.

 

If you also think that Leica M stands for small and lightweight, the 50/1, 74/1.4 and 90/2 all let the side down. They are big, heavy, expensive and you need to need that extra stop to justify them. For all its interest, I find the Nocti too big, too heavy, too difficult to focus.

 

My three lens combo would be the 24mm Elmarit for wide (as Steve says, because the camera supports it), the 35mm Summilux for speed and the 75mm Summicron for reach. If compactness were the requirement, I'd go for 28mm f2.8, 50mm f2, 90mm f4.

 

You do not have to buy all the lenses at the outset. For a single lens, I'd go for the 35mm Summilux, get to know it, then decide where you want to go from there.

[j. borger]

If i had to start from scratch .. i would go for a 28mm/ 50mm combo. And would see from there if i needed longer or wider at all!

[nryn]

I use the following with my M8:

 

24mm f/2.8 ASPH

35mm f/1.4 ASPH

50mm f/2.0 ASPH

 

The only lens I plan to add to that is the 75mm f/2.0 (hopefully with the Leica 30%).

 

The 24/35/50 set works very well for me. There's enough of a difference between all three that I don't feel like I could get away with one of the wider ones and crop. I thought about the 21, but I like having the 24mm lines in the viewfinder.

 

I may go to a Summilux on the 50, but I'll definitely stick to the plan and get a 75 Summicron. I handled both the 75 Summilux and the 75 Summicron on my camera in a store, and the Summilux ate up too much of the vf and didn't balance well on the camera (for me).

 

21-50-90 seems like too large a spread to me, but obviously that's a personal choice. 35-70 seems equally large, but again, that's probably me. Between the two sets, I'd do the first, but with a 75 Summicron instead. If I did the second, I'd opt for a 50 Summilux instead of the Noctilux.

[rosuna]

The first set is better, but replacing the 21 for a 24 and (maybe) the Summilux 75 for a Summicron.

 

The best combination (in my opinion) is:

 

24mm f/2.8 ASPH or Zeiss ZM 25mm f/2.8

35mm f/1.4 ASPH

75mm f/2.0 ASPH

 

An alternative is:

 

28mm f/2 ASPH or 28mm f/2.8 ASPH

50mm f/1.4 ASPH

90mm f/2 ASPH

 

My choise was the first set.

 

Your second set has a serious problem: it has not a versatile lens (35, 50 or 75 small and good performer at all apertures).

.

[Eoin]

Your 1st choice is very close to my setup, 21, 35 .75.

I opted for the Summicron 75 over the Summilux as I mainly use it for portrait type photos and I rarely shoot portrait any wider than f:/2.8. Yes perhaps it draws slightly harder than the Summilux but this is digital and there's a lot that can be done in post processing. Apart from the obvious price difference the 75 Summicron suits me better.

 

I would stick with the 21 / 35 combo and not switch the 21 for the 24. The 24 and 35 frame lines are very close and a little foot zoom with a 35 can very quickly give you a 24 FOV. The 21 will give you everything and a little more that you see within the whole view finder on the M8, again it's just my opinion.

 

I'd consider the Nocti later if I found I was doing low light stuff but unless your going to shoot it wide open all the time I'd consider the Summilux 50 Asph a better choice.

[bsmith]

28mm 2.0 (now your 35mm lens) 50 noct. (66mm ) buy it for it's unique look even if you shoot at 2.8, nightime city shots with greatly reduced flare separate it from the 1.4 lux. It's small and light compared to SLR fast lenses we've lugged forever. Focus is just as fast as others once you get use to it. 90mm 2.0 (119mm)

 

4th lens 35mm 1.4 (now your 50)

[whsouthworth]

I've been using an RD-1 for a couple years. It has a bit more crop than the M8 and a bit more of a vignetting problem with very wide lenses. Nevertheless, for the low light shooting that I do, I travel with the following in descending order of importance (out of a collection of about a dozen Leica lenses):

 

- 28mm Summicron 2 ASPH

- 21mm Elmarit 2.8 ASPH

- 50mm 1.0 Noctilux 50 (I just love this lens)

- 35mm Summicron 2 ASPH

- 12mm Voigtlander

 

At least with the RD-1, even the Noctilux is too much of a telephoto for my liking.

[abrewer]

Hi John!

 

Welcome to the Forum!

One might predict you will get as many different answers to this question as there are photographers!

I'd counsel you to go slowly and build up the kit slowly, with deliberation, by learning one lens well and then moving on to a second and third.

Are you someone who sees the world straight-on? Get a 50 'Cron to start. Do you tend to want that extra bit in the frame? Try the outstanding 35 'Cron ASPH as a test. Do you want to see through the M8 the same view as your familiar 35mm lens on a film body? Try the wonderful 28 'Cron ASPH.

I don't think any of us can tell you what will satisfy, and I'm reluctant to tell you to buy anything until you've experienced M-shooting (which because of its intimacy almost always leads you closer to subject than your past experience) and know where your area of comfort lies.

Thanks.

Allan

[KJB]

I currently have the m8 with the following:

21ZM

50 Noctilux

90 Lanthar

Throw in the excellent and cheap 15CV

 

Coming from SLRs the Nocti is not so big and heavy to me. Focus at f1 is challenging but the fingerprint of the lens is quite unique and I'm enjoying it very much. IF you get the Nocti make sure that it's focus is properly calibrated.

 

I love the 21ZM. Estimating the viewfinder is more challenging that I thought it would be but then framing even with framelines in the rangefinder is not always accurate at close distances.

 

I am new to the Leica world (but 33 years in the photography business) and will be ordering an M8 with three lenses that will be used to create travel, landscape and people images. I have narrowed the lens choices to the following:

 

21mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH

75mm f/1.4 Summilux-M

 

or

 

21mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH

50mm f/1.0 Noctilux-M

90mm f/2.0 APO Summicron-M ASPH

 

Since the price difference between the two kits is negligible, I'm asking for suggestions or recommendations from those of you who use these lenses as to which you would select. I realize personal preferences and biases will affect which you choose, but I'd like to know of there's something I might be missing when considering these options.

 

Feel free to suggest and defend any other choices you would prefer for your 'ideal' three lens kit that are not listed above.

[marknorton]

One of the things that has surprised me about the M8 is that the viewfinder frames are more conservative than I expected - you get more in the picture than was in the frame. I expect it's alwasy been this way, but having instant access to the image allows you to verify things more easily.

[Leicaiste]

Summicron 28/2 Asph. and 50/1,4 Asph.

 

One of the reason is that both there frame lines are the most easy to use.

 

The 24-35 lines and 75 also are more confusing IMO.

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[lars_bergquist]

Interesting that you should mention this.

I, too, am new to the M-sytem and just bought a 90 and a 135 mm.

 

Of course I plan to always use a tripod and a magnifier with these lenses. Nevertheless I'd like to know if I should anticipate 'additional' diffuculties using longer lenses on the M8?

 

Please be advised that there is no frame for the 135 mm on the M8. Also, focusing would be a pretty ticklish matter with what is equivalent to a 180 mm lens! The 135 you CAN use is the old Elmarit-M with the goggles. It's big and heavy and a pain in any gadget bag, but Leica agree that it will work. It kicks in the 90 mm frame but enlarges the subject to fit, and the resulting close to 1:1 finder image does help focusing. Do buy the last version with the non-interrupted knurling on the focusing ring, and the 55 mm filter thread, however. The two versions are in fact very different designs, and the later one is much better at 2.8 and even at 4.0.

 

The old man from the Age of Flashpowder