24 summilux, 50 lux and the 0.95

[jackal]

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Thanks everyone for your input.

 

I think the 24 lux is a given and its on the list. There seem to be a few secondhand knocking about which helps.

 

The 0.95 makes a very strong case for itself esp. when seen in partnership with a cron, but then so does the 50 lux with its smaller size.

 

The other slight confusing one is that Noct money is knocking on the door of a secondhand H3DII 39MP. Now I rent one when I really need one but boy it would be a weapon to have in the bag all the time. The extra dynamic range it gives you makes all sorts of things possible that other cameras just can't do.

[marknorton]

The superfast lenses have their place but so do the smaller lenses. I have them all (apart from the Summarits) so have no particular axe to grind.

 

For 50mm, I would pick the Summilux over the Noctilux which, necessarily, is huge and ungainly. It has its role but everyday 50mm is not one of them. So too with the 24s where my favourite is the Elmar, not the Elmarit or the Summilux.

 

IMHO, Leica photography is all about capturing an image without attracting attention. The bigger lenses tend to do that and, like IR photography, ultra-shallow DOF gets tedious after a while. Not every 50mm shot needs to be shot at f/0.95 and not every 24mm shot benefits from f/1.4.

 

The other reason to use fast lenses is for low light photography and the Leica Mx bodies continue to disappoint. I would very much like a Leica M body which provides Nikon D3s high ISO performance.

[jackal]

I am a huge fan of the 24 lux. I use it >50% of the time for street portraits....very close up. The 50 lux is arguably the finest 50 mm lens of all time. Feel free to visit my zenfolio site for many examples.

 

Thanks for sharing those 24lux shots, some great shots there. You get close and intimate to the person yet still see lots of the environment and the subject isolation is marvelous. Obviously works so well for you.

[tgray]

I don't understand why people still need to give the not asked for 'advice' that the OP doesn't need this or that focal length, because it would be 'too crowded' in the lens setup. OP explained quite clearly that nearly every focal length available is useful for the kind of work he (or she) does.

 

I think because the OP initially posted:

The problem is I am worried that it won't see much use. I find 24mm very wide on the M9. ... What sort of subjects do you shoot with it ?

 

It doesn't sound like he really knows if he will even use 24mm. If on the other hand, he KNOWS he needs 24, then why ask the above questions?

 

Also he asked for our advice. So we gave it to him We all have different ways of thinking about things.

 

I stand by my original advice. If you need/want 24mm, get it. If you need want f/1.4, then get that too. Otherwise you might be happier with an f/2.8 version of the lens, that is likely sharper, smaller, and cheaper (the Zeiss ZM 25 comes to mind). The same goes for the 50. If you need f/1, get the Noctilux. If not, I'd go for the Summilux. I find f/1.4 enough for me, and don't want to bother with the extra weight, cost, and focus throw that you get with a Noctilux.

[jackal]

I used to have the 25mm biogon and the 24mm 2.8. I don't think its as simple as saying get the zeiss/cv instead. The Zeiss 25mm had a totally different look to my eyes compared to the Elmarit and it wasn't one I cared for very much. Sharp across the frame for sure but as we know there's more to it than that. I have a 28mm ultron 1.9 here as well. It's good but it's nowhere close to a 28 cron and will never falloff and handle light as exquisitely as the summicron does. The leica M's in my experience add something very special to the mix. 'Empereor's new clothes' simply never applies.

[!Nomad64]

Jackal,

 

mind if I transpose your questions onto myself?

I noted your points, initially I didn't know you're into cars. So, unless you're going to cover night events - rallies, historical races, Le Mans 24h - you might not need very fast lenses. I guess you'll partly work in studios or in daylight, so wide angles in 2.8 versions should do quite fine, possibly with the camera planted on a solid tripod.

 

Also noted that you have the camera on a rig attached to a car.

Some 20 years ago there was an italian photographer who did the same and attached the rig to cars, motorbikes, planes, skis, sledges, you name it. He used a motorized Nikon F with a 20mm and a diy timer. His main problems were vibrations that either put the camera in danger to fall off and affected his images. His lens was quite slow at 3.5. Still, on a bright sunny day he could shoot at 200 ISO at f3.5 1/2000. If you have a 2.8 you can go up to 1/3,000. Or you can push to ISO 320 and go at f4 to grant more depth of field and so on.

 

The same goes for the rest of the lenses you plan to have. You mentioned the 'lux 75 you gave away for sharpness/focusing reasons. If I'm not wrong, the Nocti 0.95 is as tricky to focus and has more or less the same shallow DOF. So, provided that you can find one, a 'lux ASPH 50 should do very well. Otherwise you may want to consider the Summicron or, why not?, a Zeiss Planar which is surgically sharp and has better control of flare.

No competitors instead for the 'crons 75 and 90. These are superlative.

 

Hope this helps,

Bruno

 

Pls once you're set up and done do not forget to post your images here

[tgray]

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I used to have the 25mm biogon and the 24mm 2.8. I don't think its as simple as saying get the zeiss/cv instead.

 

I was merely offering up the ZM 25 as an option. Other obvious candidates are the Leica 24/2.8 or the 24/3.8.

 

If you've already had 2 (and maybe more) lenses around 24mm, this should be an easy answer. Did you like the focal length/lenses? Why or why not? Too wide? Too slow?

[jackal]

I was merely offering up the ZM 25 as an option. Other obvious candidates are the Leica 24/2.8 or the 24/3.8.

 

If you've already had 2 (and maybe more) lenses around 24mm, this should be an easy answer. Did you like the focal length/lenses? Why or why not? Too wide? Too slow?

 

both only on the M8

[tgray]

Ahhh, make sense. I forget about that thing sometimes