M8 lens shortlist

[johnkuo]

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Picking three lenses can be incredibly hard, isn't it? I would pick 21/2.8ASPH, 35/1.4ASPH, and 75/2.0ASPH. That should cover the range well. But I love the soft look of Noctilux wide open, and I agree the 50/1.4ASPH is one of the best Leica lenses ever made. Plus on the wide side, the 28/2.0ASPH is one stop brighter than the others. So as you see it is really a six lenses list. And I'm still wondering about that 16-18-21...

[JCorp]

For what it's worth - I started out with a 2 lense plan:

28 f2.8 - v. small and compact (effectively a "normal" view)

75 cron - very sharp

 

I've since added 3:

CV15 to give a wide-angle view

35 f1.4 ASPH to get more speed in the normal range

Zeiss 50 f1.5 C Sonnar to give a "softer" alternative to the 75 in the medium telephoto range (also cheaper than the Summilux but that was not the reason for the choice) - for me given that 50 is now a little out of the "normal" 35-50 feel with the M8 I see it more as a complement to the 75 (AOV closer to that of 75 than that of 35) than as a normal lense choice

 

While I thought the 28 and 35 might be too close they do feel pretty different.... and am pleased to have both

 

Finally - to try and fit your criteria, I guess from a budget point of view this is a 3 lense outfit (28 f2.8 + Zeiss 50 + CV15 is about 1 Leica lense worth!)

 

Jonathan

[geoffreyg]

The old world was split between 35 mm shooters and 50 mm shooters. As far as I could tell, they never could agree.

 

Being a 35 mm shooter, I got the 28 f2.8 lens for the M8. Am adding a 15 mm CV, for little $, and architectural wide angles. Should be good fun, and give that look one needs in tight spots.

 

A local dealer has a Tri-Elmar 28/35/50 for a great price and will probably pick that up for general shooting flexibility - kind of like a 35/70 zoom. The 50 will give a wee telephoto, and the 28 is just like the normal lens. While f4 isn't great, the reality is that it is hard to shoot wide open with a bigger aperture and have any depth of field on the M8.

 

Future would be maybe a CV 50 1.5, or 1.4 Summilux, just for some low light work, or perhaps the 75/2. But that's about it.

 

Here are some 28/2.8 shots, for general spatial sense.

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[blakley]

I would choose the 28/2, the 35/1.4 ASPH, and the 75/2 ASPH - and in fact I have chosen these as I have all three and I use them with the M8. Though the lens I use most often with it is the 50/1.2 Noct ASPH (first-generation & very hard to find).

[doug_m]

Buy the 50 1.4 ASPH. Its really great on the M8. With the 1.33 M8 crop I don't use the 75 Cron much anymore although it is also a great lens. The 50 1.4 ASPH provides for really stunning portraits when used between 1.4 and 2.0. Good luck.

[jobe]

When I limit myself the 3 they are the 21 asp, 35 lux and 75 chron. As to the 24 asp I like the lens but hate the framelines - I find myself pushing my eye up against the viewfinder and I'm constantly searching for them. Too little eye relief to be comfortable.

 

Later this week I plan on spending some time with the 24 on the camera and a 35mm supplemental viewfinder.

 

I agree with Woody regarding the eye relief and framelines of the 24. I'm left eyed and use a diopter which reduces the area of the viewfinder eyepiece. I find the frameline for the 24 quite difficult to see. Also, the lens/hood comination eats up quite a bit of the finder real estate, at least to my newbie eyes.

Joe

[luigi bertolotti]

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New to the Leica M world ? Really You STARTED the your Leica story with M8 ? Compliments and welcome on board! Of course me and hundreds like me would consider You as a sort of newcomer to some kind of exclusive club.... Apart Joking, my 25 years experience in OUTDOOR (90%) use of Leicas is that if You do not want to carry always lot of glass is that 35+90 (with 35mm film) is a strong combination so... go for 24 SURELY plus...plus... say 50 or 75: personally, I would like better the 75.

 

With my (yet-to-buy...) M8 I surely will go with a 24, but mainly for I have good set of other lenses: I have not 75, wich is a measure I would like, but prior to consider the acquisition of the Summicron 75 f2 I would like to test if my Hektor 7,3 cm 1,9 dated 1931 can be a valid alternative OH OH OH

[rpierce]

I got the M8 with the 28mm f/2.8 ASPH starter lens, and ordered the 50mm f/1.4 ASPH for the 30% deal. So these were my choices, but I believe this thread only suggests the 50mm once and I'm not sure why. The combined experience expressed on this forum is appreciated. With only two lenses, it looked to me that with the 28mm, the 35mm or 24mm were too close. I'm after limited backup for the D2X, a capable system with low weight/size, and good low-light or night operation. (Looking back, the 28mm f/2 would have been a better choice, but bank account shock was setting in.)

 

Bob Pierce

[jaapv]

I don't think that is a bad combination at all. Something like a short 40 and a short 80 on film equivalent. The reason you don't see it mentioned that much is that we are conservative old Leica fogies who hark back to the 35-50-90 days so these focal lenghts are a bit unorthodox. But- the Summilux 50 asph is one of the very best lenses in the Leica stable and a 28 complements it nicely. Over time add a 21 and a 90 and there is nothing to hold you back.