Best first option of lens for M8

[biswasg]

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I am in the process of buying a used M8 to start experiencing range-finder photography as a general purpose, street photography and landscape to make best use of Leica's lenses.

 

The idea is that eventually, I will move to the full-frame Leica M9 or its successor. So as a start, what would be the best first option for the M8, a 28mm or 35mm Summicron (for keeping the cost within my pocket). While the 28 mm on the M8 is almost like the 35mm on M9, I am not sure if the lens characteristic is suitable for street/general purpose photography.

 

Your thoughts or experience will be helpful.

 

Gautam

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[wstotler]

There are a variety of opinions and previous threads on this topic--but I'd like to say that I think you already have your answer.

 

The 35mm Summicron ASPH is an excellent performer and a very safe choice. I use this when I know I want to prioritize sharpness + contrast as my key issue.

 

Samples here:

Summicron ASPH 35mm - a set on Flickr

 

 

If you're looking for something more exotic (and much heavier) on the M8, the 35mm f/1.2 CV Nokton is a good bet, also. You can get incredibly shallow DOF (with huge out-of focus areas) with this lens. The M8 lets you mount up this beauty and shoot--it's a privilege. I shoot with this lens when I want to prioritize low-light capabilities + large out-of-focus areas (for selective focus). Note that it has apparently been discontinued, but is still available as "new old stock."

 

Samples here:

CV35 Nokton f/1.2 - a set on Flickr

 

 

Either of these lenses are good "long term" investments in glass for the M8 (and down the road the M9).

 

Just make sure you buy one thing and USE it until you are sore before you purchase a second lens. Seriously.

 

Thanks,

Will

[UliWer]

It makes sense already considering full format if one thinks of a lens for the M8. 28mm on the M8 will give you a comfartable field of view, though you will miss 35mm if you go further to a full format camera. So a 35mm is probably the better option to start with.

[paisatge]

Why not save up a bit and jump straight to M9 and perhaps a Summarit 35mm? I would certainly do that.

[Bill Allsopp]

I have the 35mm Summarit and it is an excellent lens which suits me and serves me well.

[biswasg]

Why not save up a bit and jump straight to M9 and perhaps a Summarit 35mm? I would certainly do that.

 

I had thought about this option, but the main reasons being :

1. the M9 is two years in circulation (almost) so I could wait for a little more time and saving a little more cash to swap the M8+cash (lots of, I guess) for the M10. By that time I would have got accustomed to the rangefinder and the lens(es).

 

2. I presently use a Canon 5D2, so essentially I am seeing the Leica as a second carry always, ready to shoot camera which also produces high quality images.

[dpitt]

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If you really are on a budget there is always the option of a 40 C summicron. (50mm equivalent on M8)It is cheap, small, light and very sharp. Ideal for street IMHO.

It brings up the 50 mm frame which is far too tight. It can be modified to bring up the 35 mm frame or you can use the manual lever for a while like I did. The 35 is pretty accurate on the M8 since it is a bit too tight for a real 35 mm.

 

 

 

A 40Ccron n good shape can be found around $400. Even if you add like $200 to have it modifed and coded like I did, it still is the cheapest summicron of its generation.

I do not think you can get any Leica lens in the same league for the same money. If anything, it would give you the opportunity to see what you really want on the M8 or eventually the M9.

[biswasg]

Samples here:

Summicron ASPH 35mm - a set on Flickr

 

 

 

Samples here:

CV35 Nokton f/1.2 - a set on Flickr

 

l

 

Thanks Will for the link. Great portraits. I think 35mm it is.

[Jeff S]

If you haven't experienced RF photography yet, then you have no idea whether it will suit long term. Does for some (me), but not for others. So, worrying about an M9 or M10 at this point is not useful.

 

Further, one can generally sell a Leica lens for as much or more than purchase price. So again, don't worry about the future.

 

Buy what you think you will use the most now. I own 2 M8.2s, one generally with a 28 (most used), one with a 50. But I also have a 35, which I use occasionally. Probably don't need more than one, however, because my feet zoom fine. But, a few decades with M cameras will generally lead to multiple lenses (and cameras), I'm afraid.

 

Once you get the camera (or if you can play with one in advance), remember that there is a frame preview lever on the camera for you to experiment with alternate FOVs. Especially helpful if you wear glasses to check frame line visibility.

 

Jeff

[biswasg]

If you haven't experienced RF photography yet, then you have no idea whether it will suit long term.

 

I own 2 M8.2s, one generally with a 28 (most used), one with a 50. But I also have a 35, which I use occasionally.

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff for your advice. This is exactly what I wish to do- try out the RF to see whether it suits me. So to start do not want to make a big investment. I have reviewed many posts and was particularly impressed with some of the images shot with a Elmarit 28/f2.8 Asph. Wondering if that could be the only one lens to have on the M8. f 2.8 is the fastest aperture in my present Canon EF lens collection.

[bpalme]

The most recent "what's your favorite lens" thread had the 28 cron as the most popular. It's my only lens and love the angle of view... but I'm really wanting a 50 lux to go with it. Craving some shallower DOF so maybe I should have went 35 Lux. Good luck.

[menos I M6]

You really should determine, which equivalent focal length would be your perfect adding to the 5D, when shooting with both cameras.

 

It would help, to define, which of those best accompanying the 5D would be your preferred favorite focal length.

 

This should be then your first choice for the first lens on the M8.

 

I mostly shoot with two cameras - mostly a M8.2 with 50mm and a film body with 35mm.

Others might prefer a 28mm on full frame.

 

The natural "dream lenses" on the M8 (that also work as "dream lenses" for many on a full frame camera) for their focal lengths are:

 

~ 28mm:

 

- 24 Summilux

(veeeery expensive, rather big and heavy for a M lens, but supposedly spectacular) It calls the 24mm frame lines in the M8 viewfinder. The M9 and 0.72x film bodies do not have a 24mm frame line - you have to use an external finder for most correct framing

 

- 28 Summicron ASPH (the best 28mm for M mount available according to many users) - a beautiful, compact (with alternative lens hood), sharp, but lovely lens

 

35mm:

- 35 Summilux ASPH v1 (at the moment maybe nice, to get second hand, as some people upgrade to the newer model, some people report issues with focus shift on digital bodies between f2 and f2.8, me and others have no issues)

 

- 35 Summilux ASPH v2 (the latest and greatest fastest 35mm, Leica makes - difficult to find in stock, everybody wants one)

 

- 35 Summicron ASPH (surprisingly compact, fantastically sharp and distortion free lens, very flat field of focus, super smooth, to focus, compared to other modern Leica lenses)

 

- 35 Summarit (even more compact, nice lens according to many, but in my opinion less good value for the money, compared to other second hand offerings in 35mm, like Summicrons or pre ASPH Summilux')

 

- 35 2.5 Voigtlander (an extremely compact, well regarded "bang for the buck" lens)

 

50mm

 

- 50 Summilux ASPH

This is the lens, everybody craves for, when wanting a fast 50mm Leica M lens - if a 50mm x 1.33 is for you as an only first lens, getting this lens will be no mistake. If YOU should happen, to not like it, there will be uncounted people, who would do anything, to get their hands on one sample at the moment ;-)

The 50 Lux ASPH happened, to have been my very first Leica lens ever, resulting in parting with most of my DSLR stuff and converting almost exclusively to Leica RF.

 

- 50 Noctilux f1

A controversial lens - classic non lens ASPH design, resulting in a not perfect, but special, liked look by it's followers. It gives heavy vignetting, is expensive in it's initial purchasing costs, heavy and big, while blocking the finder considerably in it's right bottom corner.

It is slow to focus.

It would be the one lens, I would choose as the only lens, if challenged, to pick just one - even on the crop sensor M8, but I am one who fell in love with the look of this lens - many others buy one out of curiosity, try it, have problems (focus pairing with rangefinder), don't like it's many shortcomings and proceed, to sell it again.

 

If I would have known myself from the very start through my journey through many Leica bodies and lenses, this and a 35mm Summilux would be the lenses, I would have started my Leica kit with.

But as in many things in life, we underestimate and start at the bottom, to realize, we want more or different every step after another ;-).

 

Of all focal lengths, regardless of lens, cost or character, I find the 35mm length the most universally useful on the M8. It is wide enough, to shoot scenes with context, but still long enough, to work ok for portraits.

The modern Leica lenses up to 75mm have a nice minimum focus distance (except the 50mm Summarit), which can be very useful. Older lenses and longer lenses are more limited here (1m and more).

 

Good luck! The M8 is a very fine camera.

[Phenic]

From my limited experience, in order of budget,

 

1) $ - Voigtlander Skopar II 35/2.5 (my first lens on the M8)

2) $$ - Summicron-C 40/2

3) $$$ - Zeiss 35/2 or 50/2

4) $$$$ - Summicron 50/2 (you can buy the older versions for cheap and they're the same optical formula)

4.5) $$$$.5 - Summicron ASPH 35/2

5) $$$$$ - Summilux ASPH 50/1.4 (my fav. lens right now, but hard to find, and quite expensive even used)

 

As you can guess, I like the 50mm FL on my M8.

 

So what you want really depends on the focal length you want on the M8.

[Jeff S]

I have reviewed many posts and was particularly impressed with some of the images shot with a Elmarit 28/f2.8 Asph. Wondering if that could be the only one lens to have on the M8. f 2.8 is the fastest aperture in my present Canon EF lens collection.

 

The fact is that most any Leica lens is capable of producing great pictures. One can't judge anything on a computer screen; only prints matter IMO.

 

Of course, FOV and aperture limitations are strictly personal, so only you can judge. Remember, though, that 28 mm is approximately a 37mm FOV on the M8, and that your feet can zoom to accommodate many circumstances.

 

The Elmarit is a nice compact lens (for Leica....compared to your Canon lenses, all are pretty small). It's a bit more contrasty (by reports) than my Summicron Asph, but many factors in the post-processing workflow affect the final look in the print anyway.

 

Bottom line, you can't go wrong with any lens. Your shooting habits will quickly accommodate. And sticking with one lens for a while is smart while you adapt to the RF experience.

 

Jeff

[WigglePig]

Well, when I had an M8 I was using mostly either a 50mm 'cron (late) or a CV 40/1.4 Nokton (single coated), both of which worked very well. They made the M8 a very good portrait camera but were too tight for street stuff and general snaps so when I sold my M8 (to buy an M6) I swapped the crom for a Zeiss 28mm Biogon which is an absolutely superb lens for any money.

 

Tra

 

Wiggly

[Pintpot]

If you want new, a 28mm Elmarit M ASPH is a very good and (by Leica standards)

cheap lens, gives you a 37mm on M8, or as stated above, a very good 'standard' lens is the 40mm Summicon C. I have both of them. If you can get good, secondhand, older lenses use them. My 50mm Summicron is from the 70's - super lens (as indeed they all are) I have even had very good results from an old 50's 90mm F4 Elmar.

Enjoy your M8!

[canetsbe]

I started shooting my M8 with an old 35mm summicron that needed some focus adjustment. I swapped it out and got a 28 elmarit-m, the pre-ASPH, and it's an amazing lens. I don't think you can go wrong with either length, but I've always loved the 35mm length so that's why I ultimately went with the 28 on the M8. I'm looking to get back into the 35mm realm again and will be watching the market for a re-emergence of the CV 35mm 1.2. They will supposedly re-introduce it by this summer. Apparently CV couldn't get the asph glass for the old one anymore so they have to redesign it or something.

[ramosa]

Focal length ... I would recommend a 35 with your idea of changing to M9. I love a 28 on my M8, but would definately swap it for a 35 if I were to move to an M9. For a 35, I would definately consider cron and lux.

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[wstotler]

Thanks Will for the link. Great portraits. I think 35mm it is.

 

You're welcome. Good luck! Will

[MP3]

I used both M8 and M9 since they launched.

On M8, you will find 28 equi a 37 'not wide enough'.

Do not underestimate the 2mm difference there.

 

For my M8, I really like the Elmarit 24 asph, I wonder no one mentioned it above =)

Wonderful balance among color, contrast, tone range, resolution and distortion control.

It is just that good. You may imagine it is an around 'wider' 35 on M8.

With a new copy like SN from 400xxxxx onwards, they can just put on a filter,

no hood need, the new copies are so flare resistant too !

 

I once owned 3 and now still retain 2 here.

 

When you eventually go FF, it delivers stellar 24mm images.

From my opinion, Leica simply made the best 24, 35 and 50s.

 

And I want to something more, I tend to reach for the M8/Elmarit24

more than my M9. Unthinkable ?!