brutto Posted June 30, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm just about to spend almost every penny on an M8. With the little that's left, I'm thinking of starting with an Elmarit-M 28mm. What do you think? Would prefer to stick to Leica but would consider Zeiss. Many thanks for your suggestions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Hi brutto, Take a look here M8 first lens suggestions please.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
johnloumiles Posted June 30, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 30, 2011 If you have another 1000-1200 USD to spend on a used Elmarit (v.2 or v.3) then your are in a great position. Its my favorite lens in terms of rendering. If it was a bit faster it would be perfect. Then again if that were the case it wouldn't be an Elmarit which is characterized by sharpness and vivid saturation. You might also be able to find a v.2 or v.3 50mm Summicron for that price but if you want to keep it at 28mm (which is 35mm on M8) then Elmarit is your best bet. I can't speak for Ziess as I have not tried one. Maybe someone else here can help you with that. Best of luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmanda Posted June 30, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 30, 2011 Congrats on your M8! I've just put a substantial down payment on my first M8 too but sadly won't be able to afford anywhere near a Leica lens as my first lens! I'll be looking at a used Voigtlander I'd say Sorry I can't add anymore than that. Enjoy the camera, can't wait to see your first pics and experiences with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted June 30, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 30, 2011 Zeiss Biogon 21/2.8 was my first M8 lens, and the one I used 80% of the time. I also plan to use it extensively on my new M9-P, although with the ff sensor it's a little wide. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramosa Posted June 30, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2011 An Elmarit 28 was my first lens on my M8. It is a good focal length for the M8, becoming just a bit longer than a 35mm with the 1.33X crop. It is a fine lens, sharp and very small. I think it's an excellent choice as a first lens for an M8. Some have already recommended longer ( e.g., 50mm) and shorter (e.g., 21mm), but I think a 28mm is a better place to start. It will help you get a feel for your M8 and give you a perspective for how you like to use a RF. In the future, for a second lens, you can then go shorter or longer depending on your experiences with this first lens. Best of luck--and welcome to M8-land. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
biswasg Posted June 30, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 30, 2011 I'm thinking of starting with an Elmarit-M 28mm. What do you think? Many thanks for your suggestions. A little over one month ago, I started with the same combination- a used M8 with a new Elmarit 28 ASPH. I recently added a Summicron 50. 90%of the time I used the Elmarit. Very happy with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holybasil Posted June 30, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm with biswasg. The first lens I got was a voightlander 50mm 1.5 and just recently added the 28-elmarit asph to the collection. It is really a great balance and a very light kit to carry around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richam Posted June 30, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 30, 2011 Agree with the others on the 28mm Elmarit. I got one with my M8, and use it maybe 90% of the time. I also carry around my old 50mm pre-asph Summilux, and it makes a nice 2 lens kit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted June 30, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 30, 2011 Buy a 50/0.95, sell it again, and get three other Leica lenses:D You are doomed anyway - so why fret about it? My first Leica experience was with film (M2) and a 35/2.8 summaron. It also works on my M8. Lenses that are close to my age (...) still kick major .... and don't cost very much. Similar holds for a 1966 90/2.8 tele-elmarit, although that required a CLA to get rid of flare/loss of contrast. Some examples see here Flickr: SJP-DH's stuff tagged with summaron Especially this one started convincing me (look at large left top corner), composition is not particularly interesting but look for yourself: L1000479 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Anyway bottom line is that nearly all Leica lenses are pretty amazing, including the "old glass". Photons still behave as they used to. You do not need to go for the new ASPH to get great results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzwave Posted June 30, 2011 Share #10 Posted June 30, 2011 My first lens on M8 is 35mm ,.....I never buy another lens. regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freusen Posted June 30, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 30, 2011 ............My first Leica experience was with film (M2) and a 35/2.8 summaron............. +1 The 35mm f/2.8 Summaron is one of Leica's best lenses you can buy for your money as SJP shows in his Flickr Series: Flickr: SJP-DH's stuff tagged with summaron Please don't listen to all the guys who only want the latest and most expensive lenses, it has little to do with the skills to make nice pictures. The chain is as strong as it's weakest link: it's my opinion that it's mostly the man (or woman) behind the camera which is the weekest link. Carpe Diem ____________ FrankR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted June 30, 2011 Share #12 Posted June 30, 2011 Frank, you should not say that. I am just around, to pick up one LTM lens after another. You ruin the fun ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJDrew Posted June 30, 2011 Share #13 Posted June 30, 2011 Reading your post, it appears that cost may be a factor for you. If that is the case, the 40mm/2 Summicron or (gasp!) Rokkor is a tremendous value because Leica people have generally disowned them (despite excellent image quality). Another path to take is Voigtlander... which is another 4-letter word to some. But if you are saving for a very expensive lens, they offer the best dollar for dollar performance out there. And, while I was critical at first, after using them for a bit, I am well-convinced. For example, their 21mm keeps up with or generally outperforms pretty much every Leitz pre-ASPH 21mm, especially on a 1.33x crop. They have very good 25mm and 28mm offerings that can leave you with rent money as you work towards the lens you want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fWord Posted June 30, 2011 Share #14 Posted June 30, 2011 Since I'm only a newcomer to the M8, take my opinion with a pinch of salt. But because you mentioned something with the 28mm focal length, the Zeiss Biogon 28/2.8 came to mind. I quite nearly bought this as my first (and almost certainly the one and only) lens for the M8. Lots of good things have been written about this lens. I handled it in the flesh and it's a lovely piece of kit, going nice and wide even on the M8 for the FOV of a 35mm lens. I wanted something faster and hence settled on an f/2 lens from the same seller but it's not as wide. But I still wonder 'what if' I had bought the Zeiss Biogon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brutto Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted June 30, 2011 Thank you all. My path back to Leica has come in a big circle from an M3 I used 20 years ago but which now sits on my mantlepiece together with a Summicron 50 and an Elmar 90, both collapsible. After various film and digital SLRs I started playing with an E-P1 and various MF lenses (including the two above, Canon, Rokkor, Contax, Summicron-C, 28mm Biogon) all of which have now been sold. I do have a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5 Asph but I am selling that to put towards a Leica lens. I know the Nokton is a fine lens but too long for me on the M8 and Voigtlander quality doesn't satisfy me - shallow but true. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted June 30, 2011 Share #16 Posted June 30, 2011 My only issue with the modern Zeiss lenses is, that their aperture clicks in 1/3 stops, opposed to the Leica shutter speeds. I don't need 1/3 stop precision with BW film or DNG files, but I like, to keep manual exposure setting simple, where having 1/2 stop clicks on body and lens makes things easier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeebeeWien Posted June 30, 2011 Share #17 Posted June 30, 2011 Well, I am a newbie with the M system and an M8 user for just a few weeks, and I opted for a new 28/2,8 Zeiss Biogon and a 15 year old 50/2,0 Summicron. Additonally I bought a 15/4,5 Voigtländer Heliar, just because I Iove the look of ultra wide angle lenses and I got it cheap off ebay (new version with filter thread and rangefinder coupling for GBP 200). After reviewing the first 100or so shots I made within the past week, I am stunned by the image quality of all three lenses, and actually the 28mm is the one I like most from the look of the images captured and also the haptic feeling of the lense itself. The 50 comes second. The Heliar is also very nice, but because of the focal length of course not as universal as the two others. How did I chose my focal lengths? Well, I checked the exif data of a couple of hundred pictures I took with my DSLR with a wide range zoom lense, and except for a few tele shots, those were the lengths I used most. I'll be on a foto trip soon and will seeif this also manifests in reality outside the "test bed" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PasMichiel Posted June 30, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 30, 2011 I use the 28mm most then the 75mm and for fun the cheap 15mm Leica is known for their lenses so I prefer at least one is a Leica. But you can look for the Summarit 2.5 lenses. a 35 and 75mm for example. They are great, they are Leica and not that expensive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
framestore Posted June 30, 2011 Share #19 Posted June 30, 2011 I'm just about to spend almost every penny on an M8. With the little that's left, I'm thinking of starting with an Elmarit-M 28mm. What do you think? Would prefer to stick to Leica but would consider Zeiss. Many thanks for your suggestions. I'm with my M8 just about less than a month. I had same dilemma to choose my first lens, and bought Leica Elmarit-M 28mm Asph and 75 Summarit. I had also considered other brand's glasses, but decided to stick to Leica. Although, I'm very much enjoying of both lenses, only complain is the f2.8...! IF I could choose again, I would buy summilux 35mm Asph or even pre-Asph for my first lens. 35mm is actually 46.55mm on M8. Hope this information helps. -- Regards, Joe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo77 Posted June 30, 2011 Share #20 Posted June 30, 2011 Voigtlander Color Skopar 28 f3.5. Amazingly sharp and tiny. Just buy the LTM to M adapter, is rangefinder coupled.if you can find one, you won't loose money in case of a future resale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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