honcho Posted August 31, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Others will disagree, but if you like the 50mm aov I think the Elmar-M 50mm f2.8 is a near perfect match for the MP. Forget silly comments about having to extend or collapse it, you may as well argue that manual focus and winding film on is a chore. Â Every MP owner should at least try a 50mm Elmar! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 31, 2011 Posted August 31, 2011 Hi honcho, Take a look here 50mm Elmar-M thread. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
plasticman Posted August 31, 2011 Share #2 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Others will disagree, but if you like the 50mm aov I think the Elmar-M 50mm f2.8 is a near perfect match for the MP. Forget silly comments about having to extend or collapse it, you may as well argue that manual focus and winding film on is a chore. Â I wish I could agree with you, because I love the way the Elmar-M renders, and in one way the ergonomics are wonderful (and that's in the amazingly compact package that almost makes the lens disappear when collapsed), but I took it along as my only vacation lens on a short trip one time, thinking that the compactness would make it a great travel lens, and spent five days cursing it, wishing that I'd brought along almost any other fixed lens instead. Â I have many nice shots with it, but it hasn't been out of its box since that trip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzo Posted August 31, 2011 Share #3 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Â .... thinking that the compactness would make it a great travel lens, and spent five days cursing it, wishing that I'd brought along almost any other fixed lens instead. Â Â Any other 50mm lens you mean? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted August 31, 2011 Share #4 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Every MP owner should at least try a 50mm Elmar! Â A nice steady performer. It's compact, but when collapsed, with the lovely metal hood fitted, it's hardly any different in size from a Summicron 50mm. Â Bought one and sold it a year later. Fine in daylight, but in low light it was too restrictive with my film choices and I started to carry my 50mm Summilux Asph with it. In the end, I didn't feel it had enough character, or good wide-open performance, to warrant keeping. Leica maybe felt the same when they withdrew it. Â For me, and only me, I regard Summicron as being the starting aperture and Summilux the preferred. For compact design, light weight AND character, I replaced the Elmar-M with a perfect 35mm Summicron v4, as my go everywhere lens and use my 35 Lux Asph for weddings and specific shoots. Â If I want 50mm, I've got one and it's a stunning performer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted August 31, 2011 Share #5 Â Posted August 31, 2011 .... There are some who prefer the 50mm focal length to a 35mm. Â Not the same and cannot be compared, IMO. .. Â Well, I'm an incorrigible accumulator of 50mm lenses (especially the fast ones), but I recently bought a really lovely v4 Summicron 35 (for no better reason than that I'd tried and sold two Summilux 35 lenses before, and simply wanted to fill that space - a reason I wouldn't want to confess to my partner, incidentally ), and I'm finding it a truly wonderful experience. Completely outshines the older Summilux lenses in almost every respect, in my experience, and the field of view has really grown on me. Â But then again, I tend to use lenses (and cameras) in spells - every now and again I'll feel like a different experience, and one of the lenses comes out of the drawer and stays on one of the cameras for at least a couple months. I fear that'll never happen with the Elmar though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzo Posted August 31, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted August 31, 2011 As for me, I never felt quite comfortable with a 35mm. Give me a 50mm and I'm happy. ... Two very different focal lengths altogether, the way I see it. Â It depends what you're shooting too, I suppose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
honcho Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share #7 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I like the quirky ergonomics of the Elmar in combination with my MP, I'm not too interested in the mtf values compared to other 50mm Leica lenses. It's probably a reflection on why I have an MP, I use it purely for pleasure and have never wanted to try to make money from the images I make with it. Â I become a different photographer when I'm using my MP, with little regard for the control and perfection I strive for in my working life and I probably smile when I'm using it. Â As for field of view, I'll happily swap between 35mm and 50mm and very occasionally a 90mm f2.8 Elmarit-M, but my natural preference is for 35mm and the 35mm Summicron asph is the lens I would keep if I could only have one Leica lens for my MP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted August 31, 2011 Share #8 Â Posted August 31, 2011 ... the 35mm Summicron asph is the lens I would keep if I could only have one Leica lens for my MP. Â As my last OT post (for today ) on this thread, I have to say that the 35 Summicron has totally revived my interest in that fov, and the v4 is so perfect that I wonder how the other versions render, in comparison. Â The pre-ASPH Summiluxes I bought because I always feel that f1.4 must be better than f.2 (and f.1 better than f1.4, naturally). But they were dogs in comparison with the Summicron. Â My only grouch might be that the lens is not built like (say) the older DR Summicron 50 (which feels indestructible). I had to have the internal plastic aperture-ring holder (or whatever it is) replaced as part of the CLA when I bought it, for instance. I was sad to hear that it had any plastic parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted August 31, 2011 Share #9 Â Posted August 31, 2011 I had a 50 Elmar a few years ago (and had a 90 macro Elmar until much more recently) but never felt entirely comfortable with the collapsible side of it. For me, the 50mm Summarit and an M body are the perfect ergonomic combination - the right size, the right balance, the right smoothness. That said, I'm no longer so enthusiastic about the 50mm focal length. I recently realised that I had been using the 50mm focal length as a kind of safe photographic crutch for years (I was finding that I was always taking the same kind of shot - portrait format, subject taking up 2/3 or so of the frame). With that in mind I recently sold my beloved 50 Summilux ASPH (with which I had taken some of my favourite photos and shot entire jobs with) and bought the latest 35 Summilux. Photographically, it's been a revelation for me, making me rethink composition and the kind of subject that I am interested in. However, being larger and heavier, it has a much less satisfying balance on the camera body and I am already considering how to rejig my (already quite small) lens collection to include a 35 Summarit. I'm slightly tempted to go with a 35 Summilux and 35 Summarit only combination. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted August 31, 2011 Share #10 Â Posted August 31, 2011 Any chance someone could start an Elmar thread... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmith Posted August 31, 2011 Share #11 Â Posted August 31, 2011 I have several 50mm Elmars, including the latest one. I never collapse them - there seems little point. My most recent one is mainly used on my 16511 - a very useful combination. Alwyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bybrett Posted August 31, 2011 Share #12  Posted August 31, 2011 I wish I could agree with you, because I love the way the Elmar-M renders, and in one way the ergonomics are wonderful (and that's in the amazingly compact package that almost makes the lens disappear when collapsed), but I took it along as my only vacation lens on a short trip one time, thinking that the compactness would make it a great travel lens, and spent five days cursing it, wishing that I'd brought along almost any other fixed lens instead. I have many nice shots with it, but it hasn't been out of its box since that trip.  I hear you but I can't see your reasoning here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bybrett Posted August 31, 2011 Share #13  Posted August 31, 2011 A nice steady performer. It's compact, but when collapsed, with the lovely metal hood fitted, it's hardly any different in size from a Summicron 50mm. Bought one and sold it a year later. Fine in daylight, but in low light it was too restrictive with my film choices and I started to carry my 50mm Summilux Asph with it. In the end, I didn't feel it had enough character, or good wide-open performance, to warrant keeping. Leica maybe felt the same when they withdrew it.  For me, and only me, I regard Summicron as being the starting aperture and Summilux the preferred. For compact design, light weight AND character, I replaced the Elmar-M with a perfect 35mm Summicron v4, as my go everywhere lens and use my 35 Lux Asph for weddings and specific shoots.  If I want 50mm, I've got one and it's a stunning performer.  Ah the love affair has ended. Elmar-M at f2.8 gives a better performance than Summicron at f2... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
honcho Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share #14 Â Posted August 31, 2011 ....and rocket focus. More snap than a Jack Russell... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticman Posted September 1, 2011 Share #15 Â Posted September 1, 2011 I hear you but I can't see your reasoning here? Â I wasn't really clear: my problem was that my enthusiasm for the lens as 'travel kit' was how light and compact it was, especially when collapsed. Because of this I tended to collapse it when walking around, and only extend it when needed. After a very short while I got tired of the endless in-and-out every time I saw a shot, and decided to leave it extended, but then a couple of times I caught the camera on my bag strap when reaching for it, and blamed this on the indented nature of the extended lens. Â In retrospect, I was probably just getting more and more irritated with the lens and looking for excuses to blame it for pretty much anything. The shots from the vacation had a very nice quality to them - but they were far fewer than I'd normally take. And as said, the lens hasn't been back on any of my cameras since then. Â In essence I'd say that I love the idea of extending lenses in theory, but simply not in practice. It's a purely personal viewpoint, I hasten to add. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted September 1, 2011 Share #16 Â Posted September 1, 2011 I like the Elmar M very much, mainly for its rendering and potential compactness, and it is just so smooth to use, and very fast to focus. Â I say potential compactness because when the camera comes out of the camera bag it both stays switched on (if it has a meter), and the lens extended, and even going momentarily back into the bag while shopping etc the lens stays extended. Its only at the end of the day when photography has stopped, or if I am carrying the camera in a coat pocket, does the lens get collapsed. I think if it was theoretically packaged as a rigid design roughly similar to a Summarit I would still prefer its qualities over a Summarit. Â Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzo Posted September 1, 2011 Share #17 Â Posted September 1, 2011 Started my ''Leica Love Affair'' with a 50 Elmar-M. Sold it to get the 50 Summicron. Some years later, bought another. ... Sold it again. .... Stupid mistake. .... Â Recieved my third only yesterday. This one is definitely for keeps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delfi_r Posted September 1, 2011 Share #18 Â Posted September 1, 2011 I love the Elmar-M, with it's tiny hood. I use it as travel companion along the 28 mm elmarit ASPH. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posto 6 Posted September 1, 2011 Share #19 Â Posted September 1, 2011 This lens is the main reason I cannot get myself to sell my M6J in spite of having sold almost all of my M equipment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldhrads Posted September 1, 2011 Share #20 Â Posted September 1, 2011 Like many, I am a lover of 50mm lenses. It's funny that I have a summicron 35 asph that lived on my M8.2 and I was very happy with it. I didn't like 50mm on the M8.2. Once I switched to M9 I'm back working with 50mm most of the time and I don't find it confining at all. I bought the 50 elmar M for a more compact feel, and used it prodigiously on several trips. Great shots, snappy focus, and a nice look overall. It's easy to love. OTOH, I'll stick the Noctilux on for a trip as well, it's heavy and big and slower to focus, but I love it too. Then I rediscovered my summicron 50 and realized what a great lens that is too. Lately I've been eyeing a 1.5 summarit, but haven't pulled the trigger. Somewhere in the back of my cabinet is an old 50mm 3.5 elmar SM that someone gave me, that as dusty and hazy as it is, can still produce some interesting shots.... Â They are all fun. Lately I've been leaving the collapsible lenses on my M7 either the 50 Elmar M or the 35 Perar. I really do like that Elmar M. It's a great all around lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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