Advice wanted

[martinimages]

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Hi

At the moment I am using th D-Lux 5 and have decided to go the whole way and buy the Leica M9

 

Where I would like advice is Leica lens choice, I get very confused with the models of the Leica Lens,

 

I want to use a 28mm 50mm and 90mm possibly 21mm.

 

unfortunately I don't have a ££ note printer, ( wish I had)

 

What lens in the range above would you recommend to keep the prices down.and be suitable for the M9

 

Looking at their range there are

Summicrom

Summarit

Summilux

Elmar

also some have ASPH

 

Which models are the cheaper range if any and, silly question, are they very good.

 

Sorry to sound a little confused but I am new to this and would greatly appreciate your comments.

 

PS

I have seen Leica lens that are made in Canada and seem to go for agood prices on ebay, are they OK ?

 

Regards

 

Martin

[Ellie]

I have M9 and one lens right now, the newest Elmarit-M 28/2.8 ASPH. I really like that it's small, lightweight and takes amazing pictures. For daylight shots this lens is enough.

 

I've also been thinking about getting a film M7 with a new Summarit 50/2.5 lens for next year, it's also a small lightweight lens and low priced too.

[M9reno]

I fully agree: in terms of value for money and overall quality the Elmarit 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH is the best choice for those incapable of implementing "quantitative easing" in their own basement. It was the first lens I bought with my own M9.

[StephenPatterson]

1. Do not buy from eb@y. Buy from an authorized Leica dealer and establish a working relationship. Let him know you want to buy the camera and lens at the same time.

2. Buy a new 35mm Summarit or Summicron, depending on budget. It comes with a fantastic warranty and will not go down in value.

3. Wait at least 6 months before buying a 2nd lens.

 

At the moment dealers have more cameras than lenses, so if your dealer knows that you will only buy the camera and lens at the same time he will expedite you on his waiting list.

 

Stephen

[jaapv]

And there is absolutely no difference in quality between lenses made in Canada or Germany.

[sblitz]

This steve agrees with stephen 100%. My m9 came with a 35mm sumicron. Wonderful practical lens. Over time

You will add. Take your time though

 

A 35 covers so much of your needs a 28 I believe you will find wanting in short order

[Bobitybob]

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I have a set of Summarits and find them very good for the price, most of the photos I've posted on the forum were taken with them. My only niggle is that very occasionally I need something with a wider aperture so am saving for a 50 Summilux.

 

I'm not sure about Leica dealers in Leeds but I got my lenses form Harrison Cameras in Sheffield, and I found them very helpful and of course its not that far from you.

 

Hope that a helpful.

[StephenPatterson]

I'm not sure about Leica dealers in Leeds but I got my lenses form Harrison Cameras in Sheffield, and I found them very helpful and of course its not that far from you.

 

Hope that a helpful.

 

My Leica dealer is thousands of miles from me, but we have a great working relationship thanks to FedEx.

[farnz]

Martin,

 

The lenses names are typically an indication of the speed of the lens (although there are odd exceptions) and the faster a lens the more you're likely to have to pay and the larger it's likely to be. The general arrangement in descending order is:

 

F/0.95, f/1.0, or f/1.2 Noctilux (only available in 50 mm and your wallet should be sweating profusely at the thought)

f/1.4 Summilux

f/2.0 Summicron

f/2.5 Summarit (generally less expensive. Note: there is an older f/1.5 Summarit)

f/2.8 Elmarit

f/4.0 Elmar (the 50 Elmar is f/2.8 not f/4)

 

Please refer to the LUF Wiki for further reading.

 

Pete.

[wda]

Martin, sticking with your stated preference for focal lengths, that matches exactly my experience over many years starting with M3 and much later M6. Now in the digital age I find the same focal lengths equally useful although I did add a 35mm when I bought my M8.

 

Looking at your galleries, which are quite inspiring, for most of your work you do not need very fast lenses. So, with one exception, I would advocate going for Elmarit and Summarit lenses, the more modern the Elmarits the better. My exception would be a 50mm Summicron which would enable you to tackle most indoor available light scenes adequately, particularly when humans also feature.

 

The 21mm could be the new Elmar which is just coming available, otherwise the last Elmarit.

 

The 28mm could be the current Elmarit ASPH, excellent for landscapes, no need to go faster since you also use a tripod for many of your shots.

 

The 50mm should be a Summicron, a great universal lens which will never disappoint.

 

The 90mm could be either a late Elmarit or new Summarit, depending on availability, again, for your needs, quite fast enough..

 

There are many sources of information. Try the local library where you might find Brian Bower's Leica Lens book which covers old and new lenses up to about 1994. He has good advice on buying second-hand. The book is out of print but you might find it second-hand, possibly on Amazon.

 

Look at the Leica official site where you will find basic information about new lenses. Also check UK Leica dealers' sites for information and availability. If you haven't already found a good Leica dealer you will find much advice by searching this forum. David Stevens in Manchester might be worth a trip when he has an M9 awareness day or Harrison in Sheffield. Or even make the effort to visit Leica UK's flagship store in Mayfair where you are likely to be able to see and handle a wider range of stock than elsewhere. If you buy there, prices will be list as opposed to slight discounts elsewhere. By visiting a store for a known event you can be sure of having the staff's full attention.

 

Wishing you good luck; don't rush into buying the full kit straight away even if that was possible!

[lars_bergquist]

1. Do not buy from eb@y. Buy from an authorized Leica dealer and establish a working relationship. Let him know you want to buy the camera and lens at the same time.

2. Buy a new 35mm Summarit or Summicron, depending on budget. It comes with a fantastic warranty and will not go down in value.

3. Wait at least 6 months before buying a 2nd lens.

 

At the moment dealers have more cameras than lenses, so if your dealer knows that you will only buy the camera and lens at the same time he will expedite you on his waiting list.

 

Stephen

 

I agree completely. Get the camera and one (1) 'standard lens', either 35mm or 50mm. Learn the ropes and find out by experience what would be your next lens. There is BTW a little lever on the M camera that lets you preview the field of any lens from 28 to 135mm, without actually owning it.

 

You may ultimately want to own something faster in the 'standard' focal length range. But you may well decide to keep your first lens because of its compactness, so go for a Summarit first. F:2.5 goes a long way with digital.

 

And no, there is no real difference in quality between Summarit lenses and the rest of the Leica line. They are just built to more moderate specifications, and hence they are less expensive. And Summarit lenses are actually obtainable, because their 'bling factor' is less than that of Summicrons and Summiluxes. Most Leica gear is actually bought by clueless but rich people, for the bling effect. Let's not complain; that has helped to keep the company alive!

 

The old man who has most of them – and who has had even more of them

[Gerard]

If I were starting out, I'd pop a used 50mm on the front. It's a decent all rounder that won't leave you isolated in many situations.

 

The Elmar would be a good choice due to its compact design, and they are so cheap at the moment. But if you can afford a Summicron, you will be more than happy (but they cost a few hundred pounds more).

 

Then shoot, lots, everyday for a year. If you make it through to the other side more inspired and excited than you were at the start... spend what you like; the investment will be enjoyed and will likely lose little value over time.

 

Personally, I think it best to limit the volume of kit one owns/carries. I have a three lens set up, but one can easily cope with just two. Four or five will mean many end up being under used. I have a 15, a 28 and a 75. While my heart is calling for a 50 ASPH; I really can't justify it right now.

 

Finally, if cost really becomes an issue; don't forget how good the M8 was and that there are a couple of really decent non-Leica lenses out there in M-fit too.

 

Best of luck; hope you love the rangefinder experience as much as I do.

[luigi bertolotti]

Some advices based on your questions :

 

- Generally speaking all Leica lenses are "good" : but the used ones (a big market) must be checked with care.

- So, don't buy on ebay : international e-dealers can be a good source for lenses.

- If I were you I'd start with a 50 (Summarit or Summicron - new), an Elmarit 28 asph (new), and a "cheap" 90 (Voigtlander or used Elmar / Elmarit)

- If this doesn't fit the budget : start with one of the above 50s, enjoy M9 and wait to see your real desires.

[Keith (M)]

Hi Martin,

 

Lots of good advice!

 

PS - have sent you a PM (no. not that one).

[martinimages]

Thanks for your advice, I am still studying which way to go,

 

Martin

[MarkP]

Lots of advice here. To add some more:

 

If there is a financial restriction on lens purchasing I would strongly recommend the Summarits if you wish to stay with Leica. For example, with a 50mm lens, the Summicron is 1.4x the coast and a Summilux 2.6x the cost (with well more than 2.6 x the wait to get one). If f 2.5 is not a problem for you. They are well made and have excellent image quality. If you look through the forum you will see that many members preferentially use these lenses for their quality irrespective of their price. I often now use the 2.5/35 Summarit instead of the 1.4/35 Summilux FLE.

 

If you can afford and specifically want Leica lenses then by all means go ahead, but I would also strongly suggest also looking at Zeiss and Voigtlander. They are always readily available and you could have 2-3 fine Zeiss lenses for the price of an equivalent Summilux, and loose little if any discernible image quality. Again, many forum members preferentially use these lenses in addition to or instead of the Leicas because of their characteristics, not their price. For example, I also have a 1.0/50 Noctilux and current 1.4/50 Summilux ASPH, but the 1.5/50 ZM C-Sonnar often finds its way onto my M9. Where there is adequate light the 1.4/21 Summilux sits at home and the 4.5/21 ZM Biogon is used as the lens weighs very little and has less distortion than the Summilux (or probably any M-mount 21mm lens for that matter).

 

The only issue for these non-Leica lenses is that they will need to be manually coded, for which there are various kits and techniques.

 

Sean Reid's website (small joining fee) is an excellent resource to advise on M-mount lenses. It is very reassuring for those who may have any concerns about the quality and performance non-Leica lenses. Finally, regarding resale, they may not fetch the astronomical prices of Leica but they all seem to hold their own.

 

Mark

[farnz]

Martin,

 

In case you haven't managed to decode the acronyms and abbreviations:

 

asph = aspherical. A aspherical lens element optically corrects for spherical aberration and typically produces pictures that are sharper at the edges. Earlier lenses rarely contain aspherical elements.

 

FLE = Floating Lens Element. The last lens element or group travels independently of the other elements when the focus ring is adjusted. This helps to correct for focussing errors (back focus, focus shift) in fast standard or telephoto lenses.

 

APO = apochromat. A lens element manufactured from glass with low chromatic dispersion that corrects for chromatic aberration (CA). Different wavelengths of light, eg red, green and blue, focus in slightly different planes so an object dot becomes an image blob. Apochromats correct CA and the image blob becomes more like the object dot.

 

MATE = Medium Angle Tri-Elmar. A lens with multiple focal lengths of 28, 35, and 50 mm and a constant maximum aperture of f/4. The cameras frame lines automatically adjust to the correct focal length and this is the closest it gets to a zoom lens in the rangefinder world.

 

WATE = Wide Angle Tri-Elmar. See MATE above. This lens has multiple focal lengths of 16, 18, and 21 mm but needs to be used with an external viewfinder; the nicknamed 'Frankenfinder' owing to its size was designed for the WATE.

 

Some people use the abbreviations 'lux, 'cron, and 'fit for Summilux, Summicron, and Summarit On the other hand, others find this practice intensely irritating. Actually it's not abundantly clear whether 'lux is short for Summilux or Noctilux and whether 'rit is short for Summarit or Elmarit.

 

Pete.