Which lenses for 35mm equivalent on M8? {MERGED}

[IWC Doppel]

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Prices will go up due to rarity on the used market and go down due to lack of demand as everyone has one ;-)

 

Shins will be bruised

[prager]

Hi folks,

 

I have been thinking about buying another lens for my M8, something a bit wider to give me the 'classic' 35mm field of view. Here's the back story - I used to have a Canon 1DMkII and used a 50mm lens as my 'walkabout' lens, so when I sold it and went to the M8 I went for a 50mm Summilux mainly because that is a focal length that I was used to, especially since both cameras have a 1.3x crop sensor.

 

So the question is - what are my options when it comes to achieving a 35mm equivalent on the M8? By my calculations I should aim for a 27mm to get the closest possible, but seems like I will need to compromise. Oh, one other thing - I would like to buy used and not spend too much.

 

I'll list below the options that I've found, along with approximate used prices. (Mainly AUD, but that's not far from USD at the moment anyway...)

• Voigtlander 25mm f/4 - $420 (This actually looks like a new price?)
  
• Voigtlander 28mm f3.5 - just had a quick search online but not much success finding any of these??
  
• Carl Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 - $1,000
  
• Leica 28mm Elmarit (f/2.8) - $1,000
  
• MS Optical Perar 28mm f/4 - $700 (The very far left-field oddball option... price is for new.)
  
• Canon 28mm f2.8 - $500 (Screw mount and would require adapter.)
  

 

What is the opinion on much older lenses, say a 1970's 38mm Elmarit? Honestly I don't care about some paint wear or scratches on the body. Actually I suppose I shouldn't be too concerned, my Summilux is a 1970's model anyway and I am floored by the image quality (or maybe I'm just not very picky). I am seriously considering this old Elmarit, but my only concern is that it has neither front or rear lens caps, so I hope they're sturdy as it must have been stored like this as well... also 'cleaning marks' on the front glass. But this is by far the cheapest option... maybe a good cheap introduction to using 35mm? I figure I can always sell easily without much loss if I don't like it anyway.

 

From what I have seen & read about the Canon 28/2.8 it seems like a great performer as well...?

 

I don't necessarily expect the same performance as my Summilux, I suppose I am happy to experiment a bit because I have only used a single lens on my M8 so far.

 

Interested to hear some other opinions. Are there any other screw mount lenses that I should consider?

 

Cheers

 

Hi, to keep it simple, i have the Zeiss Biogon 25 mm and I love it. Lovely lens, sharp and crispy...

[Jamie Roberts]

Four choices, really;

• find a CV 28 1.9 Ultron ASPH on ebay. Large-ish, but fast, nicely built and surprisingly beautiful IMO--even against the 28 Summicron ASPH.
  
• Zeiss Biogon 25. Much higher contrast than the CV, so looks very sharp.
  
• 28 Elmart ASPH 2.8. Small, sharp, high contrast= very modern Leica look. Can't go wrong with this, and it's cheaper than the 24 Elmarit ASPH (also a great lens on the M8, but wasted, so to speak).
  
• Leica 28 Summicron ASPH. My all-time favourite 28, despite it's size with the hood. Exceptionally great 28mm lens; perfect contrast and sharpness wide open, rapidly becomes more contrasty as you stop down. This is like having a superb 35mm-ish lens on the M8 IMO, and some of my favourite M8 shots were taken with that lens.
  

[chalkdust]

Though its field of view is a bit wider than the 35mm equivalent, I am extremely pleased with the images drawn by the 24mm f/3.8 Elmar M. They have beautiful contrast and color and detail. This is my favorite lens for situations calling for wider than "normal" field of view on a M8.

[IWC Doppel]

With a few moe lenses to play with on my M9-P I am still very fond of my 28mm summicron and 24mm Elmarit-M ASPH.

 

Both were lovely on the M8 and every bit as good on the M9-P

 

My friend who has my old M8 uses a Voiglander F1.9 28mm and I have been impressed with some of his pictures

[WestMichigan]

Just to chime in on some more recent posts suggesting the ltm VC f1.9 28mm Ultron.

 

I got one new a year or so ago and it definitely makes a nice 35mm fov equiv option on the M8. Saved me a bundle versus any summicron option of any vintage from the mothership. It has given me some wonderful images and have no qualms suggesting folks give it a close look-n-see if they need a f2 28mm. It isn't perfect, few lenses are, but the Ultron's weaknesses generally land in areas I am most forgiving of eg: different horses for different courses and on my course this horse runs well.

 

RLW

[chalkdust]

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24mm ASPH f/3.8 Elmar M is my favorite. It draws an image that captures what I want captured. Granted, its aperture makes it mostly an outdoor lens. But in my world, outdoors is probably right for this field of view anyway. And if I need to use it indoors, I just increase the ISO to those values we are not supposed to use and get the shot I need.

[IWC Doppel]

Some good advice here, I think I would look for an f2 if you want to use indoors and into the evening as the maximum ISO before too much grain is 640 IMO on the M8. I would see if you can try a few shots with the VC and the Leica in this case.

 

You could of course remortgage and wait for the 28mm Summilux !

[mugget]

Haha, cheers Doppel. I don't even have a mortgage, so I can't re-mortgage (don't wanna go down that route anyway! I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I was in that much debt! )

[Acekerman]

I thinking of getting an M8 after years away from an M8.2 I sold. What would be a good beginner 35mm lens for mostly B+W shooting? Sharp and contrasty but economical as well. Leica or Non-leica, fast or slower. Thanks everyone.

[WestMichigan]

I thinking of getting an M8 after years away from an M8.2 I sold. What would be a good beginner 35mm lens for mostly B+W shooting? Sharp and contrasty but economical as well. Leica or Non-leica, fast or slower. Thanks everyone.

 

Hello,

to just ensure clarity could you confirm whether you are seeking input on a 35mm focal length lens -or- a 35mm equivalent lens?

 

Myself, I own a 35mm f.o.v. Equivalent lens: the Voigtlander 28mm f1.9 LTM lens which I like for being both big and a fast f2 aperture. It does have a bit of distortion and soft corners wide open - neither of which are deal breakers for my shooting styles. I can't offer ownership commentary about any 35mm focal length lenses, but the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 lseems like a very interesting option if a slower lens isn't an issue. CameraQuest lists it available new for a reasonable price. The Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 is a lens that impressed me on price, speed, and the way corners caught up with the nice centers when stopped down, but I went with a Rokkor Forty F2 instead.

 

Sincerely

Richard W

[jaapv]

I thinking of getting an M8 after years away from an M8.2 I sold. What would be a good beginner 35mm lens for mostly B+W shooting? Sharp and contrasty but economical as well. Leica or Non-leica, fast or slower. Thanks everyone.

 

I am not really into the "beginner" concept, Especially beginners should start out with proper stuff.

For the M8 I would recommend the Summicron-C 40 which is relatively easy to find on the used market. For the M8 it is a perfect match. Framelines can be made to be 35 if so desired.

It easily outperforms price-compararable lenses like the Color-Skopar.

On a slighly higher level the Summarit line of Leica offers excellent value.