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35mm on a budget

nazedayo

By nazedayo
in Leica M Lenses

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nazedayo

nazedayo

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Hi folks,

 

I'm sick of my Oly OM-D and am ready to move to film.

 

My budget is about $2400.

 

I will be buying a used M6 ($1000). That leaves me with $1400 for lens.

 

I considered several options, all used of course:

 

a) Voigtlander nokton 35mm f/1.4 (about $500) + Fuji X100 (to ease me out of digital.. honestly hesitant about not having a digital option)

B) Voigtlander skopar 35mm f/2.5 II (about $500) + Fuji X100

c) Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 version 3 (about $1300)-> full, naked analog!!

 

I also thought about Zeiss glass but the biogon looked too big for my taste.

 

What do you recommend?

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Guest MarcRF

Guest MarcRF

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if it HAS to be a 35 I'd get a summarit... which is 1450€ here so probably a bit more in $ but you can find a mint one used for 1400$ i guess...

 

the 35mm f/2.8 c-biogon from zeiss is also quite good actually... theres a comparison or erwin puts on his webpage between summarit and c-biogon with flare performance... quite like the images even without the hood..

 

if you think about the focal length a 50 might be worth a thought too... have this as a prime and dont really miss the 35 (got the X100 too and GAS is driving me to buy a real 35 for my M sometimes ;))... the summarit 50 2.5 or the zeiss 50 f/2 planar are quite good actually...

 

as I like mechanical quality too I simply skipped voigtlander lenses so far because although they might be optically good, I'd shed a tear once in a while when mounting them because I can directly compare them to my 50 lux... (and yes I've actually really tried cv lenses on my M and didnt just look at them and say "oh rubbish")

 

so i can just give you the € prices here and a subjective view on the matters but as a conclusion from low price to higher one: (in addition to your initial thoughts to give you some other options)

 

Zeiss C-Biogon 35mm f/2.8 (600€ round here)

Summarit 35mm f/2.5 (1450€ new)

 

Zeiss Planar 50mm f/2 (600€ too)

Summarit 50mm f/2.5 (1200€ new)

 

as I've started with a bomb like the lux I didnt experience the lust to possess at least 1 leica lens... but I'd recommend buying a good standard lens (summarits are very good optically... even by leica standards!) and when expanding the kit later with lenses you use more rarely you can go for budget stuff. but as your standard is the heart of your kit and your most used lens I'd rather save more money and get the one I lust for or accept that I might buy twice after some time passed on

 

X100 is quite good.. I'd wait till fuji xe-1 started shipping for a while and you might get a used one very cheap because ppl might "upgrade" to the newer one or xpro1 and sell these diamond cheap..

 

by the way... since I got my M the X100 stays in the bag or at home most of the time... might as well sell it :( sad thing to be honest but I dont need digital at all at the moment

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jaques

jaques

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if the option really is between one lens only- or a lens and a Fuji x-100- the answer is obvious: get the fuji and lens. duh.

 

There are a lot of shots the fuji can take that no M6 can capture. Add to that the ease and usefulness of digital , video if you need it, high ISO's capacity... etc, etc- you get so much more than you would from just a 1500 dollar lens and you M6...

 

To overcome any perceived loss of IQ that buying a less expensive M lens implies: simply look for better content. Good content captured with mediocre optics is infinitely better than exceptional optics capturing dull content. So even fractional improvements in content quality can produce dramatic improvements to the final image, whereas huge improvements in the optical quality can have negligible impact on the image quality- indeed they can make things even worse.

 

This is why Lomo cameras are so popular- they take more interesting pictures half the time. The bad lens really helps.

 

 

The Skopar is good, the 1.7 CV Ultron is Good, even the 1.4 Nokton is quite decent- the Zeiss f2 Biogon is brilliant and if you just need Leica glass: get a 40mm Summicron C for $750 WITH a Leica CL body as back up for the m6... ;-) 3 cameras for the price of one. Have your cake and eat it.

 

This really is a no brainer...

 

unless you really want to go total analog all along.

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MarkP

MarkP

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Do yourself a favor and buy the 35 Summarit! In fact, if you don't later want something faster you may never need to replace or upgrade it. It is an underrated but outstanding lens - easily obtained pristine 2nd hand pristine within your price range, probably still with warranty. Option #2 the Zeiss 2.0/35 or 2.8/35 - both excellent lenses (mint used at the moment on the Forum Buy & sell for 520-570 Euro.

 

See the Puts and Reid reviews of the Summarit - probably as good as the Summicron if not better in some ways. Although no Summilux FLE (which I also own), I often take it out as a light single lens on the M9. An absolute delight to use.

 

In fact, instead of the Summilux, I took the Summarit and M9 out today - a nice cool & windy spring day at Bondi.

 

Straight out of camera with 100% crops

M9, 2.5/35 Summarit ISO 160-320

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

 

 

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nazedayo

nazedayo

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Thanks so much for your advice guys! After seeing the Summarit samples, I'm pretty convinced that will be my kit. It's no summicron ASPH, but within my budget that seems like my best option. I'll snipe on eBay until I can get one at a price within my range ;)

 

Now, excuse me while I go convince myself I don't need a digital option (gasp).

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MarkP

MarkP

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Thanks so much for your advice guys! After seeing the Summarit samples, I'm pretty convinced that will be my kit. It's no summicron ASPH, but within my budget that seems like my best option. I'll snipe on eBay until I can get one at a price within my range ;)

 

Now, excuse me while I go convince myself I don't need a digital option (gasp).

 

Excellent decision:).

 

You might want to check for a 35 Summarit with a local dealer where you may still get a good price, warranty, and their support.

 

Post some photographs once you're up and running.

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pgk

pgk

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Having a bloody hard time finding a summarit 35mm though =( only place I see one is on eBay, and they all start around $1600 =(

At least one is available used from a UK dealer (LCE Guildford) - fabulous lens if you don't need a faster aperture.....

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iedei

iedei

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i bought a Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic when i bought my M8......just to get a lens on there until i could shop for something else......and it really is a helluva lens for the price. Fast, great focusing, and nice depth of field. A very satisfying 'cheap' 35mm m-mount lens to get the job done. I don't think it has the majesty of a Summicron or Summilux.....but as a workhorse VERY compact lens, it is a marvel at that price.

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nazedayo

nazedayo

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i bought a Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic when i bought my M8......just to get a lens on there until i could shop for something else......and it really is a helluva lens for the price. Fast, great focusing, and nice depth of field. A very satisfying 'cheap' 35mm m-mount lens to get the job done. I don't think it has the majesty of a Summicron or Summilux.....but as a workhorse VERY compact lens, it is a marvel at that price.

 

Come to think of it, I could get an M8 with a voigtlander lens with my budget.. lol

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iedei

iedei

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Come to think of it, I could get an M8 with a voigtlander lens with my budget.. lol

 

that's what I did and I'm very happy! I had a limited budget as well. I didn't have the time or patience to use film...so it had to be digital. the M8 is just fantastic! another cheaper lens you could go for is a 40mm Summicron-C....and you'd still be within budget with the M8.

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colonel

colonel

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Thanks so much for your advice guys! After seeing the Summarit samples, I'm pretty convinced that will be my kit. It's no summicron ASPH, but within my budget that seems like my best option. I'll snipe on eBay until I can get one at a price within my range ;)

 

BTW I rate the summarit better then the summicron for my tastes. The focus throw is shorter, which for me is much better, and I think its as sharp above f2.8 and has no discernable focus shift

 

In the 35mm and 50mm Leica range IMHO its either the summarit or summilux

 

In terms of purchase, depending on the country you are in, there are always 35mm summarits that come up with dealers. I haven't seen any cheaper on ebay, and with dealers you have guarantees and the right of return if there is an issue

 

this is the 50mm summarit (same design objectives):

 

5897549063_80c2aef806_o.jpg

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rickp13

rickp13

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that's what I did and I'm very happy! I had a limited budget as well. I didn't have the time or patience to use film...so it had to be digital. the M8 is just fantastic! another cheaper lens you could go for is a 40mm Summicron-C....and you'd still be within budget with the M8.

 

+1 vote for the summicron 40mm. one of the best values in leica wide angle lenses.

 

also consider visiting flickr to find sample images made with your top lens choices - that's always a good place to start.

 

good luck

 

rick

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