please help me pick a lens for my 30% discount

[losta]

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I've had the M8 since week 1 of it's release, I still haven't sent it back to Germany as I have an upcoming trip I need it for and the anxiety of waiting for it would drive me nuts.

 

I have been having a good time with it. I also have an M6 TTL though I don't shoot much film anymore. I also have a Canon 5D and a good selection of lenses for it. I shoot travel, street, portraits and some landscape. I have 12CV, 21 elmarit, 24 elmarit, 28 new 2.8 elmarit, 35 summicron and 50 noctilux.

 

I am considering the 50 summilux, or 75 summilux or summicron. A 90 would be too long for me. I'm not sure the WATE is for me either but maybe you guys can convince me. Any ideas or suggestions? Did I read somewhere here that the 75 summilux was being discontinued?

 

Here is a link to a recent project though it was shot with a 5D (this was shot last spring pre M8) I only have misc M8 work online right now until I update my web site.

 

http://web.mac.com/losta/iWeb/losta/Paris_2006.html

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

[Guest Olof]

I've had the M8 since week 1 of it's release, I still haven't sent it back to Germany as I have an upcoming trip I need it for and the anxiety of waiting for it would drive me nuts.

 

I have been having a good time with it. I also have an M6 TTL though I don't shoot much film anymore. I also have a Canon 5D and a good selection of lenses for it. I shoot travel, street, portraits and some landscape. I have 12CV, 21 elmarit, 24 elmarit, 28 new 2.8 elmarit, 35 summicron and 50 noctilux.

 

I am considering the 50 summilux, or 75 summilux or summicron. A 90 would be too long for me. I'm not sure the WATE is for me either but maybe you guys can convince me. Any ideas or suggestions? Did I read somewhere here that the 75 summilux was being discontinued?

 

Here is a link to a recent project though it was shot with a 5D (this was shot last spring pre M8) I only have misc M8 work online right now until I update my web site.

 

http://web.mac.com/losta/iWeb/losta/Paris_2006.html

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

 

Whats about the 90mm Macro Elmarit Set ?

[jaapv]

WATE-90-75-50 That is a wild variation. What do you want to do with it? What is your style and photographic preference? What lenses do you use most?

[stunsworth]

Lisa, I'd go for the 75mm Summicron - the 75mm Summilux does appear to have been discontinued as you say.

 

Why? Well that would give you a very nice light walk about set of 24/35/75. That would cover most things - certainly in my case - and you'd still have the Nocti for low light situations.

 

I already have the 24 and 35, so my next step is likely to be the 75.

[LJL]

Lisa,

Based on the nice shots I saw in your Paris gallery, I agree with Steve that a 75 would be a good addition to your kit. Your shots look mostly in the 28-50 range if you were shooting your M8, so the 75 would give you a bit more reach, and complement your kit. The 75 Lux is still available, but seems rather hard to get for some. It would be a very nice extension for your Noctilux for that softer, wide-open look, but your images look to have a bit more DOF, so the 75 Cron, with all of its sharpness would be an excellent choice also. Unless you were going to shoot the 75 Lux wide open a lot, the Cron would be a great choice. However, the deal on the Lux is better with the discount, if that matters. The WATE would be nice on the wider stuff, but since you already have a 21, and a CV12, you have a lot of the wide covered now. The CV15 would be the cheapest way to cover the gap between the 12 to 21 you have, if you really shoot that much wide stuff.

 

As others have mentioned, it really is up to your shooting style and needs. My comments are made with respect to your present lens coverage and the type of shots you have displayed. Going to a completely different place with the 90 is also a great option, but get yourself the VF magnifier too. Just my thoughts on this.

 

LJ

 

P.S. I was going to get the 75 Cron to fill out my kit also, but got a used one last month that is in mint condition, so I opted to get a Noctilux with my discount. I have a CV 15, Zeiss 25/2.8, CV 35/1.2, CV 50/1.5 and Leica 75/2. I thought about the WATE and the 90/2 as options, but figured the Noctilux was more in keeping with my faster glass style and shallow DOF. If I had not gotten the 75 Cron, I might have thought about the 75 Lux instead, but the Nocti will cover the super thin DOF for me instead.

[losta]

Any thoughts on the 50 summicron? It seems like that or the 75 (cron or lux) would be best for me.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

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Lisa maybe the 75 cron since you have the the softie lens I like to call these in the Nocti, the 75 cron is extremely nice and small too. I have the opposite the 50 lux and the 75 lux and use the 75 lux as my softie

[robsteve]

Any thoughts on the 50 summicron? It seems like that or the 75 (cron or lux) would be best for me.

 

Lisa:

 

A 50mm Summicron is a nice addition to a Noctilux. You can sometimes find them in the $600 range. You want one of the fourth optical versions, which started some where in the 2,900,000 serial number range and is still the current optical version.

 

The 75mm Summicron is nice and compact, with excellent performance, but it is a bit of an in between focal length with not very good frame lines on the M8. When I shot Paris, the majority of my stuff was done with a 50mm and 35mm. I only used the 75mm Summilux at night for speed, along with a Noctilux on another body. I could have done without a 75mm. This was on film. If the 75mm felt too long on film, it will be even worse on the M8.

[Eoin]

Having the 75 Summicron along with the 50 Summicron and a Noctilux on order, the only advice I can give you is to carefully select between the 75's. I think the 75 Summicron is very very sharp and perhaps a little to contrasty to be used as a portrait lens. But other than that it's a lovely lens. I can't see the need for the 50 Summilux Asph as you already have the Noctilux, as it's been said before a 4th gen tabbed Summicron can be had for very little money.

 

I'm starting to feel the ideal focal length for portraits on the M8 is a 50mm.

[losta]

I like my Noctilux but it's not a walk around lens. I think the 50 summilux would be a good walk around and portrait lens that I would see tossing in a little camera bag (Leica Billingham) when I am walking around with the 24 or 28 etc. The nocti I only take when I know I want to shoot low light but is generally too big to take along.

 

On the other hand the 75 cron might be a nice portrait lens but I can't really think of what other use I would have for it.

 

Oh and the 50 summilux comes in chrome! But then again I could probably find a nice clean used one on ebay or one of the forums.

[jaapv]

So it seems the 50 Summilux Chrome would be your lens. And it happens to be one of Leica's signature lenses as well...

[Eoin]

Ahh!, it's the chrome your after, I'd agree that if your style says you'd have little use for a 75 other than portraits the 50 is a better option. just be aware the std black 50Lux is 340g and the chrome is about 445g while the noctilux is 630g. I understand the lust for chrome

[losta]

Ahh!, it's the chrome your after, ... just be aware the std black 50Lux is 340g and the chrome is about 445g while the noctilux is 630g. I understand the lust for chrome

 

I didn't think of that. Good point... but it's so pretty in chrome!

[Eoin]

I didn't think of that. Good point... but it's so pretty in chrome!

 

I know, if I wasn't going for a Nocti with my 30% I'd be getting a 50 'Lux Asph in chrome to tie into my 21 Asph and 35 Lux Asph both in chrome. I have a couple of std black lenses and they are much lighter but, I prefer the feel/look/weight of the chrome so like I said I understand where your coming from.

 

Don't forget there is also the 50 Summicron in chrome also, very nice lens by all accounts.

[ejcaliguri@comcast.net]

I know, if I wasn't going for a Nocti with my 30% I'd be getting a 50 'Lux Asph in chrome" etc.

 

I'm going with the Noctilux as well .... the retail price just jumped over 30%, so add that to the 30% discount and it's a honey:)

 

Either that or get the 75 'lux - it's now discontinued so act now!!

[grober]

Easy choice: 75mm Summicron.

 

Of course, the 90 Elmar with its Macro accessory would be interesting too.

 

-g

[doug_m]

The 50 Lux ASPH is killer for portraits and short enough for other uses. Its probably my favorite M8 lens (my others are the 28 cron, 35 cron and 75 cron- all ASPH and latest versions) . I don't have a Nocti but you can't go wrong with the 50 Lux Asph.

[James Mitchell]

Which ever lens you choose, you might be in for a long wait. Leica USA just told me to expect my two-month-old order to be another two months in the waiting... They're awaiting shipments from Germany of lenses, or so they say.

[losta]

So I think I want a 50 lux but I may also want to get a 75 cron or lux.

Now my next question how does the current 50 lux aspherical compare to the previous 50 lux? I have found a few pre aspherical 50 luxs for around $1500. Would I be better off getting a new coded one form Leica for about $2000 or go with the pre asph and use the 30% for the 75? Tough decisions.

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[Eoin]

It does not make sense to use the 30% discount for a 75 Summilux, even with the discount this lens is costing €2k+ where as you can pick up a clean 75 lux on eBay for around €1200.

The 75 Cron AA is a different story as it's fairly new and not many come up 2nd hand.

 

With regard to the 50's someone else will chime in with a better understanding of non Asph v Asph, but by all accounts the older is softer at max aperture and does not have as much contrast. I have read the older one is also more prone to flare. I have no personal experience of either. But by in large the Asph's are sharper with better definition.