M-Monochrom and Zeiss glass

[andybarton]

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If I'd known that you had a new toy in your bag when you texted me yesterday, I might have suddenly become "un-very-busy" for an hour.

 

 

Who wants to stop work at 9pm anyway

[Leopold Green]

Hi Jeff,

 

However, I'm extremely impressed by the initial results from both of them which I'll show below, if the Moderators allow. If not, you can see them larger on my Flickr site and more too.

 

BTW, a filter makes a massive difference to the sky, much more so than pushing a B&W converted sky on the M9. These were shot with a yellow filter. It's fit and forget.

 

Gary

 

Manchester is a very photogenic city! I agree 100% about the use of filters - one of the nice things about going straight from film to the Monochrom is not having to rethink filters when considering a scene (or worrying about whether the software will emulate accurately.

 

The pictures are a great advert for not needing to spend £2K+ for lenses...

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[Northern Qtr]

This set was taken with the Leica M monochrom and Zeiss 50mm Sonnar f1.5 link - Chester Pride 2013 - a set on Flickr

Edited January 21, 2014 by Northern Qtr

[sblutter]

I'm very happy with 21mm 2.8 Biogon

 

For a marginal length (for me), the price tempted - the results have opened my eyes 'wider'

[roguewave]

It is always a special occasion when my Master gives us a chance to swim in his sea. Love them all Gary. I bought the CV 15 several years ago & have used it with my old M8 and especially with my film CL (on the subway). With the M8's crop, it removes the weird stuff on the edges. During wintertime, I can wear a wool glove that hides the CL and it's also very quiet.

 

Regarding Zeiss glass, I bought a Zeiss 2.8 / 21mm from JAAP some years ago and I find it to be superb. Love the details this lens renders and in tight spots, it always delivers. I still haven't found a comparable 19mm that stands up to the R19 Elmarit. That remains a top contender for wide angle image making. The problem with Leica's M wides is that the focal length distance remains absurdly long.

 

With my R kit, I could make portraits within inches of a face. Same with my Blads.

[Vieri]

Manchester is a very photogenic city! I agree 100% about the use of filters - one of the nice things about going straight from film to the Monochrom is not having to rethink filters when considering a scene (or worrying about whether the software will emulate accurately.

 

The pictures are a great advert for not needing to spend £2K+ for lenses...

 

+1 on the filters, it's great to be able to go back to the old film habits. I did a little write-up

 

HERE

 

on using orange & red filters with the MM.

 

On lenses, I went for CV this time: 21 f/1.8, 35 f/1.2, 75 f/1.8 and I have a 50 f/1.5 coming up next week. So far, I am very pleased with what I see

 

Oh, and I have my Nocti f/1 (60) which I'll never sell...

[richfx]

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Wow - great shots, especially first time out with the MM.

Rich

[Photoskeptic]

Vieri, I remember some of your Noct shots from the past and they were simply awesome. While I've never tried a Zeiss lens on any of my Leica's, I have tried a few Voigt's and I got rid of all of them. In the meantime, I have all Leica lenses and am very happy with them.

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I won’t shoot you (except with a Monochrom, should the opportunity present itself ), as I fully agree. My preferred basic lens set on the Monochrom consists of:

 

-Zeiss C-Biogon 35/2.8

-Canon LTM 50/1.8

-Zeiss Tele-Tessar 85/4.0

 

I use mainly Leica lenses on my colour digital M.

So will the 50mm Otus work on the MM?

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

+On lenses, I went for CV this time: ...

whats CV

[Jay B]

Neil, it is Cosina Voigtländer

Voigtlander Leica Mount Lenses

[jaapv]

So will the 50mm Otus work on the MM?

 

No because you cannot focus it.

[wilfredo]

This set was taken with the Leica M monochrom and Zeiss 50mm Sonnar f1.5 link - Chester Pride 2013 - a set on Flickr

 

Thanks for sharing these photos. Fantastic series BTW! I'm currently shooting with a 50mm LUX ASPH on my MM and find your photos to be comparable to the results I'm getting. Many attest to the the great marriage between Zeiss glass and the MM. I'm considering purchasing Zeiss glass and checking it out for myself.

 

Were these shots done wide open? What's your preferred aperture?

[Sekander]

I won’t shoot you (except with a Monochrom, should the opportunity present itself ), as I fully agree. My preferred basic lens set on the Monochrom consists of:

 

-Zeiss C-Biogon 35/2.8

-Canon LTM 50/1.8

-Zeiss Tele-Tessar 85/4.0

 

I use mainly Leica lenses on my colour digital M.

 

 

I would not disagree!

Have the Zeiss Tele-Tessar 85/4.0 for portraiture coupled to an M240 and it does an amazing job. I find it comparable and enjoy it as much as the Macro-Elmarit-R 60/2.8 made in 1978.

[thompsonkirk]

My experience is the same as the original postesr. I was going to sell my 50 Sonnar-C because tones just didn't look right on M9 – mainly because of a greenish cast in the dark tones. But now I prefer it on MM.

 

I did a side-by-side comparison of the 50 pre-aspherical Summilux and the 50 Sonnar-C. The Lux managed a teeny bit more resolution at every aperture, but the Zeiss handled BW tonal transitions with an incredible smoothness. In this respect it takes fullest advantage of MM sensor's potential.

 

The biggest difference was bokeh at widest aperture. The p-a Lux was prone to double/parallel outlining of out-of-focus straight lines. This becomes smoother after f1.4, but it's the main reason I don't use it any more. (I've tried to sell it, but it's the collectable 2005 black paint version, and the going price is too high for other '99% folks' to go for it!)

 

My particular Sonnar-C's best close-focus aperture is neither f1.5 nor 2.8, but 2.2 (in Zeiss' 1/3 stops). So I shoot at f1.5 or 2.2, and then skip down to f5.6 to avoid focus shift.

 

Kirk

Edited July 21, 2014 by thompsonkirk

[richfx]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rolophoto/

 

Astonishing photos, Gary. The first lens I used on my MM, purchased three weeks ago, was my 35mm 2.8 Zeiss Biogon T. I have loved it on my M9 - more than my 35mm Lux FLE with good light and for landscapes - because of its three dimensionality, crispness and pop, and it did not disappoint on the MM. Since then, I've shot with my 35 Lux and 50 Lux ASPH, both of which I like.

 

Reading the forum, Get DPI and Steve Huff, I've become very curious about older glass on the MM and recently purchased a Canon 35mm 2.0 LTM and Canon 50mm 1.4 LTM. I'm (im)patiently awaiting delivery of both to see whether these classic / 1950's vintage lenses render a softer and less clinical look to the MM's amazing sensor and IQ output, with more tonality and smoother transitions between the MM's countless shades of grey.

 

The MM is really fun - an amazing tool and toy. I have much to learn with it, and am very inspired by your work. Oh - I also purchased yellow and orange filters, as you've recommended. Not having shot film / B+W for forty years, I'l be relearning that aspect of the craft. It's all good.

Rich

Edited August 4, 2014 by rcerick

[john neal]

Rich,

 

I'm sure you will enjoy the 50 f1.4, I have one and find it a really good match for the MM. Sadly, I no longer have the Canon 35 f1.5 which I didn't like on film using my MP - I'll bet that sings on the MM too, and your f2.0 won't be far behind, it's a great lens.

 

Let us see some results?

 

I'm currently playing with a 50mm f1.5 Sonnar that was converted from CZ mount to ltm by Brian Sweeney, and hoping it will be nearly as good as my genuine 1943 ltm version that I sold to fund the M9-P purchase

[bruniroquai]

Any 50 Sonnar pictures, guys?

[qnze]

Any 50 Sonnar pictures, guys?

 

Yesss... I set "Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 (II)" as the intern lensname, but they are all shot with the "Zeiss Sonnar 1.5/50 ZM *T". Hope it helps...

 

First Flirt by qnze, on Flickr

 

Recall the Past by qnze, on Flickr

 

Cadillac by qnze, on Flickr

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[bruniroquai]

Wow!! Stunning quality, thanks! I'm thinking about these two, lux asph or sonnar