Unkei Posted January 19, 2013 Share #1 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am going to purchase either a new M or a new M-E within the next 2 months. I am retired and will only be able to buy one lens to begin with. What would be considered a (normal) lens for these cameras. What I mean to say is, would a 50mm lens be a good starting point? I have never owned a Leica before but have had vast experince with both Nikons and Canons. With these cameras I bought several lenses. With the Leica, I will be limited to just one lens to start, so am in need of guidance. I know that some other brands of lens could be used at a cheaper price point, but I think that due to the reputaion Leica lenses have, I want to stick with Leica glass. Any suggestions would be welcome. I have wanted a Leica for many years and while I can buy any of them, at least up to and including the M Monochrom, I think the M or M-E, will be fine, giving me a bit more for glass. Thanks for any help, Unkei Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 19, 2013 Posted January 19, 2013 Hi Unkei, Take a look here One lens for new Leica?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
JCharlton Posted January 19, 2013 Share #2 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Welcome. What is your shooting style and what are your usual subjects? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unkei Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share #3 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Welcome. What is your shooting style and what are your usual subjects? Â Hi JCharlton, I like to shoot a lot of black and white, a holdover from my early days in the use of the darkroom and lack of color equipment. I like shooting landscapes, also architectural and mechanical detail. I am interested in street photography. I know the M Monochrom is supposed to be THE diital Leica for black and white, but I'm sure that I can shoot monochrome with the M or M-E also. Even so, I can use Photoshop or the proper Nik software to do post processing. Don't have the Nik software yet, but do have Photoshop CS5 Extended, and a Wacom Intuos 2 Tablet. But just not sure what lens to spend my bucks on. I know a lot of photographers use a 50 mm as their basic lens. I'm just new to Rangefinder type cameras and want whatever lens I buy to be a good basic starting point. Unkei Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted January 19, 2013 Share #4 Â Posted January 19, 2013 The 'one lens' is a myth. You can start with either a 35 Summicron or a 50 (Summicron/ Summilux) but eventually you will buy another, and another .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 19, 2013 Share #5 Â Posted January 19, 2013 How are you going to buy an M? The camera doesn't yet have a release date and due to orders already placed, it's unlikely to be available for some time after it's official release. Â A 35 or 50 is the best starting point IMHO. If you are going to wait for the M, start looking for your lens now and buy it when you find it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsheepdog Posted January 19, 2013 Share #6  Posted January 19, 2013 How are you going to buy an M? The camera doesn't yet have a release date and due to orders already placed, it's unlikely to be available for some time after it's official release. A 35 or 50 is the best starting point IMHO. If you are going to wait for the M, start looking for your lens now and buy it when you find it!  Good advice, and don't neglect second hand lenses. They make eminent sense photographically as well as financially. There are many, many photographers of far greater skill than I who consider the dual range 50 mm f2 Summicron to be the best lens ever made in terms of combined quality and usefulness.  Not that my opinion trumps theirs, but I agree with them 100%. I find myself using it over my Summilux often just for the convenience of it, and the big, heavy, expensive Summilux only when I really need the big aperture. The old f2.8 Summaron with the myopic "Herr Doctor" goggles is right up there too. Both would cost you much less than a new red dot anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsheepdog Posted January 19, 2013 Share #7 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) PS to my last, there may be a bit of bad advice in my last. The f2 summicron could NOT be used on the the M8 because of physical interference with the sensor at closest focus. It is why, actually, that I bought the Summilux. Â I have since sold the M8, in favour of an MP, and I am not certain if the Summicron problem exists with the other digital cameras, or the new "M." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokoshawnuff Posted January 19, 2013 Share #8 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Like others have mentioned, a good one lens set would be a 35 or 50. Personally if I had to choose only one lens in the Leica lineup it would be the Summilux 35 ASHP FLE (a lens I do not currently have though ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRabern Posted January 19, 2013 Share #9  Posted January 19, 2013 I am going to purchase either a new M or a new M-E within the next 2 months. I am retired and will only be able to buy one lens to begin with. What would be considered a (normal) lens for these cameras. What I mean to say is, would a 50mm lens be a good starting point?I have never owned a Leica before but have had vast experince with both Nikons and Canons. With these cameras I bought several lenses. With the Leica, I will be limited to just one lens to start, so am in need of guidance. I know that some other brands of lens could be used at a cheaper price point, but I think that due to the reputaion Leica lenses have, I want to stick with Leica glass. Any suggestions would be welcome. I have wanted a Leica for many years and while I can buy any of them, at least up to and including the M Monochrom, I think the M or M-E, will be fine, giving me a bit more for glass. Thanks for any help, Unkei  U.  I would start with this question: What focal length did you enjoy most with your Nikon or Canon? In the M line of lenses your choices are more restrained to focal length, then consider vintage, speed, etc. I think you should set a budget for the lens and then go from there. You may be able to have more options than you might initially think. I mimicked everything I had with nu Nikon kit within the Leica line. This was unnecessarily unproductive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
taosantamonica Posted January 19, 2013 Share #10  Posted January 19, 2013 I like shooting landscapes, also architectural and mechanical detail. I am interested in street photography.  I know a lot of photographers use a 50 mm as their basic lens. I'm just new to Rangefinder type cameras and want whatever lens I buy to be a good basic starting point. Unkei  I was using a 28 summicron for landscape and street with my m9p and it worked really well for that….as would a 28 elmarit. I just got a monochrom and 35 lux for street photographing and I’m really enjoying the beginning process of thinking in b/w and the detail that combination is giving me. A 35 would get you wider than a 50 and be a good street and overall lens with good framing lines in the viewfinder Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelRabern Posted January 19, 2013 Share #11 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Like others have mentioned, a good one lens set would be a 35 or 50. Personally if I had to choose only one lens in the Leica lineup it would be the Summilux 35 ASHP FLE (a lens I do not currently have though ) Â This is exactly what I am doing now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlatkob Posted January 19, 2013 Share #12 Â Posted January 19, 2013 What would be considered a (normal) lens for these cameras. What I mean to say is, would a 50mm lens be a good starting point? Â It would be the same as a normal lens for a Canon or Nikon. Which would you choose for a Canon or Nikon? Between 35mm and 50mm, I feel that 35mm is more versatile and is likely to work better for most of your subjects (landscape, architecture, street). It also works very nicely with the Leica viewfinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fang Posted January 19, 2013 Share #13 Â Posted January 19, 2013 +1. Totally agree. Â I thought my first 35mm cron is sufficient.....but then came the 50mm lux........about 3 months later.....28mm cron... another 3 months down the road... 35mm lux. Â Recently with the introduction of the new M ...my new range of R lens...75-200mm... 500mm.. 35-70mm. Keep telling myself that I will stop here..yet I still looking in ebay and the buy + sell section of this forum...just checking the prices;) Â Â The 'one lens' is a myth. You can start with either a 35 Summicron or a 50 (Summicron/ Summilux) but eventually you will buy another, and another .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonki-M Posted January 19, 2013 Share #14 Â Posted January 19, 2013 The 'one lens' is a myth. You can start with either a 35 Summicron or a 50 (Summicron/ Summilux) but eventually you will buy another, and another .... Â yep, been there, done that! first it started out with a 35 cron...THIS lens is ENOUGH for most situation....now i have 5 lens how did THAT happened!? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatist Posted January 19, 2013 Share #15 Â Posted January 19, 2013 35mm Cron is a lovely lens and gets my vote!! I sold mine but now i'm coming back to Leica this is the one i will get again!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillavoider Posted January 19, 2013 Share #16 Â Posted January 19, 2013 the leica m-e is a bargain considering what i paid for a m9, so i would get one of those with a zeiss 35 or 50 lens and then see how you go. you will want more then one lens, not all leica lenses are worth what they ask, some are pretty average. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 19, 2013 Share #17 Â Posted January 19, 2013 I think you could live with either a 35 or 50 summicron as an only lens for a while. It just depends which is your preferred focal length. Bear in mind that most fixed length compacts have close to a 35mm equivalent lens probably because it's the most usable. Â One thing to remember with the ME or M9 is that the quality of file is so good that cropping a 35mm down to a 50mm focal length is no trouble at all, it has the quality to do so in bags. You can't crop 50mm wider though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyalf Posted January 19, 2013 Share #18 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Depending on bugdet: Â Leica 50/2 (SH) Leica 50/2,5: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-lenses/269075-50mm-lenses-bit-controversial.html Jupiter 3 50/1,5 (SH) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted January 19, 2013 Share #19 Â Posted January 19, 2013 Unkei, Â Â My suggestion, depending on your naturally preferred focal length, is: 50/2 Summicron (the younger the better), or 35/2 Summicron (asph if you prefer sharp and contrasty or pre-asph if you prefer gentle and more micro-contrast detail). Â Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWC Doppel Posted January 19, 2013 Share #20 Â Posted January 19, 2013 I am it sure if you have used a rangefinder before ? Â It may make sense to buy a secondhand near mint M9 or M9-P with warranty and something like a 50 Summicron again second hand. Then you can lose very little if it's not for you and if it is you might squeeze a nice 35 from the classifieds Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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